Numbers and decals placement on boat

[HURRICANEBOB]

It has been one of those weeks, but today I finally had the time to make and cut my decals. So I am reading the instructions and I have what I know is probably another dumb question.


When it says this:



I am assuming this is not specifying a specific placement on the boat, but instead only means that the sticker must be withing six inches behind where I place the numbers, correct?

I can't find any instructions that specify how far towards the front the numbers should be, so I assume anywhere is fine as long as visible, correct?

Guy, love ya, but you may be making this too difficult. Lokk at the picts of my white Raider, make them look like that and you will be fine. Worst case, where do ya live. If it don't cost me a ton of gas, and you got cold beer, I'll come help.

[SLP]

They have to be on the forward half of the hull.

Thanks

[SLP]

Guy, love ya, but you may be making this too difficult. Lokk at the picts of my white Raider, make them look like that and you will be fine. Worst case, where do ya live. If it don't cost me a ton of gas, and you got cold beer, I'll come help.

Thanks for the offer! But it is all done

Hopefully tomorrow will be the maiden voyage

[HURRICANEBOB]

Thanks for the offer! But it is all done

Hopefully tomorrow will be the maiden voyage

Congrats! Hope the first trip goes good. On my first trip:

1. Forgot to put the drain plug in. Discovered it just as boat was coming off the trailer and bilge pump kicked in. Back on the trailer she went, pull up a little and plug went in.

2. After the boat came off, parking lot was full, so parked the trailer and pulled truck in the grass. Rained while we were out. When I came back to ramp out, had to be towed out of the grass.

3. Put the boat on the trailer, and wife started to ramp us out. As we pulled out, heard a grinding noise, and then discovered engine was still down and the engine skagg was dragging and grinding its way up the ramp. Stopped and elevated engine, and continued to pull out.

4. Halfway home kept hearing rattling in the back of the pull vehicle, couldn't figure it out. Stopped for coffee and to check it out. That's when I found the boat's stern tie down straps in the truck, not on the boat. Good news is the boat was still okay on the trailer.

When I got home from my first trip, I broke out the tablet and pen, listed all my mishaps, and then used that to create my "pre-trip" checklist. That list went into a document protector on a clip board in the garage. With a grease pencil, I check items off at home, on the ramp, and back on the ramp after haul out and before trailering home.

Works well.....so long as this old guy can remember where he left the checklist

[SLP]

Congrats! Hope the first trip goes good. On my first trip:

1. Forgot to put the drain plug in. Discovered it just as boat was coming off the trailer and bilge pump kicked in. Back on the trailer she went, pull up a little and plug went in.

2. After the boat came off, parking lot was full, so parked the trailer and pulled truck in the grass. Rained while we were out. When I came back to ramp out, had to be towed out of the grass.

3. Put the boat on the trailer, and wife started to ramp us out. As we pulled out, heard a grinding noise, and then discovered engine was still down and the engine skagg was dragging and grinding its way up the ramp. Stopped and elevated engine, and continued to pull out.

4. Halfway home kept hearing rattling in the back of the pull vehicle, couldn't figure it out. Stopped for coffee and to check it out. That's when I found the boat's stern tie down straps in the truck, not on the boat. Good news is the boat was still okay on the trailer.

When I got home from my first trip, I broke out the tablet and pen, listed all my mishaps, and then used that to create my "pre-trip" checklist. That list went into a document protector on a clip board in the garage. With a grease pencil, I check items off at home, on the ramp, and back on the ramp after haul out and before trailering home.

Works well.....so long as this old guy can remember where he left the checklist

Wow, I think I would have been thinking about selling the boat

Thanks for the tips. I really appreciate all of your help.

We went out to Barren yesterday, and overall it went real well. Admittedly I almost pulled your #3. Thankfully I thought of it in time.

It was a little stressful because my wife (at least at this point) doesn't want to drive the boat loading/unloading or back the trailer. So I loading it had to beach it, leave her with the kids on the beach, run to the truck back it down the ramp, climb back into the boat and load it myself. She was helpful telling me if I looked straight or not.

Now I just need to find a spot where my five and seven year old can catch some fish. We spent about two hours out and I think I got in maybe two casts. The rest of the time was helping them, but we didn't have any luck.

We all really enjoyed it though, It is going to be a fun family hobby. Maybe I will get a morning out myself soon so I can do some fishing as well.

[HURRICANEBOB]

It was a little stressful because my wife (at least at this point) doesn't want to drive the boat loading/unloading or back the trailer. So I loading it had to beach it, leave her with the kids on the beach, run to the truck back it down the ramp, climb back into the boat and load it myself. She was helpful telling me if I looked straight or not.

Now I just need to find a spot where my five and seven year old can catch some fish.

Sounds like it went well.

Hey, my wive was the same way. Some of it is they see how much pride we have in the rig, and are just scared of doing something wrong. I started mine out slow.

At the ramp, I back the rig 90% into the water and have it all lined up. I have the wive slide into the drivers side, I get in the boat, fire it up. then have her just drop the truck in reverse and straight up till I say stop, about 10 feet does it. I ask her then just to put the truck in forward, and drive straight forward a distance up the ramp to let others in. This way, she gets the feel of it, never really has to do anyhting but straight back and forward.

Next running the boat, I get us out where its wide open and only running 1/2 throttle, then asked her to just hold the wheel while I fumble around with something for awhile. After about 5 minutes of that, I asked her to just turn a little to the right. A couple minutes later a little to the left. Then ask her to just add a little speed. Before you know it she will be grinning and loving it.

First time my wife put the boat on the trailer, she didn't know she was doing it. She dropped me at the dock at Nolin, and I just pushed her out alittle. I went for the truck and backed it completely in and ready to load the boat. I then asked her to just drop the boat in gear and come pick me up while I was standing on the trailer tongue. As she got closer, I coached her to slow down some, then turn some left, then right, to line up so she could pick me up. Before she knew it, she was 90% up the trailer. When I told her that, she grinned. I just asked her to gas it once, and it was on. From then on, except in high winds or bad current, she always puts it on and does so with pride. (I make darn sure there's no way she can fail!). Wife now always is in the boat when I back the rig in, and drives the boat off. She drops me at the dock to go get the rig and back it in, and she drives it on. No way she'll back the rig more than 10 feet, but she will pull it straight up.

Trick is take it slow, coach a lot, and compliment alot. She really will enjoy it more as she does more and gains more of a sense of ownership in the outings. And, as the kids get a little older, take the same approach. Just think, in 5-6 years, you can climb in the boat, Mom can ramp you in, and the kids can help Mom line things up and tie things down. You'll be in heaven. That's how it was with my Dad. By the age of 9, I was running the boat with his supervison. But 11, I was at the trailer as he drove on to guide him, and winch him up. By 13, I was putting the boat on the trailer, and he was just backing the rig in. By 16, I backed it in, drove the boat off and on, and ramped the rig out. Dad just sat back and watched, coached, and sat on a launch chair relaxing with a beer while we got-er done.

So guy, I think you have a great future a head. Best regards!

[SLP]

Bob,

Thanks for the encouragement, you have been very helpful and gracious and I really appreciate it.

[HURRICANEBOB]

"We're all in this together".