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Can I captain a mini-yacht?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Mark Woglom, Feb 2, 2011.

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  1. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    OK, my first post, so let me give you a little background.

    I grew up boating on sailboats between 30' to 45'. While in high school and college, I worked at a marina that sold Formula powerboats, and I was "the boat driving kid". I spent the better part of my days putting boats in slips.

    I'm now 45, and I have owned several Formula powerboats, my current boat being a Formula 370SS, which has stern drives. Due to my many years of getting paid to "put the boat away", I can dock a twin screw stern drive boat as well as most anybody. After having watched some expert sportfish guys docking in Nantucket, I learned to back into a slip facing aft, and use my left hand to maneuver the (port side) throttles to dock the boat. I'm accustomed to using the steering wheel to some degree, because stern drives are directional, unlike straight shafts. I understand currents, I understand winds, and I understand that boats don't have disk brakes. It's a rare day that I can't back my boat into the slip without anything more than a dock "kiss".

    Fast forward to now. Our only child is off to college next year, and we're considering purchasing a "mini-yacht" as our southern (we live in New England) getaway during the winter. For the purposes of this thread, a "mini-yacht" might be considered something like a 55' - 60' Azimut FBMY. (Hope I'm not offending anyone with my "mini" definition!)

    Now my question. How big is my learning curve going to be with a larger, straight shaft, thruster equipped, boat? I'll likely only have one other person (my wife) tending lines. Part of me says "you know how to dock a boat, it's just another boat". On the other hand, I don't have much interest in spending +/- $1mm, being wrong, and playing pinball through the boat slips.

    Given that I understand the basic principles, should I be making this big a change in my "boat type"? Anybody else made this big a change? FWIW, I'm not much interested in a captain. If it comes to that, I'd rather just make some baby steps in boat size/type.

    Thoughts?
  2. Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

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    First off, there ain't no such thing as a "mini yacht". Any more than there is such a thing as a mini mansion.

    As far as the rest goes, with your back ground I would think after spending some time with a captain who is good at training owners you would be good to go. Just take your time and don't yell at your wife. Two competent people can handle a 55' to 60' boat no problem. Hell, I've watched incompetent people manage it. :rolleyes:

    Oh, and I'd stay away from Azimuts or most any other Italian "mini yacht" if I were you. There are to many other better choices out there IMHO.
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    One thing troubles me a bit, i.e. "I'm accustomed to using the steering wheel to some degree, because stern drives are directional, unlike straight shafts." You should know at this point that you dock a twin I/O the same as a twin shaft drive, just keep the drives straight. The other question mark is what kind of DH is your wife? These questions alone indicate that a captain is called for, at least for a few lessons. You should consider it money well spent. You'll also want to check with your insurance carrier as they could require a captain for a period ranging from a few lessons to the first year.
    I'd also 2nd Capt. Bill's recommendation on boat choices.
  4. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Yes, this is lesson one, but when you know your boat you can also turn the wheel and together with the bowthruster move sideways.
  5. ychtcptn

    ychtcptn Senior Member

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  6. Chris W

    Chris W Member

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    boat handling

    of all the many skills needed to run any boat of any size,yours or someone elses,docking and manuvering the boat are just a small part of what you need to get it done.maintaining,cleaning,troubleshooting,all these things are part of running and owning your own boat if you dont want to toss money to the pool of hungry folks ready to help you take care of your boat.8 days out of 10 most yachts dont move,docking and tieing up are usually the biggest cause of nervousness but the smaller of problems in the big picture.try to get used to not using a bowthruster unless you really need it.twin screw boats are very easy to run.just like backing your car into a tight spot is not the only part of driving.
    and for the love of anything nautical,dont buy any italian flash looking boat.unless you like running a volt meter more than your boat. dont let any of this put you off getting your dream on though.
    good luck
  7. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Yes, you can steer in with twin I/O's (and sometimes it is necessary such as with some big go-fasts or twin Ob's on a big Grady or with Axius drives), or sometimes combining techniques. It's rarely necessary with a Formula 370SS though, and a bad habit to get into.
    I really wasn't trying to "pick apart" the OP, and I don't see that in the other's posts here. Just trying to give him the facts. IOWs, go for the 50 or 60, but plan on at least a few lessons.
  8. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    BTW Mark, Welcome to YF.
  9. Capt Buddy

    Capt Buddy Member

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    You and your wife should be fine right off the dock, BUT, having a fairly competent captain with you for a day or 2 should help ease the transistion. Also there are better boats than Azimut but the 55 is one of their better models, And stern drives were made to be steered in reverse! no matter if you have 1 or 4! Have fun shopping
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I'd 3rd staying away from the Italian yachts. How about a 64' Hatteras MY (later model)?

    You are going to have a little learning curve when docking a 60' over a 37'. If you are very good with docking what you have, then you should adjust very quickly. I would recommend having a Captain for 6 months. Or at the very least, hire a Captain to run the boat to and from Florida the first year. You will gain a lot of knowledge just sitting next to a good Captain on a trip like that. I would also say 6 different days of docking lessons including bow thruster, spinning the boat, with current, with wind, and how to properly tie the boat. Your insurance is almost definately going to mandate having a Captain for that size jump, at least when the boat moves and probably for the first year.

