Boat show fall out

[Solitaire]

On Saturday I met up with a guy who had bought a new boat, there it was all shiny and bright with a throbbing big petrol engine. Fill it up with £100 worth of petrol please said he. Certainly sir smiled the fuel barge attendent. Anyway we got chatting and it appeared that this was the chap's first day out. I dropped the question as to what he had before - oh this is my first power boat but I have done a bit of sailing he replies. Ah says I, have you done any courses or anything? No he says but I'm thinking of doing some later. I say fine and casually drop in the fact that I would be avaiable for a bit of own boat tuition. So having taken my number, he pays the bill and heads off for his first trip.
Well, this evening the phone rings - its him! Help, I've scared both me and the missus half to death over the weekend. The worst bit is I can't park the thing! So we have a chat - the engine 5.7 Merc with a Bravo 3 leg, oh yes and its says something about a magnum! (I'll see how true that is on Saturday) More questions from me and we find that there is hardly any safety kit on the boat at all . Could I help him with that too?

All credit to the guy, he has called for help prior to making a balls up and puttng not only his life, but others as well, in danger. What was interesting was that he said that the dealer gave him a good deal but that was it - no help, no advice no nothing not even a warning about how fast the boat was - "why didn't they warn me?. Took his money and said there you go sir, have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It does go to show that there is only one thing that (certain) dealers care about at the end of the day!


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[Kevin]

Hi

I agree with what you say about training etc but lets face it lets not just pick on boat dealers, Ferrari, porsche dealers dont make sure you know how to drive a 160mph car do they, they never want to know what youve stepped out from into their super cars ( In the above two cases I use the word super in terms of speed most definitly not in terms of class or quality!)

Kevin

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[Talbot]

some supercar do have training - lotus is a good example. However totally agree with the tenor of your post. but there are really only three options - status quo, RYA pressure on brokers, or compulsory driving licences. It doesn't matter how p**sed of I get by a 55ft mobo driver thinking it great to do 35 knots within 20 ft of my sailing boat on a calm day, I still think that compulsory licensing would be the thin end of the wedge, and the government would then jump on the bandwagon and insist on costly tests, exams training etc which would price a lot of the less well off out of our chosen sport, and probably do very little to improve the overall safety of our sport. Indeed there is a possibility that even more of our intellectually challenged participants would think that license gives them the god given right to put other peoples life at risk.

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[Solitaire]

Mark - the issue of licensing is not really my main point here. Its just that here was a guy who wanted to go boating and gave himself the scare of his life. To a certain extent it should be in the interest of dealers to help their customers. Lets face it most car sales peope assume that when a punter comes in to buy a car they are in possesion of a piece of paper, this is not the case when buying a boat.

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[martynwhiteley]

No, the main point is....... PETROL!!!

Forget the dealer warnings about low speed control and safety gear,

He should have had a visitation from the Mobo Chat Diesel Cult before he committed!

Oh well, just one more new punter to convert...............



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[BarryH]

Ah but the difference between your friend and a lot of other new boat users is that HE realises he needs a bit of help. So basically got his head screwed on. He's shown you that by asking for your help.

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[Kevin]

I agree with what you say about being in the dealers interest but surely people go out and find out about their boat by taking it easy and learning its handling quirks and its feeling over the water before blasting open the throttles and scaring themselves to death- do people also jump into cars and immediatly floor the throttle! Common sense is possibly needed as is restraint.

Kevin

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[martynwhiteley]

Kevin,

I think you must try and liken it with someone buying a car who's never driven before. If you've never had a boat before, then trying to get a 'feel' for it and its handling 'quirks' would not really seem relevant, since they would have no benchmarks.

I've many years experience, but I've still been known to get my reverse and forward mixed up once in a while. Fortunately, the experience helps you to recover with only your pride a write-off. but a first time user would likely take flustering to new heights, and add some 'coffee' colour to the cream leather.



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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Do you know how much he paid?

I ask this, as something I have been thinking about with relation to this and many other similar threads and instances.

Those with capital to purchase larger very expensive craft will generally be in management or professional occupations, bear with me on the sweeping statement please. These positions especially higher management or directors must have an open mind and learn to listen and learn from those under them, otherwise they fail. Professionals generally have to ask questions, and accept learning never stops.

Then there are the gun-ho buyers, who know everything and see asking for help as a weakness rather than strength. Those with less disposable income?

So, new shiny big expensive boat, within a trip realises instantly that he does not have the wherewithal to handle such a craft and has no stored reactions to fall back on, so calls in help. Lets be honest, if you can drive a car you can quickly associate the instrument panel of a modern power boat, but once off the pontoon as this Larry did, everything went topsy turvy.

I wonder if you do take him out to teach some basics, and in the event you bend the boat or he does under your control; if you will be sued, a horrible situation, but one I would think about carefully before trying to teach a stranger my minimal knowledge.

Good Luck, please report back if you do go out with them, we might all learn something from this.


<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[Dave_Knowles]

Well at least he won't be able to use a VHF without training so that's good to know.

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Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[tripleace]

send him onto a river for few weeks. He can play without the fear of killing himself and the bank is only going to be about 20 feet away.

first off, tell him to buy zillions of fenders and just practice.

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[boatone]

send him onto a river for few weeks..........

Preferably the Severn or the Clyde, we've got enough hazards on the Thames already...........

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[byron]

Who the F is that in your photo Tony? It ain't you, well! if it is you must have had a face job. Strong lantern jaw penetrating eyes looking knowledgeably out to the horizon. Naaah! Your piccie would be a weak jawed drunk gazing with blurred red shot eyes into a glass of slops. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[LeytonC]

Nah, keep him on the thames, you only do 2 knots there
so no problem!!

LOL

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Leyton
(EXTAR Solutions - Software that works for you)

 

[Solitaire]

Absobloodylutely! I'm not being critical of the guy at all, I think he has done the right thing. Apart from anything else, his enjoyment is being ruined as his partner won't go out she is that put off at the moment.

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[Solitaire]

Why not? Apart from the fact that he does not have one of course!

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[gjgm]

I cant see the fault lies with anyone else but this customer. Would you buy a superbike and set off on the basis of being able to ride a pushbike? Ok , he realised he needs some training, but any responsible person with a new interest in the hobby would at least look at a few mags,internet pages,talk to a few people. I dont think he can possibly have bought this boat without some interest in its speed, and if he is used to 6knt in a yacht, surely he should realise 40knts isnt going to be the same. And as said elsewhere, the throttle is for controling the speed, not leaving on full forward. Thankfully , no accident and a realisation he doesnt know what he is doing.
But its not just boats. I ve heard of guys buying radio control helicopters, going to a public park and smashing them up 3 seconds later, again thankfully not seriously injuring someone. I m not going to be generous here, i think this guy has been damn stupid.

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[Talbot]

I do agree - however I let myself be slightly sidetracked onto one of pet subjects as it seemed to good an opportunity!

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