Power Boating For Dummies

Randy Vance is a lifelong boater who has made a career of writing about boating. As the operator of a small resort and marina in Missouri for more than 20 years, Vance hosted or appeared on many radio and television programs covering boating and fishing topics. During his tenure at Boating Life, the magazine and some of Vance's articles have won awards in many publishing circles.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You’re Not to Read 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

How This Book Is Organized 4

Part I: Getting On the Right Boating Track 4

Part II: Safely Operating Your Boat 4

Part III: With Much Boating Fun Comes Much Responsibility 4

Part IV: Keeping Your Boat Shipshape 5

Part V: Enjoying Your Boat 5

Part VI: The Part of Tens 5

Icons Used in This Book 6

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Getting On the Right Boating Track 7

Chapter 1: Powering Up to Be a Boater 9

You Might Be a Boater If 9

Weighing the Costs of Boating 10

Costs of landlubber family activities 11

Costs of boating as a family 11

Considering Different Kinds of Boats 12

Getting Trained and Licensed 13

Navigating the Boat-Buying Scene 14

Buying a new boat 14

Buying a pre-owned boat 15

Getting Your Boat On and Off the Water 16

Getting Your Boat around on the Water 17

Getting Your Hands Dirty 18

Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Boat Type and Engine for Your Boating Needs 19

