Before you kick me out...

[Ken C]

I ought to introduce myself. I've been a TF reader for several years (lurker sounds too sinister!) with nothing but respect for the wealth of knowledge and the conduct of the participants. I've been a lifelong trailer boater but have recently upgraded to something too large to put back in the garage every night. While making this move I have mostly ignored a great deal of TF wisdom. Specifically, it's a mass-produced, inland waters, express cruiser with two gassers crammed in the ER and located on a land locked lake. This is the point where you can dismiss me as having neither a boat nor a cruising lifestyle that remotely resembles the typical TF poster.

But wait! I followed some good advice as well: Get the boat you can enjoy right now. It's a 2006 Sea Ray 320 DA on Lake Cumberland, close to home, surveyed well, and we went for cruise immediately upon title in hand. I still have dreams about cruising the world or at least the great loop, but it seems much better to have cruising dreams while enjoying my first big boat (big for me) instead of waiting for 'some day'. Most importantly, my wife likes it

There are several systems I have no personal experience with: V drives, heads, generators, dock etiquette, etc, so I hope you'll let me stay and continue to learn

I know it's routine to ask for pictures - but honestly, it's a 17 year old Sea Ray. Not sure pictures add much to the conversation, so I'll end with a pic of my daughter and I exploring the helm.

 

[cafesport]

Hey they all have the same view, just enjoy it.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new boat.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Cheer up.

 

[twistedtree]

Out and enjoying your boat. That's what's most important.

 

[Don L]

Hey I own a sailboat and haven't been kicked out.

Maybe a low standards problem here.

 

[kthoennes]

Great! Now start shopping for a bigger one! Ha!

Seriously though, we went from a 19-footer, to a 32 footer, to a 37/40' loa in about five years. And we started the boat progression just before we adopted two boys, so now we're four, not just two. But our current boat is plenty for now - although that doesn't mean I don't browse bigger ones just for kicks. Just like the others have said, the important thing is that you get out there. I always say, the most fun I ever had on the water was sailing my 14' open-cockpit, wooden Blue Jay sailboat on Long Island Sound, feet in the hiking straps, leaning out over the side and trying to just bury the rail in the water without flipping it over.

 

[Delta Riverat]

A boat on a lake is better than no boat on the sea!

 

[Bob328]

Enjoy!

They say time spent on the water is not subtracted from your life! Enjoy every day and learn with your new boat! Best of luck.

 

[fgarriso]

Welcome Aboard !

 

[Max1]

Any day spent on the water is a good day! Welcome to the site

 

[BruceK]

Welcome Aboard. "Glasgow and Lake Cumberland" had me checking country. You`ll fit right in, commonsense and humor is good.Pics right way up in a first post too!

 

[warfdog]

I’m thinking . Yeah . You belong. Enjoy and welcome aboard [emoji3] This is me - about every day…

 

[Iggy]

Welcome aboard!

I had a 30 footer just like yours. But I wanted more and sold it.

For now just enjoy your new boat and learn all you can.

 

[PM]

There is a perfect boat for every boater, most just have not found theirs yet.

pete

 

[Bacchus]

Ken
Welcome aboard officially.
Don't beat yourself up and no apologies necessary.
IMO....
It's not about the BOAT (someone will always have a bigger / better one)
It IS more about the BOATING. Just get out and use whatever you have at the time and enjoy time on the water. Hold onto the dreams for the future but don't obsess over them.
We started with a 24ft sport cruiser to "test the waters". We traveled enough with it (actually crossed borders) to learn We liked to cruise but that boat wouldn't work longer term. We cruised with it but was always looking for the right fit... which we found and really enjoyed the cruising.
We are on #3 now and have the perfect fit for us and our style of cruising.

Enjoy the present and use it as a platform to learn. Let the future guide where to next

 

[kthoennes]

...It's not about the BOAT (someone will always have a bigger / better one)...

That's what I always tell my boys. Someone will always have a bigger, nicer, more expensive (house, boat, car), and others will have far less. Have to make choices and tradeoffs in life. It's funny, I've watched the boys talk about the boat to their friends, including inviting them down for weekends. Overnight. But where do you sleep? On the boat. What, like camping? Not exactly, the boat has bedrooms...

 

[backinblue]

Seeing as you look fairly young yet have managed to buy a 2006 Sea Ray 320, I'd say you have nothing to apologize for and are probabaly ahead of where many of us were at that age. This is a great sourrce of knowledge for all things boating, not just trawlers. In fact, the majority of members here probably don't own a trawler in the true definition. Welcome. Feel free to ask anything, this is a very helpful group.

 

[Dougcole]

Hey I own a sailboat and haven't been kicked out.

Maybe a low standards problem here.

I would not want to be a member of any club that would have me.

 

[SteveK]

Well I guess he got kicked out, too bad.

 

[Ken C]

I'm still very much here - just don't get back to TF often. Too busy with new to me boat punchlist. I hope I didn't give the wrong impression, we love our new boat. I was just observing that we may not fit in as well as some. I shouldn't have worried - not fitting in is clearly an aspiration for the vast majority of TF posters!

First observation: I handle the boat like an old salt, right up until the wind reaches say..2 knots. Yes indeed, much to learn I have.

 

[johnma]

We had a 32' Bayliner Avanti express cruiser for a lot of years and constantly thought about Trawlers as the years went on. For the last few years we had her we started running at 7-9 kts all the time even when bad weather was coming just to see if we liked it. Turns out the trip was always as good as the destination. Cruising was much less stressful as there was always time to react. we then bought our 8 kt 390 Mainship and never looked back.

 

[ronobrien]

Hey I own a sailboat and haven't been kicked out.

Maybe a low standards problem here.

I have been a life long sailor and just bought my first power vessel. (GB36) so you are either in good company or bad depending on how you are looking at it. All kidding aside I think my years blue water sailing makes me a better boater and aware of some things that a more coastal cruiser may not be. The reverse could be true also. PS If they throw you out I'll quit in protest LOL.

 

[Shrew]

I grew up with my parents owning several express cruisers. Our first boat was a 28 ft express cruiser and we ran that for almost 10 years.