Today's the day I get my first boat

[Kennytwo]

Barring any last minute snafus my wife and I will be picking up our first boat today. We originally were looking at new 195S or AR195 but a week ago we found someone selling a 2015 212X with 115 hours on both motors. We have a family of 4 and our boys really want to Wake Surf so I know the bigger boat with dual motors will help us accomplish it. The boat looks like it's in great shape and we water tested it last week and everything seemed fine (with my limited knowledge lol). The original owners installed the thrust vectors already so that's one less thing I have to worry about. My only worries are 1- used boat so I pray everything is good 2- Docking and 3- trailing the boat. I've been following this forum for a while and already have some ideas but any input/advice from you guys will be much appreciated.

 

[Babin Farms]

Congratulations on your first boat! Just take your time with everything from docking to trailering-backing it in the water and you'll be fine. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[Kennytwo]

Also, last night the wife and i went out and grabbed life jackets, bumpers and dock ropes. The anchors at Academy seemed cheap so I have to get one elsewhere. Any other must haves??

 

[BigAbe75]

I think that’s going to be a great decision. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a 4 yr old Yamaha boat, especially in the Midwest. If sea trial went fine and hull, trailer bunks and upholstery look good, sounds like you’re all set.

Others know more about mechanics, than me... so I won’t try to get into that stuff.

 

[Redneck_4Play]

Welcome aboard. I think you'll be happy with your decision. I have a 2014 212X that I bought brand new 6 years ago and love with almost 400 hours on it. Boats are very easy to maintain and easy to work on if you have some fairly basic mechanical skills. There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum so you should be able to get any answers you need. Not sure of your boating experience but jets are fairly easy to maneuver once you understand how they work. No throttle equals no steering. Take it slow and don't approach anything faster than you want to hit it. Enjoy your purchase and happy boating!

 

[captras]

Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher on board. Easy to forget about till you get stopped. Also, most states require some type of throw ring or cushion.

And congratulations on the new boat!

 

[VitaminSea]

Also, last night the wife and i went out and grabbed life jackets, bumpers and dock ropes. The anchors at Academy seemed cheap so I have to get one elsewhere. Any other must haves??

Congrats! I believe per USCG regulations you need a throwable floating “seat cushion” as well as flares (or the equivalent).

You are going to want 2 anchors, anchor chain (helps with setting the anchor) & plenty of anchor rope. For the secondary anchor the “Navy” style anchors work well (I use when hanging out at a sandbar


If the boat doesn’t have 2 batteries, you will want to invest in a small “jump pack”.

There was a recent posting with similar questions to yours, lots of good suggestions there. I will see if I can locate it.

 

[Tommy Bierly]

Barring any last minute snafus my wife and I will be picking up our first boat today. We originally were looking at new 195S or AR195 but a week ago we found someone selling a 2015 212X with 115 hours on both motors. We have a family of 4 and our boys really want to Wake Surf so I know the bigger boat with dual motors will help us accomplish it. The boat looks like it's in great shape and we water tested it last week and everything seemed fine (with my limited knowledge lol). The original owners installed the thrust vectors already so that's one less thing I have to worry about. My only worries are 1- used boat so I pray everything is good 2- Docking and 3- trailing the boat. I've been following this forum for a while and already have some ideas but any input/advice from you guys will be much appreciated.

Congratulations! Enjoy!

 

[WildCatFan54]

Congrats !! I think you and the wife made a great decision . Please provide pics when you get time ? Pretty sure you can forget about item #1 on your list of concerns and focus on #2 and #3 but enjoy doing both. You will master both of them in no time.

 

[Dough]

Nice boat, great choice! Will save you in the long run. Thoses are hard to find used.
Rarely ever put my boat in the water and not break out the boat grill. Sure beats sandwiches every weekend.

 

[2kwik4u]

First boat ever? Congrats and welcome to the club.

My biggest suggestion is to take a day that isn't busy, like say a Tuesday morning and practice backing/launching/retrieving/docking/etc. Make sure there is a low population to watch you learn, and so you aren't taking up ramp space learning on a busy Saturday afternoon. Do these maneuvers 5-6 times until you really feel comfortable doing it. This will teach you what it feels/looks/sounds like. You'll develop a whole slew of communications between your wife and yourself, and will set expectations for future outings. This practice, and calm learning.....in my experience.....has prevented the wife and I from ever yelling at each other during the launch/dock/retrieve stages of boating. It's well worth it to develop this well oiled machine.

