Buyers Remorse????

[Volffas]

Lots of great advice here. I'll just add that coming from an i/o boat to the jet boat, our 1st day was VERY frustrating. But with practice we have come to enjoy our boat 100x more than we ever enjoyed our old i/o. So much so that we are currently looking for a home on Lake Cumberland to park her permanently.

Good luck, hang in there, and know that we all have your back. This forum can help with any issue you can throw at us.

 

[weaselman]

So today we decided to try again. We went out later in the day when the launch would not be busy. Since the last time which is a week ago I added Cobra Fins/Fangs to the boat. During the week of not using the boat I watched many Youtube videos on steering at low speeds.

What can I saw but we had a great time today. Played around with the throttle at low speeds going in and out of forward and reverse. The boat handled great and the kids loved it.

Drove the boat right up onto the trailer and the wife pulled her out. Still a little crooked and put her back in the water and adjusted. I think with some expert help I need to make a few slight changes to the bunks of my trailer.

All in all a much better day on the water. Hoping each and every other time will get a little easier. Here are a few pictures of the boat.

 

[swatski]

So today we decided to try again. We went out later in the day when the launch would not be busy. Since the last time which is a week ago I added Cobra Fins/Fangs to the boat. During the week of not using the boat I watched many Youtube videos on steering at low speeds.

What can I saw but we had a great time today. Played around with the throttle at low speeds going in and out of forward and reverse. The boat handled great and the kids loved it.

Drove the boat right up onto the trailer and the wife pulled her out. Still a little crooked and put her back in the water and adjusted. I think with some expert help I need to make a few slight changes to the bunks of my trailer.

All in all a much better day on the water. Hoping each and every other time will get a little easier. Here are a few pictures of the boat.

Love the mods, and that trailer looks awesome!

--

 

[VONCE]

So today we decided to try again. We went out later in the day when the launch would not be busy. Since the last time which is a week ago I added Cobra Fins/Fangs to the boat. During the week of not using the boat I watched many Youtube videos on steering at low speeds.

What can I saw but we had a great time today. Played around with the throttle at low speeds going in and out of forward and reverse. The boat handled great and the kids loved it.

Drove the boat right up onto the trailer and the wife pulled her out. Still a little crooked and put her back in the water and adjusted. I think with some expert help I need to make a few slight changes to the bunks of my trailer.

All in all a much better day on the water. Hoping each and every other time will get a little easier. Here are a few pictures of the boat.

That's a good lookin' boat! Glad you're getting it figured out. I had some serious remorse when I picked mine up. I never realized how big it was. Got it home and wondered where the F I am going to put it. The wife and neighbors and dad who stopped by to look at it all commented on how big it was. The first few times having it out were tough to maneuver to say the least. But I am getting the hang of it. And when my friends try to criticize my driving, I kill the engines and stand up and offer to let them drive. Anyway, stick with it. You bought it for a reason. Next time you're out, look around at your family and passengers. Are they grinnin' ear to ear? Are you? If so, keep it. You'll have the small stuff ironed out in no time. It's a learning curve we all go through.

 

[Eric Ballard]

This thread is the perfect example of why I live this group!

 

[jameskeller76]

That's a good lookin' boat! Glad you're getting it figured out. I had some serious remorse when I picked mine up. I never realized how big it was. Got it home and wondered where the F I am going to put it. The wife and neighbors and dad who stopped by to look at it all commented on how big it was. The first few times having it out were tough to maneuver to say the least. But I am getting the hang of it. And when my friends try to criticize my driving, I kill the engines and stand up and offer to let them drive. Anyway, stick with it. You bought it for a reason. Next time you're out, look around at your family and passengers. Are they grinnin' ear to ear? Are you? If so, keep it. You'll have the small stuff ironed out in no time. It's a learning curve we all go through.

Just take your boat out to lake Travis for a day. You'll come to the realization that these boats are actually very small.

 

[captras]

Just take your boat out to lake Travis for a day. You'll come to the realization that these boats are actually very small.

Boy, aint that the truth.....with all the money in that area, politicians, computer, electronics, etc there are boats out there that make my 24 footer look like a lifeboat. What always amazes me is not how much money some people have, but HOW MANY PEOPLE have SO much money

 

[Jp127]

Bought my first boat (stern drive) 2 years ago at the ripe old age of 41. I had never even driven a boat before.

That whole summer I would get anxious on our way to the lake because I was afraid I would screw something up at the launch. I would relax a little throughout the day, but get anxious again upon returning to the ramp as this was even harder than launching.

After getting home I would have a couple of whiskeys to chill me the F out. Plus, it was all on me. Wife can't drive a boat or back a trailer. She's going to learn to drive the boat this year as now I'm more relaxed doing it.

