Peter White is the founder of Seafever International and the author of 'Powerboating' the official guide to the National Powerboat Scheme. Peter has worked with both experienced and novice powerboaters for many years. In this article Peter gives some pointers to those starting out in the often confusing world of boating.

I have spent a number of years working at various Boat Shows and the different types of people looking for boats never ceases to amaze me. One thing for certain is that their type of boating can never be identified by their dress code. There were many at this year’s Boat Shows who had no idea what they were looking for in the way of a boat other than a wish to be on the water. In fact, that is a very good reason to go boating. If you are one of these people looking at boating for the first time, I hope the next few paragraphs will be of interest to you.

If you have had no previous experience of boating, a Boat Show, similar to the Southampton or London Boat Show, is ‘mind boggling’. There is so much to look at, so many different types and at so many different prices, one must ask the question, "how or where on earth do I start?"

We refer to in the training scenario as ‘brain storming’.

It is simple really. If you cannot see the wood for the trees, remove the trees. Try and list in one column on a piece of paper the important things that you want from your boating experience. In another column list your dislikes and the downside of this activity, as you perceive it to be. Remember the pluses must outweigh the minuses. Do you want to potter up rivers, go fishing, travel across the channel, use boats abroad, skim fast across the water, or just lay back on the deck in sunshine drinking ‘Pain Killers’. (West Indies)

Most people are controlled by a budget. It is therefore important that you spend sufficient money in order to obtain the most suitable type of boat. How often have you heard, ‘you get what you pay for!’ so do be aware of the ‘so called’ good deal.

So let us now move away from the boat for a moment and look at you, the boater. Physically how large or small are you? There is very little point budgeting for a small sports boat if you weigh around 18 stone and are unable to fit behind the wheel of the boat. Large people need larger boats. A seriously heavy person sitting on one side, makes a small boat sink down on the side of the weight, and if it is a boat that is designed to go fast through the water then this situation could be dangerous.

Ask yourself further questions, such as:

1. Where are you going to do your boating?
1. How far will you have to travel to be able to put a boat in the water or to use a boat from a marina?
2. How often do you plan to go out?

A boat can be a very expensive item when it is only used 2 or 3 times a year especially when you still have to pay for mooring, insurance and launch and recovery.

Another important consideration: Where are you going to keep this boat? If its small and can be towed it will probably need to be garaged or kept in a locked compound. The best place to over-winter it is in a large warm shed. If you leave the boat outside your house under a damp tarpaulin do not be surprised if the boat will not function following a wet and miserable winter. After all, how do you think your car would fare if you left that parked on the side of the road or in a field for 6 months. Security can be a serious problem. If a loss occurs you must be able to prove that a forced entry was made and equipment stolen was forcibly removed.

One more to consider: Who is going to be your crew? If it is the family, are they all happy to go boating? Or are you very much on your own, i.e. it is something that you have wanted to do all your life. It is an important question because I always try to involve the whole family if possible. I have discovered over the years that most women do not enjoy being wet and cold and at the same time shouted at by their men folk. Inexperienced and ill-equipped boaters can cause serious domestic problems. Shouting and having a tantrum because you do not know what you are doing is probably not the fault of your wife or partner.

Finance: Owning a boat need not be expensive. There are some very good second hand boats on the market. Modern fabrication of boat building techniques leads to longevity of equipment. Boats kept in warm sheds are obviously going to better than a similar boat left out on moorings. It is therefore important that if you make a fairly heavy investment in your purchase of a boat, this investment needs to be looked after. Powerboating has been described as standing under a cold shower tearing up £20 notes and watching the bits and pieces go down the plug hole. (£50 notes for the bigger boats!) So let me cover a few of the options.

A new boat purchased at a Boat Show or from a recognised Dealer should be a reliable purchase. Do follow manufacturers recommendations and look after the boat and it should serve you for many many years. The second hand boat purchased from a boat auction could be a disaster. Many have not necessarily been well maintained. A few may have not been serviced. I know of cases where good engines have been taken off and old engines put back on. Repairs have been done so quickly and conveniently to make them look as good as new. Never ever purchase a boat without first taking it out on the water. It is so important to check the engine over, the gearbox, the controls and the electrical circuits. Find out how the boat moves across the water. I do not believe there is anything else more exhilarating than being behind the wheel of a ‘well-found’ boat happily dancing across the waves. There is also nothing so worrying as being broken down with waves slopping around you and every man, woman and child manning the pumps.

Take the plunge: So you still want to buy a boat. There are many people who come to me for training prior to purchasing a boat. This gives them a feel for the sport before committing themselves to writing out the cheque. It also gives them a good understanding of what to expect when out on the water, and how much all the other essentials will cost. I am often invited along to look at a second hand boat prior to purchase. Others may just contact me to discuss things on the ‘phone. A few will purchase the boat then ask for training immediately they take possession of it, whilst others will take the boat out on several occasions and may, having found themselves in difficulty, only then decide to do a course. It does make more sense to do the course first.

A training course with a recognised training school can literally save you a fortune. Just knowing where you are on the water can prevent you from grounding and with the cost of a replacement gear-box and propeller anywhere in the region of £1,500 - £2,000 a training course must be cost effective. Never ever believe the person who happily explains to you its like driving a car, just because it has a steering wheel and a gear shift, and its a ‘piece of cake’ you don’t need training. Just get in and go! Let us not fool ourselves - it is different. I can only liken it to driving a Dumper truck, where the Dumper truck steers with the rear wheels instead of the front wheels. The boat does likewise with the back end of the boat (stern) doing the steering, whilst the whole of the boat slides across the water as if it is on ice. The wind blows the boat around a little bit like ‘pooh sticks under pooh bridge’. When boating you are interacting between an ocean of air and an ocean of sea with each element doing their own thing. It is therefore important to understand the mechanics of moving a boat across the water, and combine this skill with the ability to understand wind and tide.

If you wish to have the best out of a superb sport seek advice from the professionals, assess fully your own personal requirements in conjunction with your financial abilities and then when you are satisfied that you have all the ‘fors and againsts’ listed and the 'fors' outnumber the 'againsts', just go out and do it, go boating.

Please join a very small percentage of the population and escape to the open sea. Join my world and look back into the sunset on an autumn evening and watch the sunlight flicker across the wave tops, a moving carpet of a million diamonds stretching their fingers of light out into eternity. See the yacht hanging limply in still air, her red sails in the mist intermittently blocking out the rays of the sun as she gently rocks backwards and forwards in the swell. Watch and listen to the birds settling down for the evening, looking to finding shelter from the expected cold night air.

Do you want any more reasons why we go boating? Stop, stare and drink in the beauty of the surrounding world we live in. There is no better place to do this than on the water. It matters not whether the world is viewed from a punt or from the bridge of a power cruiser - each have their own moments of magic.

If you would like to learn more about how to become a master of the elements please make contact with us and we will do our utmost to assist you to make your powerboating a very enjoyable experience.