Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

[manofprawnz]

Thought I would post the question: What do you do to keep family boating fun for everyone?

All too often I see the same thing happen, a family buys a boat, does the same thing over and over, kids grow a little older, get bored with the same old thing, no longer want to go out on boat, boat sold in frustration.

Here are some of the things we do give variety to our outings:

Purchased a large magnet and 100ft of line, my son goes treasure hunting off the docks we stop at. Got a quarter last time out. WOW!

Always set a crab trap on the way out, something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Fishing line on a stick with hook. Kids can fish for "shiners" while parents socialize at the float. At least they are catching something.

Boat camping on shore is always a hit.

Beach time, buckets, sand castles, floaties, air matress, dig clams.

Cheap inflatible dingy and oars

Always have a towing tube on board, even for the little ones it is fun going dead slow.

Food for ducks or whatever

Please share you ideas....

 

[DJ]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Great tips!

When you have children on board the outing has to revolve around them, not you. When they've had enough, they've had enough. Head in.

Nothing will spoil a childs love of the water more than making them endure, while you play.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

I agree with DJ. When you suspect the kids are getting bored or (worse) seasick, come in, or change places.

Arrange age appropriate activities, especially at the beach. Kites for the young ones, balls for the older. Move to the next beach (or place) a bit earlier that you want, so the kids like it. Show 'em some strange stuff on the water, entertain them with a story about it, however this won't last long. Get 'em soaked with some spray if you can.

We have a beach that we can anchor anchor on the bay. There is a path to the ocean side. It is a bit of a walk to the ocean, but the beach is great. The kids have at least as much fun in the bay getting to the boat as they have in the ocean, at least at this age. The kids are nearly old enough to swim in the ocean alone, which will be good.

My son got an ice cream maker for Christmas. It is in the form of a soccer ball. I plan to premix the ice cream and pack the ice and salt. The kids can then roll it around on a 90 degree beach for a while and then eat it!

Actually my son and his friends are almost old enough to be surfing gods, with girls on every beach, stay tuned!!

 

[rndn]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Just curious how your son got a quarter with a magnet?

 

[rndn]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

DJ has the best advice. Kids get bored quick and if you want to keep the occupied, head in when they are done.

 

[manofprawnz]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Ah the quarter with the magnet... My son was just dragging the bottom near the edge of the dock and up came the quarter. It was the only real treasure so far. Mostly rusty things like nails, metal scaps, what was left of a ball point pen. Too bad gold is not magnetic or I would go after the $1000 ring that fell off my finger in 80ft of water last year. Would love to hear how that ice cream maker works out.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

also do not overload the boat with stuff to play with. they will want space to move around. don't get frustrated and yell at them. teach them to handle lines, let them drive, and learn seamanship. we were taught early, if something bad happened, we could get the boat to the dock alone. we were boating, skiing, alone in the early teens.

 

[QC]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

One of my rationalizations for affording a boat (other than I am going to own one no matter what) was based on my childhood. I boated quite a few times and loved it, but also, by the time I was a teen I did not want to vacation with my parents. Mrs. QC and I decided that boating would be one way to keep the kids motivated to do things as a family. If you ask my kids today what they would want to do for vacation this year they would all say "Houseboat" . . . and even the 19 YO would mean with us.

With that said, we haven't made these trips all about the kids. We make it about both. They see us enjoying ourselves, friends and each other. Mrs. QC does say "they are on vacation too", and this is a good reminder. We usually allow as many as one friend each (three boys). This goes a long way . . . tough in a small boat, but it's worth it to try and arrange friends along.

Another biggee has been snorkeling equipment and spears I carry two wrist spears on board. They scare me as I don't like sharp stuff on a boat!! However, they have a removable tip and I can get the spears themselves in the ski locker. With or without the spears the kids snorkel for hours if the water is warm. The 19 YO is an absolute pro at bringing up catfish, striper and bluegil, I'd say about 12 is the minimum age, but some of us let our kids shoot younger than that . . . Check about legality in your lakes; it has been a great deal for the kids.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Great thread and great ideas. I'll through mine in. We like to go boat camping and exploring. We'll take the boat to a different drainage at the lake and just start hiking and we find all kind of cool stuff. Springs that we didn't know existed. All kinds of wildlife that don't hang out too close to the lake. Neat slot canyons and waterfalls. The more remote the better. We also like to take the canoe and go as far upstream as possible and camp in a nice secluded spot. Nobody can get up there because we're the only one with a canoe and there is no vehicle access. Great fun.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Here is how we do it. I fill the boat cooler up with a variety of drinks and snack foods the night before to make sure they're really cold for the next day.