All in all, we chipped the gel coat, rubbed some of the decals, and stained a seat or two, but it has been a ton of fun for us and the kids.

 

[props2you]

Boy, aint that the truth.....with all the money in that area, politicians, computer, electronics, etc there are boats out there that make my 24 footer look like a lifeboat. What always amazes me is not how much money some people have, but HOW MANY PEOPLE have SO much money

Or.... how much DEBT so many people carry. I'm in the financial institution world and you'd be amazed at the DTI (debt to income) ratio. But, there are several that have piles of cash too, those that have the piles typically keep it and hold onto it. Also, bigger piles of cash = bigger credit limits = bigger loans = bigger holes of debt to climb out of when it dries up. It's all about perspective!

 

[Jgorm]

I bought a 2004. Took it out twice and the engine had bad compression. At least your boat drives! Mine is in pieces for months now.

 

[NewBoater]

Glad you stuck it out and are enjoying it now! Enjoy the summer on your beautiful new boat!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Thanks for choosing my magnum A K steering system, glad it helped you enjoy your boat.

 

[weaselman]

Jeff
Thank you for your help. What a difference in control of the boat. I turn the wheel and there is no delay. Whether low or high speed it goes where I point it. Very impressed.

 

[robert843]

One of the best pieces of advice I got that was something I just didn't think about was on slow speed maneuvers remember you have two engines if you are approaching the trailer or dock faster then you like you can even just put one engine in neutral and leave the other one in gear and your approach will be much slower and you will still have some control. I agree I wish Yamaha would adopt the BRP reverse buckets they really are a world of difference from the Yamaha ones.

 

[VONCE]

Regarding reverse - my first time driving the boat, I put it in reverse to slow down approaching the dock. Well, you have to give it more juice in reverse to get much effect, so the engines rev higher. Combine that with the quick spool of these engines, and you have your shipmates and people at the dock freaking out, thinking you are about to do something stupid or trying to be a show stopper. Relax people, it just sounds like I'm going fast.

Also, for those who are anxious when docking or launching or whatever, a lot of people on the lake and at the docks are butt heads to say the least. But there are a few nice people left in the world. If you are truly struggling and need some help, you're allowed to swallow your pride and ask for help. I know if someone asked me for help, I'd be glad to assist (to an extent - I wouldn't spend 30 minutes launching the boat while he drove the truck or something, but I am sure you get the point). Sometimes you just need some tips and pointers from a seasoned boater in order to become one yourself. I remember growing up at Brookville lake, there were always amateurs who didn't know what they were doing. They'd buy a campsite and it came with a boat so they'd try it out and be lost before they got to the dock. Pops always had a tow strap in his truck because we would always have to pull out the stuck 2wd vehicles who got their rear wheels too wet. You live and you learn, and you provide guidance along the way.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Let me tell you about myself. I am married with 2 beautiful children (7 and 9) and a fantastic wife who is a fantastic mother and can back a trailer with the best of them. I suffer from anxiety and once in a while I get an attack that can overtake my life. That day came yesterday.

In the morning I dropped off our old 2002 Seadoo 185 to someone who had purchased it. Took it out on the lake and everything went fine. For a 2002 the boat was still in great condition and was easy to deal with. All was good because later that afternoon my 2015 Limited S was being dropped off for a sea trial.

Later that afternoon we took the limited S out for a spin. What a difference driving between the old Seadoo and this boat. At first I had issues controlling the speed and missed the trailer when coming back. That's when anxiety started. On the second try I was able to put it on the trailer but when we pulled it out of the water the boat was crooked. Back in the water again. After a few more tries we were able to get it right and I pulled away for home. Thank god there was nobody at the launch.

Once I got it up the driveway I started to doubt my purchase. The size, the power everything started spinning in my mind. Did I make a mistake and should I have keep the smaller, simpler boat. At that moment if the dealer was open I probably would have called them to put it up for sale.

Normally my resting heartbeat is 59-62. At this point my pulse was 123 bpm. I even told my wife that I made a mistake and we should sell the boat or trade it in and whatever the loss is I will live with it.

Cleaned the boat and engines and went inside for dinner. I hardly ate and had to take medicine to calm me down. For months I have been looking forward to that day, reading this forum and getting useful tips.

The day came and now I am wondering if I made a poor decision.

For those who suffer with anxiety it can play havoc with your day to day decisions. It pretty much consumes you. As I am writing this I am a little better but still questioning my decision.

We will see what the next few months hold and I feel moving forward. It is a beautiful boat!!!!!

