Willing to share your top tips and tricks?

Hi there! We are a couple in our late 40s, fortunate enough to live in Virginia's Northern Neck, right off of the Chesapeake Bay. We are both experienced powerboaters (fishing mostly) who also enjoy sailing (just started) and, if all goes well, will be the new owners of a 1984 27 ft Albin Family Cruiser by this weekend.

We plan to start cruising around the bay initially, and possibly the loop next year. We don't have kids and used to being in close quarters together for a long time, so the 27 is just the perfect size for us.

We are both very excited about the cruising lifestyle and look forward to learning a lot from this forum and hopefully meeting some of the members at future events. Until then, would love to learn about some of your favorite, or best tips or tricks. Anything you are willing to share would most likely be new to us. Tips on books to read, courses to take (thinking of Deisel maintenance?); key tools, charts, equipment onboard; provisioning; essential organizers, staying happily married; selecting a dink; favorite store for boat interiors, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I have no relevant advice, but welcome and congratz on the new boat.

"Anything you are willing to share would most likely be new to us. Tips on books to read,"

Anything by Nigel Caulder

"courses to take (thinking of Deisel maintenance?);"

Depends on the brand of diesel you end up with. In the mean time look at the free Power Squadron courses.

"key tools,"

Vice Grips and duct tape

"charts,"

Use paper and electronic ones.

"equipment onboard;"

A good blender, a good coffee maker, pressure cooker/crockpot.

"provisioning;"

Whole Foods, local produce stands and butchers along the way.

"essential organizers,"

Active Captain and for some people AAA.

"staying happily married;"

Sex

"selecting a dink;"

RIB

"favorite store for boat interiors,"

Ross, Marshalls, BB & Beyond, Pier One, stupidly over priced boutiques you find along the way that have that one thing you just have to have, etc.

Boat Diesel is also a good forum for engines.

If you really want to dig into the nitty-gritty. Chapmans it is a great book. I loaned mine to a friend who lives on a sailboat last year but he sailed away and I never saw it again

Power Squadron classes. On a power boat get use to using a multi-meter for electrical problems and an infrared thermometer on your engine (you need a baseline when things are working normally to figure out what is wrong when something goes wrong).

Read the engine manuals.

Welcome aboard TF and congrats on the new boat.
+1 for Power Squadron courses...many squadrons are now offering on the water courses as well as classroom plus you will gain a network of like minded experienced folks to onteract with locally

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

So much to learn, so little time. Your question is analogous to explain the origins of our world. Instead of pulling out a tip or two, I recommend you get out and do it. Start with short trips overnighters, and extend them out to encompass weekends and eventually weeks.

Read everything you can about boating. Read about boat construction. Read about boat maintenance. If your boat isn't a sailboat, subscribed a practical sailor.

The wisest sailors I know are those who have been doing at the longest. Experience really is a great teacher. The more you do the more you learn.

So get out there and do it, first baby steps and then cool steps. full steps.

Gordon

Join Towboat US and or SeaTow. Make sure you have a good VHF radio and get out there. For the first six months don't make any changes, the boat will tell you what you need.
Have fun!
Arch

Get the owner and service manuals as well as the parts catalogue for your engine.

Try not to buy any new equipment for the first year. We did buy a new anchor right away to replace the key fob the boat came with, but were pleasantly surprised how well the 1980's era equipment worked so we saved a bundle on "improvements".

Wow! A lot of great tips....unfortunately, already very familiar with the benefits of Tow Boat US (finally figure out why they call Inboard/Outboards "I OWE"). Started researching some of the items listed.....really good stuff...Keep 'em coming please!

We did it! We are the new proud owners of 'Mary Jo', a 1984 Albin FC, modified in a way for our to enjoy a nice salon and still have room to fish! Looking forward to being an active member of this forum and hopefully meeting some of you around the Chesapeake Bay, and eventually the Loop!

Keep a log

On Summer Wind I keep a pilots log for voyaging, this goes from front to back in the log. This has hours to various way points with remarks about weather and tides. Engine hours are noted along with arrivals and departures.

I also keep a maintenance log for fuel filter changes, oil changes and mechanical repairs etc. this is in the back of the log going from back to front.
Engine hours are also noted along with the date.

Take a look at the C-Brats site - lots of long distance cruisers in a similar sized vessel.


Keith

Wifey B: Make your own kind of music!