How did you Learn to Handle your Power Boat?

[BandB]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

The specs on that powerboat..

38'
8.5' beam
10,000 lb
Twin 525 hp for 96 mph
Fuel burn 90 gallons per hour.
Optional twin 700 hp for 114 mph

For $500 per hour, it didn't look like it was that much fun.

6 kt works for me.

Well, we enjoy fast, although not that fast. Our lake boat ran 55 knots. Our fastest boat today runs 43 knots. But we would never operate in that fashion. If at speed, passengers seated and in areas of calm and clear waters.

Now we also enjoy slow.

[Pelagic]

Definitely more fun

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2oBr8bHuZ1k

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Definitely more fun

That was too painful to even watch.

[St. Elsewhere]

Here is my direct answer to the OP:

1. Started with a 14' 25HP outboard runabout in 1954 with no instruction. After a short time on the water I had a high level of confidence, with a limited percent of required skills.
2. Survived that and had a 19 foot IO with 130 HP in the late 1960's.
3. Rented a 34' low powered Grand Banks in the 1970's, still no instruction.
4. Rented a 40' low powered trawler displacement hull also in the 1970's.
5. Took the Power Squadron boating course upon purchasing a larger twin engine cruiser in the 1980's, and have owned such boats up to the present.

Much of what I needed to know was learned in the smaller boats. The major thing to grasp is how things happen at idle power, and the affect of wind and current at low speed. Those skills are absolutely required to be able to dock the boat in a variety of conditions, and running it in open water on a clear day at cruise speed actually requires much less skill. Boats vary widely in how they react. There is a big difference between singles, and twins. Also, between semi planning and displacement hulls. The most important thing to be learned in any of them is proper low speed operation.


Next for actual cruising you need to learn navigation skills, rules of the road, traffic control systems in shipping lanes, radio operation procedures, weather, and how your particular boat behaves in rougher seas. In the PNW there are areas where tidal rapids occur with significant over-falls, and whirl pools on the tail-outs. Instruction is the best way to learn these issues, but hands on experience is required to develop proficiency. You should also learn radar and low viability navigation skills for running in fog. These are needed skills even if you do not intend to run in the fog because you will no doubt get caught in it when you do not expect to get in it.


Other emergency operations that are necessary to learn are: man overboard recovery, collision response, and fire response. And finally, to learn how to provision critical spare parts, and the ability to perform enough maintenance/repair functions to deal with situations that arise away from support facilities.


The learning process is of itself a rewarding experience. In current times instruction is best in the beginning. In the 1950's there was much less to run into, and boats moved slower except for a few hydroplanes on Lake Washington.