To think it can't be that hard to drive a boat?

[CatThiefKeith]

I've never really driven a boat, but I was a sea cadet, and I've done a bit of canoeing.

And today I bought a boat. A little (ish) cabin cruiser. With money my parents have given me, on the condition I take them out in it occasionally. (It was pretty cheap in boat terms)

Dh thinks I've finally lost the plot, and that I will inevitably sink it on my first outing.

Aibu to think it can't be THAT bloody difficult, given that hundreds of thousands of people manage it perfectly well?

Trim tab all sorted, sea trial tomorrow!Wish me luck me hearties!

Sea trial? Wasn't going to be river?

Make sure you update regularly or people will be immeasurably worried.

It is a river. It's just called a sea trial. I'm in the tidal bit of the river tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be fine. I have the current owner, the salesman, my dad, and the surveyor/instructor coming. My only concern is that there will be too much weight on the back of the boat.

If you add up all the weight of the MN concern you may sink...

Lweji after the way my threads have gone lately I think plenty of people would love me to sink.

They'll be unlucky though, because I've bought a brand new life jacket for the occasion.

Just don't meander too far down the Medway Cat. You don't want to end up messing with the Robert E Lee do you.
If I stand on the A20 bridge at Maidstone tomorrow wearing a cat shaped hat will you wave at me?

I want a boat.

That's a freaky autocorrect. I meant the SS Richard Montgomery. Ooh it did it again when I typed SS.

Ahhhhhhhhh (it turns out I haven't been MNetting enough)
Just don't take any siblings or pets on the boat?

Also, if you head South and then turn right and follow the coast, I'd arrange shelter for you on my small town by the river.

Anyway as part of your job don't you have to move the boats around from mooring to mooring?
Surely that's the best part of working in the marina, the chance to play Toot-Toot with all the boats.

There is an old custom in motor cruiser lore that when one first alights upon a boat, they should kneel and kiss the deck three times then pat themselves on the bum. I think were you to do that tomorrow when you get in the boat, that would do a lot for your credibility as skipper.

Confucius sadly I work in the office. Not much toot tooting for me.

I'm not going as far as Maidstone tomorrow, but when I do I shall be sure to let you know and wave!

Is that true about the bum patting or are you trying to make me look daft?

Good luck Cat (are you baking a cake to celebrate )

It didn't sink and I haven't crashed. Now the proud owner of my own boat. Pass the rum! (And cake!)

Well done & congrats

Congratulations.

Boats are not that easy to sink though. You should give it a proper try one of those days when the wind is blowing, or invite all your ILs.

It was quite blowy out there today tbh. Bracing even. Lovely though.

Looks good.
Will we have Kentish MNer lunches on board where we knock back Prosecco and lounge in bikinis, whilst practicing our knots.
I can do that.
I went over that bridge a number of times today, I probably saw you.

i can manage to get from Sussex to Kent for Prosecco lunches - anytime! And I have an RYA stage 1 cert (somewhere, from many years ago..........)

Prosecco lunches sound great. I have a big oven, I could probably rustle up pizza toasted pitta and olives as well.

Lovely pictures cattheifkeith congrats! I'm yearning for coast now. Why did I end up in the Midlands?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9554957/Im-a-pirate-shouted-drunken-woman-before-hijacking-passenger-ferry.html

Hey, if she can do it...

Slightly concerned that the floating debris that I said looked like a dead seal and the Surveyor insisted was a bunch of weeds floating about was in fact the dead body that the police are fishing out of the river this morning.

link here