Need advice on Prepping for the Season

[0627Devildog]

I am looking for some advice on a few items (some that I have not found any search results on). . .

I sold my last 22 footer in 2009 and only have a small 14ft seadoo since then until now. As I take ownership of my AR240HO I am looking for details/advice on critical items that I should be considering to make this seasons boating experience a positive one.

I have already purchased Cobra Fins and EZ locks, but am looking now to more of the functional on-board items that make the day to day life out on the boat more enjoyable. I will be transferring over life vests/ski's/towable tubes/dock lines/tow ropes/Porta-potty etc. . . . But there are items I am lacking for a bigger boat.

Proper size Bumpers, VHF radio, etc. . .

Gasoline Caddy - My boat will be in the water for the majority of the season. With the price of gas on the water being $1-$2 higher than on the road I have been considering a gas caddy so I can fill up away from the water, then roll down to the dock. Anyone out there have experience with these? Any pros/cons I should be away of?

I was considering this one http://www.rakuten.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=233523063&listingId=224746127 but am open to others as well.

VHF Radio - Looking for a solid handheld VHF radio that floats, maybe one you could hookup to external power and ext. ant.?

Trailer Guide posts - I am leaning towards the Veve Guides I have seen folks post about.

Am I missing any other critical items that are "MUST HAVE" ?

 

[redthumper9]

Telescoping boat hook. Helps for a number of things, especially docking.

 

[0627Devildog]

Actually have one and forgot to list. I used it as a paddle once on the last trip with my seadoo. It was that last trip that lead me to my new ar240ho too.

 

[Gym]

Bottle opener. I've used Icom radio products for several years and currently have a hand held M24. It floats and is water proof if dropped in the water. I only need to charge it once a week or so but use it more for monitoring more so than transmitting. Your radio needs are more dictated by where you boat and how far off shore you operate. I also program necessary phone numbers in my cell phone like Coast Guard, Harbor Master, boat insurance etc. I also have downloaded several boating apps like Navionics and some wind and tide apps. Make sure the lines you are transferring over to the new boat are long and strong enough for the new longer and heavier boat. Keep JETBOATERS.NET as a favorite on your smartphone so you can take us along.

 

[Glassman]

D Dog, if the boat will be in the water for the majority of the season, I'd check to make sure you have adequate shore power to the bilge pump. If not, consider a solar panel to keep the batteries topped and since I'm not up to speed on the bilge pump situation on your model, I'd be sure that it has a float switch to be on the safe side. All the goodies in the world can't be much fun when they are under water.

 

[txav8r]

@0627Devildog , I have forgotten some of your previous conversations regarding your intended use, so forgive if I ask questions you have already provided info on. But one thing that alarms me somewhat, is the above statement, "My boat will be in the water for the majority of the season". Your location has NY listed and not a specific location. Are you in salt water or fresh? Salt water, even brackish is not a good idea with these boats. If you are leaving it in the water full time, then battery condition will be a factor, because you need to have the bilge pump active for the protection of the boat. I also wonder if you are not trailering your boat, what the benefit of trailer guide posts will be for you. They are a big help, but if you only launch and retrieve once per season...

Storage containers for everything! Spare gas cap becomes a necessary item when you are filling on the water all the time, they have been lost at sea many times. 6.5" diameter fenders are proper size for a boat of this size, but many guys have larger to facilitate raft ups. Use of anything larger in a slip or boathouse won't be too easy. All of the items you consider carrying in your boat will be for convenience and what your typical trips consist of will dictate what you carry in the boat. Like Gym said with the start of bottle opener...
cork screw
coozies
paper towels
wire saw for driftwood
lighter with waterproof storage container
spare rope- all of your anchor line and dockline needs to be 3/8" for our size boats. Learn to make an "eye splice"
rope braiding tool
hand cleaner
soap
first aid kit
sleeve of 16oz cups
spare paper plates
spare plastic utensils
hangers or wiener roasters
fire starter or newspaper in dry box for starting
spare zip lock bags
spare trash bags (small and garbage)
search light
toilet paper
oil and rags
cleaning supplies for boat (hot sauce, vinyl sauce, condition sauce, awesome)
spare spark plugs
tool kit
spare carabiners
spare anchor shackle
towels for all occupants
blanket
bug spray
sunscreen
flashlights-various for different things...in addition, I had a LED fixture with a velcro strap that could be affixed where needed.
wet wipes-be careful using clorox wipes on the boat.
AO Coolers- soft sided coolers make hauling to and from the boat much easier and are more useful in the boat than the hard coolers.

