Do you let the wife and her family take your boat?

OK. The wife's brother has a houseboat on Lake Powell in 2 weeks. I likely can't go because of work commitments. The wife wants to take the boat and have a fun week with her brothers and their families without me. She's OK at backing the trailer, but she's never docked or loaded the boat (my bad, I always do it). She would likely be OK if she were alone, but she'll have several kids with her, one of which is a baby. Her brothers don't know anything about boating, nor are they familiar with watching for underwater hazards. Knowing all of the potential bad things that can happen to my 40K+ machine, I am reluctant to let it go anywhere without me in it. How do you break that to her (and her family)? They are kind of counting on me to bring the only decent and reliable boat.

Two questions: Is it wrong to have serious concerns about them taking the boat?
How do I break them the news if I decide against her taking it?

Did I also mention its a seven hour drive to the marina?

Let me have your honest opinions.

I think you need to find a way to have your boat go on the trip in good hands.

Boats need captains.

Can you take your wife out and train her on being the captain on the local lake?

Also, train her on how/when to ask for help from people.

Tall guy,

Give her the helm and let her shine! Maybe she dings the glass on the dock or some other minor mishap occurs. That's why you pay those insurance premiums!

Plus, you know I'm there for you if you need me...

I think the wife will be OK. She just can't afford to be with the boat the entire time because of the family. She's been in it with me tons, so even though I haven't let her dock or trailer it, I think she's seen it enough to get a feel for it quickly.

It's probably the other prospective 'captains' that concern me. They are really good people, just with very very little experience.

As you all have probably discovered with anything - people never treat someone else's stuff the way they treat their own.

I think my dealer is salivating at how many hours of repair work he can get out of this experience!

It's always good to have someone you can count on though!

I sold a boat to a large family with a very busy Dad who had little if any time to take the family out. I taught the Mom all the ins and outs of trailering etc. and they went without the Dad all the time!

Really, I agree with Dane. Give her some practice before they head to Powell and I am sure all will be fine!

Matt

It's just a boat!

She is your wife, and as such has just as much ownership rights as you do. If she is affraid of taking it out for fear of damaging it, then let it be her choice. If she feels cofratable, just ask her to bring it back in the same shape or better.

let her know that if she gets any dings or dents or tears in vinyl, then she will be responsible for the repairs.

Don't be mean, just have a non-confrentational talk about taking care of the boat, and ask her to have the same talk with the other potential captains.

Just keep in mind that it is after all, just a boat, and it can be repaired. Memories and wives are for life.

Ask you wife is she is ready to fully embrace the responsibility. Boating is dangerous. Captains should not be running on HOPE.

She can ask others to watch over the kids. And, she can ask others to help dock the boat. Yet, I have found that you need to give clear and concrete directions to novices and even then it may not work. Novice passengers are often confused and slow to respond.

I wouldn't. (sorry honey)

TTG - do you have any good XO candidates? My wife is pretty good with the boat, and we have never been in your situation, but I always have a friend or two, who I ride with regularly, and can trust to get the boat on the trailer. Thane Dogg, Joe Umali, C-Stack are good examples. We are heading to Cottonwood cove and Needles next week, and I am taking TeamValdez with, because 1. They are really good kids, 2. They are really good with the boat, and 3. It will be just me, my wife, and my 2 kids (who are too young to be any real help) for the last part of the trip. I look at it as a win-win situation. Eddie and Jacob get some really good water time, and I get some help with the boat & gear.

I agree with Dane's last post. Safety would be My biggest concern. Having a boat load novices is no time to learn how to safely operate a boat.

Thats a tough one.. Im glad Im not in your spot, however I am trying to put myself in your position. Heres my suggestion.. Over the next few weeks go out as much as possible and you do nothing, only provide directions.. Let her trailer the boat, launch, pull everyone, help everyone in and out of bindings, handle the rope, everything. See how she does, as if your not there, persay. Remember, to be hard on the problem and not the person.. Im confident you will them make a good decision. Good Luck!

No way, because of the kids and baby.

I would have to say (it's a tough one) but...uhh, no. Maybe they could all pitch in and rent one?

