Re: Anybody have any tips on talking wife into buying boat?
The 7 year old is at a more teachable stage now and has more time to learn to safely handle and assist in handling a boat now. (the key wording here is safely, the impact being in reducing potential hazard to the new one, him or her self, and any future friends that might be in tow). There is a good chance that they will have hormones getting in the way of rationale at 11 or 12 and also have the complication of trying to impress a frined, sibling, parent, etc, at the older age.
I grew up on water and then waited to get my own boat and have regretted not getting it as soon as we had kids ever since.
BTW,
1. use the boat to teach them to drive, it will teach them to continually look all directions for potential hazards, not just to the obvious traffic lanes, and will make much safer auto drivers of them.
2. If mama is not into playing in the water herself, recognize it and continually let her know that the invitation is open but don't push her to go along. You know how you would feel if she tried to drag you out shopping for shoes or to the opera.
Good luck, Signed, newbie for this post.