Maiden Voyage Questions

I need advice and guidance.

I have 25 years of boating experience operating a 20' stern drive runabout. I am a serious operator and have read a lot about the rules of the road, buoy colors, etc.. I have maintained my boat myself (780 hours).

I have experienced a late midlife crisis and purchased a mainship 390 that I need to bring home from Louisville, KY to Nashville.

The owner and his wife passed so i was not able to get information from him. His slip neighbors and the mechanic said he spent what it took to maintain the boat and loved it. I can certainly understand that.

Here is what I know.
1. Engine seems to be good, cooling system pressure check was good, oil analysis good, sea trial went well. No bad smoke, full strong power to 2600 rpms. CAT 3126 1020 hours. Oil and filter changed. Near instant cold start.
2. Transmission oil was good, analysis good, fluid changed.
3. Genset oil good, analysis good. Near instant cold start.
4. Electronic are old old. The radar works but no base map found (raymarine RL80C). Depth sounder works, VHF Radios work.
5. Fuel filters will be changed this week. Diesel fuel is about 18 months old. Tanks will be topped off.
6. Batteries all tested good but they're certainly not new.
7. Anchor chain and rode seemed fine.
8. Waste tank will be pumped and water tank will be drained and refilled. Plan to drink bottled water.
9. New bottom paint going on this next week.

Here is what I plan to do and take:
1. Buy a Garmin handheld GPS with blue charts.
2. I have the latest Corp charts of the Ohio and Cumberland.
3. Tools and filter wrenches, purchase three extra fuel filters.
4. Buy extra fenders for locks. Boat has 3.
5. Two handheld VHF Radios.

I am smart enough to go about close maneuvers slowly but I don't have any experience with a boat this size and configuration. Bow thruster works well. I am smart enough to read buoys and watch the depth sounder. I am smart enough to plan to stay overnight in marinas if at all possible. I am smart enough to be about half scared to start this trip!

It's a 500 mile trip. I hate to start this way but shipping it here would have required removal of the bridge and I just did NOT what to do that.

I plan to take a friend who's experience level is just like mine.

I know it's a lot to ask, I welcome anyone's advice here.

Thanks,
Hawk

It sounds to me that you have it pretty well covered. Half scared?
That's a positive sign that you will be a good skipper!

I agree with Codger - you are on the right track. Don't be in a hurry, and enjoy the trip. Your comfort level will go up in leaps and bounds. Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers, Bill

You sound very capable to me. To bad about the previous owners as it is always nice to be able to ask them questions. You will probably feel a little anxious the first few days but it will get better as the days go by. Just pay attention and practice good situational awareness.

You will do well. Remember that a 500 mile trip is just a string of day trips.

bayview said:

You will do well. Remember that a 500 mile trip is just a string of day trips.

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Good advice!

I've done this trip a couple of times. In fact our maiden voyage was from Watts Bar Lake to Cincinnati. You'll have plenty of time to learn about your new boat during this trip.

You'll want to be sure the boat is as prepared as possible and it sounds like you have that well in hand. If the survey didn't turn up any red flags there isn't much more to be worried about. Things can happen any time but you just do what you can to be ready. Sounds like you are stocking spares and tools as needed so it should be an enjoyable trip without stress.

One suggestion would be to take a several hour day trip upriver before heading south. Maybe Madison IN. for lunch and back? This will give you a better chance to learn the boat and make sure nothing pops up. Once bellow Louisville help and marinas are pretty far apart until you get to the Cumberland. Basically Evansville is your best bet for fuel and a "real" marina but there are areas to anchor or free docks along the way. Check Active Captain for ideas. This time of year with more daylight and some luck with locks you should be able to cover some longer days going downhill.

Since you have the charts I'd be fine using Aqua Maps or Navionics on an iPad or similar for backup. Just make sure it's cell capable so you have GPS. Also check the local notices. I seem to remember that Barkley lock has some closings coming up in July and August.