This is a short list but a start...

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Don't forget the stretchy dock lines. They are amazing!! These are the ones that I purchased.

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=87151

 

[txav8r]

Oh yes...if you are going to trailer more often...BOAT BUCKLES!

 

[BigN8]

I am a bumper fanatic, so I higly reccomend the following http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Made-Products-Inflatable-Fender/dp/B000MJMOA8 You really only need 2, so room is not that big of a deal. They work great especially if some drunk ass chowder head comes motoring through with a big ass wake while you are rafted up with other boats. The line passes through the middle so as the boats move up and down the bumper stays stationary between the boats since it can move up and down on the rope, thus reducing bumper rash.

 

[Bruce]

On the gas caddy, how do you plan to get it in and out of your vehicle? The fuel will weigh 200 pounds plus the weight of the caddy. In my area it would take six or more fill ups to offset the cost of the caddy itself. Do you own your own dock? If not are you allowed to have fuel containers on the docks? I have considered similar options but decided that filling up at the marina is worth the extra expense.

 

[0627Devildog]

On the gas caddy, how do you plan to get it in and out of your vehicle? The fuel will weigh 200 pounds plus the weight of the caddy. In my area it would take six or more fill ups to offset the cost of the caddy itself. Do you own your own dock? If not are you allowed to have fuel containers on the docks? I have considered similar options but decided that filling up at the marina is worth the extra expense.

I plan on taking it to and from the gas stations (from 3 miles away) on the hitch mounted basked on the back of my truck which is low to the ground, and has a ramp. I would be fueling up at my own private dock so no worries about marina restrictions on "on-water" fueling. The cost on the caddy I listed is $250 shipped at 30 gallons. So, I figure if I fill up the boat with it 5 times max, I make my money back on the purchase. That is if the gas on the water is $1 or more per gallon or greater (which it almost always is).

 

[0627Devildog]

Oh yes...if you are going to trailer more often...BOAT BUCKLES!

Actually the 2014 comes with boat buckles installed on the trailer! But thanks.

 

[0627Devildog]

@0627Devildog , I have forgotten some of your previous conversations regarding your intended use, so forgive if I ask questions you have already provided info on. But one thing that alarms me somewhat, is the above statement, "My boat will be in the water for the majority of the season". Your location has NY listed and not a specific location. Are you in salt water or fresh? Salt water, even brackish is not a good idea with these boats. If you are leaving it in the water full time, then battery condition will be a factor, because you need to have the bilge pump active for the protection of the boat. I also wonder if you are not trailering your boat, what the benefit of trailer guide posts will be for you. They are a big help, but if you only launch and retrieve once per season...

Storage containers for everything! Spare gas cap becomes a necessary item when you are filling on the water all the time, they have been lost at sea many times. 6.5" diameter fenders are proper size for a boat of this size, but many guys have larger to facilitate raft ups. Use of anything larger in a slip or boathouse won't be too easy. All of the items you consider carrying in your boat will be for convenience and what your typical trips consist of will dictate what you carry in the boat. Like Gym said with the start of bottle opener...
cork screw
coozies
paper towels
wire saw for driftwood
lighter with waterproof storage container
spare rope- all of your anchor line and dockline needs to be 3/8" for our size boats. Learn to make an "eye splice"
rope braiding tool
hand cleaner
soap
first aid kit
sleeve of 16oz cups
spare paper plates
spare plastic utensils
hangers or wiener roasters
fire starter or newspaper in dry box for starting
spare zip lock bags
spare trash bags (small and garbage)
search light
toilet paper
oil and rags
cleaning supplies for boat (hot sauce, vinyl sauce, condition sauce, awesome)
spare spark plugs
tool kit
spare carabiners
spare anchor shackle
towels for all occupants
blanket
bug spray
sunscreen
flashlights-various for different things...in addition, I had a LED fixture with a velcro strap that could be affixed where needed.
wet wipes-be careful using clorox wipes on the boat.
AO Coolers- soft sided coolers make hauling to and from the boat much easier and are more useful in the boat than the hard coolers.