Acquainting Yourself with the Parts of a Power Boat 20

Getting Serious with Fishing Boats 22

Freshwater fishing boats 23

Saltwater fishing boats 25

Kicking Back with Runabouts and Pontoon Boats 27

Running around in runabouts 27

Living large on pontoon boats 30

Going the Distance with Cruisers 31

Express cruisers 31

Sedan cruisers 31

Houseboats 32

Understanding Different Boat Engines 32

Getting sporty with inboard power 32

Tooling around with outboard power 33

Spending the day with sterndrive power 34

Maneuvering with pod drive power 35

Zipping about with jet propulsion power 35

Chapter 3: Finding and Buying the Right Boat for You 37

Narrowing Down Your Boat-Buying Choices 38

Considering location and type of water 38

Matching boating activities to the right boat type 41

Choosing the right horsepower for your boat 43

Setting Your Boat Budget 44

Budgeting for boat storage costs 44

Figuring in trailer, fuel, and maintenance costs 45

Insuring your boat (immediately) 47

Choosing how to pay for your boat 48

Deciding Whether to Buy a Pre-owned or New Boat 50

Buying basics for pre-owned or new boats 50

Considering a pre-owned boat 54

Looking at a new boat 55

Going Shopping for Your Boat 56

Buying through a Web site 56

Buying from an individual 57

Buying from a dealer 58

Buying at a boat show 59

Getting Licensed and Educated 59

Passing the state boating exam 60

Taking a boater safety course 60

Chapter 4: Accessorizing Your Boat for Safety and Fun 61

Getting Quality and Approved Safety Gear 61

Staying afloat with life jackets 62

Being prepared with throwable life preservers 63

Having the right fi re extinguisher onboard 64

Keeping a spare anchor on hand 64

Stowing paddles just in case 64

Securing and Protecting Your Boat with Mooring Lines and Fenders 65

Choosing the right mooring lines 65

Fending off scrapes with fenders 67

Communicating and Navigating Safely with Marine Electronics 68

Avoiding the bottom thanks to a depth finder 68

Verifying your location with a GPS 69

Staying in touch with a VHF radio 70

Choosing Safe, Fun Watersports Accessories 70

Inflating the fun with tubes 70

Washing away boredom with wakeboards 71

Getting started on two skis 72

Slipping through the water on a slalom ski 73

Selecting the correct tow rope to match your watersport 73

Jacketing up for safety and looking cool 74

Part II: Safely Operating Your Boat 75

Chapter 5: Towing Your Boat and Maintaining Your Trailer 77

Getting Properly and Safely Hitched 78

Defining the parts of the vehicle-trailer connection 78

Getting help aligning your vehicle and trailer 80

The same old routine: Coupling the trailer securely to the vehicle 81

Pulling Your Trailer Safely and Efficiently 82

Bring ’Er Back: Mastering Techniques for Backing Up a Trailer 83

Backing up while looking over your shoulder 84

Backing up while looking in the side mirrors 84

Keeping Your Trailer Roadworthy 84

Lighting and wiring are the first things to fail 84

Keeping those trailer wheels rolling 87

Making sure you can stop 88

Checking all the hardware regularly 89

Getting Some Handy Trailer Gadgets 90

Chapter 6: Launching and Loading Your Trailered Boat 93

Being a Prepared and Polite Boater at the Ramp 94

Get it together at home 94

Don’t be a ramp hog 95

Staging for Launch 95

Sizing Up the Boat Ramp to Tailor Your Technique 98

Mastering a shallow ramp 99

Meeting the challenge of a deep ramp 100

Combating a crosscurrent on the ramp 100

Launching Your Boat with a Crew 101

The boat handler 101

The vehicle driver 103

Guests and kids who board after launch 104

Launching Your Boat Alone 105

Time to Go Home: Getting Your Turn in the Loading Line 107

Figuring out what’s going on around the loading line 108

Offloading passengers and getting into position 109

Loading Your Boat on the Trailer 111

Approaching the trailer 111

Making contact with the trailer 113

Getting Up a Slippery Ramp 116

Making Your Boat and Trailer Road-Ready 117

Chapter 7: Hitting the Open Water: Driving Your Boat 121

Fueling Up Your Boat 121

Taking care of your engine’s special oil needs 122

Fueling up on land 123

Fueling up at the dock 124

Getting Your Motor Running 126

Putting safety first 126

Priming the fuel line on outboards 128

Choking the engine and pumping the throttle on carbureted motors 128

Troubleshooting a nonstarter 129

Getting Underway 131

Throttling up for take-off 131

Maintaining and changing course 133

Adjusting the boat for a great ride 134

Shutting Down the Engine 137

Chapter 8: Docking, Rafting Up, and Anchoring 139

Docking Your Boat Like a Pro 140

Docking stern-in (back first) 140

Docking bow-in (pointy end first) 143

Docking alongside (parallel) 144

Tying your boat safely to the dock 145

Undocking and shoving off 148

Rafting Up with Fellow Boaters 149

Approaching a boat or raft at anchor 149

Hitching your boats together 150

Putting fenders at the rubbing points 151

Breaking up the party and the raft 151

Anchoring Your Boat the Right Way with the Right Anchor 152

Understanding the parts of an anchor 152

Choosing the right anchor style 153

Determining where and how to set the anchor 154

Keeping an eye out for drift while anchored 155

Weighing (raising) anchor 156

Part III: With Much Boating Fun Comes Much Responsibility 157

Chapter 9: Rules Do Apply: Navigating to Avoid Collisions and Confusion 159

Sharing the Water: Boating Rules 159

Boating’s golden rule: No right of way on the water 160

Maintaining a proper lookout 161

Crossing paths with another vessel 161

Overtaking a vessel 162

Meeting another vessel head-on 165

Keeping your speed in check 165

Reading Boat Lights 166

Light colors and locations on the boat 166

Interpreting the lights you see 168

Understanding Navigation Markers 168

Intracoastal Waterway markers 169

Other channel and navigation markers 169

Chapter 10: Finding Your Way on the Water 173

Charting Your Course Over Big and Little Waters 174

Understanding chart basics 174

Where to buy your charts 178

Finding True North (And the Way Home) with a Compass 178

Discovering how a compass works 179

Navigating with a compass 179

Choosing the right compass for your boat 182

Understanding the Value of VHF Radios 183

Turning on and tuning in 183

Communicating between boats 185

Scanning the Unseen Depths with Sonar 186

Seeing how sonar depth finders work 187

Choosing the right sonar unit 187

