MarkyMannn Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 macdaddy - where do you live & boat? Buffalo area? I just upgraded this year to a Bayliner Discovery 210. For sure, get maps of the water area where you will be boating. Most boating is common sense, but take a safe boating course for sure. Let me know if you are in the Buffalo area, and I can give you a TON of tips for the area. The SpartMan DOES know how to fish, first two pictures from this past Sunday News Nice Bass & Pike Russ, you owe me a coffee for making you the famous TBD Fisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Bayliners are junk.... buy a Cobalt instead. Cobalt Boats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGimp Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Don't go on 3 hour tours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Ya... Take a safe boating course... I am a lock and dam operator with the Corps in South Chicago on the Illinois WaterWay. We deal with over 25k pleasure/recreational craft a year and about 10-15 million ton of commercial cargo... Along with 1,000's of empty barges, commercial passenger craft, etc.. etc... My advice... Don't be "clueless." Sun and alcohol on the water tends to put the "blinders" on many... Don't fall prey to it... Again, take a local safe boating course (usually through your local USCG-Aux)... Really! Good luck! Oh... Another pet peeve of mine... Get PFD's that fit... Especially if you have young to very young children traveling on your vessel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Bolded for the truth. #2 - Know the water. Get a chart. Too many rookies kill their props, shafts, lower units, etc., because they don't know the body of water that well. Get a chart, study it, use it. Don't know where he is located... But, for here you can get charts on the internet or bound @ US Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River Visitor Center Lock and Dam 15 Clock Tower Building, Box 2004 Rock Island, Illinois 61204-2004 1-800-645-0248 mvrodmn15@usace.army.mil Illinois (I am at the border between Great Lakes and Western Rivers... 7 miles down from Lake Michigan) can be found @ mvrod-ia-vc@usace.army.mil Great Lakes is USCG 9th District @ USCG 9th District Safe boating course @ www.cgaux.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 What he said. #3 In rough water always face the waves. AND NEVER stern anchor under the Peace Bridge or that part of the Upper Niagara/rapids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Spartacus Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Bayliners are junk.... buy a Cobalt instead. Cobalt Boats Never heard of Cobalt Boats. I thought Cobalt's were the cheap new Chevy cars that kids buy. Same thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Never heard of Cobalt Boats. I thought Cobalt's were the cheap new Chevy cars that kids buy. Same thing? In true Cavalier fashion! I think the Chevy Cobalt replaced the Cavalier... Me myself, IMO... A nice Boston Whaler or Seaswirl is the way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy Posted August 24, 2008 Author Share Posted August 24, 2008 Thanks for all your help guys. Seriously. Been out a couple of times now and having a blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Thanks for all your help guys. Seriously. Been out a couple of times now and having a blast. Did you score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy Posted August 24, 2008 Author Share Posted August 24, 2008 Did you score? Funny you ask.... Went out all day w/ the boys Friday...golf, Saratoga Race Track, Saratoga night life w/ limo, can't remember when I got in... the old lady was fricken pissed Saturday AM. Dragged my ash out on the boat w/ her and actually scored when we got home. Whoo hoo. But the 'scoring' comment was actually in regards to my sons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Funny you ask.... Went out all day w/ the boys Friday...golf, Saratoga Race Track, Saratoga night life w/ limo, can't remember when I got in... the old lady was fricken pissed Saturday AM. Dragged my ash out on the boat w/ her and actually scored when we got home. Whoo hoo. But the 'scoring' comment was actually in regards to my sons. Nice day here in Chicago and "cooler by the lake"... We have had 100's of boats so far since 0800 and the lake bound pleasure craft (PC) are starting to heat up... I am glad I leave at 1600 and leave the return PC to the afternoon crew... There are some oil/chem tows headed this way and it doesn't get pretty when the PC start to pile up because they can't make lock with the haz materials!... I will get my crack at afternoon shift next weekend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Don't go on 3 hour tours? Unless you are bringing Ginger and Mary Ann. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HereComesTheReignAgain Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Watch out for piers. This story is on one of my co-workers that hit a pier Friday. http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=642...s_story_type=18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffalOhio Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Get a GPS unit and USE it. Take spare spark plugs and various tools with you in your boat box. Always have enough PFDs for everyone on board for safety and to avoid an unpleasant visit with law enforcement. Get a dry bag so all your electronics aren't shot if rain creeps up on you. PUT THE PLUGS IN BEFORE YOU PUT THE BOAT IN THE WATER. Get your fishing license, fill the cooler with beer and have a blast! Fill the cooler with beer. Boy, that's great advice Phils. I've never heard of anyone getting killed because of drunken boaters. Leave the beer at the dock, MacDaddy, it'll still be there when you get back, and you'll actually GET back. Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Kuhn US Coast Guard for 25 years, retiring in 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 don't set the newly filled gas can (not that your boat will have a "gas can") on the fuel line and then wonder why the boat stops 20 yards after you leave the marina. I knew a guy who did that once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 Fill the cooler with beer. Boy, that's great advice Phils. I've never heard of anyone getting killed because of drunken boaters. Leave the beer at the dock, MacDaddy, it'll still be there when you get back, and you'll actually GET back. Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Kuhn US Coast Guard for 25 years, retiring in 2009 That's rule #1. And I'm all over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Fill the cooler with beer. Boy, that's great advice Phils. I've never heard of anyone getting killed because of drunken boaters. Leave the beer at the dock, MacDaddy, it'll still be there when you get back, and you'll actually GET back. Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Kuhn US Coast Guard for 25 years, retiring in 2009 That is great advice! When the beer goes in, the "boat blinders get bigger!" It is amazing the tunnel vision a boater will get by just being out on the water in the sun all day... Mix in the alcohol and it increases at least 10 times. Also... Like I said, PFD's that fit! It is amazing how you can see 100+ K vessels with little children on board and adult PFD's... When you buy a boat... You should cover all bases/ages for your guests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Watch out for piers. This story is on one of my co-workers that hit a pier Friday. http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=642...s_story_type=18 It is your co-worker's fault... There is a lighted day mark there... I work for the Corps and used to do hydrographic (soundings for dredging and maintenance ops) at Charlotte Harbor... Like the one Coastie noted, they can light it up like a Christmas tree. I ask the question, what would that serve? It would just confuse vessels (most likely the ones who know the rules for the channel) even more. People must have common sense and follow the rules of the road... If they put to many lights up and it obscures the red/gren combination of marking that channel... Things will be even worse! Like I said... I am a lock and dam operator and I could tell you a million stories of what people do and how they do not even bother to learn the rules of the road. Would people jump in a car without learning the rules? True navigation light story: At the upper approach to a lock there is a red light on the upper guide wall... What makes the other side of the chamber and "I-Wall" at a single lock (upper end) is a set of three green lights stacked vertically... at the lower end there are two green lights. One time I had a blitzed boater attempt to enter the lock chamber from the lower end (going upbound) while a tow pushing 9,000 ton of coal was leaving in the opposite direction... Good thing I was paying attention, because I saw him begin to enter and I yelled for him to back off and get out of the way. I asked him if he saw that traffic light (on the guidewall) just outside the lock gates (let alone the green/amber/red navigation lights of the approaching tow)... He said: "Ya... I got two green lights right there." Pointing to the lower end navigation lights. One good tip: Know the rules of the (boating) road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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