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Great Dane

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Location
Minnesota
Hello everyone! I will be taking delivery of our new 2014 Bennington 22 SSX with a new 2012 60 hp Mercury Bigfoot outboard in a couple weeks, VERY excited for this summer! But I will be a completely new boat Capitan, never owed one before. I've always been a "dive in and swim" kinda guy, so I'm sure I will figure things out...But I was wondering if there might be any worthwhile advice that some of you seasoned veterans could pass on to me before we hit the lakes this summer? Loading, unloading, trailering, operating, I'm new to it all!  Be gentle!
 
You'll get a ton of 'gentle' on this board. We've all been there. 

There's no such thing as a stupid question. Ask 'em all...we're a helpful bunch.

Highly recommend a US Power Squadron class first and foremost. Some sort of safe-boating starter class. Power Squadron is the most popular and most common.

After that - do you by chance know anyone who boats, that can help you launch and recover the boat a couple of times...show you hands-on, how to do it? That's highly recommended as well. It's not hard to learn. It's hard to teach yourself though. If you just go for the school of hard-knocks, you'll possibly get a few dings in the process.

Congrats and welcome aboard!
 
Great Dane,

Congratulations & Welcome To An Amazing Lifestyle

 

Give us more info 

Your location "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" 

May indicate you are Lake Front 

Which will take away some of the stress of trailering the boat 

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Another from the great state of Minnesota!  Congrats and welcome to the forum.

I had a great time looking through all the posts when I joined.  There is a ton of information about these boats and boating in general in the forum. 

Where in the state do you call home?

Mark
 
I'm in Zimmerman MN. There are several lakes that are a quick drive from me, but I don't live on one sadly. It will be trailered a lot. That's probably what I'm most nervous about, it's been awhile since I have pulled anything behind my truck!
 
Great Dane said:
I'm in Zimmerman MN. There are several lakes that are a quick drive from me, but I don't live on one sadly. It will be trailered a lot. That's probably what I'm most nervous about, it's been awhile since I have pulled anything behind my truck!
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We are neighbors!  I'm in Big Lake.  My cabin is in Deerwood.  Maybe we will run into each other when I'm boating around home. 

"clrd" (another member on the forum) is in Princeton.
 
fastmnstealth said:
We are neighbors!  I'm in Big Lake.  My cabin is in Deerwood.  Maybe we will run into each other when I'm boating around home. 

"clrd" (another member on the forum) is in Princeton.
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Awesome! Good to know there are locals on here! Any particular lakes you can recommend? Looking for a decent fishing/tubing lake. We have 5 kids, 14, 8, 7, 5, and 2 so the fishing doesn't need to be fantastic, they'll be happy with little sunnies and crappies.
 
Great Dane said:
Awesome! Good to know there are locals on here! Any particular lakes you can recommend? Looking for a decent fishing/tubing lake. We have 5 kids, 14, 8, 7, 5, and 2 so the fishing doesn't need to be fantastic, they'll be happy with little sunnies and crappies.
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Your family is going to have soooo much fun!  A pontoon is a great way to spend time together.

I'll be learning the local lakes like you.  My old pontoon was at the cabin full time and I rarely trailered.  The new one, I plan to bring home and check out the local lakes.  We like to tube and fish as well, but will likely be just cruising(and swimming) with friends when I have it home.
 
Welcome aboard, the rules are, PICS OR IT AINT TRUE !!! :)
 
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Lol, as soon as I figure out how to put up pics I will. Keeps telling me my files are to large!
 
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Great Dane said:
I'm in Zimmerman MN. There are several lakes that are a quick drive from me, but I don't live on one sadly. It will be trailered a lot. That's probably what I'm most nervous about, it's been awhile since I have pulled anything behind my truck!
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Hey Great Dane, Just wanted to say congrats and welcome to the club. As Fastmnstealth said I am from Princeton or just south anyway.

I am sure one of us could give you some pointers or help. I also tow mine every time I use it, it's not to bad.
 
Congrats to you!! It is nice to hear from another minnesotan. Sounds like a very nice boat! Just waiting for "ice off" now. Enjoy.
 
Great Dane, congrats on the new boat and welcome to the forum. My advice is to make the salesman that sold you the boat to take as much time as you need to answer all you questions. If possible have them take you out on the water and show you how to launch and load. If not then the seasoned boaters on here on VERY knowledgeable on almost everything. They have helped me out a lot so far.
 
Congrats on the new toon. and if you can swing it, get a bigger motor.
 
Click on the pic in your gallery and then click options, then image links.
 
Great Dane said:
Hello everyone! I will be taking delivery of our new 2014 Bennington 22 SSX with a new 2012 60 hp Mercury Bigfoot outboard in a couple weeks, VERY excited for this summer! But I will be a completely new boat Capitan, never owed one before. I've always been a "dive in and swim" kinda guy, so I'm sure I will figure things out...But I was wondering if there might be any worthwhile advice that some of you seasoned veterans could pass on to me before we hit the lakes this summer? Loading, unloading, trailering, operating, I'm new to it all!  Be gentle!
Click to expand...
You've heard the saying a picture is worth 1,000 words? Video is worth 10,000. You tube. Search on a boat topic and the videos will branch off in all kinds of directions. Quickest way to come up to speed. As others said, a boater safety course is mandatory. That's not negotiable. Find one. Take one. There are many online resources that you could start on tonight. Good luck!
 
Hello fellow Minnesotans.  I assume that the ones up by Zimmerman and Big Lake purchased from Miller Marine.  Me too, however I moor my boat on the Eau Claire Lake chain in NW Wisconsin.  When we purchased our lake place it was just plain less expensive there and more remote feeling.

Dan from Minniwisc.
 
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