Our first anchor experience on the boat - FIREby40

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In this episode of Boating Newbies, we finally get to spend a few hours enjoying the boat out on the lake and we successfully complete our first anchor! We also mess up our swim-ladder - UGH 😑 - you'll see.
Boating Newbies - Season 1 Episode 3 - This series is all about us becoming brand new boat owners and everything that comes along with that from how to use the boat, care for the boat, and any and all challenges that come along with operating and enjoying it.
Backstory: I’ve always been fascinated by boats and boating. In my childhood, I had the chance to go fishing a few times, but that wasn’t very much inspiration to be infatuated. What really got me into wanting to get into boating was the freedom that came with it. One day during a dark period of time, I knew I had to cheer up my now wife but at the time fiancee. She was going through something rough. So I booked us a trip to Miami at a resort to relax and getaway. While we were there I felt like I had not lifted her mood enough - so I looked into hiring a charter for a day to see if that would make her happy. Turns out - that trip out on that boat that day turned into a lot of things: a life-long friendship with the captain, our love for travel being more solidified, our love for boating and being out on the water, and a celebration of our success as a couple. Years later, this developed into a love for boating in general which distilled in me a fire to buy a boat for myself and learn how to be a captain. So with the “Boating Newbies” episodes - you’re getting a first hand look into what it’s like to buy, own, and operate a boat for the first time. We’re real, we’re raw, we’re candid. You might have opinions, suggestions, even critiques - and that’s ok. But just know, our real intention is to share the journey with you and to enhance our own memories of what we’ve been through. We’re here to entertain - we know we’re not the experts here and that’s part of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. Keep cruisin’ - Joey and Kristen.
Our Boat: 2003 Sea Ray Sundancer 280
Our Location: Gibraltar, Michigan
Year Purchased: 2019
Total Length: 31’
Beam: 10'
What is FIREby40?
FIREby40 stands for "Financially Independent, Retire Early by 40" - and that's our goal. We were born in 1985 and we plan to retire at the age of 40 years old.
Isn't a boat a liability and not an asset?
Yes. That doesn't mean you can't buy one ;).
How did you find the boat?
Facebook marketplace - I wanted to buy a boat and didn’t really know how. So I went on Facebook Marketplace and saw some boats for sale. I entered in some desirable criteria for what I was trying to find and weeks later, Facebook pinged me with a notification that it had found a vessel matching my specifications. Turns out the owner was only an hour away, so I called and got a viewing setup. That turned into a sea trial which turned into a marine survey which turned into me purchasing the boat. It all happened so fast, and I was thrilled.
How did you buy this boat?
I created a social media management company that earned enough money over 3 years of time to purchase this boat in cash. The profit I earn from this company continues to fund the boat’s repairs and operating costs over time. I learned how to operate a social media management company from Tai Lopez.
How much does the boat cost to operate?
This is a really hard number to determine - a boat comes with a lot of expenses. Gas, storage fees, winterization, repairs, supplies, gas, water, pump-out - there’s just a lot to unpack. Unfortunately, there’s really no easy way to give you a definitive answer. The reality of the matter is, you just pay whatever it costs because you love the boat. And that’s really the bottom line.
Filmed on an iPhone
Edited on iMovie
Tags: searay,sundancer,FIREby40,FIRE by 40,Financially Independent,Retire Early,Financially Independent Retire Early,Financially Free,boat,boating,travel,traveling,vlog,vlogging,yacht,yachting

[@stefanlogan1344]

Good stuff. We are boaters as well and we had to learn the small things about boating. But I’m 10 years in now with boating. You will learn along the way. We have the same boat. Keep at it.

[@buddybewick6022]

Found this old video and its probably too late, but those bulbs and receptacles have a common issue. The center contact point in the receptacle wears down and wont make contact with the light bulb. This may be your case because you got 12v from the power source with your multi meter. A cheap fix is to put a tiny peice of metal in there to bridge the contact. Or you could solder a little bit on the bulb to make it longer and make contact with the receptacle.

[@scott2615]

With regards to the aft cabin leak, check the arch where it connects to the boat. It may be leaking there.

[@fireby4070]

Good call

[@jeffmcgregor7626]

Great videos of your experiences on your new boat. Beautiful boat. On my 340 the light in the “head’ has two “on’ positions, one in the middle and one all the way over to the side. Not sure which position turned the lights on with the cabin switch but at night when you go to bed you would turn the cabin switch off and if the light in head is in in the one position it would remain on, and can use it as a night light, however you don’t seem to have light in either position, bulbs are new so likely contacts in switch are corroded and need to be cleaned. I have a channel with some boating videos of us on Lake Ontario. Bay Dayz. Great job video editing also. I’m just learning to edit. Enjoy your season

[@fireby4070]

Thanks Jeff! I had not considered cleaning the contacts. Maybe I’ll try that next. I knew of the two positions and figured one would be always on and the other would be tied to another switch. Or that maybe one position was connected to a sensor. That was my guess at least. Thanks for the run down and watching. I’ll check out your channel too! Also, more boating videos on the way!

[@efthimios]

Awesome how you like the 280? How many hours when you bought! No bottoms paint looks like new

[@fireby4070]

Keep it on the lift and freshwater. Love it. It’s fast and it’s got what we need.

[@JaySelle]

Did you ever find resolve the aft cabin water issues?
Great videos. I have the same boat and currently on the same cleaning journey.

[@fireby4070]

It turns out that the previous owner had allowed a tank of gas to spill in there. That’s all it was!

[@fireby4070]

It turns out that the previous owner had allowed a tank of gas to spill in there. That’s all it was!