Fat boating!

[EtobicokeFA]

Hi guys,

Anyone else here into boating? Urszula and I, are thinking about it.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by EtobicokeFA

Hi guys,

Anyone else here into boating? Urszula and I, are thinking about it.

What type of boating?

All my life my parents have had a 'runabout' (when I was a toddler a 16 foot deep-V hull with a 50hp outboards, then most of my life an 18 foot 'tri-hull' with open bow and ~100hp outboard, then a few years ago got something a bit bigger (not sure of exact length) with an in-board/out-board). We lived near places we could launch them to go for an afternoon's water-skiing, and they still regularly go boat camping (load the tent and equipment in the boat and boat to where they will camp).

In other words I pretty much grew up around motor-boats. Nobody in my family was all that big, but at her heaviest my wife was solidly BBW sized and was certainly out on their boat, so I have some experience with those issues (and I'm hardly skinny myself). So depending what sort of boat you are thinking about, what you would use it for, and where you'd use it, might be able to answer some questions.

-Ed

[EtobicokeFA]

I am sorry, I meant motor boats. SeaRay 215, if you interested.

We live less from two hours from a great marina, that is wondering for launch boats.

We where going to start by going to the nearby islands, but once we gain enough confidence in running the boat, we are thinking to upgrade to water sports like waterskiing.

[Tad]

I don't know the particular boat, but I'll suggest the following things to consider:

- water skiing gets a LOT harder as you get bigger. I'm 220 or a bit less, and on one ski, having skied for close to 30 years, I can barely get out of the water behind a pretty powerful boat (and to do so I have to accept being kind of submerged for a couple of seconds). That is not a strength thing (well, you need strength to hold on), it is the boats ability to get up to speed with a big sea-anchor hanging off the back. Going on two skis doesn't require as much speed or power, but it is still a factor. so if you think you might get into skiing, make sure the boat is suitable for it.

- a built in swim ladder is really helpful. If your wife is a BBW, make sure that she'll be able to get out of the water using it though....some find it harder than others. Ditto how big a step out of the boat.

- storage spaces are really important, it is amazing how much you'll normally have, with lunches, water skis, ski rope, piles of towels, changes of clothes, life jackets, maybe some books, possibly fishing rods and tackle, and so on and so forth. And no trunk, so make sure there is plenty of space to put what you'll need.

- does it have a roof or canopy that can be up when you out and about in it? With the reflections off the water as well, being in full sun all day makes it really hard not to burn, so some sort of shade for at least part of the boat is really nice.

- outboards are actually a little nicer for skiing behind than inboard/outboards, but they are noiser, so less pleasant for general boating around.

- Make sure that the hull is appropriate to the waters you'll be on. On more open waters, with bigger waves, some hull designs are much more appropriate than others (some boats bury themselves in waves, other ride over them more)

happy shopping!

[PamelaLois]

I read the title of this thread and thought it was some sort of swift-boating type slam against someone. Jeez, leave it to my nimble brain to connect two things completely out of left field.

By the way, I like boats, I never get seasick, and I float really well if tossed overboard. So anyone who wants me to go boating with them, let me know. I even bait my own hooks....

[stan_der_man]

Just adding to what Ed said...

A swim platform on the back is nice, easier to climb in and out of the water. Just ask a lot of questions about weight capacities of the boat, the ladders and possible platform.

The other thing you might consider, if it going to be a "play" boat (water skiing... cruising around lakes / seas...) as opposed to a fishing boat, a jet boat is safer as compared to having a boat with a propeller when people are in the water, but there are some disadvantages to jets as well (steering goes out if the motor goes out...)

Also as Ed mentioned don't underestimate how a canopy offers you shelter on the water. The sun can be brutal when you are out on the water for hours, even in a cooler climate. But mainly, I think the most important thing is that you will have to ask very specific questions about weigh capacities and don't let the sales person give you "I think it is..." answer. That info isn't always easy to find in brochures. Ladders can easily rip out of fiberglass mounts and aluminum bends quickly if too much weight is placed on it.

