New boat owner

[fastmnstealth]

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.

Yep..Miller for me (last two boats)

 

[Great Dane]

Yup, we got it at Miller Marine, in fact it's still sitting on the showroom floor! So, I think I figured it out. Here is a picture of the new toon. Ill try to get some better ones up in a bit.

 

[fastmnstealth]

Looks Great! My wife wouldn't let me get the double Bimini. I like shade. She likes sun!

 

[Mjlawson]

Miller for us as well, we're out of Hutchinson.

 

[Pittsburgh]

Great Looking Boat 

Your in for an Amazing Summer 

 

[Gabbiano]

im sorry I didn't order the double bimini on my new 2550gsr. now they want $2000. does that seem right? ps I love the boat

 

[Great Dane]

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.

So I took a MN DNR corse online, and I was just wondering, do people mostly follow the rules of navigation on lakes? The parts about if you are approaching a boat on its port side, then YOU are the boat who is supposed to give way and turn to the starboard and go aroud them? And if you are approaching a boat on its starboard side, then you are the "stand-on" vessel who is supposed to maintain corse and speed? With only a 60 hp motor, I doubt I'll be going fast enough to endanger myself, but I like to know what other people (in faster boats) are going to be doing!

And yes, I do have some friends who have launched and trailered pontoons before. I will definetly be asking them to come with the first couple times at least!

 

[fastmnstealth]

I would say that 98% of the people you encounter on the waters in MN have not taken the course you are referring to or anything similar.  I've been boating all my life in MN and haven't taken it (eeek).  My point is, I think it is great that you've taken it, but don't expect others to follow the rules/guidelines.

There are some big lakes in MN that have boating lanes and navigation aides, but they are the exception.

My best advice is to boat defensively.  Be very aware of your surroundings and never assume that others on the lake are educated and following any kind of boating rules/etiquette.   Earn your stripes on smaller less trafficked lakes until you build your confidence.  e.g  It might be a little stressfull if you decide your first time out is going to be the 4th of July on Gull or the Whitefish chain (makes the most seasoned boater nervous )

Now...what is that website link for the DNR training??

 

[kaydano]

So I took a MN DNR corse online, and I was just wondering, do people mostly follow the rules of navigation on lakes? The parts about if you are approaching a boat on its port side, then YOU are the boat who is supposed to give way and turn to the starboard and go aroud them? And if you are approaching a boat on its starboard side, then you are the "stand-on" vessel who is supposed to maintain corse and speed? With only a 60 hp motor, I doubt I'll be going fast enough to endanger myself, but I like to know what other people (in faster boats) are going to be doing!

And yes, I do have some friends who have launched and trailered pontoons before. I will definetly be asking them to come with the first couple times at least!

I've found most boater courses tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. Your example above is a prime example. Port, starboard, stand-on, give-way... I remember the first time I read that. Took me a while to picture the various scenarios in my mind. Eventually I figured it out, then I thought "wait, this is just like a car, the guy on the right has the right of way". It would be much easier if they'd just say that. Took me an hour to figure out something I already knew!

 

[Great Dane]

My best advice is to boat defensively. Be very aware of your surroundings and never assume that others on the lake are educated and following any kind of boating rules/etiquette. Earn your stripes on smaller less trafficked lakes until you build your confidence.

Now...what is that website link for the DNR training??

Ya, it's definetly my plan to start out on small lakes with hopefully no one waiting impatiently at a landing on me!

Here's the link

https://www.boat-ed.com/register/create

If that doesn't work, I'll have to get on an actual computer and try again later. It's a third party web site endorsed by MN DNR. It's free to take the online course, and when you pass it costs about 25$ to get a DNR endorsed cirtification. Kids 12 an up can take it to get a "watercraft operators permit". Better than nothing at all I guess, I'll look into the power squadron class thing too.