Why sell boat when baby on the way ??

Why do I see this all the time on e-bay and here when the wife gets pregnant alot of people start selling thier boat ?? Dont make sense to me,I know money can be the issue but what do people do ..sit home and do nothing? I hope and plan to take my kids- on the way- to the water at a young age ,I know probly not as much when its a new born but I get the feeling people think that their life is over when they have kids.We have a 14 and a 12yr old that love to wakeboard now and hope the new guys love it too!! Not only am I not selling Im having to buy bigger to have enuff room. Dont get me wrong I know it will be hard for a while and we aint got alot of money ,but we love the lake and plan on staying there.. Am I wrong or being selfish?? Just ranting or feeling guilty I guess,will somebody ease my mind??thanks

i think its easier than saying that they now cant afford the boat.

I would never give up my memories with my kids and the boat. Boating is one of the most family sports around.

I agree chris 100%

I just bought my new born her first PFD. That makes 4 kids total. Why sell?
Wadd$

We bought our boat when my son was 5 mo's old! We are DEFINATELY not rich...haha....but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I can't wait until the day I see my son in that big ole mirror throwing some crazy s*** down!

I think a lot of people just use that as an excuse. It's safer than saying "this boat is a piece of junk" or "selling because it isn't good enough for me anymore".

Just got my youngest (5) up this week. We're now officially a 100% wakeboarding family. Our boat is an integral part of the family!

Thats the way I feel.My boat and my family being on the lake is our life.Its good to here other people feel the same way.I would smuther if I did not have the water and my friends and family.

I'm with you KaNi--We bought our current boat when our first boy was 7 mos old.

When I was young, my family had all the money in the world and could have had any boat, but this was because my dad worked incessantly and I rarely spent more that a fleeting moment with him. A big part of the reason that I bought the boat was to create family traditions and to spend LOTS and LOTS of good, clean, quality time with my wife and kids, not to mention all the aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and friends who join us. Despite all the deprciation, gas, boards--we all know how money seems to just pour into boating--despite that, I consider my boat an investment in my family's future happiness. Maybe wakeboarding will keep my kid away from meth.

I do agree with the previous posts that when people claim pregnancy when selling a boat it is just the easy excuse.

Peace

It's tough to have a kid on the boat out in the sun all day so I could see how a person would feel a bit irresponsible with that regard. Also if it were your first child often people go over board with worry. I waited to get a boat until my kids were old enough in my mind to go in the boat so I can see where they are coming from. I can now say that my kids love nothing more than going out on the boat so all in all I guess I can see both positions. Ultimately the people selling their boats due to a kid on the way were most likely looking for an out anyway, either that or they need to fish their balls outta their wife's purse and tell her hell no.

I can only say that I have found something I like better that riding a wakeboard...watching my kids riding a wakeboard.

I have a 4 month old son. Been out twice so far this year. Unlike snow sking, golf, ect. It is one of the only hobbies that we can do with an infant because we are all together and some one is always watching the baby. Bring the right gear and always keep them out of the sun.

I have friends who have done it. It makes me sick, like your life stops when your kids are born??? Just like sex stops??? You're only as old as you act and my kids live in the boat in the summer.

I here you man! I am expecting my first child in July. I am so excited. I also recently sold my Ski Nautique and bought a Maristar 200VRS. It is a 96 model, and I am installing a tower/custom ballast system on it as we speak. It is good to see that there are some people who still take children outside and have fun with them. THAT IS WHAT MAKE A FAMILY STRONG AND KEEPS KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE!! IT ALSO HELPS TO ELIMINATE CHILDHOOD OBESITY, GET THE KIDS AWAY FROM THE TV!! Guys keep taking those kids out, who knows you may have the next protour rider on your hands. It helps to buy boats or anything else in your price range. My boat is paid for. That is the only way to own a boat. No notes, so when I am not using it, it only cost me a small monthly insurance payment $30. It may not be a new wake boat, but it works great for us. I am 28 years old and I have to agree with the post above me. You are only as old as you act. I am so sick of people telling me that I will not even get to use my boat anymore. They are so wrong! I grew up on a houseboat down on almost every weekend. Those were great times and good memeroies.

I think it is more of a money issue for young couples. It is hard to absorb the extra $500 to $600 (sometimes more) a month for daycare plus all other little related expenses. It is not about life stopping, but, not every family makes $150,000 a year to absorb the costs.

I agree...money can get tight! I make less then alot of people lose in taxes each year...and thats what makes my paycheck! But I agree with what alot people are saying....It's an awesome way to get the family outdoors, have fun and make memories! And hopefuly help my kid stay away from drugs and know theres funner alternatives. I would rather get a part time job then give the boat up....and that might be comming soon. I also agree with Sam that people just use it as an excuse to sell the boat...their mind was already made up IMO.

I have a baby on the way, and will give up my boat, when you pry it from my cold dead hands

This makes me feel better about picking up the families new ride this sat.- Alot of co-workers and friends I have that dont go to the lake kept saying ohh your lake days are over.Yea right.Ive went for the past 10yr with my kids and wouldnt take nothing for it.Plan on going with the next 2.---Someone said above you are as old as you feel....when Im on the water with my kids I feel like a teen again. thanks for the confidence guys,ride hard this year.

