Bought a 17ft Bonito CC w/ 75HP Evinrude * Now What?*

[Broad Bill]

Lot of good advise I'll add to. Don't overload the boat, a 17 ft boat is a small boat for the ocean. As others have said, you need to pick your days and make sure you factor wind against tide conditions at the mouth of inlets. Make sure you have all your safety equipment and keep an eye on your surroundings. Smaller boats have a greater risk of being hit by running boats. Make sure you have an ample anchor with proper length and chain. If you ever lost power in a West wind, by the time they got to you if you don't anchor up you could be two or three miles further offshore where the wave heights will get more extreme the further out you go. And keep an eye on your weather channel as storms especially in the afternoon can come up quickly and you do not want to get caught in those conditions approaching the inlet in a 17 ft boat.