[Kaufmsnnmark]

Hi MK and welcome to the TOC,
I am no expert by any means but I can share a few tips that have helped me out the past few years.  First of all, when you are in a harbor, don't go any faster than you would want to hit something.  I go as slow as I can to keep control of the boat and it has always worked well.  Having a mate with a push-pole handy is a good idea until you get comfortable driving, now I head out fishing all the time by myself.  (Make sure it has a rubber end on it just in case, don't want to scratch up someone else's boat.)  Once I get in a harbor, I switch to transmissions only for movement, no wheel or throttles unless it is really windy and I need to throttle up a bit.  Someone told me to think about the transmissions like a pair of parentheses.  ( and ).  That is the direction the boat is going to move when you use the transmissions, just put little arrows at the end of each of the parentheses. ?  In open water, AP all the way!
Maintenance you will learn as you go but probably start with some basics.  I would start with new impellers, oil changes and all filters, inspect exhausts, inspect tranny fluids, batteries, gauges, charging system and look for leaks.  Then your safety standards...Life jackets, throwable, flares, toolkit on board, working VHF etc....
Congrats on the boat, enjoy and plenty of knowledge on here so just ask...

Hi First Mate,

Sorry for the late reply, been working on the boat and my skills. It is a blast to be tackling both. I appreciate your suggestions and have used them to not only make sure the Duchess is operational but all to get met head around the task of working on the boat.

Your advice about the transmissions is spot on, really good advice and really helps. Thanks. I appreciate your support.

Mark