We leave bright and early in the morning so we can get a good parking space at the ramp. I put the boat in the water and fire up the motor while the “family” finds an out of the way parking space.

I then go over and unhook the truck from the trailer and send the family (wife and 2 teenage daughters) on their way to the Outlet Mall up the road. I then go jump in the boat and proceed to enjoy a day of ice cold beverages and doing what I want (fishing) without the families input.

 

[flashback]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Just curious how your son got a quarter with a magnet?

I didn't think a quarter was magnetic either..

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Dingbat, That's a pretty sound plan, however most of us divide the cost of the boat, gas, beer and food by the poundage of the fish we catch (that's economics right?) and determine that fish only cost $1245.00/pound. When you add in the cost of the stuff they bought at the outlet, the cost of the fish is outragous.... LOL

 

[manofprawnz]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Just learned something new, looks like Canadian Quarters are magnetic, US ones are not, at least the "Special Wyoming" one I had was not.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

No wonder the US economy is in the tiolette... that's where we lost all our quarters we can't fish back out with magnets.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Dingbat, That's a pretty sound plan, however most of us divide the cost of the boat, gas, beer and food by the poundage of the fish we catch (that's economics right?) and determine that fish only cost $1245.00/pound. When you add in the cost of the stuff they bought at the outlet, the cost of the fish is outragous.... LOL

Seeing that I'm the only male in a household, there are times of the month that I'd give my right arm to be somewhere else and still think I got a bargin.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Sorry, I didn't know you had to battle the "Estrogen war" on a daily basis. My son, dog and I have the wife outnumbered!

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Nothing will spoil a childs love of the water more than making them endure, while you play.

My son is 9. We bought our boat a year before he was born, as he has a much older brother that we wanted to keep involved in family activities. Now, in 2008, he's been out of the house for 4 years. We still go boating. Wife & I ski, and we try to get our younger son to enjoy tubing.

The last time I told my younger son we were going boating Saturday, he said "Oh, Dad, do we have to? It's BORING!" Made me want to cry. So I bought a boating magazine, and showed him the pictures. (I was salivating!) "Which one do you like best?" I asked. He pointed to a cuddy. "Why?" I asked. "Because I'll have some place to go when it gets boring."

We haven't made it enough about him. I hope we'll find a way to do that this season so we don't lose him forever.

Dave

 

[MikDee]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

How do I get the wife interested in the boat? I've had a 3 seater jet ski for a couple yrs, but had a boat before when I met my wife, she liked it, but since she learned how to drive the jetski this year, she's not interested in the boat I picked up last summer, an 89'- 19' Bayliner bowrider with a 125hp outboard. She'd rather have just the jetski, even though she likes to ride in the bowrider, she considers it too much of a hassle to take the boat out, she really has no use for the boat. Personally, the big lake we boat on is rough most of the time, and I don't care that much for the jetski, because it gives a hard, wet, ride and you can't go much faster then just getting it up on plane.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

With that said, we haven't made these trips all about the kids. We make it about both. They see us enjoying ourselves, friends and each other. Mrs. QC does say "they are on vacation too", and this is a good reminder. We usually allow as many as one friend each (three boys). This goes a long way . . . tough in a small boat, but it's worth it to try and arrange friends along.

I'm in full agreement with you on this QC. The parents have to lead the deal....the kids usually join in with a good example set.
As well, the idea of mixing things up with some good shore beached/anchored activities is the way to go. We always try to get everyone ashore for a hike or a swim or whatever else might be around.
All good.
BP

 

[Zamboni]

Re: Keeping the FUN in Family Boating

Strange-I've been lucky and not experienced this with my kids at all. They enjoy the boat more than us adults, complain if we try to do anything on summer weekends that keeps us off the water. Just do the regular stuff, tubing, fishing, swimming off the boat....if I park at beach for too long they want to bomb around.

I have 2 kids 10 & 7, often bring at least 1 more....maybe thats it-kids enjoy boating more with a playfriend.