49 yr old female Realtor took the leap and EVERYTHING is a learning curve

Welcome! I don't know if that age of boat had a holding tank vent filter but one could be added with a few hoses and a $150 vent filter. When you flush the water from the head displaces the air in the holding tank which has to go somewhere! If it is vented external which is usually the case then the odor can still make it's way back into the boat, (not ideal). The vent filter absorbs the odor and helping but not fully eliminating. They need to be replaced annually. Also the vent hose which is seldom checked could have crack's or have become disconnected from the tank altogether which would cause venting into the bilge. As an owner you sometimes have to be a forensic investigator.

Welcome aboard. You have a lot of guts and are a role model for other women.
Since the former owners are known, it would not hurt to get in contact with them. They know or should know all of the nooks and crannies of your vessel and may provide advice on certain maintenance issues. I was very fortunate to get the support form our PO and utilized his knowledge extensively.
Your boat is similar to ours and we have enjoyed her ownership since 2003.
As others have said, there is never a dumb question and even after years of boating we are all still on a steep learning curve.

Very important if you haven't done it yet is to take some boating classes. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary and the US Power Squadron have excellent ones. Also very good, though more costly, is to have a certified captain with teaching experience go out on your boat with you.

My wife and I did all three when we were new to boating 15 years ago and it was the smartest decision we've made.

You sound like us. Scared shitless ????

Welcome aboard. You have a lot of challenges to look forward to. When you've overcome the terror, you'll find yourself happy and satisfied. Wishing you the best.

I’m here “knotyour wife”. I have done and continue to do just about everything on my marine trader. The only thing I couldn’t do was get the new refrigerator on board or the new batteries but I sure did install them with some muscle help.

Ask away!

Does anyone have an Ocean 40+2? I owned one for 13 years and miss it.

Codger2 said:

I won't tell you what to do or how to do it. You will learn what you need to know in your own good time. Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.

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Oh, of course we will tell you what to do :lol:, and you will soon learn to know which are ego-driven answers (NOT necessarily bad, though) and which are maybe a bit helpful in another vein. Yes, we get chaotic and diverted in the most amazing ways, but it' all good phun.

About that not getting underway for awhile thing; Consult with the PO (previous owner in forum-speak) about bottom paint age on her and what coating the underwater metals have. Did the PO have a bottom cleaner (diver)? Bio-fouling is an implacable enemy of all waterborne vessels, and after a certain amount of time, probably six months where you are, after the new paint, being underway frequently and/or diver support are essential to keeping the bottom and running gear (props/struts/shafts/rudders) clear enough not to be performance degrading.

Do I assume correctly that you have a single engine Ford Lehman 120 and an Onan or Westerbeke genertor and no bow thruster (BT)? I hope you have a BT.

And that anchor.... ugh.

Likewise, any dinghy (dink) and OB (outboard motor) you may have as well as the hoisting and launching system you have will result in endless comment and discussion here?

After you have searched TF (trawler forum) on any topic you want answers about, and believe me they are here, I would recommend posting further questions and even just comments about how you are getting along here under a different subject title for each and prepare for the ensuing phun chaos.

Again welcome. We all admire your grit.

Welcome aboard

I bought my boat in march, set out from fort Meyers florida and drove her to Cincinnati. now I am in the process of restoring her. it is a learning curve from start to infinity and beyond. you will never know all there is to know. get out on the water and you will learn enough to be dangerous.
are you a single looper ? I am and looking forward to the challenge, the excitement, the fears and the satisfaction of overcoming them all !

Congrats on the new boat, welcome to the forum and North Fort Myers

Hi, When I bought my 46' sloop-rigged sailboat, I had never sailed a boat of any kind before except an 8' pram I made out of an old rowing dinghy. I bought the 46' sailboat from a dealer in Solomon's Island, MD. Upon leaving Solomon's Island, I was sailing singlehanded. I had a good wind, so tried out the genoa. Wow - that thing had POWER! I sailed under just the genny about 1/3 way to Hampton Roads (Langley AFB), then got brave and tried out the main sail, too - hull speed the rest of the way. I had quite a bit of time flying small private planes and understood the concept of lift - a sail works essentially the same way to go upwind, and is basically in a full stall when going directly downwind. Upshot is, I learned to sail by simply doing it and noting the limits of the sails. I practiced and practiced - "docking" and backing up using half filled milk jugs, as noted in an earlier post pertaining primarily to my old twin-engine trawler, instead of hard things like pilings, other boats, etc. That sail boat only had a single prop, so had to learn how to cope with that. Even learned to dock under sail (end of a "T" dock) in varying wind and currents. Each boat has its own quirks - learn what they are by practicing every maneuver you can think of - out in an area where you can't do any damage. Learn how your boat "sails" in the wind and how it reacts to cross currents when practicing docking. Boat handling will become second nature. Always, ALWAYS try to stay ahead of the boat - meaning know what it wants to do/will do before it does it. And, as others have already said, learn how each and every system on the boat works. I found that maintaining and improving a boat is almost as fun and satisfying as actually using it. Congratulations on having the intestinal fortitude to make the plunge! I, as we all do, wish you the very best.

Here’s a great video of another Lady living her dream.

Welcome to life on the water! You will find that the things you worry about the most generally turn out to much less daunting once you get started. Probably the best resource you have is friendly dock neighbors and your willingness to ask questions. Post away on this and other sites but prepare yourself for an onslaught of opinions, rants and arguments!

Welcome,
Bob & Jill

Welcome aboard. I've lived aboard three different times, about a year each time, (two of those were cruising, one was at a marina).

Every single time I quit, was due to a partner who got tired of it, not me. As far as I'm concerned the best three years of my life were the three living on my boat.

You'll be surprised how quickly you learn things. Especially, when things break. Fix as much as you can yourself. It's usually a lot cheaper, and you learn your boat and it's systems, which will reduce your stress a lot.

Look for the Sea Daddy, (or Sea Mama) in the marina who's been doing what you want to do for a while, and who gives good advice. My live aboard, in a marina, I became good friends with the harbormaster and his wife, who had been living aboard for forty years.

They both taught me more than I learned in seven years of higher education! He sat over me, drinking a rum and a coke, supervising me doing a lot of repairs to my boat, (not doing them, but telling how to do them, which is lot different).

He taught me the dreaded one engine stern to, docking, a skill that I did not have a clue about, before I met him. He did it one time, and then made me take the boat out, and back it back in, about ten times, until I had it down pat.

It's going to be great!

Donna said:

I’m here “knotyour wife”. I have done and continue to do just about everything on my marine trader. The only thing I couldn’t do was get the new refrigerator on board or the new batteries but I sure did install them with some muscle help.

Ask away!

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Wifey B: Yay, Donna. Brighter than a streak of lightning, More beautiful than the pounding surf, Mightier than a roaring hurricane, here to save the day.

Capecodder said:

Congrats on the new boat, welcome to the forum and North Fort Myers

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What Marina are you at?

Donna said:

I’m here “knotyour wife”. I have done and continue to do just about everything on my marine trader. The only thing I couldn’t do was get the new refrigerator on board or the new batteries but I sure did install them with some muscle help.

Ask away!

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Thanks! You should check out my post on the red neck drainage fix I found! Over the past three days I have had the whole roof taken off, I was staring at the fly bridge and the stars-completely rotten. An expense and nervous breakdown I didn't expect at all.

So far everyone has been very helpful-marina life is interesting to say the least.

Great video a few posts above-thanks!