my boy recently got a boat,went out on it Saturday,went out to the bay.went out for fluke,caught a couple rocks. im fairly new to boating,any tips would be appreciated.his boat is 16',seats 4 people,has a weight limit like 750lbs.single 2 stroke engine.i was quite scared when I first got on it lol,its pretty small imo,everyone else at work is like oh that's normal. so this Saturday coming up we plan on going out in the ocean.he actually went out sunday with another friend and caught a bunch of fluke just outside sandy hook.from the videos he sent me it looked a bit rough lol.his launch pass is in the central part of the state away from the open water,we have to ride the river to the bay and out to the ocean.i just don't want to freak out once we get out there
I have an 18 ft center console with a 90 hp 4 stroke and I'm a bit ambitious. I live directly across from the sebastian inlet and i go out in the ocean often ,not to fish but just ride out. if everything is functional then just pay attention to the tides and wind and his ability to skipper the boat. have an emergency kit with you for the unforeseen and file a float plan with the coast guard if you're going to be gone for a while .
Hey Bro’ if you need any help or have questions, I’m good at this shit - it’s what I do for a living and I’m willing to talk you through stuff, or give you some guidance if I can, whenever you need it. I’ve been wrenching on boats since I was a kid and got good at fixing things because I had to lol. Later the career just happened in the course of things.
I will say this - 16’ is a Bay boat, river boat and MILD weather close to shore boat only. It’s a common size boat and very fun, easy to use and versatile but do it mistake it for what it’s not. 18’ and up fiberglass boats with high sides and decent sized engines 60hp and up are the next step up, and so on. A decent 20’ plus boat like that is pretty much the baseline for actual ocean usage. Safe and comfortable in up to 3-4’ seas although Dramamine city lol. Make sure of steering system, whether it’s cable or hydraulic, that it’s responsive and not loose or leaking any fluids. Be sure to always burn off gas before it goes three weeks or longer, especially in a plastic tank. Turns varnish and goes bad and will cause varnish buildup and carburetor. Problems. Always make sure you make a 50:1 mix with a two stroke. Some call for 40:1 or even 30:1... do 50:1. It’s safer for the engine To be too rich than too lean. Lean is mean. Periodically check your lower gear case lubricant level and color. It should be green or blue and not smell burnt or rotten. Those smaller outboards really work those lowers hard, so the gear oil gets beat up pretty good. At the end of the season, run a double mix (100:1) of two stroke oil, for about 5 minutes, then disconnect fuel hose and run engine until it stalls to empty the carburetor of any fuel over the winter storage. Will save you a gummed up carb in spring , and oils down the cylinder walls for a good winterization. There’s chapter one lol
Sure - i can help you out with some recommendations. For a 16ft vessel and 4 person crew I recommend a 30 pack of natty lights
I have taken some small boats out a few times. One time I had a 12ft aluminum boat with a 9.9 2cycle ... lol the thing was actually pretty fast with just me in it... but it had pretty low gunnels (sides) and I got half way through the end of the inlet and turned around... never attempted it again in that tiny boat. Lol just a little too small. Anyways I have a friend who regularly goes out in a basic 16ft aluminum boat. It's not too bad, a little rough depending on the wind- and also other boaters wake. Just be careful and aware of your surroundings. You know the water, just use your knowledge of currents etc. the worse part could be going thru the river and coming around the hook- if that's the way your going, watch the tide. If your really worries-Just wear your lifevest, and stay together with the boat if anything happens. When people try to swim to shore or something is when problems happen. Take your cell phone but put it in a ziplock sandwich bag- it's water proof and you can still use it and talk on it when it's in the bag... also- if your in the river and run into trouble- remember your anchor is your best friend- throw that thing over right away and fix the problem so you don't drift into anything
So is the boat in question a center console fiberglass boat or an aluminum Jon type of boat? It it's center console- you should be fine... Is it that boat that was for sale at Jost auto repair on 138? It was a white aluminum center console? If so- you'll be fine in that too, it has higher gunnels If it's just like a Jon boat with 4 bench seats... well just wear your life jacket...
Check this out, these guys crossed the Atlantic in a 16' flat bottom boat! Set a world record to raise awareness for wounded military heros. http://crosstheatlantic.com/ If you have amazon prime, you can watch it all... the guy is pretty funny and he surfs... I watched it over the winter: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Smallest-Powerboat-Crossing-Atlantic/dp/B079C5V1TK
I wouldn't... but people do some crazy sheet in little boats. If you decide to do it, just don't tell your wife, wear a life jacket and epirb, and make sure your life insurance is paid up.
If you're fluking in the bay look for holes or (if you don't have a depth finder) use edges of the channel... If you're going outside go early before the wind picks up. Still some decent bass around
my buddy thought since im the surfer I was going to take over and show everyone the ropes.i feel somewhat confidently safe,as safe as u can be in the ocean lol,when I can see land.when I cant see land I start breathing heavy and stuff and theres no turning back. what was really killing me that day was the sun.i went out directly after work for like 7 hours or something,i worked 6am-12pm,was running on a banana and snackpack pudding lol.probably dehydrated,and once we got out there that sun was beaming on me.my buddys jumping into the bay with a beer in his hand while im dying inside lol.next time I will be more prepared
that's exactly what it has lol.i told my boy he needs some swivel seats,he said that's like a $60k upgrade
Great advice, took the words out of my mouth. And an EPRIB - an emergency radio beacon that is attached to the vest, it goes off when it gets submerged. A little boat on the ocean..seas can blow up fast. Shit hits the fan. Happens all the time.
Take it out on a reasonably choppy day in the bay or inlet and see how the boat reacts to it. Get a feel for it’s limits before you go ocean side. When things go bad in a little boat, they go bad in an instant and people can get hurt. Also, one hugely important piece of advice that will save your life or someone else if you get tossed overboard - wear that lanyard!!!!!! It’s the slinky looking black cord with the red clip that connects to a button on the controls or the tiller arm of the engine. It shuts the engine off if you fall out or get tossed in rough water and prevents the boat from turning hard right and coming back around to run you over. Happens every year. Seriously
Ohhh mannn is that what that red landard thing is for??? I threw that thing out when I got the engine!!!