[EtobicokeFA]

Originally Posted by edx

I don't know the particular boat, but I'll suggest the following things to consider:

- water skiing gets a LOT harder as you get bigger. I'm 220 or a bit less, and on one ski, having skied for close to 30 years, I can barely get out of the water behind a pretty powerful boat (and to do so I have to accept being kind of submerged for a couple of seconds). That is not a strength thing (well, you need strength to hold on), it is the boats ability to get up to speed with a big sea-anchor hanging off the back. Going on two skis doesn't require as much speed or power, but it is still a factor. so if you think you might get into skiing, make sure the boat is suitable for it.

- a built in swim ladder is really helpful. If your wife is a BBW, make sure that she'll be able to get out of the water using it though....some find it harder than others. Ditto how big a step out of the boat.

- storage spaces are really important, it is amazing how much you'll normally have, with lunches, water skis, ski rope, piles of towels, changes of clothes, life jackets, maybe some books, possibly fishing rods and tackle, and so on and so forth. And no trunk, so make sure there is plenty of space to put what you'll need.

- does it have a roof or canopy that can be up when you out and about in it? With the reflections off the water as well, being in full sun all day makes it really hard not to burn, so some sort of shade for at least part of the boat is really nice.

- outboards are actually a little nicer for skiing behind than inboard/outboards, but they are noiser, so less pleasant for general boating around.

- Make sure that the hull is appropriate to the waters you'll be on. On more open waters, with bigger waves, some hull designs are much more appropriate than others (some boats bury themselves in waves, other ride over them more)

happy shopping!

We are actually int the 300 range so, I am wondering how hard that will be. I am not sure what to ask for to haul our asses across the water.

However, it is for open water, sits six, with a small compartment, that is not for the tall, but I will survive, since we just use for storage. It also has one of those little heads (toilets) that make airplane toilets look spacious, but we are not planning to go that far out.

And, yes it has a canopy.

Originally Posted by PamelaLois

I read the title of this thread and thought it was some sort of swift-boating type slam against someone. Jeez, leave it to my nimble brain to connect two things completely out of left field.

By the way, I like boats, I never get seasick, and I float really well if tossed overboard. So anyone who wants me to go boating with them, let me know. I even bait my own hooks....

Hey, if you can get yourself down to my neck of the woods, that sounds like fun.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by EtobicokeFA

We are actually int the 300 range so, I am wondering how hard that will be. I am not sure what to ask for to haul our asses across the water.
.

OK, I went and googled it, because I was curious.

I have one BIG concern, and that is the closed in bow. That means that if you ever have to have someone at the front for docking (and it does tend to happen), they have to clamber over the front deck. You need to make sure that you are comfortable getting up there. I think you need to insist on actually climbing around on it and making sure you are good with that.

Some boats have an 'open bow' meaning seating at the front rather than a closed in cabin, with a doorway into the main cockpit. Makes it much easier to handle ropes or to get on or off the front of the boat. Not that those are really common situations, but like I said, they do tend to come up occasionally.

Also I notice that, at least in the model on the web site, the swimming platform looks like it is a few inches above the water. This might make it a little harder to haul yourselves out of the water. If possible I'd want to actually get it out on the water and see how well you could get in and out of it.

I don't want to discourage you from a dream boat, they can be fun! Just would hate for you to get one you can't enjoy to the fullest.

(to see what I mean by an open bow, go look at the Boston Whalers here: http://www.whaler.com/Rec/default3.asp?boatid=11 )

[moore2me]

Dear EtobicokeFA, I read the posts and did not see anything about anyone knowing how to swim. Do you? Does your wife? This would be primary in my mind for both of you before investing in a boat. Not only should you be able to swim, but you should be able to save someone in case of a man overboard situation. You can learn these skills at your local pool. Any kids going boating should also learn to swim.

Everyone should have and wear a lifejacket. Life jacket for fat people are harder to find but Cabela's has them and so does some other stores. I am fat (about the size of your wife) and I boat with my husband. I have accidentally fallen out of our boat before. I am a great swimmer and was in no danger of drowning, but as Ed mentioned, I could not climb back into the boat. I could not climb up the straight ladder. He had to tow me (in the water) to the shore where I could walk and then climb into the boat.

