Learning the hard way
TickledPink
Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
I was so happy when I picked up my 2003 Rinker Fiesta Vee 250 and brought it home last Sunday. However, a steep learning curve has occurred since.
Yesterday we decided to unpack the new inflatable tender and new 4hp outboard to get everything over to the boat. Should be quick enough, we thought!
Perish that thought. As first time boaters, it took us three, plus another boater who happened to be around, to work out where to put the engine oil and gear oil. Once that was done, we filled up the petrol tank and spent the next hour trying to start it with no luck, so we gave up and rowed to the boat.
Whilst my husband continued to try to start the outboard, I pushed the switch for the blower on the Rinker only to find that the batteries were dead. I phoned the dealer who asked if we'd turned off the batteries. Huh? How do I do that? Oh sorry, he said, I forgot to tell you! He advised us to put the batteries on charge. OK, I said, but how do I open the engine hatch with dead batteries? I don't know, he said.
By now, we had an audience. And with the help of said audience, we managed to get the outboard running.
My dad and our dog were still ashore waiting to be picked up and two hours had passed. Time to go home for a rethink.
This morning, we returned to the boat. The outboard started, the three of us, our dog and a battery booster/charger made it across to the boat and we got the engine hatch open. So far so good.
The audience was bigger today and between us all, we got the batteries out and a fellow boater took them to his boat to put them on charge. I managed to put all of our bits and bobs away and our dog made friends with two other dogs, one of which taught her to pee on the pontoon.
Tomorrow we will go back and put the (hopefully charged) batteries back into the Rinker. And maybe (just maybe) we might get out for a trip. Fingers crossed.
Despite all of the teething problems, we have learnt a **** of a lot and made some great friends.
Just thought I'd share that with you all.
Yesterday we decided to unpack the new inflatable tender and new 4hp outboard to get everything over to the boat. Should be quick enough, we thought!
Perish that thought. As first time boaters, it took us three, plus another boater who happened to be around, to work out where to put the engine oil and gear oil. Once that was done, we filled up the petrol tank and spent the next hour trying to start it with no luck, so we gave up and rowed to the boat.
Whilst my husband continued to try to start the outboard, I pushed the switch for the blower on the Rinker only to find that the batteries were dead. I phoned the dealer who asked if we'd turned off the batteries. Huh? How do I do that? Oh sorry, he said, I forgot to tell you! He advised us to put the batteries on charge. OK, I said, but how do I open the engine hatch with dead batteries? I don't know, he said.
By now, we had an audience. And with the help of said audience, we managed to get the outboard running.
My dad and our dog were still ashore waiting to be picked up and two hours had passed. Time to go home for a rethink.
This morning, we returned to the boat. The outboard started, the three of us, our dog and a battery booster/charger made it across to the boat and we got the engine hatch open. So far so good.
The audience was bigger today and between us all, we got the batteries out and a fellow boater took them to his boat to put them on charge. I managed to put all of our bits and bobs away and our dog made friends with two other dogs, one of which taught her to pee on the pontoon.
Tomorrow we will go back and put the (hopefully charged) batteries back into the Rinker. And maybe (just maybe) we might get out for a trip. Fingers crossed.
Despite all of the teething problems, we have learnt a **** of a lot and made some great friends.
Just thought I'd share that with you all.
Comments
have them. Boating has a lot of unbelievably awesome days, but you don’t get them without a few bad ones. Congrats on getting your first weekend behind you, have a drink, toast your new hobby and know better days are coming.
Regarding the batteries, after re charge keep an eye on them. Given how dead they were it’s unlikely they can still be relied upon. If you anchor a lot you will be taking a risk continuing to use those batteries.
https://www.worldwideboat.com/knowledgebase/boating-101-beginners-guide
Regards,
Ian
The Third “B”
Secretary, Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club
https://www.rcyachtclub.com/
You can buy a small tablet sized jumper box for less than 100 bucks on Amazon or eBay, get one and keep it on the boat. It's a life saver when you have a dead battery out on the water.