    There is a heck of a lot more to learn when going from a 37' to a 60'. The main thing is docking and un-docking is one thing, but navigating and planning and plotting trips takes a lot more knowledge and care. The next thing you're going to have to learn is all of the systems and how they work, are maintained, and are repaired. There are a lot of them on a 60' in comparision to a 37'. There is a lot more maintanence on a 60' as well.

    I think that if you're competant and your wife is into learning and doing it, then in a few months you should be good to go on your own.
  11. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    Fair enough. For now, I'll stick with "boat". When I can land a helicopter on it, I'll revert to "yacht".

    Thanks for the advice. I've tried to do some reading on the various brands. Of course, there are a wide variety of opinions, and I find that people tend to justify what they own. Thant being said, I know little about larger "boats", so I've got some more homework to do before I make a short list of boats. I'll post again when I've got some more direction on brand/model.
  12. Capt Buddy

    Capt Buddy Member

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    Id also suggest the Hatt, but its not 55-60'. In american boats, you have the 58 Sea ray(great all around boat) Carver 56'(great river lake boat) Hatt 60'(great boat,alot of money) what else?
  13. Capt Buddy

    Capt Buddy Member

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    Sounds like a fun choice! Most of us here are captains that get to work on these boats, not own them, so no biased opinions!
  14. Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

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    Start going to boat shows if and when you can and get on many different styles and brands of boats till you narrow down what features you like most in the boats you see. Take lots of pictures and video so you can refresh your memory as needed on those features. Keep a log as well.

    After you get an idea what you think you would like in a boat see if you can charter one or one similar, with a captain, for a week or so. And get a feel for what it would be like to live on and run it day to day. Pascal, another forum member, has Hats in your size range that he charters I believe.

    Also think about how you will be using the boat. Mostly just living on it at the marina with day trips from time to time? Coastal and ICW cruising only, or trips to the Keys and Bahamas from time to time? How you envision using the boat can make a difference in what you look for in and end up with. Not to mention with fuel prices climbing you should consider how much speed you really need.
  15. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    Well, I'm not sure I fully agree. All of the stern drive boats I've driven do not have counter-rotating propellers. Accordingly, the boat moves sideways to port better than to starboard. By using the wheel to some degree, you can finagle the boat sideways to starboard. Also, if you keep the drives straight, you can only use differential thrust. If you use the wheel, you can use differential AND directional thrust. The directional thrust is tool that can be used to your advantage. Regardless of what I should be doing now, I do appreciate the fact that I'm going to lose a "tool" that I've become accustomed to using. That's part of my concern with the learning curve.


    A cruddy one. You'd have to pitch underhand, slowly, and down the middle for her to hit the ball. She assists with docking, can tie the lines, and understands how to turn things on and off. She could dock our current boat at a wide open pier, but she would not even attempt to back into our slip.

    I know what's coming next ... I shouldn't be "out there" without a competent DH. I appreciate that there is a risk to myself, and to others, if I am the only competent captain aboard. I would teach my wife the basics, such that there was a 90% probability that a safe outcome would result if I were disabled. I have my own airplane, and my wife and I choose to fly with me as the only pilot. If something happened to me while flying, there is a 90% chance that she would perish in a plane crash. We both acknowledge that risk, but the lifestyle advantages outweigh the risks. To some, such a risk would be unreasonable, and I appreciate that position. There will always be those who are ultra conservative with risk, and there will be those who jump off cliffs with a little parachute. I'm somewhere in the middle.

    I think that's great advice. When I said, "I don't want a captain", I meant that I did not want a permanent captain. Hiring somebody until I feel competent is a great idea, and something I think I'd enjoy.


    Insurance is something I never gave a thought to until I read these forums. Every other time I've purchased a boat, I just told the insurer "what it is" and "where it is", and they gave me a quote. However, I can see where the value and complexity of this upgrade could raise consternation with an insurer. I've had similar experiences with airplane upgrades, and I've often been required to have a safety pilot for X number of hours. Whatever the requirement, I'll be OK with it.
  16. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    Thanks for the advice. I don't take any offense with criticism. I try to sift through what sounds right to me, and what doesn't, but I don't cry a lot.

    I'm hearing a theme!
  17. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    Thank you.
  18. Mark Woglom

    Mark Woglom Senior Member

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    I'm not "there" yet on my brand research. The Azimuts just catch my eye. I know the prettiest girl at the bar doesn't always make a good wife, but I like to start there!

    This area doesn't concern me. I grew up ocean cruising on sailboats, and my father was adamant that I learn all there was to know, well before there was GPS, or even Loran for that matter. I can recall dead reckoning in heavy fog. In a lot of ways it's easier today, but I still know how to revert back to basics.

    Agreed, gonna need good training on this stuff.
  19. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    One thing you haven't focused on here is, How are you planning on using the yacht? What area are you going to be cruising in? How far do you plan on doing a trip and for how long? Do you have time constraints, such as limited time away? How many people on board on your trip? Any constraints such as speed? This will really help everyone here into pointing you in a good direction as to the type of yacht to look at.
  20. finatic1

    finatic1 New Member

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    U have a 50' Viking and my girl friend has a 29' Formula with twin stern drives. Because of the size of the wheels and the distance between them, it is actually much easier to maneuver the Viking than the Formula. You should have no problem with the larger boat with a little practice. Good advice to hire a captain for a few times. Good luck.