Re: Launching with kids
Duct tape works really good... not advocating anything that would bring harm to the little buggers - put em in a good pfd first, tape up the hands and feet, mouth if they're prone to overly annoying outbursts or will scream and alert the authorities... then put em in the boat while you get everything done, and presto, you're ready for a day on the water!
Seriously, I've been taking my daughter since she was 3. When she was little she stayed in the truck with me while we backed down the ramp, then got lifted into the back of the truck while I got the boat off the trailer and tied it up to the dock (out of the way of others, and planned so as not to be at rush hour at the ramp). Then we parked the truck together and got a piggy back ride back down to the boat. PFD on the entire time of course even though she was a passable swimmer then...
these days she and her dog do a last final checkout, lower the drive, start the boat and then wait until I get back from parking the truck... then again, she's 13 now too and has a good head on her shoulders... (note that I always go through the checklist, check fluids and start on muffs before we leave the house and that the ventilation blower gets turned on when we get out in the staging area to undo tie downs, and get gear organized before proceeding to the ramp...).
Can't agree with the "must have another adult" sentiment of some. If I did that, I'd never do anything. It's been pretty much always just she and I and sometimes some of her friends. Sometimes other friends. Sitting here thinking, I wouldn't trade some of those memories of dripping orange popsicle over everything so bad that I thought it would never come out of the carpet... and smiling all the while.
straight up, leaving any child in the tow vehicle without me would scare the crap out of me! Remember that pic someone posted a little while back of the submarine 4-runner????
