So a month or two ago I posted in here some pictures and information on my new boat in the new owners forum
here.
Since then, I have been out on the boat 3 times. Here is the story of all three (the first being a bit long but a little funny, the next two quick and normal with some pictures).
I decided to do my first run on the new boat with the former owner and co-worker buddy of mine on a Sunday before a trip to Alabama the next weekend to a lake house with a private dock. I figured he could show me the ropes with his experience with the boat and I should be ready to pilot it fairly successfully with my experience captaining my dad's pontoon the last decade.
I get off to a late start on the day to meet him, about 20 minutes to the garage the boat is stored at I remember that I left the boat keys on the key hook. Add 40 minutes to the trip. Finally get to my buddies garage I keep the boat at in a little corporate park and hook her up and everything is good to go. I'm flying solo but still planning to meet the previous owner if anything to just get me started.
The marina is only about 15 minutes from the garage but as I pull up to the marina, I remember I had the battery on a shelf at my buddy’s garage charging. Back to the garage to pick up the battery! Really figuring out how underprepared I was for this at this point.
The other problem is by now my buddy is out of time and has to head back for another thing so I don't have his experience and knowledge. But I really want to take the boat to Alabama with me so I need to do a shakedown run.
I go to the marina and turn in and the first thing I see is a big sign that says "no public boat launch, turn around here." No biggie, plenty of boat launches so I google the closest one and head that way. Once I get there I get out and do my check-list. Drain plug, check. Straps, check. Dog and everything loaded in the boat, check. Battery hooked up and tested, check.
Everything is looking good. This launch is unfamiliar to me and there is tree's lining each side so I didn't get to look at it until I pulled up to launch. I will say that this Sunday wasn't a particularly nice day so luckily the ramp and lake were sparsely populated. I backed down the ramp and dumped the boat in the water. I got out and started walking back and quickly noticed there was no courtesy dock at this launch and the entire shore was jagged rock.
With it being not exactly warm, I didn't want to get in the water more than I had to so I decided to bail on the launch, but did take the time to pull the boat further up on the trailer so it could be properly secured. Something that had been bugging me since I took it from the previous owner’s storage.
Anyway, I call my buddy who tells me the other marina's launch is down a different road. I head back that way and sure enough find the entrance. I pay the fee and head down to go through my checklist again. Everything set I back it down.
I hop on and start her up. This was the first start after storage so it took a moment but she caught and idled a bit rough. I figured I would let it warm up at the dock and let it idle on the trailer for a minute. Then I went to the front and disconnected the winch line. I got on the helm and put the throttle into reverse, it kind of started to grind so I pushed it further and the gear and engine both clicked and the pulse pulled me off the trailer and stalled the motor.
I tried to refire the engine but COULD NOT get her to start back up. I came semi-prepared though I was quickly realizing my stress levels were getting higher as I floated away from my jeep in the launch, running, with the door open, and my cell phone in it.
I continued to try to get it to start and continued to not get anything out of her. I had starting fluid I tried, nothing. I put the booster box on her, nothing. Finally, I gave up, and started trying to think of contingencies. Besides the tools I had I also had paddles so I started paddling. Though I quickly realized that was futile as the breeze was stronger than my singular paddle on my 3,000-pound boat.
I decided to concede defeat and wave down some help on the shore. A gentleman with a 3-motor center console was hanging out with his wife on the shore. I politely asked if he could move my vehicle off the ramp and give the marina a call if no one comes by in a few minutes as my phone was in my vehicle.
He was very kind and moved my vehicle and as he was walking back a fisherman happened by and I flagged him down. He politely towed me back in to the dock, parking me right at it with his trolling motor. Clearly wasn't the first boat he towed (or the last he will).
At this point I thanked the two gentleman who helped and got the jeep to put the trailer back in the water. My poor pup was still on the boat in the sun this whole time, but he soldered on. I walked the boat into the water, pants and shoes still on and positioned it back on the trailer. Used the pulley to crank her into position and pulled out to park and re-assess my life’s decisions.
The worse part was after I parked, I got out of my Jeep to go start getting ready to go home in defeat and realized the boat wasn't all the way on the trailer. So, to add insult to injury I had to pull her back up to the ramp, back down, and shamefully crank a few more inches onto the boat.
The day turned out ok though as I was hoping 1 of 2 things happened, neither of which I thought were serious. 1, I thought I missed something in that starting sequence, either not letting it idle or somehow revving the motor without it going into drive (I tried to manipulate the linkage on the carb to do this manually but couldn't figure it out in a sufficient amount of time. 2, it was out of gas, which was also likely as the previous owner said he runs it low at the end of the year. We both figured it would have plenty to make it to the marina but the indicator (which isn't fully trusted at 24 years of age) did say E.
Finally, back in my jeep, phone in hand I gave the previous owner a call. Sure enough he acknowledged it could possibly be out of gas but he thought it was very unlikely. What he did know is I missed that little button on the hinge point of the throttle that says "Throttle Only." You press that button to be able to throttle the engine without engaging the gearbox. BINGO!
