Training/experience

[edward]

How much training/instruction would be required to safely handle a motor yacht ( 58' yacht/fish) in my local area? Any cruising outside of area, a experienced captain would be employed. My experience consists of owning / operating a 25' outboard.

Thanks,
Edward

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Where are you located?

 

[sandspur1966]

That is a seemingly simple question without a simple answer.

Some folks with experience similar to yours, with sound judgement and decent natural ability could develop enough skill to use the boat safely very quickly (couple of weeks). While alternatively I've known some folks who can own a boat for years and years without ever developing a basic proficiency with her.

What I'd recommend is you hire someone with deep knowledge of both your specific vessel and if possible, your home navigation area (I believe the former is more important than the latter). A guy like Bruce Morrison has decades experience with all things Hatteras, is a natural born teacher and has successfully taught several folks on here their new vessels.

Then once you have the basics down, there is no substitute for experience. Simply, and somewhat self evidently, the more you use the boat, the easier it becomes. Amazes me, how many people miss that part.

Good Luck.

 

[magnawake]

That is a seemingly simple question without a simple answer.

Some folks with experience similar to yours, with sound judgement and decent natural ability could develop enough skill to use the boat safely very quickly (couple of weeks). While alternatively I've known some folks who can own a boat for years and years without ever developing a basic proficiency with her.

What I'd recommend is you hire someone with deep knowledge of both your specific vessel and if possible, your home navigation area (I believe the former is more important than the latter). A guy like Bruce Morrison has decades experience with all things Hatteras, is a natural born teacher and has successfully taught several folks on here their new vessels.

Then once you have the basics down, there is no substitute for experience. Simply, and somewhat self evidently, the more you use the boat, the easier it becomes. Amazes me, how many people miss that part.

Good Luck.

Ditto, Ditto, Great advise.

 

[Boatsb]

Running a boat in a calm environment is one thing. Running in weather or seas is another

 

[saltshaker]

Running a boat in a calm environment is one thing. Running in weather or seas is another

Couldn't agree more. Over time you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to safely handle the boat in most conditions. Everyone learns differently and at different speeds. you may catch on right away or it may take a while to get used to it. Most important thing isn't knowing how to handle the 58YF, it's know how to handle a boat in various conditions and how to deal with situations you didn't fully expect or plan for. If you are an experienced mariner running a 25 CC the only learning curve is knowing the boat, it's handling characteristics and critical systems.

 

[Finalee]

Funny I had more collisions with things in my earlier outboard / outdrive boats than the larger twin engine inboards. I will say this. Once you think you have it down , a new situation will present itself that thoroughly tests your abilities. It took me about 2 hours to get the twin handling down.

 

[tomrealest]

I agree with everything above especially about getting help in the beginning. There really is not much difference running the 53' & the 58'. I think you should invest some money, time & especially patience. Perfect practice makes perfect. You and your first mate should spend plenty of time practicing getting out of the slip and into the slip, as simple as that sounds. The big difference for me was the ability of the wind to push the boat at low speeds and learning the direction of the tides when docking.
I have always thought docking an I/O was harder than the Hatteras's

 

[edward]

Thanks for all the kind responses. ( I need to ck. my lotto ticket)


Thanks,
Edward

 

[Summerfun]

A couple of things to remember

Stay calm

Don't listen to the people yelling at you from the dock

If it dosent feel right take it back out take a few deep breaths and try it again

And last Only go as fast as you want to hit something

If you get the basics down and follow these steps you will always look like a pro.

 

[Boatsb]

Docking a boat is not hard. Its also a very small part of handling a vessel. Knowing how to handle a boat when coming in an inlet with cross currents or breakers and a bar to the side is far more challenging and important. Real experience is not obtained within sight of your slip. Get some sea time with someone that has a larger vessel and see what it takes to handle it. Every boat does handle a bit differently but the basics to seakeeping are universal.

 

[jim rosenthal]

"Docking a boat is not hard. Its also a very small part of handling a vessel."

I thought this was important enough to quote it.

