I am now a member of the Ranger family after signing papers on my new Reata 190 LS yesterday. I will be picking her up on Friday :)! Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Congratulations! ~c~
I noticed in a previous post you mentioned having been off the water for a while. I highly recommend a boater education coarse. Even though I was on the water before I could legally drive, I've taken several. US Coast Guard auxiliary does some great coarses, also https://www.boat-ed.com/. (https://www.boat-ed.com/)
Good for the whole family to take a safety coarse.
Other than that, take your time launching and loading. Think things out and have a mental checklist for things like remembering to trim up the motor before load up or launch and making sure the plug is in.
Make sure everyone is wearing there life jackets when your running and wear your kill switch lanyard.
Don't mean to sound like a mother hen.... -Jim
Just sit back and enjoy your new boat. Congratulations. Be sure to take your time and become familiar with everything and be safe out there. ;D
Congratulations!
Yep biggest thing is to get very comfortable with the controls, maneuvering, and everyone wears life jackets. Stay away from crowds at first to prevent trouble. Seems crowded area promote rushing and if your not comfortable yet then mistakes happen. Spend time in the boat off the water as well, this helps you subconscious memorize where everything is at like fire extinguishers and paddle for straightening up the kids when they get out of line ~shade
Relax and enjoy!
Boater safety courses are always a great idea and can be taken online at your leisure.
Thanks for all the advice! Definitely some great things to keep in mind. I have been studying up on the rules of the river via an online boaters safety class. Lots of great information that I had not thought of in several years.
Be sure to post and let us know how the maiden voyage went.
Wow! Today's the day! v~
I picked the boat up on Friday afternoon & managed to get the break-in done before dark. We spent Saturday on KY Lake fighting the wind & waves, but didn't do any serious fishing. Sunday, went back out on the river to cruise around & enjoy the weather. I'll have to say that I am pleased with the boat's handling & the way it's setup. Since, I am still waiting on my trolling motor to get installed we didn't attempt to get in anything too shallow. Hopefully, I'll pick it up tomorrow from the dealer & I can do some fishing when the weather decides to cooperate!