Favorite boating moment

[bgc]

Re: Favorite boating moment

"The day I picked it up, and the day the new owner picked it up"

During my wife's chemotherapy we went out puttering around the lake and I caught a picture of her smiling, a genuine smile.

 

[tincanman]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I think mine would be a favorite time in life with my boat. First boat I ever owned. A 14ft trihull starcraft with a 70 johny I picked up for 300 bucks. Knew nothing about boats, just went out with my friends and ran that thing to for 3 years. No maintaining, no winterizing, nothing. That thing would not die. Finally put a foot through the floor and decided it was time to dump it. Sold the 70 for more than I paid for the package. Ignorance is truly bliss. Before Iboats and I knew about transom and deck rot and integrity of hulls. Propery maintaining a boat, winterizing, etc. now that I know about boats, things always break.

On a side not, my new favorite time will be when I get this starcraft on the water. It will be the first time back on the water in 3 years. I'm so close......

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Favorite boating moment.

Went out fishing with my stepfather on Lake DuBay (he's not a fisherman). He stoped the boat and says come back here. This lever, push it and it will go backwards, pull the lever it will go forward. Now just grab the hand grip and twist it, But not too fast.

My smile touched my ears, It was only Lake Dubay, but I felt I was on the ocean.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I wake up on the deck of my old Starcraft bowrider, tied to the Alex Bay public docks on the St. Lawrence after a long night of drinking at Skiffs... Brainsplitting hangover, confused as to where I am, wet from the rain that must have fallen on me over the night (at least I hope is was rain)... Some little kids on the dock pointing and laughing at this pathetic creature struggling to comprehend what's going on... My buddy who managed to shoehorn himself under the passenger side console (so his head is now jammed under the bow seat area and only his waist down is exposed) hears me moving around and mumbles incoherent drivel about the rest of our friends being in jail from a melee that broke out after the bar closed.

But I am safe. Safe on the boat; and with any luck a little beer left in the cooler to dull this hangover. I pull a beachtowel over my eyes, and fall back asleep.

I buy a cuddy cabin the following spring, to hide further shame.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I have a couple of them:

Cruising at night with my wife and another couple in the cockpit, and our two kids and their two kids playing together in the cabin. My wife was at my side (my helm seats two) and our friends were under a blanket (nothing going on, just staying warm) on the rear bench seat. It was a perfect August evening in NH, just slightly cool, full moon, and a 30 mile cruise in the semi-dark. I could hear the kids singing along to some music in the cabin and could see a soft glow of cabin light escaping the smoked glass hatch on my boat's forepeak.

The other time was waking up at dawn after spending the night at anchor with my wife and kids on Sebago Lake in Maine. We made breakfast and coffee, then slowly motored up the Songo River, sipping coffee and listening to classical music on the stereo as the world came alive.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Favorite boating moment

OK, how about another one... Had a repressively hot Saturday in July. When we got up it was 95+*F and humid. Luckily we had planned a picnic on my friend's boat, with another couple. Feeling the heat, we went straight to the ocean, where it was 80* in the warm sun and pretty comfortable. Stopped just offshore and had a nice swim. Later we went to a spot just inside the inlet where the ocean water washes past a nice sandy beach. Anchored up with some other boaters, broke out the lounge chairs and the beer. Spent some time exploring, and then started the grill. While waiting for the grill to heat up, a very nice lady approached us and said "boys, want to make some easy money?". At that moment the girls got real interested in the conversation. It seemed that nice lady had a boat full of people and food and forgot her grill. We traded some grill space for some pasta salad and had a nice picnic.

Eventually we had to go home and face the heat....

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

"The day I picked it up, and the day the new owner picked it up"

During my wife's chemotherapy we went out puttering around the lake and I caught a picture of her smiling, a genuine smile.

that is very touching and personal. i appreciate you sharing that with us. More importantly, i hope your wife has recovered and well.

 

[Harritwo]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I actually have 2 favorite boating moments. The first was in 1996. My Grandfather had passed away in the late 70's and left me his 74 ArrowGlass Tri-Hull with an 85 HP Johnson. When i joined the military, i left my boat at my parents house. For 10 years it had been sitting in our hanger and my lovely wife finally talked my Dad into towing it out here for me for christmas. He claimed that if it had given him any trouble at all, he was going to unhook and leave it on the side of the road. I did not know he was bringing it to me and when he turned the corner to come into my house, he was towing my boat, complete with a red bow tied to it. I was in heaven when after 3 months i had redone the interior, rebuilt the carbs and heard it run for the first time in over 10 years.

The second was taking my wife out for her first ever boat ride and seeing her face when "My Mistress" fired off and we left the dock to go eat and take a leisurely boat ride.

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I have a couple of them:

Cruising at night with my wife and another couple in the cockpit, and our two kids and their two kids playing together in the cabin. My wife was at my side (my helm seats two) and our friends were under a blanket (nothing going on, just staying warm) on the rear bench seat. It was a perfect August evening in NH, just slightly cool, full moon, and a 30 mile cruise in the semi-dark. I could hear the kids singing along to some music in the cabin and could see a soft glow of cabin light escaping the smoked glass hatch on my boat's forepeak.

The other time was waking up at dawn after spending the night at anchor with my wife and kids on Sebago Lake in Maine. We made breakfast and coffee, then slowly motored up the Songo River, sipping coffee and listening to classical music on the stereo as the world came alive.

maybe its just because i love spending time with my wife and kids on the boat...BUT those are both some nice scenes. Good job and keep it up.