You guys might look into renting a boat at a local marina and play around for a few weeks before you take the plunge and buy a boat.

[PamelaLois]

Originally Posted by moore2me

Dear EtobicokeFA, I read the posts and did not see anything about anyone knowing how to swim. Do you? Does your wife? This would be primary in my mind for both of you before investing in a boat. Not only should you be able to swim, but you should be able to save someone in case of a man overboard situation. You can learn these skills at your local pool. Any kids going boating should also learn to swim.

Everyone should have and wear a lifejacket. Life jacket for fat people are harder to find but Cabela's has them and so does some other stores. I am fat (about the size of your wife) and I boat with my husband. I have accidentally fallen out of our boat before. I am a great swimmer and was in no danger of drowning, but as Ed mentioned, I could not climb back into the boat. I could not climb up the straight ladder. He had to tow me (in the water) to the shore where I could walk and then climb into the boat.

You guys might look into renting a boat at a local marina and play around for a few weeks before you take the plunge and buy a boat.

Good advice, Moore, even if you can swim, you can get knocked out or something and drown. A life jacket is a must. If you don't want something that bulky, my uncle, who is deathly afraid of the open water, came up with a good idea. He invested in one of those self-inflating life vests that is flat under clothing. No one knows he has it on. He wanted to take my aunt on a cruise, but he was so afraid of the ocean he couldn't do it, til he found this vest. No one on the cruise had a clue that he had a life vest on the ENTIRE trip. Even slept in the thing. I'm not even sure he was brave enough to take it off to shower!

[EtobicokeFA]

Thank you for all your advise. To answer your questions, yes we both are at least average swimmers, and if you can get to back of the boat there is a ladder to help you on.

We already rented a similar boat, and getting comfortable with it.

[That1BigGirl]

Don't know if this should be a new thread... it's kinda boating.

I'd like to get a canoe. I'm scared to death. Not of water or anything like that, I swim well etc. I don't know what will hold me, what to look for or anything like that... Anyone canoe? Help?

[wrench13]

First off - Boat = hole in the water that you throw money into. OWning, maintaining, FUELING, cleaning and storing are all $$$$, for somthing you will use how many weekends a year? We passed on a free boat years ago when I found out how much moolah is involved.

Just make sure your wife can get in and out of it from the water, and that there is a good place to relax in the cockpit.

That1biggirl - canoes are tough on anyone. They are so tippy, it takes real practice to not go over and the more weight you put in them the worse they are. Get the longest canoe you can. A GF and I went out in a little 10 footer years ago, and we flipped it so many times it was just silly.

[moore2me]

Originally Posted by That1BigGirl

Don't know if this should be a new thread... it's kinda boating.

I'd like to get a canoe. I'm scared to death. Not of water or anything like that, I swim well etc. I don't know what will hold me, what to look for or anything like that... Anyone canoe? Help?

Dear That1BigGirl, In my younger days, I enjoyed using a canoe in our lakes and streams. I used a canoe because it was light enough for one person to hoist in and out of the water without a trailer. It could also be loaded onto a carrier on the roof of my car – very portable. I had no trouble getting in an out of it, I weighed about 250 lbs at that time. Most of my fishing expeditions were made by myself.

Wrench is right in that a longer canoe would be more stable, also a wider canoe would be more stable too. The only problem I see would be if you weighed a lot, and were the only passenger, it may effect the center of gravity of the canoe. (See picture below.) You could counterbalance this by either having a passenger or a weight (like a concrete block or big rocks in a duffle bag) where I drew the arrow. You sort of have to sit at the stern (back) of the canoe to paddle it.

Other tips when canoeing: Pack your stuff in waterproof containers in case you do turn over (a storage ziplock bag will do). Make sure car keys are on a floatie so they don’t sink. Be sure and get off a lake before a windstorm comes up. Paddling a canoe against a windstorm is pert’ near impossible and will most likely result in you ending up in Kansas.

You can rent a canoe at big sporting good stores or near public fishing sites. Try getting in one in shallow water and see what happens. You may not need a counter weight. Canoes are great for fishing, they are quiet and you can sneak up on fish. They are exceptional for frog gigging too (sorry SwampToad!). Have fun – I did.

