Boating Equipment

[Helipilot11]

Well I just bought a new boat and as some of you know I am still deployed so it gives me time to shop. Well thats what I did today.....Talk about Bust Out Another Thousand. I am a first time boat owner so it is kind of required. If you could look over what I got and let me know what else I am missing.

-Fender Package (4 bumpers 6 1/2'') w/ rope
-Coupler lock for the trailer
-Stretch n slide dock lines x 4
-Marine Horn
-Dockmate braid dockline x 2
-Orange type 2 lifevests x 5
-Telscoping Paddle
-Fender Tender x 2
-Safety whistle
-Small box anchor
-Watersports flag
-3/8'' Anchor shackle x 2
-Type IV throw cushion
-Braided Nylon Anchor Line 3/8" x 150'
-Thrust Vectors (Installed at dealer)
-Deluxe Mooring Cover (From Dealer)

My wife is going to kill me......

 

[jcyamaharider]

Nice job......but I hate to tell you, as you may know, it only gets worse from here......

Welcome to the board !!!!!

 

[MNdrifter]

@Helipilot11 I love your avatar. My cousin was a crew chief on a Blackhawk in Iraq. Thanks for your service.

 

[smthng]

Similar to my "seed purchase" a couple months ago, with the exception of all the stretchy docking and anchoring bits. Mines' much older, no I'm not that worried about the occasional dock scuff. Might snag me a box anchor though...

I also passed on the paddle... I've got two engines. If they both go, that's more boat than I'm willing to paddle anyway. I do need flares though... didn't realize all my compartments leak, so they all got soaked.

 

[Julian]

You'll need 4 flares....but buy those in person as they expire and you want to get ones that have 2-3 years on them!

 

[Andy S]

You will only need flairs if you boat on intercoastal waterway or out in the ocean, there is no requirement to have flairs on inland waters, i.e. rivers and lakes.

 

[smthng]

You will only need flairs if you boat on intercoastal waterway or out in the ocean, there is no requirement to have flairs on inland waters, i.e. rivers and lakes.

Yeah, that's why I haven't been overly diligent in getting them. Sticking to fresh water river boating until I get all the kinks worked out. Once I'm happy with my setup, we plan to spend a fair amount of time on the intercoastal around Jax and St. Augustine.

 

[Gym]

Flares are a good idea regardless of where you boat. If nothing else you can use them to start a camp fire or repel boarders. Walmart has the flare gun type cheep. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orion-12-Gauge-Alerter-Basic-4/16326927 I would also consider a first aid kit and a portable battery jumper box. I've used mine three times. Never for me but for other boaters. Update your home port @Helipilot11 so we know where you're likely to be boating and a big THANKS for your service.

 

[Zarrella]

@Helipilot11 You are off to an amazing start good luck and Thank You for your service!
@Gym where are you boating that you need to repel boarders??? Lol

 

[justason]

AWESOME !! I think you Break out another thousand needs to be pluralized !!
my personal favorites:

boat buckles !!!!!!!!!!,
onboard charger,
spare plugs and more spare plugs with the tools to swap them out away from dock dedicated to the boat.
silicone spray

2x on the first aid kit, make it airtight so the humidity/moisture doesn't ruin everything. A lot of my stuff is stowed in the plastic/gasketed "ammo cans"

track the shipment of your goods, you can have a friend intercept it at the doorstep.....wife will never know....My son "knows the code" on this subject !

 

[MikeyL]

Well I just bought a new boat and as some of you know I am still deployed so it gives me time to shop. Well thats what I did today.....Talk about Bust Out Another Thousand. I am a first time boat owner so it is kind of required. If you could look over what I got and let me know what else I am missing.


My wife is going to kill me......

LOL ..... First of all ........... Welcome here. You bought a GREAT boat ! And "SHE's" gonna love it too !
Most importantly, thank you for your Great Service for our country and all of us !

Now back to biz-ness .......... As @jcyamaharider says ............ And SO appropriately .............
"It only gets FAR WORSE from here." ............ LOL !

My suggestions .........
a) Upgraded speakers.
b) A subwoofer.
c) Audio amplifiers.
d) Blue underwater lights (SO KEWL at nighttime !)
e) A second quality BATTERY
f) A QUALITY on-board battery charger/maintainer (Which specific model depends on whether you have a single or dual batteries - I STRONGLY recommended the QUALITY brand, Minn-Kota.) - NOTE: NOT a trickle charger/maintainer unit.
g) A paddle
h) A "Towable" ... Like a BIG MABLE by SportStuff.
i) A "Towable" rope.
j) Cleaning supplies, brushes, waxes, "Bling"
k) More CASH !