You have a tough choice. I wouldn't worry about my wife so much as all the other people involved. I wouldn't let this happen in my situation. I think the easy way out is to have something go wrong with your boat just before the trip and with no time to get it fixed they could rent something. This is what rental boats are for.

I have taught many of my buddies significant others to take thier rigs out responsibly. Enlist a trusted friend to teach her about safety around a boat sometime in the next 2 weeks then let her take the boat. It will be easier and faster from her to learn from somebody without the spousal emotions getting in the way. As a last resort I would call a marina at Lake Powell and hire somebody to help them out and to help put the boat back on the trailer. They are renting a houseboat right? Somebody help this poor guy out with a local contact.

Just imagine what would happen if something basic like the plug was left out or a water line broke?

For safety sake alone I would advise against the blind leading the blind approach. My 2 cents.
Mike

I don't see that rental boats vs. your own boat as the issue, I see safety being paramount. walt's right, that's absolutely not the right time for novices to get on-the-job-training. This is your wife & kids we're talking about & whether it's your boat or a rental makes absolutely no difference to what could happen because of someone that is ignorant of boating safety. Your wife probably would shine with the responsibility, but you don't have the opportunity to drill the others on all of this & for that reason alone I'd be against it. Does the state that you live in require any kind of boater's certificate or education course to operate a boat? If so, that may be your out. Also, check your insurance policy. Lots of insurance companies will only cover drivers that are listed on the policy, so that may be one more thing to look at. Just a thought.

I wholeheartedly agree with the "blind leading the blind" - bad idea all the way around. Take some time to teach your wife right, she'll make you proud for it.

IMO it's half her boat, if she's comfortable you should be too. Give her some leasons and let her go to it. If she dings it, its not the end of the world, nothing money can't fix.

You don't mention if your wife can competently drive the boat. If she can no bother.
Does it really matter if she takes 10 mins longer than you on a slipway, who cares, we've all seen slow people on a slip. Surely her family can look after the kids leaving your wife to concentrate on the boat.
I'd be more concerned on the water. Does she have a good feeling for what's right and wrong to do. If so let her take it. Why not give her brother a call on the quiet and say to him "look it's my wife first time on her own I'd really appreciate if you could all help her out with what needs done on the boat. Don't tell her I called you as I want her to feel she's managed on her own". That should hopefully get the newbees on side as well.
And remember if the boat get damaged, it's insured, whatever happened it could just as easily have been you driving

My question is in a pinch will she be worrying more about what the kids or the baby is doing instead of focusing on her primary duties protecting all in the boat, letting the kids be the families main responsibility while she is the captain. The dock comes up pretty fast if your not watching or its dusk. We wouldnt want to see any posts like the memorial day accident ones. If the family wants the boat to go so bad direct them just as you would do while driving the boat that they MUST help with the kids when mom is busy driving the boat.

I second what Kev said, give the brouther a call. She'll need a hand handling the boat around the house boat to get properly tied at night ect. I'd also take her out a few times (and stay away from the captains responsibilities)before then like others have said, and run down some of the saftey sits., and how to deal with them. It's the 'what if's' that I'd concentrate on, not the normal day to day stuff if she is otherwise comfortable on/with the boat. When we got our boat, I trained my wife on Everything. She'll take the boat whenever she wants to. She hasn't cause any damage to the boat, and everyone has returned safly. With the added responsibility chances are that she'll shine.

Hey Tallguy, sometimes all the training in the world doesn't matter! My wife grew up on lakes/boats, and spent 2 yrs on my lake, first time she drove our new boat, parked it at about 15mph on a stump! Tore the rudder clean off, put the prop in the fglass and bent the shaft! She knew she was too close to marsh area, just didn't compute properly.....who cares, it was fixed and 3 weeks later we were married and the boat was back nice as ever! Give her some lessons in the next 2 weeks and pray for the best! I do agree, safety of all involved is #1.

