BRINGING BOATING BACK
12/18/2007 9:04:49 AM by Bill Lindsey
DRENCHED CAMARADERIE: Raft-ups are one of the most entertaining ways of meeting people out on the water.
We’re not implying that boating ever really went anywhere, we’re just saying it’s finally regained its glitz-factor of yore. Follow us on a fun journey through the exciting lifestyle that comes along with boat ownership.
Photos courtesy of The Lindseys
While many people can’t name most of the Presidents of the United States for the last century, just say Crockett and Tubbs and everyone around you knows who you’re talking about. After all, who doesn’t remember the iconic 1980s duo and their influence on an era given to happy excess. What made them stand out in a time of unbounded cool? Why, their hot boats, of course. You don’t need this magazine to tell you that a boat is the ultimate adventure machine, capable of taking you and friends with very little effort to unique new experiences that can only be attained via the water. Parties aboard, giant legendary raft-ups, waterfront dining, exploring out islands, chasing trophy gamefish or just cruising along enjoying the scenery — all you need to enter this new world of virtually instant popularity is a boat.
Forget the watery ambience of the 1980s, boating is back and with a vengeance. There have never been more choices when it comes to types of boats available, from center console fishing machines to sleek, sunpad-equipped cruisers, to multi-engine hot boats. And there are more than enough to satisfy any taste or preference. It’s never been easier to own a boat; interest rates are still very low, making it easier to buy that 35- to 50-foot boat you’ve been lusting after and more and more boat storage facilities are being built all over the country. So, if you’re ready to get behind the throttle or move up to a bigger boat, this is the time to do it. Now that we’ve got the rah-rah for our favorite sport out of the way, it’s time to get down to the how-to.
Making friends on the water can be just as easy as making friends on a golf course, despite the distances created between fiberglass gunnels and anchor lines, thanks to several groups out to maximize the sport. Over the past few years, boat builders have combined under the umbrella of such industry giants as Genmar and MarineMax to promote the lifestyle aspects of the sport with everything from free parking lot boat shows (they are much more impressive than they may sound) to dealer-organized raft-ups where a chef is brought along to cook. Other groups, such as the independent Raft-up.com, are great examples of places for boaters to make friends and get into the sport.
Founded several years ago by Jonathan Parnet, a Coast Guard-licensed captain, Raft-Up.com is designed to bring the lone boater anchored out at the local sandbar into the fold of those tied off together as well as allowing seasoned raft-upers a place to schedule their next get-together. The innovative website offers specific “chapters” in every state, so it doesn’t just cover Florida, the website’s home state. Members share everything from potentially-marriage-ending photos taken at club events to drink recipes. If you need assistance on anything even remotely nautical in nature, all you have to do is ask. You can explore the website as a guest, but becoming a paid member is pretty cheap and the best way to meet others. Even better, in the case of Raft-up.com, you’ll get a cool burgee to fly proudly on your boat.
|
IPS vs. Zeus
IPS and Zeus have both revolutionized boat handling and gone a long way in making our sport more approachable as well as making it just more fun, especially for the boat captain looking forward to disappointing the waterfront diners who are looking for a fumbling faux-pas of a docking show. Yet like all good things, the two unique systems breed fans as rabid as those of pro-football teams, despite the fact that the buyer can’t go wrong with either. Whichever format is chosen, these counter-rotating “pod” systems offer better fuel economy and speeds enhanced up to 15-percent. Blade loading is reduced, which in English means more traction at the dock and when accelerating, and overall less drag. The Volvo Penta IPS system utilizes forward-facing props to pull the vessel for heightened efficiency, a radical design favored by many. The MerCruiser Zeus set-up offers rear mounted props to “push” the boat in a more traditional manner. Both pods function parallel to the boat keel to optimize performance over the classic inboard angled shaft and prop that pushes a boat bow up then forward. Of course, what is making the counter-rotating pod format overwhelmingly popular is the joystick controls, which result in virtually effortless docking, regardless of an operator’s experience. Still debating which system is best? Go out and test drive both systems for yourself to see which one is right for you and judge for yourself. There’s nothing like a first-hand experience to make up your mind. |
||
Both are so easy a kid could use them, the question is: Which one’s right for you? Here’s a summary of both systems to give you a heads up before your next test drive.In addition to partying aboard, local raft-ups are a great way to find someone who may be able to help you become the master of your boat instead of vice versa. After all, Tiger Woods took golf lessons, so it’s equally important to remember that even those who claim to be “born boaters” can learn from those who have been there and done that before them. For example, if you find yourself having difficulty securing your vessel to the others or getting your anchor to hold, someone will be helping before you can even ask. There are no strangers at these events, just new friends to meet. Boaters and motorcycle riders are among the few people who take the time to say hello to each other and most are happy to offer help. The best thing we can do to help get more fun people out on the water is to make boat handling as easy as possible for the new boater or the veteran boater with a newer, larger boat. To that end Raft-Up.com has a sister website, LearnToBoat.net that, as the name implies, is a great way to learn the huge variety of skills needed to make boating all the fun it should be. Between these two sites, even if you don’t know stern from bow or starboard from port, you’ll soon pick up the language and the skills that go with them.
Even though one may be a better driver than any of the guys in The Fast and The Furious, it’s soon readily apparent that other than having a steering wheel, boats have nothing in common with cars and can make you look pretty foolish in less time than it takes to say “Oh crap, are we gonna hit that?”
