New across the board... Need some reassurance.

[PKKup]

This is my first post as I am new to the forum. So ,be gentle... I traded in my crownline cuddy last week for a leftover 2012 sport 200 team. It was a very impulse decision. Usually I torture myself about a purchase like this before I pull the trigger, not after. We have a house on a pretty good size lake and the CL just wasn't giving us the fun were looking for. Wakeboarding and tubing being the main attraction. The wake surfing is high on the list to do this year. The 200 seems like the perfect entry boat. As I am picking up the boat tmrw, tell me I made a good choice. Thanks in advance!

[NCH2oSki]

You made a great choice! You'll really enjoy the sport 200, I'm envious!

[nyryan2001]

PK-

You are going to LOVE it. Just take it easy around the docks your first 10-15 outings so you don't damage it. Inboards handle very different than your CL. Nothing will make you sicker than newbie type damage that could have been avoided. GO SLOW.

Can he add NSS to that model???

[Pjoachim]

I just got a new 2013 200v this year and the family and friends love it. You won't regret the boat.

[PKKup]

Thank you! Just what I needed to hear. How bad is the pounding I'm going to take on a busy Saturday?

[nyryan2001]

?? are you talking about crossing other boat wakes? Or you falling from wakeboarding?

[s_kelley2000]

Thank you! Just what I needed to hear. How bad is the pounding I'm going to take on a busy Saturday?

Are you on Candlewood by chance? Your new boat will probably feel a little harsh if the lake is really rough but if you hit the rollers perpendicular it will sort of slice through them. Unless you want to soak everybody in the bow make sure you never go over big rollers at idle speeds. If you give it just enough gas to raise the bow then you will avoid submarining. There was good advice above about docking. You can not stear an inboard when it is in neutral. When in reverse you can stear a little bit but for the most part your boat is going to pull toward the driver side due to prop rotation. Congrats and enjoy the new boat.

[Zach@n3]

Driving an inboard or V drive is an art. You will feel very good about yourself once you get it down and can maneuver it better than anyone else on the lake in IO's and such. It mostly takes seat time to get down what you want to do. If you want to practice the docking thing before you get close to something that can damage it you should try nosing it up slowly to a swim or idle buoy. That will help teach you how the boat is effected by throttle input and speed of approach. That boat is going to back up to the right being a V drive. Ski 200 still backs up to the left.

As Shawn mentioned, Taking waves will be something you learn over time. You will need to adjust speed for waves too. Most IO guys just go balls to the wall in rough water. These boats take some finesse. A buddy of mine bought a Malibu Response last season and had never really driven an inboard. His boating skills have improved 10 fold over the last year as well as his water sports skills. You'll wonder why you didn't step into the world of inboards and V drives much earlier.



Congrats!!

[AirTool]

PK - I've been around boating for 44 years of my 45. I can guarantee you that boats are similar to women....not one of them is perfect.

But I will say yours is pretty close. (boat that is)

you should try nosing it up slowly to a swim or idle buoy.

Since you've owned a boat before, perhaps you're not a ding dong and have basic skills mastered. If so, it won't take long to figure out the difference with the single engine inboard. I'd piloted I/O's and outboards since I was sitting in my daddy's lap and by the the time I was in my teens, I could get in and out of anywhere in a boat no matter the wind, other ding dongs, crappy docks or whatever.

But when I got my 206, it was different. The first outing I was on a popular Texas lake trying to dock at a marina for supplies. Conditions were perfect. Except as I was about to pull out, a lady in another boat did something stupid and got me in a bind. At the time, I decided it was better to hit the dock than to hit the other boat. I couldn't control in reverse and backing up was making it worse so I powered the back end around easy but thought for sure I was going to catch the platform on a timber pile and or the fascia of the dock. I knew it was there but has lost sight/distance of it when the lady surprised me. I held my breath and amazingly the platform swung right between two piles and the fascia only went down to about 5 inches above the water and I cleared it without a scratch. It all happened in less time than it took me to write this paragraph.

Like mentioned above....it would be hard to forget stupid mistakes on the first outing.