Anyways ... Those are simply MUST HAVEs to help get you started.

After you take care of all of that, we can help you with "List Number 2."
Enjoy your stay. We'll try and help ya get started off on the right foot.
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Ronnie]

It sounds like you have more than you need to be on the water legally but there are a few other things that you may want and you can figure that out once you start boating. For instance, trailer / veve guides, boat buckles, on board charger, shore spike, a good (floating / water proof) flash light and marine radio, etc.

I complain about the costs but still love accessorizing my boat and trailer. It's never fun spending the money, especially in large chunks, but it feels like Christmas or my birthday when I come home to a stack of packages left by the mailman. Getting back on topic, it's more fun when my wife is not surprised by the stack, it sounds like you took the forgiveness over the permission route, which can be "fun" as well. Good luck with that, we will support you in spirit, bros before hos and all that!

Thank you for your service and welcome to the cult.

 

[MikeyL]

It sounds like ...............when my wife is not surprised by the stack, it sounds like you took the forgiveness over the permission route, which can be "fun" as well ............ Good luck with that, we will support you in spirit, bros before hos and all that!

@Ronnie : You NEVER fail to crack me up !!! Thanks for the Friday laughs !!!!!! LOL !
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Evildwarf]

Helipilot11, welcome aboard and thank you for your service to our country!

Your list looks pretty complete sir, but I would add a hand held manual pump (piston pump with corrugated hose) for that last ditch "OMG all my systems have failed and I'm taking on water" situation. I'm on fresh water now but growing up on the ocean we never were without a bailing tool (hand pump or jug for a small boat). A hand pump fits in the ski locker out of the way.
A good emergency flashlight, one that is water proof and floats. Walmart sells a good one, small with an emergency LED flasher that activates with water contact.
Also you will need a coozie or two to insulate cold beverages, very important.

Safe return, enjoy your boating and keep us posted!

 

[Boat Crazy]

You may want to check out Head Storage modifications topic. It is nice to have a convenient place to store these items. Get the wife-eee involved in the shopping. Eventually she will be saying, I want this, I want that. If it is for the boat, that is good for you also. Show her the jetboatpilot after market rear deck cushions.

 

[Glassman]

I'm not sure if I offered up a proper welcome in your other thread - Howdy!

Now that's out of the way, I'd say as far as practical things go you are almost done...maybe add a real fire extinguisher to back-up that anemic one that comes with the boat. Never know when someone else's boat will catch fire!

As for your wife, don't miss your opportunity here man!

You need to "Involve" her in the boat from the start or you will forever regret it. If you are the one buying everything and doing everything then by default it becomes "Your Boat" and she will hit you over the head with it at every corner if you should mess up.

For example: Her: "Did you take out the trash?"
You: "Sorry honey, I was putting the cover on the boat. I'll do that now."
Her: "That boat always comes first! You never pay attention to me anymore, it's all about the boat, blah, blah, blah."

See where that's going? And don't come back at me with - "She'd never do that." It's in her DNA.


What you need to do is have her join you in the shopping - we all love shopping, admit it. She can pick out all the neat stuff you'll need to stay alive while boating - I'm talking coolers, picnic baskets, boating utensils, cozies, etc. And all the other stuff, like towels - gotta have cool towels....and floaty things - stuff to have fun with.

Once she's involved it now becomes "OUR BOAT". And you'll live happily ever after.


Or so I was told...

 

[Julian]

You will only need flairs if you boat on intercoastal waterway or out in the ocean, there is no requirement to have flairs on inland waters, i.e. rivers and lakes.

Not quite true...as the Great Lakes require them, and technically you don't need them on the intercoastal. But check your local regs too. Federal rules are:

"Vessels operating on U .S . coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and
territorial seas, as well as those waters connected directly, up to a
point where the waterway is less than two nautical miles wide, must
be equipped with U .S . Coast Guard-approved visual distress signals
(VDS) "

That said....if you plan to boat at night....I'd get some. If your boat dies and you have no battery power.....a flare might save your life.

 

[Island Jay]

If I can help with a battery charger, please let me know.

 

[jetboater4life]

Make sure you don't look at my mod list in my signature or you will surely go broke.

 

[spaz1868]

It sounds like you are well on your way with what you need or is required to be on the boat...as far as the wife, time to get her involved to accesorize the boat. My wife's only concern when we purchased our boat was what color should we have for an accent color so she can purchase coordinating accesories. It can be just as fun for her to buy for the boat.

Enjoy and be safe!