Man I hate to hear about your first experience. The fact is you're not much different than any of us. A boat is a BIG purchase. And a purchase that is a luxury at that, so doubt hits us all at some point. I think all of our hear beats tick up a bit. I dated a girl with anxiety and it a very real thing. I try to remind myself when anything is going wrong that everything can be fixed. Money comes and money goes. The only thing at the end of the day I should really get upset about is my health and the health of hopefully the future family I'll have one day. I didn't go though all the responses but I'm sure they all say stick with it. Go ahead and accept the bumps and bruises your boat will take and don't let it take away from the reason why you got that boat in the first place, fun. I'm sure the first time you took out your seadoo you were just as nervous and had just as much trouble but you quickly became the master of it. You bought a beautiful boat. Sounds like you have a great family. Enjoy those times. Enjoy the challenges it brings. If you have load and unload the boat 7 times on a busy launch, just laugh and try again. You're healthy. Your awesome wife is healthy. And you have 2 great kids that are learning from dad every minute. Show them how to handle adversity with a smile. You got this and you have a great forum to help you along the way. Everything can be fixed, I always remind myself of that. It's not easy but it's true.

Best of luck!

 

[Mighty Peace]

All that was mentioned above was me this past weekend. We bought a 2012 Seadoo 210SP with 44 hours in April. First time on the water was last weekend. First boat for us.

The first launch of the boat was stressful since my cousin's uncle launched us into the water by hitting the truck brakes. I was not prepared for this and we were drifting toward the fueling dock. No motors started. In my mind I had planned on just having the boat floating, the Uncle unclip the winch line and I would start the motors, back off, spin and go. This is what I had prepped for in my mind.

Any how, had a great day on the water, a bit breezy with small waves, but I spent about 7 hours out. Playing around, learning the boat. Loading up that night was smooth.

The next day out, launching wen t according to my plan as I had a friend that was at the launch with his PWC's , backed us in till we were floating, unclipped, and I backed off, spun around a left again for a day on the water. The lake was like glass for abut 3 hours. Slight wind picked up later and we just drifted and fished for walley. My 2 boys enjoyed it. We put a total of 6 hours on the boat...same amount of hours the previous owner put on the boat the year before.

Next time out, maybe first weekend in June, we will go camp as well and I will spend time practicing my docking up skills. Practice makes perfect.

As other people told me, don't panic in the marina, just take your time. Don't worry about what other people are saying. Everyone had to start learning at one time.

Enjoy your new boat. I missed out on a few deals in the past 2 years on Yamaha 212X's and a couple 242 LS. When I seen the price on the Seadoo, I jumped at it.

 

[Stevenpigsooie]

Thanks for choosing my magnum A K steering system, glad it helped you enjoy your boat.

Had the boat out for the first time last Sunday since installing Magnum AK steering on 2016 AR 240. Huge improvement in no wake and neutral steering. I've only had the boat out 3x since buying in March as first time jet boat owner and I struggled to pull up next to dock first 2 times without this mod. Much easier now.

IMG_0058

• Stevenpigsooie
• May 26, 2017
• 1

Magnum AK steering with fangs

 

[BobbyP]

So, I have anxiety, pretty bad (panic disorder) for 17 years. It sucks, let me tell you. I panic almost every time I go out, but I push through it until it subsides. Came home to some nice neck pain and headache a couple times from the tension.
Each time it gets less and less. Keep putting yourself in the situation, whatever it is (docking etc). It is the experience learned through problems, that make you less worried with time.
Lastly, when you heart rate goes up, focus on your breathing. Breath in through your nose deeply, using your diaphragm not your chest, hold it for a second or two and then exhale slowly. Hope this helps.

 

[ncnmra]

I have anxiety also, not to the panic degree, but I get stressed out at the ramp, etc. I also don't have an "easy" place to store it. As a result, I keep my boat in a "rack-and-launch" program where they just put it in the water for me with a forklift, it makes that whole process easier. I had a similar "buyer's remorse" experience after my first outing, which included a bulged trailer tire and two dead batteries (stuck on the beach). However, let me tell you that being out on the water away "from it all" is a big anxiety reliever. The experiences that the boat has given us (watching my 6yo daughter wakeboard for the first time, discovering new islands, navigating the lock system, etc, etc, etc) is priceless.

If your only "worry" is things that you can solve by practice and learning, then treat it as a personal challenge, and something that will build experience. That stuff is easily overcome with some practice and patience. My concerns include summer storage, winter storage, towing and getting ANYTHING for the boat up here in Canada (shipping from the US is a headache most of the time, not to mention our lousy dollar), not to mention that I am a perfectionist and need to ensure that everything is in superior condition at all times on my boat.

Give it some time and ENJOY the moments that you are out there. I bet you will be a pro at maneuvering and trailering in no time. At least you have a good tow rig and looks like a good place to keep it!