My next trip was in my private lake so I took a bleach jug and filled it half or so with water so it had some stability. Then tossed it in the lake and practiced coming up on it. (you can add adventure by putting it out empty but don't let the wind blow it to shore)

Port side
starboard side
bow up to it then back into a 2 or 3 point 180 and back up to it and bump it with the platform
Then quickly another 180 and back with the bow.
Any more tricks you can think of that match your situations

If you have kids on board - you can practice retrieving the jug for the days you need to retrieve your favorite ball cap or some other cargo or trash. For newbies, safely retrieving something from the water might not be all that easy and you never know you might need to retrieve a person in a situation you don't want anybody else getting in the water.

I my be exaggerating...but I'm thinking there were days my dad whipped the boat around for a guest's fishing hat and passed the boat alongside the hat at 15+ mph as I snatched it out of the water LOL. He'd pass it with the hat on starboard so he could see it also. He'd throttle back up as he passed the at convinced I'd get it. Most of the times I did but sometimes we'd have to make two passes LOL. Some hats sink just below the surface and are hard to see or grab.

It didn't take me long to master my inboard but there are still some inherent limitations. The best thing is to know what your boat is going to do and set yourself up for what works best and always use the wind to your advantage...which might be to blow you out if you get in trouble.

Anyway. Welcome to the club.

[Zach@n3]

With a inboard you need to think and prepare what you want the boat to do before you put it into gear. Remember forwards is much more your friend than reverse. Speed is also your enemy in tight situations. Bumping the boat into and out of gear is 10000000 times easier with this style controls than the crap they put on IO's. Did the marina offer to give you a on water demo at point of purchase? If they didn't ask for that if you have an experienced inboard guy it could be very helpful to you. We do that with every boat purchase because there is nothing worse than seeing a guy that was pumped up about the new boat a week ago dragging it back in with damage and not so excited anymore.

[slob02]

Agree with Zach..............Practice the backing and driving before you get the whole family and friends out on the boat. Great decision!!

[jsta281]

Your going to love your boat, I think it is truely the first crossover that can do it all quite well. I also echo all the driving advice, I would emphasize going slow and just avoiding the idiots until you are comfortable. I have yet to find a good reason to hurry around the marina. As Zach mentioned, bumping in and out of gear to keep forward momentum, drifting most of the way, is the only way to go "slow enough" in most situations.


The closest "Oh #$%&" moment thus far in our 206 came with my wife driving (she had to learn some time and she actually is quite good at it now) but she nosed me into the dock fine I stepped off and she backed out fine, but did not back out far enough and put it back in forward drive and cranked the wheel like you do in a car, the problem is the back "Swings" around it does not follow the front of the boat (if that makes any sense) and so the rear of the boat was going to clip the swim deck on the dock. Halfway in the turn she realized it and not knowing what to do kinda froze (see previous recommdations for practice) I saw it and was able to reach out and push her off the dock so no harm no foul but it could have sucked.

It will be no problem at all once you have a bit of practice.

[AirTool]

she realized it and not knowing what to do kinda froze

probably the best thing in this case...and you helped her out. Better than doing the wrong thing in this case.

you're comment about the back not following the front reminds me PKKup needs to know you can't steer these boats at slow speed without thrust. That's partly why zach suggested the in/out of throttle. Often you can coast in somewhere or hold a position but you can't steer the boat without thrust over the rudder. (Kinda like a PWC but I dare mention those on this site LOL.) I

[PKKup]

All I can say is, thank you!! You guys are great! I'm on some other forums, golf, cars and the members r brutal to the newbies. Yes, I'm on candlewood. I picked up the boat today and I love it!! It is a totally different ball game. The bow feels like I'm looking over a cliff compared to the CL. I swapped my slip, so I can back it in and tie off starboard. Look at me with the lingo! Only issue seems like sub woofer is blown. So, any suggestions for me on any level please feel free. Thanks again! Paul

[AirTool]

All I can say is, thank you!! You guys are great! I'm on some other forums, golf, cars and the members r brutal to the newbies.

On PN, we are kind to newbies.....but BRUTAL on vets. It can be a tough crowd here but lots of camaraderie otherwise.

Also on PN, if you don't post pics or video....it didn't happen. So this 200v you speak of is still a figment of our imagination.

You can post adoption pics of your new baby in this forum: http://www.planetnautique.com/vb3/fo...-Your-Nautique