The traditional way to learn to boat has been to just get out there and learn as you go, sometimes making mistakes. This is not the most efficient way and leads to red faces and future golfers. The more direct route is to find someone to “show you the ropes,” teaching you the basics as they stand by your side, keeping you from getting into trouble as you go. Having a teacher made it pretty easy for us to learn to read and write — it’s the same when learning how to run a boat.
| Rules of Engagement
If you want to be Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice instead of one of the Clampetts from the Beverly Hillbillies when rafting-up with your new buddies on the high seas, you have to follow these rules of boating etiquette. When it comes to driving a boat, there’s a very thin line between being a rock star and being an idiot. Some people can operate a boat like it is an extension of their very being, wafting gracefully across the water, sliding into the tightest slip as if the boat were on greased rails, occupied by a bevy of Victoria’s Secret models, complete with wings and perfect hair. Other boaters use what can most gently be described as the Braille Method: simply banging away until the boat gets to its destination, complete with frazzled passengers. The difference is a combination of dumb luck and skill. Since you can’t schedule luck, you want to focus on the skill set side of things so as to make every boat trip a fun one. Emily Post may not have written a book on Boating Etiquette, so we at Wave (who have a much better sense of humor, we’re sure) are left to fill the gap. Here are some of our favorite rules of engagement when out on the water with your boat: 1. The largest boat in planned raft-up grouping should be the anchor boat for the group — assuming the anchor and ground tackle is appropriate to the vessel. 2. The captain of the anchor boat is “in charge” and should direct the other boat’s approaches and rafting off, all the while taking into account the tides, boat swing at anchor, etc. 3. Raft-up groups are best approached from the stern, unless the current or wind necessitates otherwise. 4. Additional boats should raft-up to alternate sides of the main boat, and then to the boats anchored to the main boat to keep the anchoring balance. 5. One of the easiest ways to avoid “dork-docking” is to have appropriate lines and fenders in place when approaching the vessel you wish to raft-up to. 6. Having extra food and drink aboard can go a long way in making for a great day, especially when asking to raft-up with an unfamiliar group who look like potential new friends. 7. Don’t loose sight of the fact that while a boat seems the closest thing to a magic carpet you can find, there’s a catch. Operating a boat looks easy enough, but so does ballroom dancing. And, just like fancy dancing, there can be pitfalls. So go slow, have your crew ready with extra fenders if needed, and relax. After all, no matter what happens, the next guy to come along will probably make you look like a pro. 8. Have fun! Whining is almost always one of the surest ways to get thrown overboard so keep the vibe positive at all times. |
||
SANDBAR PARTIES: If you’ve got a boat and you’re in the mood for socializing, head over to your nearest sandbar for an all-day nautical networking extravaganza.
Lesson #1: Great teachers aren’t as common as you’d think.
There aren’t as many boating schools out there as there are driving schools. What you are looking for is someone who has a wealth of boating knowledge, years of hands-on skills and the patience of a saint. Boating is all too often all about bouncing off things or going left when you meant to go right. If you can’t accept that there will be moments when everything that you feared would go wrong does, stop reading this and head off to the nearest golf course. What’s more, boating is more of an art than a science, since you are floating on water that wants you to go one way, being pushed by winds that want you to go another way, while your plans are really to go in an entirely different direction. The difference between great fun and great pain (plus great expense) can be a matter of inches or seconds. The sooner you grasp this fact, the sooner you will become the master of your boat.
Lesson #2: When in doubt, aim for something cheap.
Traditional boat clubs — those with land as opposed to a virtual website — are another source of new friends and helpful advice. Just as in any organization, you’ll have to separate the self-appointed experts (and boating seems to attract more of this type than just about any other sport) from the people who really know what they’re talking about and have an interest in sharing their skills. In order to do this right, you need to go into this with the goal of becoming the helpful guy who will take newbies under your wing, and not the butthead know-it-all…there are already way too many of them as it is.
Lesson #3: Run away from anyone claiming to be “saltier than a margarita.” This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
Lesson #4: Don’t ask your friends to start calling you “Skipper” unless you happen to be a 12-pound Pekingese or you secretly long to be an abused cabin boy.
While there are some venerable Skips, such as Skip Zimbalist, Jr., who runs the world’s largest boat show, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, most tend to be geeks. This is also the time to toss the “Captain” hat that some well-meaning boat guest brought you aboard. So don’t get caught up on your title when you’re out on the water — the ocean is traditionally a great equalizer and you’ll be off your seahorse in no time if you start letting your captainship go to your head, even if your head is shielded by the captain’s cap you just can’t bring yourself to toss overboard.
Lesson #5: Don’t be afraid to fire your teacher. It will probably be the first time you’ll ever get to do it.
The first time you’re talked down to or intimidated by anyone offering advice or instruction, fire the guy or gal. He may have taught Noah how to dock, but if he lets his Poseidon complex interfere with your lessons, he probably won’t teach you anything, and may even cause you to sell your boat and buy an RV. That would be bad. You’re not ready to join the Good Sam Club, and Jellystone RV Park is not where you want to spend your weekends — trust us on that. The fact that you bought a boat entitles you to respect. And nobody can argue with that, except of course, if they have a bigger boat than you, at which point it’s probably time for an upgrade.