Since I'm planning a trip up the Ohio from the Tennessee River in a few weeks please keep us posted on your progress. Maybe we'll see you out there. And.....if you stop in Golconda Marina please post the depth...I've heard it's gotten a bit skinny lately.

Good luck with the trip and enjoy the new boat!!

I think you are pretty well off. Not knowing the state of the fuel in your tanks I might take more than 3 filters as spares. You probably won’t need them but if the fuel is dirty you will need them. Make sure you know how to change the fuel filters AND bleed the system. I would take a small shakedown cruise. Practice anchoring the boat so you know how everything works and that everything does work. And then have fun and enjoy the trip.

You should add a fuel conditioner when you fill up. 18 month old fuel has started to separate. If you pick one that enhances combustion, you'll get a more efficient fuel burn and better mileage out of the old fuel. Also most include a biocide that will kill any organism growth in the tanks.
Carry at least a couple sets of fuel filters and make sure you know how to bleed the air out of the fuel system. There could be some debris in the tanks that gets stirred up with the first boat movement in 18 months.
Since it's a maiden voyage, take a couple maidens along.

Unless you are married. She might get the new boat in the divorce.

You got this!

I agree with several of the others. I recently purchased my 390. Brought it up the ICWW from Georgetown SC to Urbanna, VA on the Rappahannock River. Like you, I had a smaller boat, a 24' Proline. A big step up. I did hire a captain to teach me on the way and that worked well for me. I recommend you carry tools, extra oil and antifreeze. I also had some spare parts on hand like, filters, belts, impeller kit. It turned out to be a great adventure, I hope yours is as good. Best of luck my new friend. Please feel free to reach if you have any questions. Others on this site have really helped me. It is a great group for support.

Greetings,
Mr. H. Welcome aboard. TOW INSURANCE!!!!

Practice with the anchor and windlass a few times. There may be times you can't dock at a marina. Check off buoys as you make progress, things tend to look the same at times. Also, be alert as to wing dam changes. Have fun and enjoy the trip.

Take several local day trips first, testing the various systems while practicing boat handling, especially docking and disembarking. Learn the boat first.

Carry extra filters and watch out for the current coming in and out of the dock. Bow in docking is pretty easy. Enjoy the trip!

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I'll update you all on my progress. It's a big step but it's very exciting. The aqua maps looks like a good option. I'll spend some time this week getting familiar with it.
Thanks again for all the advice.

Hawk

I can barely afford this boat. I can't afford this and a divorce!!

Great suggestions so far, and I agree that your attitude and approach will maximize chances of success. I can think of two suggestions to add to the list:


- Spend at least one 24hr period on the boat before departure, preferably 48hrs. This will allow you to really test the house systems to be sure everything works, like toilets, drains, pumps, etc. And it will get you more familiar with the boat.


- I don't know the details of the route you have planned, but if it's possible to make the first couple of days short runs, that will allow you to build up your skills, knowledge of the boat, and overall confidence. It's along the lines of doing some practice day trips, but arranging them so that each one takes you progressively in the desired direction, rather than right back to the starting point. You might as well be making progress, if you can.


- Leave early, and arrive early. That way if you develop a need for something over the course of the day, or need to fix something, you arrive early enough to get parts, supplies, and do repairs.


And most importantly, have an enjoyable trip. Try not to make it a delivery run with a tight schedule.

Agree with others who said, "learn to bleed the fuel system on your engine"

Also, suggest the anchor rode be removed entirely from the boat and inspected.
Before you go. It is your "emergency brake" after all.

Sounds like a fun trip that you are ready for.

Welcome Aboard.

You will do just fine. I would only add two points, and they are not rocket science.

1) Crash Slow
2) Stay sober, leave the beer and the bottle at home for this maiden run.

pete

You know what you’re doing and what equipment you need to bring. Plus, you’ll have an experienced crew member. You’ll do fine. Pay attention to your surroundings, stay focused, and enjoy the ride. Let us know how it goes.

