Boating and Family

[Bubba1235]

I am NOT saying in anyway I was smart and figured anything out, more like I stumbled on how boating can help a family share fun and time together. Over the years I have seen other families that are into boating and it seems to me that it also made a real positive impact on them too.

I mean in a time where kids seem to have way too much spare time on their hands and "friends" that shall we say are less than what mom and dad would choose, boating seems to provide a way to cahnge a lot of that. Being able to pick which friends can come along or even which friends they can take the boat out with (no parents when they are old enough) is a subtle way of encouraging quality friendships and discouraging some you wouyld rather they didn't have.

It also provided a way to teach some basic responsibility. The kids never had any problem making sure the boat was cleaned and ready to go out for the weekend.

So, A poll, how does family boating effect your family.

 

[mphy98]

Re: Boating and Family

kids love it wife hates it. so the only time we go is when we go fishing and then wife stays home. not to much a family outing there but thats her choice. don't want the kids to miss out on all the great times i had.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Boating and Family

kids love it wife hates it. so the only time we go is when we go fishing and then wife stays home. not to much a family outing there but thats her choice. don't want the kids to miss out on all the great times i had.

My scenerio is just the opposite...both the boys are gone, and the 'bride', and I, would approach the weekend with the usual house projects to look forward to.

Then I bought a PWC (which the wife thought was crazy)...but just one outing, and she was hooked.

I now have 2 boats that we plan our weekends around...and the jet ski for my solo days off. I love to 'tinker'...and there is never a shortage of projects to do, for a boat owner.

In short...getting out on the water, is rebirth. This works for the full family...as well as for the 'empty nest'!

 

[Maclin]

Re: Boating and Family

It is not so much an immediate family promoter with us as it is a brother to brother cousin to cousin and grandkids promoter.

The wife rarely goes, but it is still a good deal for the rest of us. We almost always go with my brother and his family. His wife's father met us all one weekend last summer, then he passed on 2 weeks later. It is a very good memory of him that she and all of us have now.

We have older and younger children. Both middle daughters decided to repopulate the earth so we have 5 grand kids between 5 and 12 years old. We have a 12 year old daughter and 9 year old son, they are aunt and uncle but the relationship is more like very close cousins. The grandkids only get to come 1 or 2 times a year but it is so looked forward to and is a great time, great memories for the kids.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Boating and Family

my parents had boat, i and my sister have boats, my son and daughter have boats.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Boating and Family

Having grown up on the water and lived on it all my life, boating is just part of it.
Although the wife is a city girl and afraid of the water for the most part, my grandson (custodial) and I are close river rats. n I expect he will have many fond memories and lessons to carry through life as I do.

 

[catfishcharlie]

Re: Boating and Family

My situation is again different. I have no wife and the kids are all moved away and doing fine on their own. I was married for twenty years until she decided she needed to go Find herself. While she was looking she found another husband too! It was tough at first but time heals all.
Maybe if we had had a boat it could have helped but I dought it. I was one of those that volunteered at church and sports and would not have had time for another project.
As a youth my dad had a boat and he took us boys out to fish but mom would never get on the water. (She had a fear of things like that)
So, thats my story and I dont see a catagory like that in the survey so I won"t vote. Charlie (a happier man)

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Boating and Family

So, thats my story and I dont see a catagory like that in the survey so I won"t vote. Charlie (a happier man)

Actually, Charlie...I think that you did just give a 'positive' vote.

God speed...and hope to see you on the water, sometime soon.

 

[UnregisteredUser]

Re: Boating and Family

I was basically raised on the waters of Lake of the Ozarks. My father, his father, and his father all had boats. My brother and I worked a gas dock outside of Camdenton MO during the summers for years. We lived on a houseboat my grand-ma and grand-pa remodeled during the summers. We both worked to pay for our PWCs and for the fuel to enjoy them.

Most of my hobbies do not include my wife or kids/grandkids, rock crawling being the second runner to boating. They all love boating, fishing, water sports and the like. No so much for camping anymore but, I have pretty much given that up too. My C-pap makes primitive camping impossible. Fortunately its only about a 45 mile drive to the lake from here, so day trips are the normal for us.

I really believe had it not been for going to the lake when I was a teen, my dad and I would have never gotten along. No matter how bad it was between us, a trip to the lake would always fix it. Now the drives home were a different story...

