Well i finally did it.. I just purchased a 1999 GW Adventure 208 with a factory hardtop and a 200 yamaha SS OX66 on her.. she is a one owner boat and is in beautiful shape.. my surveyor said it has very low hours on it for her age estamated about 300 hrs and so far she is running well.. this is my first boat ,so i have to admit i am a little nervous .. It took me about awhile to find her, and im hoping it was worth it.. I also want to thank u guys for answering all my question though the process trust me it was VERY HELPFUL !! This site is awsome !! Being a new boater im sure ill have more questions for you all ..LOL GOD BLESS ALWAYS
new owner of a Adventure 208
- Thread starter against the wind
- Start date
Parthery
GreatGrady Captain
If I can give one piece of advice, it would be " Go Slow". Docking in windy conditions and/or currents can be a challenge and as a first boat owner, your reaction when things get sideways is to gun the motor. Right from the beginning, practice using the shifter only with the motor at idle speed. Shift between fwd, neutral and reverse to make small movements. At the same time practice doing that with the wheel straight and then all the way over to port or starboard. Turn the wheel all the way first and then shift into forward or reverse for a short time to learn how the hull responds. In slight to moderate current and wind, you should be able to do your maneuvering using the shift only. Turning the wheel a little while in reverse has little to no effect, go hard over.against the wind said:
By the way, the hardest situation for slow maneuvering will be with a strong breeze on the bow or forward starboard quarter. In those conditions, the boat will tun towards port due to the wind and prop steer. The boat is easier to dock to port than starboard when going forward.
So get out there, practice and have fun !
Safe boating
to add , learning to back into a slip will be a valuable asset to your capt skills. A good time to practice is when your marina empties in the fall, find big slips and practice on them going into smaller and smaller slips. after doing that a few dozen times you will find yourself getting into 8.5 ft wide slips with ease. Master that sping line. Good luck with her.....
sfc2113 said:
10 years in the 208 and backing into a slip with accuracy is still difficult with my setup and there is nothing unusual about the setup. If there a wisp of wind or current, I just can't back into where I want to go. Narrow slips are easy since you end up rubbing one side or the other. It's the wide slips, doubles or semi-privates that are the problem.
So if you get the hang of it, please educate me
thanks to all.. i have been practicing my docking skill, and u are all right... it is hard but im getting there. thanks for the advice.. im trying to post some pics but have not figured it out yet. question.... what angle should i take if i want to back in.. keep in mind i have other boats on both sides of me
My suggestion for backing a single engine 208 into a slip between boats is.....tip the dock boy 5 bucks and let him do it. I found that if you tip the dock boys for each and everything they do, it will save you a lot of aggravation.
So many people with big expensive boats have alligator arms when it comes to gratuities for the dock boys.
So many people with big expensive boats have alligator arms when it comes to gratuities for the dock boys.