Kreisler - Powerboating

Copyright 2016 by Ken Kreisler

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Ken Kreisler

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Tom Lau

Cover photo credit: Ken Kreisler

Print ISBN: 978-1-944824-14-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944824-15-0

Printed in China

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all those who have been with me on this watery journey throughout the years. With way too many relationships in my wake, I can only reach out to everyone who has ever grabbed a line and helped me tie up. To all those at Power & Motoryacht, Yachting, Southern Boating , and Marlin magazines; to all my marine industry friends, from fellow scribes to photographers to reps, techs, mechs, designers, builders, advertisers, marketers, communicators, editors and publishers; to Mrs. Cheshir, my sixth grade teacher for telling me I had writing skills and to Mr. Stanley Etkin, my high school English teacher, and Professor Eastmond, my college literature mentor, for inspiring me to write; to all the Jersey Boys & Girls from Long Branch, Oakhurst, and Wayside, the most wonderfully, supportive friends anyone could ever hope to have, you know who you are and more importantly, who I am; to my New York City boat crew, you guys are the best; to Alex Merrill and Tom McCarthy, thanks for the opportunity; and finally to Linda and Sami: mere words would spoil the gift.

Contents

Introduction

Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow! Travel, change, interest, excitement! The whole world before you, and a horizon thats always changing!

Kenneth Grahame, Author

S o, youve heard the Sirens song: irresistible, tantalizing, filling your head with visions of being wrapped in warm, gentle, and comforting winds as you travel across calm azure seas, experiencing sunrises to take your breath away and relaxing during serene moments at quiet coves; encountering adventure beyond your wildest dreams as you travel to far horizons, all to satisfy a void in your life that is now being occupied by terminal wanderlust.

In other words, you want to buy a boat.

Take heed, dear shipmates, for you are not alone. There are many of us fellow sufferers out hereactually, according to the latest National Marine Manufacturers Association numbers, nearly 88 million people in the U.S. participate in some way, with perhaps upwards of 30 million more in such countries as Canada, France, the UK, and Sweden just to name a few others for exampleall waiting for you to let go of your terrestrial ties and join us in the pursuit of the nautical lifestyle. And hopefully, this book will help.

Ive tried to keep the format simple and easy. Starting with a discussion of boat construction including the techniques used by various builders and what you should be looking for, well have a wide-ranging survey of the entry-level boats by some of the major manufacturers including a separate chapter on both the operation and upkeep of inboard and outboard engines, together with the technological advances in control design, after which will follow a thorough discussion on proper boat care and maintenance.

Another important chapter covers the greening of the industry and includes discussions and overviews on how manufacturers and builders are cleaning up their processes and what advances are being made in materials and alternative energy sources, including electric and diesel/electric propulsion, solar power, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Well discuss boat handling, especially around the docks and in close quarters situations including all the exciting and innovative developments in joystick use and the latest pod designs. Seamanship, anchoring, weather, wind, tides and currents, and a summary of the latest in electronic equipment will also be presented.

Well discuss safety equipment and what to do in the case of an emergency while away from the dock. Also included is a look at insurance coverage, boat loans, and financing, as well as those costs that newcomers to the lifestyle often overlook.

Throughout the book there will also be entertaining anecdotal asides from my nautical travels on how and why our fellow watery wanderers first got into boating, sure to be both amusing and enlightening.

For those of you whose economics are not ready for a new boat, I will also be covering the proper way to navigate the brokerage market, what to look for in a surveyas the stories are legion on purchasing a lemon, this is a caveat emptor and absolutely mandatoryand how to pick the right surveyorequally as importantas well as the new trend and popularity in boat clubs.

While no one book can contain all the information to cover all of boating, it is my hope that the resources presented here will be enough to get and keep you on course for a lifetime of safe and enjoyable boating.

And while you may think that taking the helm for the first time might be a bit overwhelming, trust me, with a bit of patience and understanding your confidence level will soar as you become more and more comfortable every time you leave the dock.

We have a lot of ground to cover so lets kick over our engines, let those lines go, pull in our fenders, and head out.

Fair winds shipmates,

Captain Ken Kreisler

Photo Credit: Peter Frederiksen, Viking Yachts

1. Boat Design & Construction

I feel there is something almost sacred about building a boat It is almost like creating a living being, a boat seems to have a soul and character all her own. It requires more thought to give a boat a good name than it does a child.

John Guzzwell, World Circumnavigator

B efore I even begin to survey the many boats available for entry-level buyers, I would like to concentrate our efforts first on the basics about boat design and construction. After all, this is where it all begins and having this kind of knowledge will enable you to sift through what you want and dont want.

Boat building has come a long way since our ancient seafaring brethren figured out that if they hollowed out a fallen tree or lashed a number of logs together, they could set out on the water and travel, fish, trade, or even navigate oceans.