 

[ziggy]

Re: Boating and Family

ain't really made much difference in my family i guess. granted my family is me and the boy and my gf. so kinda small. gf's children have never lived with us and my boy's (i had custody since he was 10) out of the house as of last june. he has his life and thing that he does. and it isn't boating much to my sadness. which is irrelevant. however, the gf and i usually get out at least once and usually 2 times a week in the summer. early summer till late fall. we love it and we make a good team.... but if we didn't have the boat. we'd probably still be on the beach. enjoying the lake the best we could... we just like the water... it sure is a lot more fun with a boat though...

 

[642mx]

Re: Boating and Family

I boated a lot as a kid, but my parents sold their boat about 10 years ago. Since they sold it, I've always wanted one.

This year we got a decent tax return and had some extra money and we ran across a boat we liked, so long story short, we bought it and we both found a new hobby that we love.

Has boating brought us closer together?..... of course, its only 18 foot long.... I have no choice, I can't get away!

I'm all honesty, it really has. We work together to launch and retrieve the boat, we spend time together cleaning it, and we both have something to look forward to (when its not sleeting and snowing). Being on the water is relaxing and fun, plus I get to see my wife in a bikini!...hahaha

 

[Varago]

Re: Boating and Family

Hmm let see now I first got up 2 at the age of 8 or 9 (its been a while) back in the late 50's behind a 12' wooden boat with a 18 hp merc. We went to a P14 with a 45 merc in a few years then moved on to a 16' with a merc 70 and the last boat my parents bought was a 1969 16' Tahiti with a 125 merc. When I think back to my childhood and boating with the family it brings back very happy memories.

I now have two daughters age 20 and 21, we have boated together every year from the time they learned to swim. I had to get a bigger boat this year because we now have 2 girls and 2 boys to take out plus mon and dad.


Its hard to express the joy that I get out of boating.

Dave Lee

 

[HVSTRINE]

Re: Boating and Family

My grandson has a buddy that was headed in the wrong direction if you know what I mean. He spent a few weekends with us boating and it really made a change in him. He absolutely fell in love with boating and would show up on Friday to ask if he could help "get the boat ready". (Of course we invited him along.) By mid-summer his dad came by to talk and said his son was constantly asking if they could get a boat. I had a nice 19' I had just put the finishing touches on and he decided to buy it. But more importantly he said it made a world of difference in his relationship with his son and they are on the water together every week end weather permitting. During the week they spend time working on the boat and upgrading a few things and both dad and son think its great.

This a great story! It inspires me to get out there more with the kids. I may need to get a bigger boat so i can take more of thier friends along. Thanks for a great poll.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Boating and Family

your boat is never big enough to take all the kids, your kids want to bring. we found what use to be a lovely cove, that had a beach. Dad just said meet us at the cove. we would go for the day. all the friends that wanted would come to the cove. if one wanted to ski, Dad made sure they got to. Of course the are is private condos. you can find a decent ski beach in Jacksonville.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Boating and Family

There are just two of us in our house. My wife doesn't have much interest in Boating. So it hasn't made much difference at out house. It's too hard for her to get in and out of the boat. Even when I pick her up at the boat dock. Her co-ordination/dexterity is very poor. Too just put it plain and simple. She's clumbsy. Everyone else loves it. Grandkids and all the other family members. Maybe because all thay have to do is ride. Dad /Grampa always foot the bill. However I wouldn't give up boating as long as I am able to go and can afford it. Like everything else. It's always more fun when there are others eager to be go and be involved.

 

[Bard1]

Re: Boating and Family

I have no kids, but the wife is ok with it. Dogs love it. For me, I get to connect with nature and all critters you see. I love that early morning flat water, when the air is so still you hear everything. All that touches that deep primitive spot that we all share.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Boating and Family

Its made me feel like a kid again. The wife loves boating too. The kids do well early in the season and as long as they can bring a friend. Later in the year they complain but not enough to offset the job the wife and I get.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Boating and Family

this poor guy, Family hates boating and spouce says sell it. time to get a new wife. i got rid on mine years ago, she did not want to do anything i liked, after we were married. just did not replace her.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Boating and Family

Looks like you got two good companions there.
I bet neither complains much.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Boating and Family

my family and friends love it. I spent quite a few years drinking and not doing much with my life. Then I started to really focus on things, got a few promotions and saved up some cash and bought a little boat. Most of the time Im out fishing by myself, but it is nice to invite friends, family members out.

Sadly, my Fiancee told me if I had a larger boat she would go more often, but then again she was used to her dads twin engined CC Sea Ray.

Also, My old man and I have a solid but distant relationship. Neither of us have much to say but over the summer we did go out fishing a few times and really had some time to talk about things. Sure was nice.