New Cutwater Owner Advice for First Summer

[chickensofthesea]

First summer on the water in our new Cutwater 30 CB. I have a few questions but welcome any advice or suggestions. We are on the East coast. Will be mainly in the ocean or bay. Boat did not come with a dinghy. Should we get one right away and where is the best place to do so? It's a single engine diesel. Also wondering if the 2021 model can keep the fridges going on shore power or if we are just charging batteries. Lastly what would you suggest for things to watch for or maintain right out of the gate. Husband is handy but never had a boat this big before and never on salt water. We have a slip, so not a lot of pulling it in and out of the water. I appreciate any words of wisdom. It was a good chunk of change so we want to get the most out of it.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bumping post delayed in moderations queue.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

You'll find a lot of advice on these topics on this forum by searching for the specific items but it wont be condensed into a single post 🙂 - i've oftened wondered whether I should write a book for new ranger/tug owners.

dinghy need is more about expected use cases - how much anchoring vs marina visiting and whether you want the safetya dinghy provides should there be a emergency
lots of choices. biggest consideration is weight. I went with the takacat (search for posts) as its super light and a 2.5HP Suzuki as i just want to go to shore with a couple of people.
i love the flexbility of the dinghy, but didnt have one the first year and went marina to marina or just hung out on mooring balls.

on shore power and the house battery switch on, the fridges will work as intended. I leave mine on all summer.

on solar is a different story. solar can't keep up with the fridges indefinitely. the standard panel is 160w. the fridges each draw 2.5Ah so it depends on solar conditions but it doesnt take long before your batteries may be discharged too much if you dont charge with the engine or shore power or a bigger solar panel. I upgraded to a 340w panel.
the standard panel makes a few days on the hook possible but not indefinitely

for maintenance
keep an eye on all mechanical items and do the preventative maintenance. get familar with all the equipment so if something changes you will notice.
use everything regularly on the boat including things like the diesel heater. no use is worse than over use!
wash the boat down after use to get the salt off.
keep ahead of gelcoat maintenance by waxing and polishing before it oxidises.
make sure you get familar with the shore power and DC panel settings and ensure your batteries are charging at the dock should you leave the boat unattended for days and the house batteries on
also a good idea to close the raw water seacock any time you are away from the boat for a few days.

ultimately enjoy your new boat and times on the water!

 

[S. Todd]

To answer your simple question about the refrigerators: They are 12 volt appliances so the house battery switch must be in the on position. If you are hooked up to shore power and everything is working correctly, the batteries will be charging at the same time they are powering the refrigerators and you can run them that way all summer.

 

[knotflying]

Use your boat for a season and then decide what you want to add, change and etc. If you have a dog you need a dingy. If you have a friend that you cruise with that has one, you don't need a dingy. 😀 You can get by without a dingy on the east coast. However, that all depends on your anchoring style and where you are anchoring. We usually only stay one night when anchoring and move on so our dingy needs were/are minimal. It is usually more desired if you are staying a while anchored or on a mooring that you will want a dingy.