Teaching new drivers

[TrickyNicky]

Okay, so we got our boat this year. The bu stays at the cottage and is our replacement for our old Larson o/b. We have a lot of people up at the cottage and a few different drivers. I am a very qualified driver, and my uncle is as well. Than my father would come in 3rd but has no boating experience and the list goes on to my brother-in-law, and a couple other uncles all with no inboard experience.

First and foremost, the boat is my fathers and not Mine. I take care of it, fill it with gas and am the 'anal' one. My uncle follows in that category second and than the rest just like using a boat at the cottage. If it were my boat I could easily keep the keys and only lend it to who I think will care for it the way I expect them too, but it's not and my father is willing to allow others to use the boat.

So in my attempt to not have all my hard work for caring and cleaning the boat go to waste, I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on how to teach someone to drive the boat as well as take care of basic things. Specifically for a rdier. We are lucky that our lake has little boat traffic, so the driving is fairly straight forward. But I'd like to teach everyone the proper way to turn around, pull a rider up, docking (especially on the boat lift with canopy), avoiding the ropes in the tower racks etc.

I have no problem with ppl driving the boat but, I don't like coming back to find it half covered, with scratches on the side, the decal bubbling, and 13 wet life jackets in the boat.

So post up your suggestions and experiences to help keep a Bu in tip-top shape. Thanks.

[jtrovato]

To teach people how to pull riders, make them watch you do it and give them instruction on how to do it. Same thing with docking.

As far as how to leave the boat at the end of the day, make a laminated sign and leave it on the dock with your list of things you'd like done (wipe it down, remove any wet gear and hang it inside, put the cover on, etc.)

It shouldn't be that hard to teach people, if they are willing to learn. Sounds to me like you're dealing with people that don't really care to learn and your dad is one of those people that doesn't mind if the boat takes some abuse because that's what it's made for, so that may be your hardest part.

Edited July 27, 2010 by jtrovato

[TrickyNicky]

To teach people how to pull riders, make them watch you do it and give them instruction on how to do it. Same thing with docking.

As far as how to leave the boat at the end of the day, make a laminated sign and leave it on the dock with your list of things you'd like done (wipe it down, remove any wet gear and hang it inside, put the cover on, etc.)

It shouldn't be that hard to teach people, if they are willing to learn. Sounds to me like you're dealing with people that don't really care to learn and your dad is one of those people that doesn't mind if the boat takes some abuse because that's what it's made for, so that may be your hardest part.

You got it right there. They just want to use a boat, they certainly aren't enthusiasts.

[jtrovato]

You got it right there. They just want to use a boat, they certainly aren't enthusiasts.

Should've kept the I/O for them!

[skyskier]

You are going to have to teach each individual as part of a regular day on the water. This means letting the newbies drive while you instruct them on the finer points of pulling a rider and docking the boat. Assume they do not know a single thing until you tell them. I like to start by tossing a ski vest into the water and having the new driver bring the rope around to the "rider". No sense in wasting good rider flesh on this exercise. Once they are pulling a real rider, I stay by their side and teach them about watching the mirror, the guages, and lake traffic. The most important thing I tell a new driver is if you don't know what to do, just stop.

I know some boat owners who expect to get scratches and torn vinyl. They do not know that you can actually care for your stuff because no one has ever taught them that. The guy that bought my last boat walked all over it with his shoes on. His buddy, who said he used to be a boat dealer, did the same. When I offered to show him the best way to put the cover on, he said "that's ok, I don't plan to use the cover because I am going to keep the boat on a lift." When I told him I could not sell my boat to him they both laughed. I didn't.

When you put the boat away, go through your regular routine and let the other users know what you are doing and why you are doing it. They will learn by your example.

[Michigan boarder]

To teach people how to pull riders, make them watch you do it and give them instruction on how to do it. Same thing with docking.