When my wife got a bun in her oven I decided it was time to buy a bigger boat! My little girl has been on the boat since 5 months old.

I just bought a 2001 supra launch 2 weeks ago. My wife is due in 9 days. I liked our tique, but I feel much safer with the baby in a bigger boat, plus more room for baby items. We are way exited to take him/her out for their first ride (doesn't know what it is). I will put a post up when she delivers

In the past we have had 7-11 people on a 80 model MC stars and stipes.Was going to upgrade anyway because of room and wake,now we have to because we have twins on the way.My boat now will not hold us all,I also think later model boats are a little more family friendly-room and options ect...Love hearing that alot of family still spending alot of time on the water. One other thing if the wakeboard tour comes anywere close to your town,load up and go ,the kids will love it ,I know mine do,all will have a blast!!

I agree 100% with what has been said above. One thing to consider is that having a baby is expensive. Doctor and hospital bills can be $4K or more, a lot more if there are complications. If you don't have insurance or insurance that does not pay, it can be the difference between owning a boat the year the baby comes or giving it up.

Me, husband grew up boating, skiing since I was 9 months (with dad's help). Got married in 1994 with a person who was never on the water before she met me. I bought a new 1996 Yamaha 110hp jet ski, to see if she would get into the water/boating/lake thing. She did and loved it. Yes, I skied and strapped on the wakeboard behind it. I was young , no so much in the bank at the time. Bought a boat in July 1998 to expand on my wife's new likeness to water, and so I can have some fun too. First 1/2 season put on 40 hours, not great but not too bad compared to some. We had our little girl in 1999...so after the first 1/2 season, the boat didn't get wet much until 2004. We now have 125 hours on the boat ;-(
The wife, kids and friends are all into the boat and the whole, let's have fun on the water deal - so we bought at the right time and I wouldn't go back to being a land lover only for anything. The good news (or bad, depending on how you look at it) is we are going to upgrade the boat (since we are spending more time on it now. The 20 footer won't accommodate enough seats to hold 2 or 3 families, so the Vdrive is on order. Seems like this is a common thing from looking above.

I agree with Chris - I wouldn't trade boating memories with family or friends for anything!!! Growing on on the parker strip, lake mead etc.... and now with my kids at shasta, delta and local ponds. You can't buy memories, so live them every chance you can!

All you families out there with little ones, see you on the water! All you folks who decide to sell, get a friend who has a boat so you can still have fun on the water. Just be sure to kick down generously for gas/food to hold you over before becoming an owner again.
Bill..

Threw her in the water when she was 6 months. Water skiing at 2. Pull her every night. I bet her kids will know the same.

We have 2 kids & just had another little boy he's 7 weeks old now. Found an infant PFD, also found some baby board shorts w/ matching UV top. My wife is having a blast finding summer clothes for him. BTW I am looking for another boat as we speak. It really depends on finances I guess. Babys to take alot of time.

Believe the kids go out in the boat..... If they didn't, we'd sell them....

If you don't have particularly good health insurance, childbirth can be rather expensive. Needing to free up a few thousand dollars is a good reason for selling if you don't have many other options. Last year when my son was born over a month premature. He was in the hospital for several weeks and the hospital charges added up to well over $100,000. Fortunately I was on a good HMO (Blue Cross) and only paid about $200 out of pocket.

Other than that though, older kids are WAY more expensive than babies. Babies don't want the latest thing that their friends have. Babies don't have sports/hobbies outside of playing with adults and toys. Their baby food is not all that expensive compared to what they eat. Diapers are kind of pricey but that's a $40-$50 per month expense at most. And there are some good off-brand diapers out there (not many) that can bring that price down even further.

There's also time. You can bring a newborn out on the boat but it's really not all that practical in my experience. There's sun overexposure to worry about. It's hard to find a good life jacket for infants under 25lbs. It's just kind of a hassle. Last year when my son was born, I only went out about 10 times. I usually go out at least 30. I'm not making a boat payment so I didn't mind under-utilizing my boat for the year but if I were making payments I might've tried to sell and then buy another boat later when I'd have more time for the lake again.

Most often, I think Sam's interpretation is most accurate. "I'm selling because my boat is a piece of poo," just doesn't resonate with potential buyers.

selling b/c you're having kids might seem a little off, but we considered selling, and here's why...when my wife was pregnant with our son, she couldn't go out on the boat at all for 9 months (doctors orders). Once he was born, we didn't want to immediately take him out, as we were generally on the boat for long days. Then, we got pregnant again. Another 9 months where my wife can't go on the boat, and another number of months while #2 is a newborn, and we won't take her out for full days for another number of months. All told, my wife hasn't spent much time on the boat in close to 3 years!

I started feeling selfish going out with my friends, and only occasionally going out for shorter trips with the boy before my wife got pregnant again (the only way he's going on the boat is if she's there).