 

[busted-bayliner]

Re: Favorite boating moment

my favorite moment was this past monday. my buddy needed a lower unit replaced on his force out board :facepalm: lol . anyway got it swaped out and he wanted to get on the water. boat landing is five miles away. so he asked me if id put my boat in also incase something went wrong i could tow him back.
So i get the wife an two kids and head out with our boat get his an mine in the water. Everything was fine we beached swam a lil decided to head in while underway i look back and my buddy is dead in the water outta gas. I go back tie up and tow him in then guess what? I run outta gas in the haste to get on the water i never checked i have no gas gauge. so we paddle in wasnt far could see the ramp at the time of running out.

the reason that its my favorite is i learned a lesson an will never forget to fill up before going out

 

[Piece715]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I'm gonna have to go with the successful SPLASH of my first boat that I spent the past 4 years rebuilding. It was my grandfather's and I remember heading out on the water with him many times. Now it belongs to me and I can see my grandfather looking down and shaking his head going "look at that crap you put on the side" .


Now I did have a great moment in my uncles boat... It was my grandfather, his brother, and I out on the lake fishing. We were drifting kinda close to shore so they wanted to move locations. I was in the bow of the boat fishing and they told me to leaving my line out there and troll a little... so i did. I went back to fishing and they took care of moving spots. They fire of the motor and i hear the engine start RRRRrrrrr... and then RRrrBLUB BLUB BLUB and silence. I look to the stern of the boat and both my grandfather and uncle are leaning over the transom goin "How in the hell did that SOB jump off?!" Yep motor is now laying on the bottom of the lake. So they both don't hesitate a moment and turn to me "Mark, get down to ur skivvies and go get that before we drift spots, we don't know how to swim" So being the good grandson I did as asked. Now I tell ya what... trying to get an outboard off the bottom of a lake and swim to the surface with it is not an easy task. Even if the water was only 15-20ft deep

 

[catfish58]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Spending so many hours fishing with my dad and my brother in a 1956 14' Sea King with a Sea King 25hp. I thought he loved to fish more than anything. Many years later he told me it wasn't the fishing as much as spending time with his boys.

 

[Restless22]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Loving this thread. I could actually visualize some of the posts. I think an evening cruise sounds cool.

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Spending so many hours fishing with my dad and my brother in a 1956 14' Sea King with a Sea King 25hp. I thought he loved to fish more than anything. Many years later he told me it wasn't the fishing as much as spending time with his boys.

i have 2 kids as well (5yrs old and 1 year old) and love spending time with them. i hope to be able to get them into fishing and boating.

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Loving this thread. I could actually visualize some of the posts. I think an evening cruise sounds cool.

i can't agree with you more...i am reading everyone of these threads and picturing myself doing what is described! awesome.

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

I actually have 2 favorite boating moments. The first was in 1996. My Grandfather had passed away in the late 70's and left me his 74 ArrowGlass Tri-Hull with an 85 HP Johnson. When i joined the military, i left my boat at my parents house. For 10 years it had been sitting in our hanger and my lovely wife finally talked my Dad into towing it out here for me for christmas. He claimed that if it had given him any trouble at all, he was going to unhook and leave it on the side of the road. I did not know he was bringing it to me and when he turned the corner to come into my house, he was towing my boat, complete with a red bow tied to it. I was in heaven when after 3 months i had redone the interior, rebuilt the carbs and heard it run for the first time in over 10 years.

The second was taking my wife out for her first ever boat ride and seeing her face when "My Mistress" fired off and we left the dock to go eat and take a leisurely boat ride.

Great story. nice to see how many couples and families enjoy boating.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Favorite boating moment

This was many years ago probably in the lat 80's. We had had some really good times with the boat and the three kids were probably in the 8-14 years old range. Almost every time we went out it was on the weekend and we had at least one of the three kids with us. Well one day I took off in the middle of the week and just me and my wife went out. Could not believe how empty it was on the lake.

Well we got back in a cove where there was nothing except a few cows near the shoreline and not another boat in sight or sound. My wife tells me she has never in her life been skinny dipping. That's as far as I'm going with the story. But I remember it well.

 

[Aquaman-PSD]

Re: Favorite boating moment



This is probably mine. Me and the girlfriend were out on the Ohio having a bit of a tiff about trimming and the proper way to take a barge wake when we turned around and saw this... the bickering ended immediatly.

Another fond memory was when I was young we used to take trips to cave run lake in eastern KY every year and rent a pontoon. One year it was just me and my dad. I was probably 15 years old and he let me split a beer with him as we putted around the lake. I know I know Opra would have his tail! but that is probably the best memory of my childhood that I have. That is where my love for just being on the water really took hold.

 

[SeaJack]

Re: Favorite boating moment

This was many years ago probably in the lat 80's. We had had some really good times with the boat and the three kids were probably in the 8-14 years old range. Almost every time we went out it was on the weekend and we had at least one of the three kids with us. Well one day I took off in the middle of the week and just me and my wife went out. Could not believe how empty it was on the lake.

Well we got back in a cove where there was nothing except a few cows near the shoreline and not another boat in sight or sound. My wife tells me she has never in her life been skinny dipping. That's as far as I'm going with the story. But I remember it well.

Great story.
Hmmmmmm...maybe i need to take a day off during the week next week and see if i am as lucky as you were? Keep you posted!

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Favorite boating moment

Every time we are out on the water it is another beautiful memory.
Last night just about sunset, my wife and I just taking it easy after a long and very hot day in this heatwave. Doesn't get any better than this!