As far as how to leave the boat at the end of the day, make a laminated sign and leave it on the dock with your list of things you'd like done (wipe it down, remove any wet gear and hang it inside, put the cover on, etc.)

It shouldn't be that hard to teach people, if they are willing to learn. Sounds to me like you're dealing with people that don't really care to learn and your dad is one of those people that doesn't mind if the boat takes some abuse because that's what it's made for, so that may be your hardest part.

Ditto all that, that's the best you can do. Even still, don't set your expectations too high, or you will be frustrated every time you get to the lake house. That's not what it's about, you are supposed to be ready to relax and enjoy. So, be ready for things to be neglected on the boat, it's gonna happen. If you have a financial stake in the boat, that would be very frustrating. If not, fuggetabadit, and just do the best you can. I have seen families that share boats get terribly sideways over who did what (that scratch wasn't there last weekend - yes it was, you must have done it - who lost 3 life vests? - it's out of gas, again, and now I have to pay to fill it, again - etc, etc.). Hope that doesn't happen!

[Sunscape fan]

Well personally I commend you for taking care of the boat the way it deserves to be taken care of and for attempting to teach others to do the same. I don't think I could do what you are doing. I am way to anal about my boat and plain just like to do it all myself. This drives my wife nuts, but oh well. I think you are doing your dad a great service, but at some point if you keep coming back to the boat in poor shape you might want to consider if what you are doing is really worth the frustration if you are the only one it frustrates. Especially considering you have no finacial stake in the boat.

[TrickyNicky]

Well personally I commend you for taking care of the boat the way it deserves to be taken care of and for attempting to teach others to do the same. I don't think I could do what you are doing. I am way to anal about my boat and plain just like to do it all myself. This drives my wife nuts, but oh well. I think you are doing your dad a great service, but at some point if you keep coming back to the boat in poor shape you might want to consider if what you are doing is really worth the frustration if you are the only one it frustrates. Especially considering you have no finacial stake in the boat.

1- I Love this boat. I begged for it for three years and aside form my uncle I am the only one that has enough watersports enthusiasm to understand why this boat is as important and expensive as it is. As a result I know that a replacement boat was bought for the cottage but THIS replacement boat was bought for me. So, I'm an entitlted to takeing care of it as if it were my own, and I do.

I will mention that, on weekends, I am almost always there, if not my uncle who I trust, so the boat is taken care of as it should be. No one wants the boat to themseleves they just want to use a boat. So on the weekend, my uncle, father or I can drive and everyone is perfectly satisfied. The other drivers can drive but just need a major adjustment to this boat over the old o/b. The adjustments come in the form of cruise, board racks, care, ballast, towing from towers vs, pylon etc. My father wants to care for the boat but isn't anal enough to keep the keys form others. He also needs an adjustment to inboards, as far as low speed maneuvering, reversing, chilli-dipping, and parking, but he is weillign to learn.

So I will not be coming to the cottage to find the boat in a mess everytime I arrive, most of the time I will find it exactly how I left it, asleep on the lift. But sometimes my sister goes up during the week for a couple days with friends and they use it and these are the times i want them trained for.

BTW, I like the laminated list on the dock idea. Maybe I'll just bubble wrap the boat when I leave?

[Michigan boarder]

1- I Love this boat. I begged for it for three years and aside form my uncle I am the only one that has enough watersports enthusiasm to understand why this boat is as important and expensive as it is. As a result I know that a replacement boat was bought for the cottage but THIS replacement boat was bought for me. So, I'm an entitlted to takeing care of it as if it were my own, and I do.

I will mention that, on weekends, I am almost always there, if not my uncle who I trust, so the boat is taken care of as it should be. No one wants the boat to themseleves they just want to use a boat. So on the weekend, my uncle, father or I can drive and everyone is perfectly satisfied. The other drivers can drive but just need a major adjustment to this boat over the old o/b. The adjustments come in the form of cruise, board racks, care, ballast, towing from towers vs, pylon etc. My father wants to care for the boat but isn't anal enough to keep the keys form others. He also needs an adjustment to inboards, as far as low speed maneuvering, reversing, chilli-dipping, and parking, but he is weillign to learn.