So...we decided to sell. Put an add, got lots of responses, and had the first guy coming out to see the boat. I was out front shining it up, and my 1 1/2 year old comes running out..."boat, boat!" He was so excited at the idea of going out again in the boat, we both looked at each other and said there's no way we can sell it.

I think that some people start having kids, and for the short term see their boat usage go down. There's a transition period from going out with "the crew" to going out with the kids and other families (the new crew). Sometimes it's hard to take the long term view of how great it will be to have the kids enjoy boating when you're in the middle of it.

My $.02 anyway...

Life is good..........If you can make it work, it's SO worth it! For those who had to sell, I totally understand..........however, once things calm down, buy again immediately and start creating those memories man!! Here's a few of my little water rats!

Why sell the boat when the baby is on the way?

Because you need the money.

Prior to getting married I was okay with spending all my money on toys and entertainment. Once I decided to settle down I realized I needed to start being more responsible, planning for the future. I started saving, scrimping until we were able to buy a house.

When the first baby was on the way money was still a bit tight and with all the unknowns coming up saving as much as possible was just the appropriate thing to do.

When the second baby was on the way things were starting to look a little bit better for me, and having gone through it once I knew what to expect (or so I thought....). We actually bought our first boat when my wife was pregnant with our second child.

It was a really cheap boat.....

If you are financially well off enough that you don't need the money to pay for the baby on the way then I would recommend hanging on to your toys. My daughter spent the 4th of July weekend out on the boat at only 3 weeks old.

If you need the money then sell the boat. Buy another one when you can afford it again. The kids/family have to come first. Have a lot of sympathy and empathy for your wife. After all, she is the one who went through labor and had her body completely change on her.

Rod

You know, as a non-kid owner, I just don't get selling a boat because a kid comes along. I mean you buy a boat, cool. You start performing that activity that produces children, you pretty much know the resultsHow is this a surprise? Shouldn't planning come into play here?

Tegan Olivia Waters 4 months old

I bought my boat and had to wait for my wife to have the baby so I could go pick it up. She had her on a Wednesday, brought home baby on friday ran to the store to pick up the new boat. I ain't going to lie. I took a set. baby's been going ever since. She tells me she is going to wakeboard everday. but then she chickens out at the lake.

I sold all my toys to get a house. You can always buy a boat later. You can fully fund their college for the price of an average wakeboard boat when you consider the time value of money $$$$$. Every buck you save now will = $3 or 4 or so in 20 years. That 50k boat some folks own is really costing them $200k and several more years "working for the man" when you think about where that money could have gone, based on the assumption of 5% interest paid on other forms of debt (housing, credit cards, car loans that could have been pre-paid).

I decided to wait until my kids were 5 or older to get a boat so that they will fully enjoy it, and in the meantime that $$ goes into paying my mortgage off early (hence letting me retire earlier). That also comes from my own childhood, not really wanting a boat until I was 8 or 9 years old.

When I get a boat, I don't plan on spending more than $20k on it.

Of course it does always help when one of your buddies can afford to go out and buy a new Malibu wakesetter and he wants you to be the flag biatch.

(Message edited by Thedangcorn on May 01, 2007)

(Message edited by Thedangcorn on May 01, 2007)

I had a kid a few months back. I am selling my boat, because I know I wont have nearly as much time to use it this year. it is not a big deal. I have friends who have boats. I can't wait for the day where my kid can enjoy the boat and water as much as I do. I just dont see it happening right now.

time and money is probably the answer. Not to mention all the crap you need to buy for your kids, it adds up fast.

New boat is due in three weeks, wife is due in 5 weeks with number 3! What the hell, it's only money and I want to have fun while I'm young. The boat will get paid off early along with the house. It's a stretch right now, but I'm not getting any younger and my two boys ( 3 and 2 years old ) may as well learn while they are young.

Boy I wish my dad would have had a boat like I'm getting. He was probably a bit wiser though

Shawn

I had my daughter out when she was three weeks old..And she has been out year round since...The boat is one of the places the whole family can have fun..I have a son coming in july and can't wain to bring him out

Kids barely remember most memories prior to age 5. Just remember you're doing it for yourself, not the kids

But the pictures and video last a lifetime man! They'll dig it someday! Especially when they become pros, and show pics of how they were on a boat starting at 3 weeks!

Depending on your insurance situation, having a baby can cost upwards of $20,000.....this is cash out of pocket. People selling cars and boats because of a baby coming are not selling because of daycare costs or anything AFTER the baby is born....it is ALL due to the cost of actually having the baby.

With our first, the insurance we had covered everything.....and I too wondered why people would do this. We just had our second three months ago and the price tag for this one is in the neighborhood of $12,000 (deductibles, doctor fees, hospital charges not covered by insurance). Completely caught me off guard. I'm fighting tooth and nail to keep the boat.

Adults barely remember most memories prior to age 5. Kids remember a lot more than you expect them to. Even just considering their adult life, providing your kids with happy family experiences prior what they will specifically remember later is still a good thing. I'm not saying that has to be done on a boat, especially if they don't enjoy it.