No one gets killed docking a boat- not if they're on the boat at the helm. But crossing a bar or running an inlet is where things DO get dangerous. The captain who fell off the bridge in Jupiter Inlet a few years ago was not only experienced, he had quite a few hours on that boat. And those aren't the only situations where you can get into trouble.

Most of us here on this forum only need to learn the handling character of one boat- our own. We are more fortunate than commercial yacht captains who have to get on anything and run it competently- with very little time to learn each boat's peculiarities.

There's no substitute for spending a lot of time at the helm of your own boat, practicing. There's also no substitute for spending some money hiring an experienced captain to teach you about your own boat- and about what it's like out there.

I also believe that it's true that larger boats are easier to handle than small ones, particularly I/Os. Things happen a lot slower on a big boat, and you have time to size things up a bit. On I/Os, things occur a lot faster and they don't answer their helm in the same way prop-driven boats do.

 

[rsmith]

This is the key to any successful endeavor.
Know the weather, wind current direction
Know your route.
Know your crew, no screaming and yelling, hands inside the boat, ditch the jewelry (I saw a woman's finger ripped out at the knuckle when a nylon line snagged her gigantic diamond ring)
Know your boat.

 

[Nonchalant1]

You can do it. I went from a 22 ft. ski boat to a 53MY and loved it. We hired a professional captain for the 2 week trip home from New York, through the Great Lakes to Chicago. Then we took trips for 2 summers on the rivers and Great Lakes, followed by the 6000 mile Great Loop Route. The 58YF can be a big gentle boat to handle. Twin props make handling much easier than you'd expect. Lots of very slow practice at your local dock, out in open water practicing turns and backing manuvers, practicing docking in current in a rover where there is no actual dock, etc. I had more to learn about taking care of all the systems onboard than operating the boat.

BTW - stabilizers are totally great on that boat, almost a necessity for comfort in anything over 3 foot waves.

Doug

 

[mr hatt]

The systems take the longest to very familiar with. You never did say where you planned on running the boat. I was surprised how well these boats drive. The deep keel really seems to make them track well. The systems are pretty much the same on a 53 or a 58yf. I'm sure you can find somebody on here that is in close proximity to you that would be happy to help you with the learning curve. Great bunch of people on this forum.

 

[Rickysa]

There's also no substitute for spending some money hiring an experienced captain to teach you about your own boat

Actually I found this to be much harder than thought. Having been off the boat for several years, I was looking for someone to spend a day just doing touch and goes at the dock and general handling but struck out.

I thought about taking a US-Motorboating class but the closest was Lauderdale and I really wanted it to be on our boat. In fact, I contacted them to offer the boat for free to be used to teach their class, if they trained one of their local small-boat instructors for their large-boat class. Never heard back after several calls.

Seems like it would be a neat job to take their instructor course and help familiarize new big-boat owners with their new toy.

 

[bobk]

Not hands on training, but there used to be a program called BoatMaster which could be used to learn the basics of docking on a computer. I found it helpful when returning to a twin screw boat. You enter your boat configuration (size, draft, windage, propulsion etc.) and select the kind of docking situation you want to practice. It's not hands on and in the water, but does convey the basics.

Bob

 

[Christophatt]

Anybody interested in spending a half/whole day with me on my recently purchased 1965 50MY?
It's in Key Largo now, but I'll be going up to Miami/Ft Lauderdale at the end of March on my way up to the Chesapeake Bay.

I've been on many small boats but this is my first of this size.
I'm able to spin it 180deg in a 60ft canal using the transmission, and I've been out on the sound/bay getting to know her for a few days.
Looking for general guidance/suggestions/upgrade priorities/etc.

Thanks,
Christophatt

 

[Fanfare]

I will be in Ft. Lauderdale on March 1 provisioning and awaiting a weather window to cross to the Abacos. I would be happy to exchange views or visits. Since I have had my 50MY for 49 years there is not a lot I don't know. On 3/1 you can call me on (314) 550-4500. This is my wife's cell--its been so long that I can't remember the boat cell!

Unfortunately flat water to cross will take priority.