The second, and arguably most important thing to keep in mind while boating.....PATIENCE.....nothing is a rush, there isn't a single piece of equipment that can't be repaired or replaced, but you can certainly get ahead of yourself, in a hurry, or otherwise distracted and say things you shouldn't, or place your equipment above others enjoyment and personal value. It's just a boat, and you've got plenty of time. Keep those two things in mind, and keep your heart rate down as you learn. I promise this level head, and "We've got time" mentality will go further than you expect. I tell my boys EVERY SINGLE TIME we go out...."Whats the word of the day?", they respond "Patience". We'll get to the tubing, we'll get a snack, I promise we'll get time to swim, we'll do ALL the things. But don't ask for a drink while I'm launching the boat, and don't ask to go swimming after I just inflated the tube. Be patient, we'll get to it. Same premise for docking/launching/retrieving/backing. Take your time, don't get frustrated, and learn as you go.

Finally......HAVE FUN.....if you make a mistake, or you bonk the boat on the dock.....it's OK....You're out there to relax and enjoy some time away from electronics, crowds, and the "regular life". Enjoy that, even if things don't go as planned.

Congrats again!

 

[the MfM]

Also, last night the wife and i went out and grabbed life jackets, bumpers and dock ropes. The anchors at Academy seemed cheap so I have to get one elsewhere. Any other must haves??

Mantus makes great anchors. If you are going to anchor at an island or sandbar then a sand-spike and anchor bungee will come in handy.

 

[Julian]

Congrats on the new ride...post up photos once/if you bring her home!

 

[Babin Farms]

Barring any last minute snafus my wife and I will be picking up our first boat today. We originally were looking at new 195S or AR195 but a week ago we found someone selling a 2015 212X with 115 hours on both motors. We have a family of 4 and our boys really want to Wake Surf so I know the bigger boat with dual motors will help us accomplish it. The boat looks like it's in great shape and we water tested it last week and everything seemed fine (with my limited knowledge lol). The original owners installed the thrust vectors already so that's one less thing I have to worry about. My only worries are 1- used boat so I pray everything is good 2- Docking and 3- trailing the boat. I've been following this forum for a while and already have some ideas but any input/advice from you guys will be much appreciated.

Also you can go to https://jetboaters.net/faq/ to get lots of good info.

 

[Peelz]

congrats.

i remember that first boat feeling. we've been an avid boating family since I sold all my atv stuff in 2012. here's my notes.

-spend the money on a bitchin stereo..
-get that ramp routine down by practicing launch/recovery on a slower day. (who does what) remove the anxiety and stress from learning.
-the floating swim mat is a huge deal for us
-build yourself a huge collection of sunglasses. lol this is mostly unrelated but enjoyable nonetheless.
-get the right anchor.
-dont sweat miles per gallon, count SPG instead... Smiles per gallon.

GOOD LUCK!

boating weather is taking its sweet *** time up here....

 

[2kwik4u]

-build yourself a huge collection of sunglasses. lol this is mostly unrelated but enjoyable nonetheless.

$3 3M Tinted Safety Glasses are my Go To boat glasses. I lose 5-6 pairs a summer to the lake every year. Never feel bad about it. Cheap enough to carry 2-3 pairs on me at most times.

 

[Peelz]

$3 3M Tinted Safety Glasses are my Go To boat glasses. I lose 5-6 pairs a summer to the lake every year. Never feel bad about it. Cheap enough to carry 2-3 pairs on me at most times.

not us. Our collection is our not-so-guilty pleasure. 40+ i think. lol

 

[Peelz]

also wanted to add. bigger boat was smart. That family of four with two boys grows quickly-ask me how I know

 

[Scottintexas]

Congratulations,
everything everybody else has already said,

just know,
you'll probably get a couple scratches at the dock, just go slow, you don't ever want to go faster than your willing to run into something, panic and applying more power to adjust usually just increases the problems,

also, pick a non crowded day, you may want to go out the first day you have it but patience grasshopper, maybe even go to the boat ramp with the only intention of practicing backing down the ramp and maneuvering in the parking lot,

also, backing up without the boat on the trailer can be difficult without having the visual of the big boat showing you where your going, you may consider "trailer guides" to help in loading the boat and backing without the boat being on the trailer,

get other people involved at the ramp either driving the truck or the boat, when my kids turned 13 and started unloading/loading the boat it made my boating experience so much more enjoyable,

patience, patience, patience,

 

[Chevyguy2021]

YAYYYY! Our 2014 212X is our first boat as well. We purchased in August of last year. You will love it!
Lots to learn!