Man a house boat trip at Powell is not a great training ground. Towing a boat behind a houseboat can be a nightmare. Especially if you hit any unexpected big storms while under way. I take it you will have an inexperienced houseboat captain too. Lot's to worry about, as you said submerged obstacles, huge tour boats that throw 4 foot wakes, monsoons etc etc. You have insurance for the boat, I worry about the kids especially a baby.

will she have to trailer it too? sounds like the wrong time to me. she should be prepared for the trip not learning on it. way too much going on with family, kids, total newbies, etc. there's so much at stake there, not even talking about your precious boat.

some quick lessons might be help but she'll still be single-handedly dealing with alot of stuff.
seems like she would enjoy the trip much more with you as captain or then just relaxing on the houseboat.

edit: to answer your specific questions

1. it's not the boat you're most worried about.
2. it shouldn't be hard to explain, if your wife can't understand your concerns then she might not appreciate everything invloved in keeping the people and the boat safe...as a new captain, on a new lake, with an inexperienced crew, kids (baby?) around, etc.

(Message edited by salty87 on June 07, 2004)

When you said boat is 7 hours from Marina did you mean that she (your wife) is towing your boat 7 hours to the ramp where she will put it in? Honestly I would be less concenrned about what my wife would do on the water than her trailering the boat that far with kids in the car. I also get the idea that it is her brothers that will be doing the driving on the water. Do they like you?

It ain't impossible, but man you are not going to get much sleep while they are gone.

What are the dates of the trip? I might be able to offer my sevices as a qualified boat driver. I bet you could find someone who is very close that would be willing to go on vacation with your family to make sure all is safe. as others said it is her boat too, but I'm of the opinion that I would be contributing to potentially very hazardous situations and would never forgive myself if something were to happen. I can only imagine the brother in law hopping in full of confidence blasting in towards shore & then standing up asking "where's the brakes?" The risks far outweigh the rewards. Having houseboated Powell last year at this exact time (with a Tige in tow no less), there will be some unfavorable weather & what happens when the damn houseboat comes unhooked or any number of potential things go wrong. "what if" is not my way, but it certainly is when it comes to my wife & babies(& i don't even have any!!!!)

Is she listed as someone on your insurance? I had to add my wife. I don't think it is a given that the wife is included as a registered boat user. That means the user is in the boat or being towed by the boat for the insurance to cover it.

I let my wife and resposible friends take the boat, but, I would be scared if the wife had to keep an eye on the kids, the boat, the family members on the boat.

It only takes on second to turn your life into a nightmare on a boat and in a car. Only difference is that a car is used everyday in all types of conditions and it is more second nature and you do not have to train a crew to help you drive a car.

Good luck with the choice.

NO. tell them to go rent a float boat. it won't sink if they forget to put the plug in.

(Message edited by g3revenge on June 07, 2004)

Initially I was going to agree with others who said to take her out and let her be the captain. Then I started thinking about all the responsibility it would be. So I started thinking, if I was the one taking the boat and was the only qualified person, would I be comfortable? I don't think I would. I would want at least one other person who knew what they were doing. I don't have kids, but I think I would be distracted, especially worrying about the baby. If the family is willing to watch the kids during the entire vacation since she would be the person solely responsible for the boat then maybe it would feel a little safer. It sounds like you have faith in your wife, so I have no doubt she would do a good job, but would she have fun holding that responsibility for the whole vacation. It may not be very relaxing for her.

I'm going there this week and again in 2 weeks. My boat isn't going with me on this trip with the houseboat, because there is nobody I trust to take care of my boat while I'm focusing on the houseboat. So we'll only have 1 ski boat. Next time I'll take it since there is someone to pilot the houseboat. The lake is down and you have to be more careful. If it gets stormy and nasty, who's going to take care of the kids while your wife is seeing to the boat? I hate to be a kill-joy, but safety and protection of my expensive depreciating toys comes first. I would help pitch in towards a rental for a few days.

This is a tough one. I believe in letting people rise to the ocassion, and I believe it would go a long way to let your wife take it out alone and build trust, respect and all that good stuff. I would definately hit Sand Hollow a couple of times and give her some practice with everything, including towing the boat. Here comes the big BUT. I like what Frenchy said, I'm not sure Lake Powell is the best training ground. Absolutely no problem on the local lake with herself, girlfriends, and kids. But Lake Powell can be kinda scary at times with the wind storms, rough water, navigating/docking houseboats. I think it would primarily depend the experience of the rest of the crew, her brothers and all the other adults. You absolutely have to have someone that will take care of the kids and baby should your wife be busy with tying down a boat in a windstorm etc. To conclude, I think if you give her some practice before you go, assign someone to watchover the kids and baby if your wife is unavailable, and absent all of her brothers and the other adults are boat buffoons/idiots, you should let her go and have a good time. Just make sure her brothers and others are capable of handling things should they get hairy.
With Lake Powell make sure you check the forecasts and watch the horizon for storms.

