Treat her with respect

[Revtro]

I cleaned my boat the other day and noticed a nice new chip in the cowling of my outboard.  It's a newer boat, so it's the first one.  I know exactly how it happened.  Very often the guy in the back of the boat will knock his lure into the cowling when he's casting because he's not paying attention.  Usually it doesn't damage the cowling, but every so often if it's a big lure and a hard cast, it'll chip the paint.  I normally don't say anything, but after finding the chip the other day, I thought it might be helpful to put this out there in the hopes that it'll help the riders out there be better co-anglers. 

I was at a concert in the 5th row last year.  Behind us were some pretty drunk folks who were dancing around like freaks.  Twice the guy behind my wife accidently smacked my wife in the head with his hands or elbows from dancing around.   You better believe I got in his face and warned him that it had better not happen again.  I demanded that he treat my wife with respect and that we'd have a problem if he did it again.  Well I guess I kind of feel the same way (tho less passionately) about my boat.  I still owe a whole lot of money on her and I don't want her beat up by people who just can't seem to pay attention to what they are doing.  Am I the only one?

So for all you riders out there, please treat your boater's boat with the respect she deserves.  They pay a lot of money they often can't afford to have a nice boat and it costs a lot of money to maintain.  Here are some helpful ideas:

Use Lure wraps so you don't hook their leather seats.  Cast overhead instead of over the motor if you can't keep from hitting it.  When you cast, don't leave 2 feet of line out, reel it all the way up, then cast.  I actually had a guy hit my hat with his lure twice in the same day while casting because he had so much line hanging off when he casted.  Glad it wasn't my face, I'm ugly enough already.   And when you're pitching, try not to bang your jig off the gelcoat.  When you use scent, do it over the side of the boat, cleaning a boat ain't free either.  And if there's a step, use it rather than climbing all over the seats with your boots and ripping the leather or stitching. 

It seems like common sense stuff to me, but...  you know the rest.  I guess all I'm saying is treat her with respect. 

[1javelin]

I'll amen to that.  My buddy does a pretty good job, every now and then there may be a mess from ashes or seaweed, but when in a tx, I don't expect him to take time to tidy up.  I expect him to catch fish!! 

[Cy]

Jav,

I think you are being nice, or Tim would kick your butt! 

[joshimoto son]

I wonder what would happen if that was Sensi Steve in the back of the boat? 

"Hey I'll kick your...."

Steve's reply, ".... No you won't"

Well fella's if that doesn't work, I've got a spare couling for a 225 Opti-Max for sale.
I know wrong thread...

It's got a 1" inch hole in the top of it from a "long story" and a couple of the war wounds that Rev had mentioned.

I always tell guys after the first time, that the next time we will go in for the rest of the day.

I think it was $850 to replace mine.

joshimoto son

[motocross269]

Revtro, brings up a good point about stepping from the back of the boat on the seats.  I have been putting my life vest there to step on when there isn't a step, well now I have switched to an inflatable.  Any suggestions??  It is a long step with short legs...I guess I could use my rain jacket

[Langer]

  Any suggestions??  It is a long step with short legs...

Just use your 7' flippin stick as a pole vault!

[Slipkey]

I find most co-anglers feel pretty awful after the first time they bounce a spinnerbait off the cowling - more than what I could make them feel by calling them out on it. I've usually found a simple "Ooh, that'll leave a mark..." comment usually prevents it from happening again.

Since, with my boat, the cowling sits about waist-high for someone fishing off the back deck (shoulder-high when I don't have the deck extension in), it's a popular target.

My dad, out of love and old habits dying hard, gets a bye on my boat angst, though.  If I could just get him to stop eating those 100 Grand candybars....

motocross, a large fishing towel is pretty good for laying across the seat if there's no step.

[Revtro]

I use a large beach towel and that works pretty well. 

