Not the maiden voyage I was hoping for

[PaulR]

Ok so I took the Frib 360 out on its first run at the weekend since getting the F rib from Paul. I launched at Bridlington using the tractor launch where the boat is stored. The launch went well but went downhill quickly after that. The sea was quite choppy and there was intermittent mist which got quite bad at times and I lost sight of the shore on a few occasions even though I was only 300 yards out. So my other issue was control of the boat, bear in mind I have only driven boats with steering consoles before. The problem was I was losing control of the throttle as I went over the chop which gave a fairly uncomfortable ride. As a left hander I was sat to the starboard and controlling the tiller with my left hand. The steering was ok but I found myself pulling on the throttle as I went up and down the waves so it ended up being quite a jerky maiden voyage. Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
Thanks

[Paul B]

It’s just practice you need, it takes a wee while to get used to the throttle using your left hand, also the f-ribs are a hard ride in the chop,

[Andy B]

Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
Thanks

Putting yourself under to much pressure.
It's a skill that will become second nature in time, there's no substitute for hours in the saddle.
Just don't try and run before you can walk.
I used to have real issues with the tiller, being a life long biker everything was backwards.
Throttle in the wrong hand and twisting it the wrong way

And trust me even when you think you've got it sussed there will still be occasions when you make a right c@ck up of it all

Just the other week in Scotland i grabbed the throttle with my right hand, put the engine in forward instead of reverse and tried to mount Steve's boat.

So don't beat yourself up about it, take your time and most of all enjoy the learning experience

[Cliff]

If it's the same as my Tohatsu 20 Paul, there is a friction knob near the throttle which gives more control by making the throttle a bit stiffer. I had the same problem last week, and tightening it up did the trick.

[PaulR]

Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
Thanks



Putting yourself under to much pressure.
It's a skill that will become second nature in time, there's no substitute for hours in the saddle.
Just don't try and run before you can walk.

You may have hit the nail on the head there Andy, perhaps I was expecting a bit too much in the rough sea and it being my first outing. I will try to be more patient.

If it's the same as my Tohatsu 20 Paul, there is a friction knob near the throttle which gives more control by making the throttle a bit stiffer. I had the same problem last week, and tightening it up did the trick.

I will try adjusting the tiller and throttle controls next time out thanks Cliff.

[Stray]

I'm a south paw, I sit on the seat on the starboard side and don't have a problem. In chop it's always a lumpy ride, as the others say it's just practice.

[Mitch]

As the guys have said it is a practise thing, I had problems with the throttle when I started & a year on occasionally still do, I sometimes have to concentrate on what I’m doing especially in a chop where you have to keep throttling up/down & watching the waves making adjustments all the time, just take your time & do what you feel right & safe with.

[PaulR]

So I took the F-Rib out for its second outing which was a much better experience than the first one due to the fine weather and calmer sea conditions, however I have decided to change to a boat with a steering console. I have put the F-Rib up for sale in the for sale section of the forum.