This is a short list but a start...

No worries, and thanks for the great list. My intended use is as follow. . . :

Kept in the Hudson River (Freshwater) from Delivery to roughly Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Weekend trailered to the South Shore of LI

After that I will be bringing it up to our lake house on a freshwater lake in Upstate NY

It will likely be trailered to and from the house to the lake for the first few weekends (hence the Veve guides) until I can take care of getting the docks in and secured by Mid to late June.

We will also venture out from our lake to the surrounding lakes for day trips but it will be trailered <10 times per season.

 

[txav8r]

Get the guides then. I liked the CE Smith guides vs. the veves because the LED light on post top made things much easier for me. But they are as beefy as the veves.

 

[soggyshoes]

A good knife (serrated)
fire extinguishers (There is an interesting thread on that. Check out the last couple of posts on powder vs spray/CO2. https://jetboaters.net/index.php?threads/auto-discharge-fire-extinguisher.907/page-2 )
An aerosol can style air horn or very loud whistle (if electrical problem or fire you may not have built in horn. And are they loud or or wimpy?)
On my fishing boat I added a 12v port that shuts off with the key that leave my portable VHF radio plugged into. That way, if there is an emergency, I know it always has power.
I always carry extra boat buckles (from past experience)
and I always carry an extra drain plug (unfortunately, again form past experience).

 

[Gym]

I plan on taking it to and from the gas stations (from 3 miles away) on the hitch mounted basked on the back of my truck which is low to the ground, and has a ramp. I would be fueling up at my own private dock so no worries about marina restrictions on "on-water" fueling. The cost on the caddy I listed is $250 shipped at 30 gallons. So, I figure if I fill up the boat with it 5 times max, I make my money back on the purchase. That is if the gas on the water is $1 or more per gallon or greater (which it almost always is).

Gas stations here have a 5 gal limit on fuel containers. You may want to check with your local gas station.

 

[jetboater4life]

Get the guides then. I liked the CE Smith guides vs. the veves because the LED light on post top made things much easier for me. But they are as beefy as the veves.

Both guides are good, the VeVe's may be a little more expensive but I think they have slightly better reinforcement at the bend. You can add the smith lights to the VeVe's as this is what I did with mine and no issues.

As far as items for the boat, if you want to go broke sift through the link in my signature. In the first post scroll down to boating accessories.

 

[BigN8]

Also a must have for a hot summer day and some cold beer http://www.amazon.com/Signatures-Sa...82&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+and+pepper+pistachios oh they are so good!!!

 

[0627Devildog]

I am a bumper fanatic, so I higly reccomend the following http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Made-Products-Inflatable-Fender/dp/B000MJMOA8 You really only need 2, so room is not that big of a deal. They work great especially if some drunk ass chowder head comes motoring through with a big ass wake while you are rafted up with other boats. The line passes through the middle so as the boats move up and down the bumper stays stationary between the boats since it can move up and down on the rope, thus reducing bumper rash.

Glad I waited to buy these. . . . . . Got two brand new ones on delivery day

 

[cane.mba]

I leave mine in the water most of the summer as well. When I do pull it out to gas up, I go through a car wash and knock the gunk off the hull. One of the best things I can recommend is a really good coat of wax on the hull. Collinite, or Marine 31 make awesome products. I am tying Rejex for the first time and have been thoroughly impressed so far (one week).

Another thing I found very useful is a Pool Saddle and a telescoping boat brush. Whenever you're out and anchored just float around the boat and knock the gunk off the hull.

Pool Saddle
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=32963