People wanting to go out on your boat...

[Fireman431]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Why don't you move this discussion to the Trips and Destinations section? there are so many people here, that you could "boat pool". Get together with a group of 3-4 boaters near you and take turns on everyone's boat each weekend.

All will get a chance to use their boat, you will only have to gas up once a month, everyone knows how to help clean, operate, and maintain the boat, and you know they will show up because...after all...it's boating!

Hell, you might even make some new friends out of it.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Already had a New England get together with a few other boaters from the site. Was a good time, and I would be all about doing it again.

I am pretty sure most of that group of friends haven't been on a boat in a long time, if ever. This might have something to do with it. Not that they think there is work involved, maybe they are just timid??

I guess it is just more motivation for me and the GF to get used to docking her, and take it out the two of us. Meet up with other friends on the river and do the whole raft-up, hang out thing.

 

[TMoNeE]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

I always have more than ample friends that want to go out, but getting my wife to go out is the harder part.

 

[642mx]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

I have the same issues... I ask people to come, and they almost always turn down the offer or don't respond. When they do go, we always have a good time and I only ask them to help wipe the boat down.... I never ask for $$.

Recently, when I invite someone, I give them a timeline to let me know yes or no. For example, I'll invite somebody on a Monday and tell them I have to know an answer by Thursday.... this way, I can ask somebody else.

I almost prefer to go out with just myself and my wife. But I don't want to be a snob and not invite a couple friends too... If I didn't have a boat, I would want to be invited.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

That is my biggest gripe about this certain group of friends.

I ask, ask and ask and even ask when I know they are getting the message, but get no response. It isn't until I corner them, and then I get the reluctant, I'm busy so I can't go. We had the New England get together on this board, and until the night before I didn't have anyone going. I luckily have a different group of friends that I talked into it. One wanted to bring his own boat, but I was able to coerse him into coming aboard mine. In the end we had a good time, but due to the short notice, had to leave early to let one guy go take care of his dog.

I really just can't understand why these friends would mention, talk about and shown an interest in the boat, but when it comes time to use it, go silent and back out.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

The hardest seats to fill are the spur of the moment fishing trips. With a 20' boat its impossible to plan a fishing trip too far in advance not knowing what the weather is going to be. I'd give my left *** for a friend that I could call the night before and say "its on tommorow are you in?"

 

[clockwatcher]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

We have a nice "boat access only" beach on our lake. There's often 75+ boats there on the weekend. I didn't know anyone the first few times I went. Now I can always count on meeting someone I know any day I go out there. If there's someone I don't know, I introduce myself if my wife doesn't do so first. It's like Cheer's X100. My wife and I have said for a long time that the best feature of our old boat is all of the great people it has introduced us to.

Find the local sand bar or boat beach and socialize with like minded boat people. Pretty soon you'll have boat friends of all kinds.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Perhaps the friends who helped you are in different situations now--married, children taking up time, generally busier. They may have taken up golf, or have a vacation spot now. They want to take week-ender trips before they have children.
Maybe riding around in a boat isn't fun to them, or not fun any more.
Some guys like working on a project more than the results.
I know you're wondering, maybe they just don't like me any more? possible.

Recreation time is very very valuable in these busy times. If all you have is Saturday and Sunday, you hate to commit half of you week's recreation time to one activity: sitting in a boat, someone else's boat at that. You have two days to do the stuff you have to do: chores, fix-its, your own hobbies, drive the children around or go to their activities, take care of your parents and perhaps their houses.
If you go to church you have only 1/2 of Sunday. I said to my wife the other day, we could have a lot more boat time if we were atheists.
I remember a couple of years when it seemed like every other weekend of the summer was another wedding. I wouldn't want to miss many of them individually, but collectively, it was too much.
Once your friends start retiring, ironically, it's harder to get together with them; someone is always off to some place or another.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Home Cookin', I hate being that guy, the one with a response to everything, but I can break down this group of friends. 25 year olds, living at home, full time job during the week and the only extra curricular (a couple of them just finished their masters) activity happens to be the softball team, that I'm part of as well. No kids, no marriages, no houses, two or three of them have dogs/cats but their parents watch them...

This could very well be what frustrates me. I feel me being the only homeowner, I should be the one with the most on my plate. If I miss a softball game I catch heat, but when they can't make a boating day, theres no mention of it.

Oh well, more motivation to ask those who are reliable, and get comfortable with me the GF using the boat solo!!

