My first dive...into boat ownership.

So the story goes.

My twin 14 year old boys had a great time tubing at a friends cottage over the summer.  Jamie "SWMBO" says "we should get a boat".

After looking at a few different styles of boats and sending her CR and Facebook links I get "I'm not really excited about any of them".   Clearly I'm looking at the wrong kind of boats, so I show her a youtube video of a nice small cabin cruiser and she loves it!   The reason for showing this particular video is there is one just like it ten minutes away from my daughters house in Detroit 2.5 hours away from me.  Yay I get to go visit the kids.

I know nothing about boats, so I pickup my daughter son in-law who are members of the Detroit Yacht club, they know a little more about boats but not much.   We check out the boat, it appears solid mechanically, fabrics and seats are in decent shape, the whole thing just needs a cleaning and buffing.  When I saw the listing it was for $8750, by the time I called the seller it had dropped to $7500, while inspecting he stated that it was dropping to $6500 today to move it.  

Armed with my hour of interweb research on nautical machine mechanicals I start asking questions.  History, PM's, gumball, bellows, drive, prop, trailer, everything was handled by the Marina and anything questionable was replaced even if it had a few more seasons on it.    Satisfied with his answers I offer $5500 and he takes it!   Looks like I need to round up some tires and plan on how to get it home.  

That was last Sunday, today I go and pick it up.   Four new tires on wheels, $500, 20 fresh lugs and a hitch pin and we are off.

1998 Bayliner 2355 Ciera.  You car see it needs a good buffing in this shot.   Normally it was done every spring, but 2020 happened and being on the water was more important than a shiney boat.

So far I have watched a youtube video on how to winterize the engine and drive, purchased a kit from Amazon and some fogging oil.

Shortly after that the seller texted me to say, " Don't worry about the winterization, I forgot the cancel that and the marina got it done".   Sweet, one less thing for me to do, except it's 70 degrees in November and the lakes have no boats on them.  Would have been a great opportunity to learn how to pilot a boat, oh well spring will be here soon.

In reply to akylekoz :

That's a good score and a fair price for a 23 footer, freshwater use is a huge bonus.   What does it have for power?  If it's a Mercruiser with a 350 / 4bbl (260 HP) you've done well and it should perform well.

On the winterizing, it wouldn't hurt to take a look around the engine compartment to be sure it's been drained properly.  When you do it yourself in the future always chase out the drain plugs with a wire or screwdriver as they do tend to get a little crusty on raw water cooled engines.  

In reply to 11GTCS :

Sadly its a 5.0, I really wanted one with a 5.7/bravo III but this one was right there in front of me.  I'm not even sure what drive it has on it.  We test ran it on a 38 degree day last week Sunday, it fired right up dead cold sounded good, idled smooth.

We figure that for less than the price of a weeks family vacation we will get enough enjoyment out of it even if only for a couple of years.

The seller stepped up to a 36 footer.

Sweet. That's a big starter boat! Honestly, with a boat like that that has some interior space you can boat all year with a littel prep unless you're far enough north the water gets solid.

Take a boater's safety course. When you start driving it, just go slow. Never approach anything faster than you're willing to hit it and you'll be fine. Bumping into stuff is sort of part of normal boat operations, the trick is to do it gently. 

Always remember, as Captain, your first responsibility is the safety of everyone on board. Part of that is projecting calm and control even when you're pretty sure the fudge is about to hit the fan. Never panic - or at least never let them know you're panicking. Learning that made boat handling with an inexperienced crew (including myself) much better.

On a 20yr old Bayliner, a buffing out is going to be the least of your worries.  Since you're on this forum I presume you will be hands-on for maintenance and repairs.  I'd start by trying to learn where all of the plumbing (especially any thru-hulls) is and in what condition, followed by the electrical system.  If thru-hulls are plastic, consider replacing at this age (my boat almost sunk  in the Tortugas due to a cracked plastic one, 5yrs old). I guess a boat like that has a head; I'd suggest looking into a removable porta-potty so you don't have to deal with that system.  Test and maybe replace the bilge pumps & their plumbing.  Check the VHF and carry a hand-held as well.

