A beginner's guide to boating starts with getting familiar with the boat before you ever leave the dock, then practicing in safe, open water instead of a tight marina. Captain Harley Hunt teaches new boaters to check the throttles and steering first, then work one engine in and out of gear to feel how the boat moves. In this How 2 Tuesday I talk with Harley Hunt about building real confidence on the water, one controlled step at a time.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Captain Harley Hunt's approach is to get familiar with the boat before you ever leave the dock. He steps on, makes sure the throttles work and the steering works, and checks everything over before untying. Then he practices in a low-consequence setting rather than a tight marina. The whole idea is to learn how the boat responds where a mistake costs you nothing, so you build real feel and confidence before you put yourself in a situation with bigger consequences.
On a twin engine boat, Harley Hunt only uses one engine at a time, popping it in and out of gear instead of throwing both into reverse at once. Using both engines together increases speed and risk, especially leaving a slip. By working a single engine in and out of gear, you feel how that one engine moves the boat left, right, forward, and back. It is a slower, more controlled way to learn how your boat actually behaves in close quarters.
Because a marina is full of expensive consequences, other boats, pilings, and tight spaces, exactly where you do not want to be figuring out how your boat handles. The better approach is to get out into a safe, open area first, learn what to expect from the boat, and build your skills where a mistake does not cost you anything. Once you understand how the boat responds, close-quarters docking becomes far less intimidating.
Harley Hunt says it compounds. Start by popping one engine in and out of gear to ease away from the slip, and as you get comfortable, leave it in gear a little longer next time, then longer and longer. That gradual approach builds your confidence using one engine until you are completely comfortable with the boat. His rule is slowest pro, or only go as fast as you are willing, so you stay in control while your skills grow.
A lot of people got into boating since COVID, and many are stepping onto a boat that may be more than they are ready for, a big upgrade or simply too much boat. That is exactly why getting familiar with how a boat handles, starting slow, and practicing in safe water matters so much. Add in feeling how wind and tide affect the boat on open water, and you set yourself up to operate safely instead of learning the hard way.
Captain Harley Hunt runs howtoboating.com, where there is a short questionnaire you can fill out, and he will give you a call right away to schedule something. You can also find him on Instagram and TikTok under the how to boating handle. He specializes in helping newer boaters get comfortable and confident, which is exactly the kind of hands-on guidance that makes the difference for anyone stepping up to a new or bigger boat.
A lot of people have gotten into boating since COVID, and many are stepping onto a boat that may be more than they are ready for, a big upgrade or simply too much boat. Captain Harley Hunt of howtoboating.com teaches people exactly how to get comfortable, so I brought him on to share how he gets a new boater familiar with a boat safely. We get into it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps Harley Hunt walks through for learning a new boat. He shares the reasoning in the episode.
He unpacks each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
On a twin engine boat, Harley Hunt only pops one engine in and out of gear instead of throwing both into reverse, which would just increase speed and risk leaving a slip. Working a single engine teaches you how the boat moves in every direction. He explains how he uses it to build feel in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Harley Hunt's point is that comfort on a boat compounds: ease away on one engine, then leave it in gear a little longer each time, longer and longer, until you are completely confident. His rule is slowest pro, only go as fast as you are willing. He breaks down how that mindset keeps you in control in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Getting out on open water and feeling how your boat behaves with the wind and the tide is some of the best advice there is for a newer boater.
Check everything first, start slow in safe water, and build up one controlled step at a time. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Captain Harley Hunt · howtoboating.com · boat handling · twin engine boats · docking · navigation · Star brite · Nikon · Danco pliers · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
Tom Rowland Podcast — Episode 924: Captain Harley Hunt
In this episode: getting familiar with a new boat before you untie it, why you don't learn to drive in a marina, the one-engine method for twin-engine boats, "slowest pro — only go as fast as you're willing," and how confidence compounds over time — in the exact words spoken.
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Tom Rowland: What's going on, everybody? This is the Tom Rowland podcast, how to Tuesday brought to you by Danco. And what we're talking about today is boating. There's a lot of people that have gotten into boating since COVID. It's been incredibly popular, and a lot of people are getting into a boat that maybe they're not ready for. Maybe it's a little too much boat. Maybe it's a big upgrade, but lots of people are getting in there.
Tom Rowland: We've got captain Harley Hunt from howtoboating.com. He's also on Instagram and other places, TikTok, all under the how to boating, handle, and he's with us today.
Tom Rowland: Harley, if if you were to tell somebody, which I'm sure you do all the time, how do you kinda get familiar with a boat in a situation to where there there's not a lot of big consequences if you hit? Like, for for example, you don't wanna learn how to drive your boat in a marina. How do you do it to where you can get people in a safe area and kinda get them to understand what to expect from this boat?
Harley Hunt: Well, for for me, personally, what I do when I step on a boat is just to get familiar with it. Yeah. First of all, I kinda make sure that the throttles work, gotta make sure the steering works, all that stuff before you untie the boat. So once we're good with that, once once we know everything works, then we'll we'll go ahead and untie the boat.
Harley Hunt: And and what I'll do is, say we have a a twin engine boat, I'll only use one of those engines at a time and pop it in and out. So say we're backing out of the slip or pulling away from the slip, I'm not gonna throw both engines in reverse the same time. That's just that just increased risk for you, increases speed.
Harley Hunt: And I always say slowest pro or only go as fast as you're willing. It's you know? So for me, I only pop one engine in and out of gear depending on, you know, where I wanna go.
Harley Hunt: And that, first of all, with that, that gets you the feel for the boat and how that one engine is moving the boat left, right, front, back. For me, I I I just wanna get a feel for that. So that's how I teach. If you are not completely confident in your skills on the boat, if you're not completely comfortable on the boat, just pop one engine in and out of gear to try to get try to get away from that slip. And over time, that will, will compound.
Harley Hunt: It'll build your confidence using one engine in gear. You could leave it in gear for a little bit longer next time and longer and longer until you get completely comfortable with your boat. So the whole goal with that is just to get familiar with how your boat handles in a in a close quarter situation.
Tom Rowland: Very good. That's great advice. And if they wanted more advice from you, where would they go?
Harley Hunt: I've got howtoboating.com. There's a little questionnaire there for you. So, I'll give you a call right away. You got the phone number, email, all that stuff, and then schedule something right away.
Tom Rowland: And definitely getting out on the open water and feeling feeling the way that your boat, is gonna behave with the wind and the tide and all of that. That's great advice. So if you, need other advice, you can go to howtoboating.com, captain harley hunt, or check him out on Instagram, TikTok, or any of his other platforms under the how to boating, Instagram, TikTok, or any of his other platforms under the how to boating handle. Alright. We'll be back with another guest next week. See you.
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