I like to carry a small can of diesel fuel in the engine room. This way, if you need a filter change, you can swap out the filter and fill the racor. This makes it easier to bleed the system. That cat is a very good motor. Do you have insurance? If so, I am surprised that they didn’t require some bigger boat training. You will be fine. It sounds like you have your head screwed on straight.

Hawkshaw1 said:

4. Electronic are old old. The radar works but no base map found (raymarine RL80C). Depth sounder works, VHF Radios work.

Here is what I plan to do and take:
1. Buy a Garmin handheld GPS with blue charts.
2. I have the latest Corp charts of the Ohio and Cumberland.
5. Two handheld VHF Radios.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a decent start to me.

The stand-alone radar won't have any underlying charting, just "pings" relative to boat. We've not found that to be any sort of handicap, and in fact I prefer radar displayed on a stand-alone anyway.

I dunno about that Garmin, but we've found AquaMap USA with the Master option very useful in the AICW. I presume they also include USACE survey maps of the river systems, and if so, that's the feature we'd want most.

We've had better luck with headsets than handheld VHF radios for intra-boat comms. The two most popular brands are Eartech and SENA... and you can see pros/cons in various threads here. The key for us has been the part about "hands-free" and especially useful in locks and when docking. Some handheld VHFs do offer hands-free VOX options, but I haven't used those so dunno how useful When we tried VOX with family radios, there was too much time delay to activate each transmission... and it was simplex (one at a time) too. VHFs would also have the simplex frequency working on most available working channels.

I think I'd be inclined to get the Cat 3126 manuals...

Stop and smell some roses along the way. See some sights in Louisville while you're there, Evansville I think, others, etc.

-Chris

As Captain Ron always says, “if it’s going to happen, it will happen out there, not while you are sitting at the dock”. Sounds like you are well prepared for what ever is out there.

Lots of excellent advice here for anybody's first trip on any size boat.

Only thing I might add is to map out some 'emergency' stops along the way each day. Marinas in between where you plan to overnight. Just in case. If you do have a problem you'll know where you can get help.

TowboatUs or Sea Tow if available for peace of mind.

Cell phones, Tablets, and Laptops can run navigation software as long as they have a GPS signal. Navionics and OpenCPN are 2. Check them out at home.

Watch the weather and have a great trip !!

I do have insurance. The agent asked about training and I told him the certificate for the state operator license that TN has. I was surprised too. I have my insurance with BOATUS/Geico. It has $3,000 coverage for towing.

Thanks so much for all this advice.

markpierce said:

Take several local day trips first, testing the various systems while practicing boat handling, especially docking and disembarking. Learn the boat first.

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This is what I was gonna say!

Great quote I heard the other day

One of my mentors is a former Special Forces (green beret) officer. He says his number one trick to reduce nervousness is: PREPARE!!!!


All the advice you are getting on this thread is prolly the equivalent of half a bottle of Xanax! Have a great trip!

You've already gotten some great advice. I would make two additional suggestions:
1. Have the fuel polished and the tanks cleaned. While extra filters are great, you don't want to be changing them under duress. With contaminated fuel you might find both engines shut down concurrently and if you are in a channel, your only option is to anchor (in harms way) and change out the offending filters. BTW: learn how to do that before you do some OJT under duress.
2. Find an experienced captain or perhaps an experienced colleague and do a little boat handling school. You will find, as I did, that a few hours of coaching can really get you up on the leaning curve. Learn ship handling in confined quarters, docking, mooring and anchoring.
You are definitely on the right track here. Good luck, keep us posted.

Comodave said:

I think you are pretty well off. Not knowing the state of the fuel in your tanks I might take more than 3 filters as spares. You probably won’t need them but if the fuel is dirty you will need them. Make sure you know how to change the fuel filters AND bleed the system. I would take a small shakedown cruise. Practice anchoring the boat so you know how everything works and that everything does work. And then have fun and enjoy the trip.

Click to expand...

Also have a container of diesel for topping off Racors when changing filters. I carry 5 gallons, not because I need that much, just because I have two engines, and two gensets.