I am a single female who just bought my first boat. My guess is if one day you went out with her and had her do everything (back the trailer, talk you through launching, driving for the whole day, tie it up, clean up at the end of day, etc...) she would be so tired after that one day she would not want to take it for that week.

I was very lucky in I have a crew where several are boat owners, so they help me out alot and I can trust, but I can't imagine doing it all by myself anytime soon.

I forgot to mention that my work partner went to Powell last week and hit a rock with a rental boat. The outdrive on the I/O was ruined. Fortunately no one was hurt and the boat did not sink (although if my boat sinks I could get a new one...).

The safety issue is a big thing here. I appreciate all of your input. Lake Powell really can be a scary place when the wind comes up or because of unexpected underwater or weather hazards. It scares me to navigate a huge houseboat or tour boat wake, and I feel I can handle the boat well. I know someone who is paralyzed because the pilot didn't see the tour boat wake and launched their boat into the air.

I wonder if the rental is the best idea, then I stress less. Then I can stay home and work to pay for it...Maybe an even better idea is to focus on what's most important to me (building bonds with my family) and tell my work just to deal with it.

Good idea to check on the insurance. I'd feel best if my wife were the only one to drive the boat, but how's she going to nurse the baby etc.?

At first I wondered if I should post this to 'Dear Abby' not wakeworld, but your thoughts have been great!

Tell work to stick it. Family first.

Ok that clears things up for my opinion "how's she going to nurse the baby". Sorry honey but you have too much to deal with already so id rather you not take the boat.

If going with them is an option, then why not go. Otherwise I think you need to talk to her, bring up everything mentioned above and see how she feels about all of it. If she's willing to accept all the responsibility, including being willing to tell the family that it's time for a driver break so she can take after the kids, then she takes it with her.

I'm not against a wife/g-f taking a boat by any means, but it sounds like yours is gonna have enough to deal with w/o a boat. Kids (especially a nursing baby), extended family, house boat, etc.....and all of this w/o her husband there to to help out. I'm thinking another boat should be the last of their worries.

SFH

TTG
Being a family man, I know what you’re going thru. (We just got a new 2004 Ride, my 18 yr old asked if he could take the month old boat out with his friends. He has never towed a boat. I said no, not yet) Back to your dilemma. It's a Boat, you have insurance, and your wife wants to take it with her family...........
She feels the same about the boat as you do........ Let her take it. But, Do take the boat out with her and run thru a crash err......I mean an instructional training, regarding the proper boat anchoring, piloting and such. Make sure she has two adults in the boat with her, to properly dock, when going into the marina. Have her practice backing the boat with the trailer in tow and backing the boat in reverse on the water.
It sounds to me, for YOUR well being, you need to take a week off for emotional stress at work, which just happens to coincide with the Lake Powell trip.
Remember, the boat can be repaired, easier, than Family Relationships.

Good luck

i would say no... Safety first... The worse thing is a captain that doesnt know. But i would teach your wife how to Captain the boat for future trips..
I'm not use to the family situation, so little different for me, I'm currently teaching my girlfriend how to captain a boat properly

I'm sure you've got this covered, especially since your in Southern Utah...but make sure that you're boat insurance covers boating out of state. Some policies only cover your resident state or other limitations.........

Hey "Women Drivers" enough said

let her take it
If she hasn't driven it on before .. Tie a rope onto the bow and get a couple of the guys to help her float it on, she doesn't necessarily have to drive it onto the trailer.

If she will have to dock it as well get a couple of docking hoodackies to throw over the side and make it easier for her to dock without having to worry about damaging the boat

Just let her know that you only want her docking the boat and being in the drivers seat when its going onto the trailer.
Remember she will probably not want to damage it more than you. If you damage it, it has to be fixed. If she damages it, it has to be fixed and she has to worry about getting grief from you (whether you would or not she'll still worry about it) and that you won't trust her to take it again.