So I will not be coming to the cottage to find the boat in a mess everytime I arrive, most of the time I will find it exactly how I left it, asleep on the lift. But sometimes my sister goes up during the week for a couple days with friends and they use it and these are the times i want them trained for.

BTW, I like the laminated list on the dock idea. Maybe I'll just bubble wrap the boat when I leave?

Ah, then there is hope. Then I'd focus on sis, and I like the laminated list too. I have a list in the glovebox for my wife to use if she is at the lake by herself (starting, trouble shooting, guages to check, etc.).

[MalibuNation]

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen from new drives is they want to watch the skier too much in the mirror ... they need to concentrate more on looking forward. That's why you have a spotter.

Picking up downed skiers make they are on your right ... that way the driver can see them at all times.

Never put the boat in reverse to get closer and pick someone up.

Edited July 27, 2010 by MalibuNation

[TrickyNicky]

Anyone have their list saved to their computer? It'd be nice to have a place to start or even a way of categorizing things.

[skyskier]

My experience is that newbies don't watch the mirror at all. By the time the spotter tells the driver about the rope being wrapped around a body part, it is too late. I tell new drivers to watch the boat traffic when the rider is cutting away from the wake and watch the mirror when the rider is cutting toward the wake. You never know what a foiler is going to do or where they are going to do it, so you have to watch them more closely.

[Woodski]

schnitskis.com has a boat driving section that is very good. As far as maintenance, sounds like the sis is the key to finding the 'bu properly put to bed and tucked in. What drives her bonkers, compare the boat put away checklist to that and maybe it will sink in. The difficulty is convincing others that the labor of properly completing a day on the water is valuable and part of the program.

[oceanbu]

Dude....this sounds very similar to my situation. My in-laws bought the boat but I am the only one that rides or really does anything behind the boat. I wax it and clean it and basically take care of it like it was mine because I am hoping it will be someday!

Actually maybe I don't want to own it someday. My father in-law paid for it, pays for any repairs and storage...and I get to use it whenever I want. This is better than owning the boat!!

I feel your pain on the driving though...I have to bite my lip sometimes and just tell myself to be thankful for what I have. My father in-law still likes to hammer on the throttle to get be out of the water even though I have asked him to lay off a little.

All I can say is thank goodness for cruise control!

Still to this day he cannot get the swim grid to me when I am done for an easy re-entry into the boat. He turns so the stern is always going away from me so I have to chase after that swim grid in order to get back in the boat. Or maybe he is secretly laughing to himself as he watches me struggle. But it is a small price to pay for having access to a sweet machine whenever I want. And I do love the guy and not just for buying the boat.

[MalibuNation]

I'll add one more thing ... it's not for the driver ... it's for the newbie spotter, the spotter needs to spot!

[TrickyNicky]

I'll add one more thing ... it's not for the driver ... it's for the newbie spotter, the spotter needs to spot!

I mentioned this in my other thread Your Boat Rules. I hate when I invite friend up and they sit in the boat and talk instead of paying attention to the rider. Of course this isn't as much of a problem once you learn to put on more of a show

[TrickyNicky]

Went out yesterday to go boarding with my regular and my brotehr-in-law was there. We got him to drive the entire time we were out. Showed him the problem areas when docking on the lift, edited his approach to taking out slack, (ie bumping) and even showed him to get across wakes directly and than get back on course so the rider isn't riding the waves for 10 minutes. Most things were very straight forward and than some things just took time and practice. Taught him how to NOT chilli dip and to let the waves pass when you turn around to pick up a rider. He did really well and it gave me a LOT more confidence and more importantly lowered my stress level of having the boat in someone elses hands. Now there at the cottage till friday and than I show up, so well see if he's learned anything.