By the way, I'm getting PM's from all my friends thinking they are the offenders.  I didn't start this post because anyone in particular.  I just noticed that commonly people don't think about this stuff and am hoping that a little awareness will help.

So to all my friends, this isn't about any of you.    I'd have said something to you directly if it was, not post it publicly. So chill.

Also accidents happen and boaters do need to be graceful about it.  For instance I have expereinced a few little damages here and there, but in the end I have to realize accidents happen and I usually don't let it get me mad.  Lord knows I've made a mistake or two on other people's boats.  It's hard to blame someone for an accident.  But a little prevention wil go a long way...that's all I'm trying to say.

[stackenem]

During the DK open on Clair I hit Maize and Blues cowling once and he was gracious enough to forgive me. Thanks for the idea about the towel on the seat I have been trying to figure out something that won't fly away tho when I am running down the lake. I have a rookie fishing with me in our club this year and so far he has been pretty good about the ( boat rules ) that I gave him before the first time out.

[Bender]

Bill, I just took my center seat out, there is usually only one or two people in the boat anyway. There were 7 screws for the seat back and just one knob for the bottom on the 285XL. Now it is much easier to walk through and no worries about the seats being damaged.

[stackenem]

Thanks Chris, Why I didn't think of that I don't know.

[motocross269]

I am surprised that someone hasn't came up with a slip on cover or something to put over the cowling.  Something that would still look good and allow air flow. 

[OUTLAW]

You guy's are making me feel bad, I just treat the boat like a tool not my wife. I try to keep it looking good but stuff happens, I am out to have fun and win some money not woory about the guy in the back of the boat. If he hits it he did not mean to do it, I know I have done the same thing more than once. They can all be fixed I guess that is the price you have to pay to be a boater.

[Revtro]

I used to feel that way about my old boat, but now that I owe about a zillion dollars and will be paying on it for the rest of my natural life, I want to maintain it and keep its resale value up.

[motocross269]

I will be right there with you Revtro when I sign my life away on a new boat.

[Dan]

I hear ya on the resale, but I have hit my own motor cowl and I've stepped on my seats so, when I have someone in the back seat I may cringe, but have to agree with Outlaw on this one. I have fished with friends who don't want you to walk on the front deck when they have rods laying there. Makes me just want to sit and eat sandwiches, which I've done. I have never had anyone who has been malicious, but I don't fish a lot of draw tournaments.

[1javelin]

I hit my boat and trollig motor more than anyone beats stuff up, and my hooksets on empty air end up either whacking the boat or being ducked, so complaints are few and far between.  Sorry TCook for putting you out there.  Not meant that way.

[Revtro]

I hear ya on the resale, but I have hit my own motor cowl and I've stepped on my seats so...

Makes sense.  Accidents are one thing... carelessness due to ignorance is another though.  My only thought was perhaps a little education about non-boater etiquite might save us a few dents, scratches and tears.  It's not like guys mean to break your stuff, most of the time they just aren't paying attention. 

[fish hound]

Don't abuse it, just use it.  If you're spending too much time worrying about the little dings and such, you're not concentrating enough on catching the five fish it'll take to win.  I will never buy a brand new boat either, too many good deals out there from guys that bought a new one and hardly used it.  I've always wondered why more guys don't fish both from the front deck (where legal).  might help keep all the tungsten bullet holes out of the motor cowling.  I worry more about the people tailgating me on the road, have known too many people that got rear ended.  I don't like the thought of my 25 trophy as a hood ornament.
Just my $.02.

[Revtro]

I'm sorry I even brought it up.  Fish hound said it well, which was all I was trying to say.. "Don't abuse it, just use it."  You guys are making me out to be way more anal about this than I really am.  I would just like to see a little more care on the side of the non-boater.  Common courtesy type stuff.  But I never thought in a million years I'd ever hear people arguing for treating your boat like crap.  Just plain funny.  I guess some folks just like to argue.  LOL.  On to more serious matters...