 

[Cuyose]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

I'm willing to bet whats happening here is so basic you might just be missing it. While having a boat is very enjoyable to you and to those people that "mention going out on it" all the time. When the weekend roles around, most people have more friends than just you. These friends ask for time as well as all the other things they are responsible for when not at work.

What I would try is to ask a single friend or couple good friends if they would like to invite a couple of their friends on the boat for the weekend. That way they get to spend time with other friends they may feel obligate to see and you get to meet new people.

The main thing to keep in mind if you are doing this is to be as open and laid back to changing conditions as you can. If passengers get the feel that you are frustrated with someone having to leave early, inviting another person they didn't tell you about, etc. They will be reluctant to go through that again. Even if you don't think you are portraying that frustration, it doesn't matter if they are perceiving it.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

You know there is the obvious....maybe you are just a drag to be around!!

 

[Turx]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

My guests usually involve my kids and their GF /BF. They are all grown, my youngest daughter is the only one out of myself, her brother and sister that doesn't own a boat. So.... she gets her pick.

 

[tuffshot]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Welp, glad I'm not the only one with the lack of people to go.

Priorities pretty much ruled my boating. The family got older and priorities change. I spent 7 years with my previous boat offering time on the lake and it ended up with me and my youngest son 99% of the time. With college and him working reduced his availability too.

Thought about buying a pontoon to get the family and friends together but from past experiance I knew the results. I would be alone on a pontoon island.

So, I sold my runabout and bought a bass boat and couldn't be happier.
I can unload and load her by myself and don't mind wetting a line when I want to go. Seemed kinda selfish at first but past experiance outweighed the feeling. I can still take a couple of people so all is good.

 

[PGFISHER]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

My wife always over-does; better to have too much than not enough. When we go out, she makes sandwiches for an army and gets bait to feed every fish in the lake. When guests don't show or bow out, we're left with a freezer full.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

You know there is the obvious....maybe you are just a drag to be around!!

I was waiting for that!! Donnie Downer..."I hope we make it back alive this trip...I hear the Coast Guard won't even help look any more..."

 

[25thmustang]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

I would understand but these same people invite me to all their events. It also boils down to the fact that I have never even been given the chance to show them any good or bad time out there. It might boil down to them not wanting to spend the day on the boat instead of leaving their options open. Oh well I will invite those that are reliable and let those that don't answer come to me for the boat rides.

 

[tgell001]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

.... I'm getting in on the this post a little late but i'm having the exact same problem as we speak. And you litterally disctibed my group of friends exactly (other then the living at home part) they're all single and half of them dont even work because they're in school still.

I love to wakeboard, and people = weight = bigger wave. I dont ask for gas money, i dont ask to help clean the boat. All i ask is to buy the beer and with 5-7 people throwing me 8-12 beers isn't a big deal. But i litterally ask, starting on monday, everyone i know ( that i care to spend the day with) and everyone shows interst and flakes. I litterally live 1 block from the ramp and so does everyone i know (in the city).

I have narrowed it down to two people that will go with me every time i ask, and they're quickly becoming my best friends. I'm an adveturous and not lazy at all kind of person and the 2 guys that enjoy going out as much as me i guess are the same way.

The problem i'm having right now is i'm trying to make a long weekend run to a beautiful lake that me and my girlfriend enjoy very much, but SHE wants to invite a couple. So finding a couple to spend 150 bucks on a hotel room for the WHOLE weekend is turning out to be impossible. As if i could get a group of my guy friends to go anyways when they wont just meet me at the ramp and jump on with a weeks notice

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Most of my friends have their own boats so we all meet somewhere.

 

[tgell001]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

I think i'm the only one that actually uses my boat. I have a few buddies with boats and they never use them. My one friend just bought a new one in june and was so excited about it and its all he talked about and he's only been out once since he bought it. All he talks about is working on it all weekend (stereos and stuff, trust me it runs fine) and he never takes it out. My other buddy always has excuses why its not a good idea to go out (too rough, too hot, too cold, too tired etc) and my friends with jets skis never use them, the just move them around the yard to cut the grass. The only people i can ever get to meet me out is my parents and hell they're more fun then most my friends anyways and i dont have to pay for beer!

 

[tuffshot]

Re: People wanting to go out on your boat...

Found guilty today.

A friend from work got a new to him bass boat, I was invited to go to another state for a 2 day fishing trip. I don't mind that it is 6 hours away but we work shift work and we do not have the same days off so I can't go.