So 11am to 5pm and I proved the boat can float and shakedown runs are very important to do in the lowest stress environments possible. I was very lucky to have a mostly empty boat ramp and lake to keep my spirits up through this chain of comical events. With an unsuccessful first go around and the trip to Alabama looming. I got lucky with my and a buddy’s schedule Wednesday afternoon. We both had it open and the weather was going to be good enough.
Having learned all I did the first go around this second trip went smooth as could be. We fueled up before we launched (only put 20 gallons in). The boat launched; I got the engine revs elevated, continued throttling down slowly until she dropped into a smooth idle after a couple minutes.
Backed away from the dock and headed out onto the lake. Pulled in to pick up my buddy who parked the jeep and off we went. Sure enough, just like the previous owner said. Once you know all the little quirks, she was a smooth-running boat. This 1997 Maxum 2100SR2 with the 5.7Mercruiser V8 engine hops out of the water on plane and smooths around. We just cruised up and down the lake for a good hour then parked and floated for another hour just hanging out and talking. It was 55 degrees, windy and overcast but we both had smiles on our faces.
I fell in love on this day, 3 days after I thought I made a mistake. All those trips on the pontoon had me very confident buying my first boat. Then that first trip out I failed so spectacularly I really questioned my decision. Then Wednesday afternoon I was jubilant again.
That Friday morning, I installed new LED trailer lights and a new connector up front and we loaded up and drove the boat to Alabama, unload the car, launch the boat and pull it up on the dock.
This was after we settled into the house after we launched the boat.
This third trip wasn't without some worry though. On Sunday I decided to top her off at a local marina on the lake. We pulled up and I shut her down, left the blower on and the radio and we were at this place for about 15 minutes. When we pushed off after putting another 17 gallons in her (she has a 50-gallon tank so it definitely wasn't on E the previous Sunday) I turned the key and the beep was not very strong and the starter didn't have enough juice to turn the motor over. I thought this was odd since we were only at the marina 15 minutes and the batter is new, charged and tested. I was also prepared; I had my jumper box stowed away with me. I got in there and hooked it up and turned the key and it was still a very weak beep and not enough juice to turn the engine over.
This made me immediately think bad connection somewhere as the jumper box should have at least made the beep stronger and given more of a push on the engine. I start at the battery and work my way on board and immediately the positive terminal on the battery cut off switch is clearly loose. I get the tool box out and take it apart and tighten in back up (I brought a wire brush with me to Alabama with the intention of cleaning and re-torquing all the terminals I just didn't get to it). It was so loose I'm pretty sure the other couple electrical gremlins the previous owner was telling me about were likely solved. We're talking finger tight if that.
I tightened it down and went back to the key and boom. Positive beep, starts right up. This was a huge relief as this whole time we were floating between marinas in the boat launch lane (once again, not busy so we were lucky), and I had 7 other passengers on the boat (4 adults, 3 children 6, 5, 3 y/o's total).
I put everything away and didn't even bother re-mounting the cutoff switch, I just secured it with a zip tie for brevities sake. No more problems since then. After we got back, I fixed everything up proper and cleaned the terminals like I had planned.
The second eye opener on this trip was while I was pulling the kids on the tube. In the middle of the lake going very slow we hit ground (my first time ever doing this). This shook me a bit as we went out to the most center part of the lake. We were as far from the edge as possible so I didn't think it was even possible to hit ground. Luckily we were going slow and the ground was soft there was no shock or damage from it. In the middle of this vast lake, and sure enough after I check the depth finder it says 2ft. We decided to stick to the channel we knew was deeper after that. Don't always think you are safe just because you are in the middle of a large body of water, keep an eye on that depth!
So, in 3 trips I felt:
1. Like an idiot, ill-prepared, over-my-head, like I made a mistake
2. Ecstatic, redeemed, happy
3. Happy, vindicated, well-prepared, in-control, still learning
This boat thing has sure been a wild ride in the short time I've been an owner. Life was definitely more predictable and less stressful just taking my pops boat out on the river but being able to take my family out on the lake any time will make for some amazing memories.
Rest of the boat porn, as promised!
The morning after that first night there, before we had really taken it out other than to launch and dock it.
This was taken after the first day we had it out on the water.
I have some replacement bimini cover hardware I am going to install as this frame isn't 100%, worked good enough for the trip though.
The kids just want to be on the boat or in the water... even on a brisk morning on the lake at 8am.
They got their wish later that day!
Everyone had a good time, even though it wasn't ideal temperatures.
The kids loved the views (there are waterfalls you can view from the lake as well)
Bonus pic of the tow rig which got some trail love in riding through those Alabama parks.
Second day was a little warmer and a bit sunnier so kids got a little more fun in.
Even getting some quality float time.
The boy sure approves!
First owner silly experience, and some boat porn at bottom ('97 2100SR2, LONG)
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