GL: New Boat Owner - Registering in RI

[Dennis OConnor]

Being a kid who grew up on a dirt poor farm (we had literally nothing) I had a
privileged upbringing (sorta like being a Hilton or a Kennedy ) we did
everything ourselves as there was no money for hiring...  Not everyone can
grow up privileged like I did....  As a result of that highly privileged
upbringing I cannot count the number of times in my life I have had some
'expert' make a pronouncement on something, and just based on a little
experience and a lot of doing things, I knew he was blowing smoke, so I would
double my money (fold it over and put it back in my pocket)  say no thanks and
walk away...

My best recommendation for folks is to get a small, old, cheap, boat and use
it for a year or two as the learning laboratory... Get some maintenance books
and following them go through the boat... Find an engine mechanic that works
for a dealer to come to the boat on his own time and pay him to walk you
through an IRAN (inspect and repair as necessary)... For a few bucks and a
case of beer you will get ten thousand dollars worth of experience and
skills...  Make friends with, or beer bribe, some of the local radio hams to
go through the electrical and radio stuff...  Talk to other boat owners at the
marina... You will find at least a couple that have real expertise on fuel
tanks, and engine stringers, and those &^$*#@  heads, and on, and on...  For
the price of inviting these folks over for a barbecue and drinks a few times,
you will have your own stable of experts you can go to...

At the end of this you are likely to be one of the guys other people come to
for advice.. You will be able to maintain your own boats from then on...  And
you won't be handing thousand dollar bills to rip off artists... And when you
do need to hire something done you will have the experience and skills to know
when it is being done on time and in budget, or why not...

denny / k8do

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