First Day of Boat Ownership...We're Already Getting To Work On Our Marine Trader Europa

[@mikepech6822]

One tip from a boater with a dog. When your under way and let the pup out of the cabin always have it wearing a life jacket. if possible with a tracker device on it. Dogs can get excited with things and jump overboard. Finding a dog without a jacket in wavey water could end up being a disaster. Protect your pet.

[@navigatingnietzels]

Good advice on the tracker. We've actually been thinking about putting an air tag on her collar. Wonder if those are waterproof...We do have a lifejacket for her though. Never know when they get excited or spooked!

[@mikepech6822]

I don't know about air tags and water, Try a tag in a zip lock bag and get it wet and test it for distance. If it works, tape or glue or do both to the doggy jacket. Or look to see if their is something on the market. If you are like me, and I think you are , puppy is your family.

[@eternitysshore]

Keep laughing to avoid crying and yelling! I cannot tell you how many times I've hit my head but it still somehow cannot avoid it. You're off to a great start!

[@navigatingnietzels]

Haha! I'm sure it is only the beginning...

[@blimpcommander1337]

It is going to get interesting with the ladder and Rippley. Having to look at boats with no ladders as I refuse to lift my 84 lb Irish Setter to an upper deck, and constant whining if not by my side would render the fly bridge useless. Lol

[@navigatingnietzels]

YEP! She is already constantly whining just from Evan on the dinghy! We are hoping to engineer some stairs that will replace the ladder. Wish us luck!

[@emilynietzel2204]

Evans “Don’t laugh” when Rip was going down the stairs killed me 😂😂😭😭

[@jpnietzel3565]

The excitement of owning a boat. Keep the laughter and humor. Learning the ins and outs of the boat builds memories that stay with you forever. Can’t wait to see you solo navigate to Delray. Anchors up 😎

[@pamnietzel8329]

No better way to start my day than watching you guys!! Let the adventure begin!!

[@barelyafloatwithsteve3975]

With teak decks, when cleaning, use salty warm water and brush against the grain with a medium to hard bristle brush. Do Not brush with the grain, you will damage your teak. Then hose down. Repeat as necessary, and you will notice your decks brightening. The only time you go with the grain is when your sanding your teak. Good luck, it looks like a great boat. Can't wait to see your loop videos when you start.

[@karikarr6377]

Great video! It’s fun to watch you figure everything out (and even those of us who are old, experienced boaters will likely learn a thing or two, as there’s ALWAYS something new to learn). I can sense your excitement and enthusiasm - makes it really entertaining. Many years ago, we had a 36’ Carver Aft Cabin with a ladder down to the swim platform. In order to get our yellow lab down there to get in the dinghy, we installed a pulley on the underside of the aft deck hard top, and fitted her with a really good harness that completely supported her - then we just hooked her up and lowered her with a rope to the swim platform (and of course reversed the procedure to get her back up on the aft deck). It worked great -- maybe you can rig up a similar system for getting Ripley up on the fly bridge (or even utilize the davit). 😊

[@navigatingnietzels]

We've had many people mention the davit might work well for her! We are hoping to engineer some type of stairs to replace the ladder. Wish us luck on that!

[@nelsonreau3842]

Carabiners are way easier than shackles for most rigging. (Lifting the dinghy)

[@DIYCameraGuy]

That’s one of my favorite boats, you made a solid choice.

[@larrydicenzo3826]

That was great!! Love how excited y'all are. Learning curve is the fun part. Great job.

[@freedomwanderer]

Ahhhh, the boat life. Great job guys. Enjoy the adventures.

[@navigatingnietzels]

Thank you! :)

[@joshkaiser8583]

Another tip is have a piece of fake grass that the dog can use to go potty. Spray it off with the water wash down when it gets used. Trains the dog to not potty anywhere else on the boat

[@FREEDOM195844]

No better time to learn and you picked a great boat! Just need Davits for the dinghy. Just love Ripley!

[@nelsonreau3842]

They are using the davit in their video.

[@SirAdamMeek]

Definitely replace the plug but great job! If you get an electric motor, you might not need to readjust the ropes 🤞

[@navigatingnietzels]

The plug sure saw it's last day with us!

[@philc.6051]

Hi Guys, Just watched the “We bought a boat” video and subscribed. I too would like to do the loop. One problem is I know nothing about boats. I come from the small airplane community and think it’s time to switch to boating. An item I would really like to know more about is the costs associated with this trip. Cost of boat purchase Insurance Fuel Maintenance Upgrades Fees at marinas Enroute charges Just everything to put a trip like this together. I hope to use your trip as a training video if you make it as such. Thanks.

[@navigatingnietzels]

Hi Phil! Thanks for following along. We will definitely be sharing these numbers. I have found that you can really do this trip cheap or expensive depending on how "comfortable" you want to live. In the meantime since we haven't officially started yet, check out Scho & Jo on KZbin and their website. They have very detailed budget information!

[@johnmarschalk1977]

How did you get Ripley up on the flybridge? We've just started looking for a boat and putting high priority on one with molded stairs. For dog and us since we've past the 60 yr mark

[@navigatingnietzels]

Evan is able to easily lift her up to the flybridge. The tricky part is getting her down. The first time was a nightmare. The 2nd time we put her life jacket on which has a nice handle that helped us out. But, we are hoping to engineer some stairs in place of the ladder. Wish us luck!

[@Tom.Gregory]

Let’s roll…..

[@navigatingnietzels]

Let's go!!

[@MarkMateljan-kc8ip]

Good for you guys, always follow your dreams....... your story begins. 🍾🍻🍻🍻🍻🫶

[@navigatingnietzels]

Thank you!!