Using sonar 188

Spotting fish with sonar 189

Using GPS Chart Plotters 189

How GPS units work 189

Choosing the right GPS for you 190

Finding your way with GPS 191

Letting Radar Spot Things Far in Advance 192

How radar works for you 192

Choosing the right radar for your boat 193

Chapter 11: Navigating Bad Weather 195

Tuning In to Marine Forecasts Before You Go Out 195

Checking weather on the Web 196

Using VHF and weather radios to monitor weather on the water 197

Locating weather information on your GPS 197

Knowing about Warnings and Advisories for Small Crafts 198

Taking small craft advisories seriously 198

Knowing regional advisory differences 199

Taking Precautions When the Forecast is Bad 200

Tweak your departure or destination plans 200

Head for port at a hint of lightning 200

Anticipate sudden weather changes 201

Secure or relocate your boat in named storms 201

Dealing with Weather Conditions 201

Gauging wind, waves, and seas 202

Understanding the power of thunderstorms and lightning 202

Navigating through fog 203

Handling Your Boat in a Storm 205

Preparing your crew 206

Riding out the storm 206

Handling your boat in rough seas or waves 207

Chapter 12: Preparing for and Handling Boating Emergencies 211

Being Equipped for Dealing with Boating Hazards 211

Checking your safety equipment 212

Stowing a first-aid kit 213

Bringing communication gear 214

Taking navigation tools 215

Filing a float plan and checking insurance 216

Tackling Types of Emergencies 217

Equipment failure 217

Fire 218

Grounding on hazards below the surface 219

Collision with another vessel 220

Weather 221

Personal accident or injury 221

Calling for the Help You Need 221

Making a mayday call 222

Making a pan-pan call 223

Other means of getting attention 224

Deciding whether to wait for help or head for shore 225

Deciding to Abandon Ship 225

Attempting Temporary Repairs 226

Assessing the damage 227

Fixing what you can 227

Part IV: Keeping Your Boat Shipshape 229

Chapter 13: Keeping Up with Routine Boat Maintenance 231

Checking and Changing Your Engine’s Oil 232

Lubing up four-stroke outboards 232

Dealing with oil in two-stroke outboards 236

Changing inboard and sterndrive engine oil 237

Changing the oil in a jet-drive engine 240

Changing Gear-Case Lubricant and Transmission Fluid 240

Changing gear-case lubricant 241

Checking and changing inboard transmission fluid 243

Other Sterndrive Lubricants You Should Monitor 244

Checking the power-steering fluid 244

Checking the hydraulic engine trim fluid 245

Protecting Your Engine from the Effects of Ethanol 245

Understanding the negatives of ethanol 245

Dealing with the effects of ethanol 246

Monitoring Engine Gauges 247

Maintaining Your Boat’s Battery 248

Using a battery charger 251

Replacing a worn-out battery 252

Washing, Waxing, and Preserving Your Boat’s Good Looks 253

Getting the right boat-cleaning tools 253

Using the right soaps and waxes for boats 254

Chapter 14: Getting Your Boat Ready for Winter and Spring 257

Preserving Your Fuel and Engine 258

Changing Your Oil for Long-term Storage 259

Preventing Your Engine from Freezing Up 260

Keeping Your Battery in Shape for Spring 261

How to Freeze-proof Your Plumbing 261

Freshwater systems 262

Locker drains and other plumbing 262

The bilge 263

Covering the Boat Lengthens Its Life 263

How to Get Your Boat Ready in the Spring 264

Chapter 15: Repairing Leaks and Other Damage to Your Boat 265

Doing Quick Repairs to Keep Things from Getting Worse 266

Fix leaks 266

Tighten or replace bolts and screws 267

Check and tighten hose clamps 268

Tighten and repair hardware 269

Spotting and Fixing Loose or Damaged Belts 271

Testing belt tension 271

Knowing when a belt needs changing 272

Understanding Propeller Types and Repair 272

Getting propeller dimensions right 272

Having the right number of blades 273

Knowing the differences in prop materials 273

Determining if your prop is damaged 274

Removing the propeller to replace or repair it 275

Repairing different types of propellers 277

Handling Electrical Problems 279

What do those colored wires mean? 279

Working on a 12-volt battery system 281

Resetting circuit breakers or replacing fuses 282

Tampering with 110 volts is dangerous 283

Tracking down electrical problems 283

Using some helpful wiring tools 285

Part V: Enjoying Your Boat 287

Chapter 16: Finding a Safe Harbor for Your Boat 289

First Things First: Make Sure You Have a Mooring Cover 290

Floating Your Boat in Wet Slip Storage 291

Getting what you want from a wet slip 291

Preparing your boat for wet slip storage 294

Another alternative: Hoisting your boat 296

The cha-ching factor of wet slip storage 297

Weighing the pros and cons of floating your boat 298

Stacking the Deck for Dry Storage 299

What you can expect from dry-stack storage 300

Preparing your boat for dry storage 301

Racking up the costs of stacking your boat 302

Weighing the pros and cons of racking up 302

Buying into Convenient Moorings 304

Sizing up the ’minium craze 304

Enjoying premium marina amenities 305

Using a Trailer for More Freedom and Frugality 305

Where to keep your trailered boat 306

Preparing your boat for open storage 306

Weighing the pros and cons of trailering 308

Chapter 17: The Well-Fed Boater 309

Navigating Your Galley 309

Refrigerators and coolers 310

Appliances that bring the heat 311

Civilized eating: Tools and utensils 312

Planning to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry 313

Keeping your stuff cold: You gotta pre-chill 313

Having plenty of drinks on the drink 314

A navy travels on its stomach 315

A word about alcohol 318

Chapter 18: Getting Your Feet Wet with Boat Clubs 319

Getting Hooked on Fishing Clubs 319

What fishing clubs have to offer 320

Finding the right fishing club for your interests 320

Joining Boat-Brand Clubs and Rendezvous 322

Finding boat-brand clubs 322

Tapping in to rendezvous 323

Joining a Watersports Club 323

Joining the U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary 324

Some Boat Clubs Are Like Timeshares 325

Joining a fractional ownership boat club 325

Weighing benefits and liabilities 327

Part VI: The Part of Tens 329

Chapter 19: Ten Tactics That Separate Pros from Amateurs 331

Chapter 20: Ten Important Items to Keep Onboard 339

Chapter 21: Ten (Plus Two) Mechanical Checks for Buying a Pre-Owned Boat 343

Index 351