Will you keep it in the water or on trailer?  I'm not a fan of I/O, particularly for in the water, but that seems to be a regional thing.  At least the engine parts are cheaper than with an outboard.

Piloting in open water is fairly straightforward, as long as you know where the shallows or rocks are.  Around docks, only go as fast as you are comfortable hitting something.  Take a moment to consider the wind and current before you start a maneuver.  You can do some low-risk docking practice by dropping a few buoys into open water and pretending they are a dock, approaching from different directions.

My experience is with saltwater outboards, and I am very much on the "simpler is better" plan.  Keeping up with a few boats takes more of my time than I'd prefer.

All that said, camp cruising by boat is one of my favorite things to do.  And that boat looks great for a couple for a weekend.  We've done a few week-long trips on ours and its a lot of work, but a great adventure that you couldn't have another way.

I've owned 4 boats.  My current is a 37' Intrepid with 3 300 Yamaha engines.  I learned the hard way over 40 years of boat operation and ownership.  Some free advice to a new boater.

Tough first boat to learn on.  Single I/O boats are not the most maneuverable.  That thing has a ton of freeboard and will act like a sailboat when trying to dock in a side wind.  If it doesn't have a bow thruster, you are in for plenty of excitement.  I hope that it has steps and you can walk up and through the windshield because if not, getting someone to the bow for line handling, anchoring and docking is going to be frightening, double if it's wet and rough.

Have someone VERY familiar with single I/O operation teach you how to maneuver this boat under trying conditions.  There is a reason clubs make you have an instructor when driving a new track.  Same idea, only the boat thing will be totally unfamiliar to you. Not just you either.  You will need a "crew" to operate this boat.  They need to be just as comfortable knowing what to do when docking, launching and trailering the boat.  There will be anxiety and yelling when things get stressful, and they will.  Don't yell.  Discuss with everyone on the boat what you are going to do ahead of time and what you need each of them to do.  Be patient and calm for their sake.  Since your "crew" is most likely family you want them to be comfortable, have fun, and want to go out again.

There is a reason there are a million "bad boater" videos on YouTube.

Agreed.  My boat (single OB on bracket, pilot-house forward) basically will not turn up-wind at idle speeds moving forward.  I suspect this one is much the same, and I'd doubt it has a thruster.  If you can coordinate with crew to get a bow or mid-cleat line secured you can work against that.  Use the engine to work against line friction on the cleat, don't let crew pull on lines or they will get hurt or fall in.  I generally prefer to do it myself but I am able to scamper around the side of my pilot house to the bow.

An Intrepid with the forward cabin would be my island-hopping dream boat, those are sweet.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

It has some brand or another of upside down U shaped cavitation plate, he tells me with the addition of this it made it super maneuverable.  His marina gas pump is a busy and crowded place apparently it really helped getting around other boats and PWC.

I plan to take the state boater safety course with my boys and wife so we are all on the same page.  My first outing will likely be at a small inland lake for some intense practice for all of us (probably just Jamie and I to start with).  I know a few seasoned boaters and will take one with to learn the ropes.

Advise on buying a boat was buy our second boat first, and if on the fence between two sizes go bigger, also don't get too nice of a boat first, I think those all apply.

Having owned a travel trailer for ten years and worked on carburated small block chevys there's not much new mechanically here other than the drive.  Advice will be summoned here.

I'll need to learn how to use this.

MattGent said:

\ Around docks, only go as fast as you are comfortable hitting something.  Take a moment to consider the wind and current before you start a maneuver.  You can do some low-risk docking practice by dropping a few buoys into open water and pretending they are a dock, approaching from different directions.

Matt drops a lot of good advice but this is the one I want to focus on.  

With the intention of providing significant amounts of inside/under room, your boat has very large topsides.  

Topsides are not the top of the boat, that is the deck.  Topsides refers to the sides of the boat that are out of the water.  Or, dictionary: 

Definition of topside 

topsides plural : the top portion of the outer surface of a ship on each side above the waterline

What I am trying to point out here is that you have a lot of boat that will be affected by crosswinds when docking or traveling slowly.  This can be significant if docking on a breezy day.  

