Thanks you for your commits. My wife and I started a web site http://adventureinboating.com/ to promote safe boating and sharing places on the water for the family to go and have fun.

After a 80 foot oak tree took out our 1994 202se Regal we look around and found our Wellcraft 192 classic at a plant nursery for $500.00 I liked how it look and took it home. With 2 years of work and some horse trading for work being done on the boat floor, strings, transom, cabin, and the running gear from the Regal we were back on the water. The boat runs mid 60's with the set up. I did raise the motor and drive 2" higher than was original on the boat .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TpSAtqZbLE

When we go out for the fireworks, I stay put for at least an hour to let the crowds die down. Let all the idiots go and get out of your way and lessen the chance of them bouncing off your boat.

Yep. Better to hang out awhile and enjoy the evening and down a couple more beers (;)) than to try to "beat the crowd". I think the more white lights on the boat the better. Just need the green and red one on the bow. We used to take an extra white battery camping lantern at night to be more visible.

I will move to get closer to shore line to make sure I am out the way of the mad dash to the boat ramp and like you said wait it out for an hour .That is a great idea better to be safe.

I avoid being out on the water at night at all costs. Aside from the other boats I have gone by debris in the water that was completly unseen untill on top of it at night. That is what worries me the most. Thursday night after one of our big fireworks display we had a boat crush a channel marker at the mouth of the river. Not sure how this guy didn't see it since they are closely spaced heading towards the no wake zone and the mouth is clearly marked by a major highway bridge. I guess the guy was able to beach the thing before it sank and then came in to the marina a few days later on airbags and bilge pumps missing most of the bow.

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Wow I guess that boater was moving pretty good to do that much damage. Your are right thing can be floating in the water you won't see. I'm not really a night boater my self. Just couples time a year I do that. The boat Christmas parade and July 4. I try to stay close to the ramp. This year was couple miles from the ramp and was little nervous till back on trailer heading home. As far speed we were just above idle. So slower you are less chance of doing major damage if hit something in the water.

How people hit channel markers is beyond me. In our river they are not lit but they also do not move, if you do your homework and become mildly proficient at navigating (and boat sober) you should not have a problem staying in a channel without them. I had one customer hit the same marker twice, i had both tracks stored on his gps right into the buoy and you could see where he circled around after the collision. Fifty thousand plus between both hits (better yet maybe its ok if their not that great at navigation :D)


I enjoy the heck out of night time boating

Aww crap. I tried to post a pic of the jacked up channel marker but I guess you can't link to this site with pics?

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Sometimes you can, can you right click the pic and select "copy image URL" ?

If so, click that, and then in the reply car click the picture icon and paste it in there.

Some places let you link to the pics, some dont.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2diniip.jpg

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