[imfree]

Originally Posted by moore2me

Dear That1BigGirl, In my younger days, I enjoyed using a canoe in our lakes and streams. ............snipped........... You may not need a counter weight. Canoes are great for fishing, they are quiet and you can sneak up on fish. They are exceptional for frog gigging too (sorry SwampToad!). Have fun – I did.

Sorry Guys, I just couldn't help remembering this picture.

[op user]

In the previous board I initiated a similar discussion. One of the points was the max weight the craft can carry and obviously that if the boat is small a large person moving around may cause stability issues.

And a personal note. If I want to hope from the boat to the deck or vice versa and I think too much about it I risk to fall overboard. It works better if I do it in a smooth mention.

op user

[Ernest Nagel]

Etobicoke,

As someone with too many years of both power and sailboating experience the best thing you can do is take a check ride. The boat you're looking at has what is called a semi-planing hull - V in the front and flat in back. It is sometimes hard for a semi-planing hull with a heavy load seated forward to quickly or efficiently climb out on plane. Sometimes heavier passengers need to start in the back and move forward after you're about to fully plane. This isn't always the most convenient (or safe) thing to do. Knowing whether you have the most suitable motor and prop combo is always a challenge. That's why it's always best to test under real conditions. The capacity plate is a guideline not to be exceeded. It doesn't mean that weight in the boat is going to be comfortable.

Also note that the farther forward you are in a boat moving at planing speed the rougher your ride will be. Even sheltered inland lakes can get very choppy when there are lots of other boats out there. With very few exceptions no one ever wishes they'd bought a smaller boat. Good luck and happy boating.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by Ernest Nagel

With very few exceptions no one ever wishes they'd bought a smaller boat. Good luck and happy boating.

Until it comes time to fill up the gas tank, or pay docking fees, or..... As someone else said, boats do get expensive, and bigger boats are a bigger hole in the water....

Also if you want to trailer it around, there may well be real limits on how big you can tow.

[EtobicokeFA]

Originally Posted by wrench13

First off - Boat = hole in the water that you throw money into. OWning, maintaining, FUELING, cleaning and storing are all $$$$, for somthing you will use how many weekends a year? We passed on a free boat years ago when I found out how much moolah is involved.

Just make sure your wife can get in and out of it from the water, and that there is a good place to relax in the cockpit.

That1biggirl - canoes are tough on anyone. They are so tippy, it takes real practice to not go over and the more weight you put in them the worse they are. Get the longest canoe you can. A GF and I went out in a little 10 footer years ago, and we flipped it so many times it was just silly.

Originally Posted by edx

Until it comes time to fill up the gas tank, or pay docking fees, or..... As someone else said, boats do get expensive, and bigger boats are a bigger hole in the water....

Also if you want to trailer it around, there may well be real limits on how big you can tow.

Yes, we are fully aware that it will take a lot of money to maintain a boat. But, what count is how much pleasure you get out of it for the cost. Otherwise, hardly anyone will buy one.

Beside, if you can afford it, what is the point of saving all your money, until you are too old to enjoy it?

[Tad]

Originally Posted by EtobicokeFA

Yes, we are fully aware that it will take a lot of money to maintain a boat. But, what count is how much pleasure you get out of it for the cost. Otherwise, hardly anyone will buy one.

Beside, if you can afford it, what is the point of saving all your money, until you are too old to enjoy it?

I'm not saying don't get one! As I said, my parents have had a boat of some sort for my entire life, and have never regretted it. They don't have a cottage, never took winter vacations down south, their preferred vacation expense has always been having a boat. They are both not 70 or older, and they continue to get out on it as much as they can. For them I'm sure it has been worth every penny many times over.

I was just pointing out that it is easy to decide to go a bit bigger, a bit bigger, when shopping. But you pay more not just when buying, but for operating it. Size affects operating cost on boats MORE than for cars. Fuel costs on boats are high, and go up largely proportional to weight (you displace water based on boat weight). Also docking fees of all sorts are usually charged by length, while parking of cars most certainly is not.

So just saying that that there are real incremental costs to getting a bigger boat. I'd go as big as you feel you need, but not as big as you'd like

-Ed