It may be an affect of the high topsides but in the picture above your boat is resting on the white dock pilings.  This is not ideal.  Better would be that the dock lines on the other side of the boat are tight enough that when the wind blows, the boat has some movement from side to side but never so much movement to actually touch those pilings.  Or, if the boat is going to hit something then a fender (those blue things stored in the racks near the bow) should be used for soft, protection of the hard object.    

I also recognize in your chart plotter that you are at the Detroit River DYC area.  Point of interest... directly across from you is the Manoogian Mansion (City of Detroit owned "Mayors House".)  That mansion is at the end of a row of about 7 houses.  The house at the other end of the row just sold recently and was owned by Kid Rock

akylekoz said:

Advise on buying a boat was buy our second boat first, and if on the fence between two sizes go bigger, also don't get too nice of a boat first, I think those all apply.

Yup.  I would have added not too complex.  Looks like someone already ditched the head, which is a good sign. 

The fin on the drive would generally help with planing off at lower speeds; not sure they help much with dock maneuvering.  Its not the ideal ski boat but should get you around.  It is pretty ideal for over-nighters with the wife though.

GPS are generally easy to use.  I normally use an iPad with Navionics for trip navigation: nicer screen, familiar interface, and you can plan the trip at home on the couch.  90% of trips don't need GPS.  Goes without saying but don't drive by GPS at night, only go as fast as you can see.

Kid Rock has a place down the river from me in FL too.

Fresh wheels and tires installed and ready for the road.

I’m not sure if the surge brakes work or not but they got me home.

Just before dark, we’ll have to check it out tomorrow.

In reply to akylekoz :

Most likely an Alpha 1 drive. They’re not hard to do basic maintenance on and parts are easy to source.  (Mine is 32 years old on a 22 cuddy with a 350, they’re pretty reliable in fresh water.)

305 has the right amount of cylinders, there were plenty of those that had 4.3 V6 / 190 HP engines which would be marginal at best.  Worst case, a set of trim tabs could be installed if it’s slow to plane but I’m guessing you’ll be fine. 

Another thing to look into is a local shop that does prop repair. While you may not need to get one repaired, they typically have used props in different pitches and diameters. 
 

Since you are trailering it's easy to swap props before going out, so it may be worth experimenting with pitch to figure out what works best for different activities. We used to run a 17" pitch prop for running out to fishing spots and cruising around cape cod. We would switch to a 15" pitch when skiing or taking a lot of people out. 

+1 to everything MattGent and Maj75 said.  I have a lifetime of boating from 13' whalers inland to 53' sailboats on offshore passages.  They are spot on.  

Sounds like you are going into this with your eyes open and the right attitude.  

Love this place.

It has trim tabs and a fresh four blade prop that I’m told helped on acceleration and efficiency.  And it has this anti cavitation plate.

I will check with my local prop shop, I know right where it is.

Came with some light reading.

And one of these.

akylekoz said:

Thanks for the tips everyone.

It has some brand or another of upside down U shaped cavitation plate, he tells me with the addition of this it made it super maneuverable.  His marina gas pump is a busy and crowded place apparently it really helped getting around other boats and PWC.

I plan to take the state boater safety course with my boys and wife so we are all on the same page.  My first outing will likely be at a small inland lake for some intense practice for all of us (probably just Jamie and I to start with).  I know a few seasoned boaters and will take one with to learn the ropes.

Advise on buying a boat was buy our second boat first, and if on the fence between two sizes go bigger, also don't get too nice of a boat first, I think those all apply.

Having owned a travel trailer for ten years and worked on carburated small block chevys there's not much new mechanically here other than the drive.  Advice will be summoned here.

 

 

I wound up with a 28 foot Sea Ray.  The difference in price was really trivial when you saw how much more room it had and it actually had a bathroom ( head in nautical speak ) with a proper toilet.  ( still original after 41 years ). 40 gallon stainless steel holding tank. 90 gallon fresh water  and 105 gallon fuel tank. 
I used to put it in with a S10 Blazer.  So my current Ford  F150 is a major step up. 

Here's a shirt for when you have to use a crowded dock on a windy day::