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Buying My First Boat - What do I Need?

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Hilltopper9

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I'm waiting for my first boat, a Bennington 20SS pontoon, to be delivered.  Can anyone help me understand what comes with the boat and what I ought to buy ahead of time since it doesn't come with the boat?  For example, it's not clear from the sales literature whether these come with the boat:  tie off ropes, fenders, safety horn, compass, life preservers.....Thanks in advance for the help.  
 
Depends on your dealer. Some include packages, some do not.
 
Most of the dealers will set you up with a ready to go kit. This should give you fenders, ropes and safety equipment. 


I think the fun will be finding out what you need as you go. It is easy to waste money on useless stuff.  Personally I would make sure you have a bottle opener and a can opener for your guests! :)
 
I agree with Jared.  My boat came with nothing, but others have had dealers throw in stuff.  You'll have to ask your dealer what he typically does.


Ropes are a must.  I wouldn't recommend anything less than 25'.  Anchors are a must, even if you don't plan to anchor much.  If your motor ever quits, you don't want to drift into a rock wall or blow aground.  An anchor can be a safety device.  I keep two on board.  Even if you have a slip, fenders are a good idea.  You'll want them anytime you tie off to a dock.  You can easily find a list of the safety stuff you'll need online.  A boat hook is handy.  Get a retractable one so you can store it easily.  A spare prop is good to have, and the tools to change it, including a 6 inch piece of 2x4.  If you don't carry a spare prop, at least carry a spare hub if you have the break away kind.  I've never "broken" one, but I'm guessing they don't work well once broken, and of course, you'll be far from home if that happens.  A cooler is a must.  Wait until you get your boat and figure out where you like to keep it.  We keep ours in the opening by the port side door.  You'll want one that "fits" size-wise.  Some put them under the helm, so it will need to fit the door.  I have a "air horn in a can" too.  The stock horn is a joke.  If a boat is coming at you full speed, they won't hear the stock horn.  They might hear the air horn.  i keep it in one of the cup holders at the helm for quick access.  Funny how there's not much air in it.  I think the dock boys scare the crap out of each other with it when I'm not there.
 
Hilltopper9 said:
I'm waiting for my first boat, a Bennington 20SS pontoon, to be delivered.  Can anyone help me understand what comes with the boat and what I ought to buy ahead of time since it doesn't come with the boat?  For example, it's not clear from the sales literature whether these come with the boat:  tie off ropes, fenders, safety horn, compass, life preservers.....Thanks in advance for the help.  
Click to expand...

CONGRATULATIONS... Hilltopper9


Welcome To The Bennington Family


And ...


An Amazing Lifestyle 


I don't swim 


So I bought a state of the art life jacket 


The other suggestion is additional lighting if you are out at night


Waiting till you get Your Benny is Essential


Buying the accessories is part of the fun when the time comes :)
 
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My FIRST recommendation is, if this is your first boat and you have not done it, PLEASE take a boaters safety course (your state if available). You can typically do it online. As mentioned above, check with your dealer. Some of them will throw in the basics to get you started. Make sure to have enough life jackets for EVERYONE on board, proper sizes (I have 5-6 in different sizes), a THROWABLE, a whistle. (Doesn't need electric and doesn't run out of air, unless you do). Depending where you boat, a good two way radio is a good idea too. 


Also if you haven't done it already, read through this thread.  http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/2203-todays-lesson-is-check-in-for-good-info/
 
When our boat was delivered our dealer gave us a "kit" lines, life vests, throwable, bumpers, anchor, (boat already had an extinguisher) they also gave us a nice little soft cooler with a few drinks and snacks.   
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
My FIRST recommendation is, if this is your first boat and you have not done it, PLEASE take a boaters safety course (your state if available). You can typically do it online. As mentioned above, check with your dealer. Some of them will throw in the basics to get you started. Make sure to have enough life jackets for EVERYONE on board, proper sizes (I have 5-6 in different sizes), a THROWABLE, a whistle. (Doesn't need electric and doesn't run out of air, unless you do). Depending where you boat, a good two way radio is a good idea too. 


Also if you haven't done it already, read through this thread.  http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/2203-todays-lesson-is-check-in-for-good-info/
Click to expand...

Yep, the whistle is very important. Had it not been for "the whistle", Rose would not have survived the wreck of the Titanic to tell us about it on the movie. :D  All kidding aside, I keep my whistle hanging over the throttle for easy access should I need it. If it doesn't come with one, a second battery is always a good thing. Time will get away from you, floating around, listening to the radio and chatting with friends. I would think the battery wouldn't last a very long time, but I also got one of those compact battery booster/starters to put on my boat. 


This isn't the actual one I got, but one similar:




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I also got the package with my Benny that included the vests, anchor, ropes, fenders, etc. Congrats on the new boat! 
 
Thanks to everyone for the great advice.  I talked to my dealer and they are including a "kit" with many of the things you all recommended.  I also picked up a battery jump starter in case I run down my battery.  I'll take one of the online boating courses and be ready for my new adventure.  Thanks again!!
 
Since everyone else gave you a lot of good advice I thought I would add something. You will need the ability to spend large amounts of money and smile while doing it. But it is so worth it. Enjoy your new boat and hope you have the fun we have experienced.
 
Food for thought.  I actually took the cash equivalent of the kit my dealer was offering and bought exactly what I wanted.  Came in the form of a gift card.  I did buy 90% of the supplies from the dealer but wanted specific color, style, etc.  Most of the lines, life jackets and things like that I wanted to color match to some degree with the boat color.  Just an option possibly?


Congratulations and have a great and safe summer on the lake!
 
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I second what most are saying,  wait on most things till you know what you want and need.  But start with the essentials like safety equipment.  My dealer didn't give anything for free but sold us a kit at discounted price (4- 25' bow lines,  2 fenders, 8-standard pfd's, throwable, flares, 100' anchor line, maybe something else I am not remembering). My salesman said they were gonna throw in an anchor,  but turns out,  it was just one of his old mushroom anchors. Dealership said the boat comes with a soft sided cooler,  and it did,  just leaks like a sieve.


We upgraded our anchors (Danforth style last year and box anchor this year) and bought an additional 150' anchor line this year. Added fish finder this year and dual battery,  lighting,  and audio upgrades coming soon.


We bought a floor model and this was our first boat so we weren't even sure what we really needed or wanted. Now we have plans for many upgrades.  And some years later we will upgrade to a new boat with more features we know we want. 


Off topic: I think with our next Benny, we will use a different dealer.


Fun thing to do,  we loved doing it,  is have a christening party before or first launch and properly named her. 
 
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