Wow, that is a hell of a boat to buy in your early 20's! Good for him. Also takes balls to do the FPC run with little or no experience on a new boat.

B.S., I'm in my 60's , drawing social security and have had similar incidents.
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I had the ignition cut out micro switch go out on my old Carrera with an Alpha and found out while pulling up to the gas dock in the wind so I came in a bit agressive and the motor quit when I went for reverse and about put it up on the dock,lucky the dock hand realised what happened and grabbed the bow and slowed me,worst part is I now had to sit at the dock while fueling so everbody could come over and see who rocked the whole dock.
If you have never made a mistake then you have never challenged yourself.I am sure he will remember that one and not have it happen again.Any of us that have done this long enugh have had the panic moment when you look at the dash and it looks like the dash of a 747 with just too many buttons and dials.Nice first boat kid(I'm old too)put in the memory and put some hours on it.

During heavy winds on the Colorado River, I watched John Tomlinson try to get a 40-foot cat on a trailer four times before we had to basically walk it in. I've seen the same sort of thing happen to Bob Teague. It's not a stretch to say that both of these guys have a lot of experience, and yet conditions forced them to enlist help. Point being: Stuff happens to everyone.

One thing is sure: Your most embarrassing moments on the water will happen: A) Docking. B) In front of a large group of people.

"To err is human, to forgive divine ..."

You're absolutely correct, my apologies. Guess I just made an assumption, and you know what they say about those....

Not many guys in their early twenties have that kind of cash, especially disposable cash to spend on a toy without some or all help from "daddy". Trust me I know quite a few of them who have everything under the sun and haven't worked a day in their life.

Anyways, once again, my apologies to the owner and congrats on an AMAZING first boat.
Maybe he should still take a Tres Martin school.... hell I would if I had that as a first boat and was doing big Poker Runs.

I smacked a parked boat's anchor with my bow at the Jammin on The James run a few years go. Trying to spin a 28(30 w/platform) single in its own place is tough! Had a good audience for that one!

Had my most embarrassing moment leaving the docks at Franky and Louie's at LOTO several years ago. Actually, I was more terrified than embarrassed as I easily could have seriously injured my son and a good friend that were tending the dock lines as we were leaving. Both were on the sunpad. Slipped inside the cockpit while standing off to the side of the bolster and crammed the boat into reverse at full throttle just as I cleared the slip. Instinct took over and crammed it back into forward to prevent hitting the boat in the slip next to the one I had just left. Amazingly did not hit anything. Thankfully did not throw my son or friend off the boat in between the boat and the dock. Made a huge comotion of noise (open exhaust) and waves (neighboring boats rocking in their slips). Boat owners come sprinting down to the dock yelling at me that I just hit their boats. I, as calmly as I could at that point, told them what had happened and sat and waited for them to check out their rides before I left. Most thanked me as it is very common at LOTO to get hit and people take off. And for those wondering, I was stone sober. Not a drop to drink. I was so upset with what could have happened (to people, not property) that I considered selling out. I was physically shaking for a couple hours after it happened.

Tight quarters, between a finger and a piling, about a 15 mph wind.
I look real cool, backing my little 22 into the space (only way to get off the boat)

Guess what happens with an Alpha with 3 blade in the wind, light boat?

Looked like an absolute idiot, turned hard port, boat went diagonally. Starboard stern just ket aiming for the finger. If I gave it more gas, I would just have hit it harder.

Nowadays, whenever people ask me why I don't want to back in, I just say I Don't Want To Discuss it Now

Did an oops moment on memorial day. Preloaded everything into boat at the house and only needed to put in plug and unstrap boat. I try to be out of the ramp within 1 minute from the time I touch the water.... Well I got all the straps off but somehow forgot the winch strap. It was loosened but never unhooked! Well backing up and jerking the brakes to let it slide off ended in an abrupt stop as the winch spun the handle at 300 mph into the boats beak. Minor audience but still sucked. 3/4" chunk now mia.

I must say that Im am just as impressed by all of your understanding and positive comments. I am on several other boating forums and every thread similar to this would have full of post after post about how the guys an idiot and shouldnt be allowed to live, let alone own a boat. I am always amazed at these comments and think, did these guys come out of the womb perfect experienced boaters???

I had a oops moment an Desert Storm couple years back watching the shoot out. The sheriff was doing crowd control and starting making literally hundreds of spectator boats move back away from the course in very high winds...no major damage (other than my pride) just a bent swin step that I paid to repair/replace. I had a boat full of young ladies and was so embarrassed I beached the boat for the remainder of the day.