Hi everyone - Any advise would be grreat

[Smagsmith]

Hello all.
My name is Steve, but everyone calls me Smag. I thought I had better do some research about owning a mini speed boat considering me and a mate have just bought one off ebay on a bit of a whim.

Neither of us know a thing about boats, but thought it would be fun to learn. We have just bought a mini speed boat with trailer and 30hp out board motor. The speed boat is 11ft long and 5 foot wide. And that is about as much as we know. It only cost a few hundred quid so have not ploughed a load of cash in. he descriptions says it has been fully serviced and is ready to go.

We plan to use it in the sea around the Scarborough/Bridlington area to start with. So what do I need to know?
Does it cost to launch on a beach or do you just turn up and go?
What equipment do I need on board? We plan to only go out a few hundred yards, but what safety equipment do I need apart from a life jacket?
Do I need insurance?
Do I need a License?

As you can tell, I am starting from a zero knowledge base, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Smag

 

[rafiki_]

Smag, yours is quite a small boat, and will not be very stable. It will be more suited to reservoirs/lakes and estuaries. You should certainly start with these. You will not be able to launch off the beach, but will need a slipway to get the trailer down, and to recover the boat. I'm not sure an auto life jacket will work for you, as you are going to get wet, so a normal life jacket will be required. Insurance is a must, although not a legal requirement. Also a "kill cord", so if you get pitched out of the boat, then engine will stop, and the prop will not run you down. This can be a serious risk in a small boat.
Anyway, if you get a bit of practice on a lake, you will have the makings of some fantastic fun. Enjoy.

 

[Elessar]

Hello all.
My name is Steve, but everyone calls me Smag. I thought I had better do some research about owning a mini speed boat considering me and a mate have just bought one off ebay on a bit of a whim.

Neither of us know a thing about boats, but thought it would be fun to learn. We have just bought a mini speed boat with trailer and 30hp out board motor. The speed boat is 11ft long and 5 foot wide. And that is about as much as we know. It only cost a few hundred quid so have not ploughed a load of cash in. he descriptions says it has been fully serviced and is ready to go.

We plan to use it in the sea around the Scarborough/Bridlington area to start with. So what do I need to know?
Does it cost to launch on a beach or do you just turn up and go?
What equipment do I need on board? We plan to only go out a few hundred yards, but what safety equipment do I need apart from a life jacket?
Do I need insurance?
Do I need a License?

As you can tell, I am starting from a zero knowledge base, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Smag

consider a powerboat level 2 course, might seem like a lot of money as it will cost nearly as much as your boat, but you will have great fun and learn loads - so you will stay safe.

If you do go out to sea, you need to do it on a day that is a flat as a flat thing. It is better to be on the shore wishing you were at sea than being at sea wishing you were on shore.

As well as lifejackets you need a way of calling for help if you do get into trouble. A couple of floating smoke flares will do you, they will be about a tenner each I think, buy in a chandlery. You can call 999 and ask for the coastguard, but your phone will probably be wet by then and won't work. Ideally you should have a waterproof hand held vhf, but thats' another £100 and you need to do a course for that, another £80. Expensive this boating lark. Close in the flares will do for now.

But don't let me put you off - the better idea is to get some insurance (it's dead cheap compared with a car) and get some experience inland. Take an oar and you will be able to get yourself out of trouble by getting yourself to the side. If you're on a river or at sea, get an anchor as well as an oar. You may not be able to row against the current.

Have fun!!

 

[penfold]

Smag, yours is quite a small boat, and will not be very stable. It will be more suited to reservoirs/lakes and estuaries. You should certainly start with these. You will not be able to launch off the beach, but will need a slipway to get the trailer down, and to recover the boat. I'm not sure an auto life jacket will work for you, as you are going to get wet, so a normal life jacket will be required. Insurance is a must, although not a legal requirement. Also a "kill cord", so if you get pitched out of the boat, then engine will stop, and the prop will not run you down. This can be a serious risk in a small boat.
Anyway, if you get a bit of practice on a lake, you will have the makings of some fantastic fun. Enjoy.

I'd second the suggestion of getting some practice in on sheltered water, and would suggest looking at basic RYA tuition(powerboat 1 and 2 perhaps) if you're serious about going out on the sea.

An auto lifejacket with a Hammar or similar hydrostatic trigger rather than the soluble tablet type would be okay for use in a small craft where you're likely to get wet; at a bare minimum equipment needs to include warm clothing, waterproofs, first aid kit, oars or paddles, a fully charged mobile in a sealed plastic bag, an anchor(about 5kg) with perhaps 20' of chain and 100' of rope and a bucket to keep it in, and a note left with someone at home of where you're going, when you'll be back and the phone number of the coast guard. There are other desirables if you discover you like this 'running away to sea' lark, like a handheld VHF radio, flares, etc, but the above should hopefully prevent you featuring on 'Rescue 999' as a 'floater'.