(Message edited by powdrhound on June 08, 2004)

Maybe if it was a Malibu or Mastercraft but no way for Tige'

After seeing that you've got a baby that's still in the nursing stage, my opinion just went from "probably not a good idea" to NWIH. I am the captain of my boat & I'm also the mother of 2 sons - I can't even begin to imagine that scenario & how completely stressful it would be for her. Many of you say that the brothers can help - in reality that's not what brothers usually end up doing. This is a really bad idea.

If she wants to learn the boat, fine, that's a great idea, but this stuff can't be taught in a day. Situations like that require experience - none of which any of these people sound like they have.

If there's any way that you can ditch work & go, do it.

My ex-wife was a good driver so with her I say yes. My current wife I wouldn't trust with a moped. So I say yes and no. Does that help? It depends on the woman and go with your gut (gulp). Obviously, comments will come after this post. Believe me I made the right choice.

what tracie said, EXPERIENCE and it cant be learned in a day!! As much as people want to be helpful or generous that doesnt make up for experience, would you call a neibor over to help wire your garage cause he is generous or call your neighbor that is an electrician cause he has EXPERIENCE!! I stand behind what i posted above or talltigeguy you just need to spend some time with your family. Tell me why anyone who actually had a choice would opt to work instead of going to the lake with their family???????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????

Not sure if he has a choice about work or not, I was just throwing it out there that if there was any way at all to go....

BTW, I don't say any of this out of concern for the boat, that can be fixed, replaced, whatever - it's just a thing. I'm worried about safety for the kids, Mom, brothers, & anyone else that can potentially get mixed up in this that "tries to help". It just sounds like a recipe for bad things.

On a houseboat without you she really needs to keep a close eye on the baby.......boats can be repaired or replaced.

uhh yea thats exactly the analogy i did with the electrician and safety thing, did anyone get that?? As far as whether he has a choice to go or not, he did post something about maybe he will just need to take off from work to go with his family.

Here's the update...

I was able to get off work and things worked out great. There were 38 people on a single houseboat with 8 different families (many were kids). There was a very old runabout/fishing boat, a 28 foot bayliner, and a 1986 malibu closed bow 17 foot direct drive, and my boat.

The old fishing boat burned up its outdrive on day 1 pulling a tube, the Malibu had engine trouble and spewed out an oil slick and smoke as it ran - asphyxiating all in its wake. The bayliner was too big to really be any good as a fun boat. So, the only fun boat was mine. I could only stay for basically 2 days. After watching the Malibu owner manage his boat, I was very glad to be the only captain. My wife considered staying, but I made it clear that when I left, the boat left. She came home with me.

After teaching newbies to help dock the boat on the houseboat, I could see that there would be a lot of difficulty with an inexperienced driver and with inexperienced helpers. They were always willing to help, but had to be instructed every step with items that seem to be second nature to me and my buddies. The input above that Lake Powell is no place for someone to learn to boat is very valuable. There are just way too many narrow channels, big waves, underwater hazards and other people. It takes practice to be able to maneuver the boat in such circumstances. Thanks for also steering my focus back to family. My kids will remember this as a positive experience for a long time.

I've got some great pics I hope to post some.

And, Oh Yeah, I did find a little glass just for me.

(Message edited by talltigeguy on June 16, 2004)

Hopefully you took all the advice positively as im sure most meant well, im glad you got to spend the time with your family.

Just don´t let her go with your baby, think how hard you had to work to get that machine. It is not a toy for her family to play with.

It is good hear everything worked out like it did. I have been in your situation before and it is not fun.

The power went out last night so I couldn't get any pics up. I'll get it done tonite hopefully.

I love seeing pics of Powell. Post em asap. Glad things worked out for you.

Tell me, how's Sand Hollow? Is it a zoo? My cousin, who resides in St. George, says it's only about 12 ft deep. I'd love to get some time in at Sand Hollow, maybe early spring, late fall.

Brad:
Sand Hollow is pretty busy. The lake is about 35-40 feet deep by the dam. There is a very large usable area that is only 8-15 feet deep.

I think the lake is not better than Quail Creek except it looks a little prettier and has good usable shoreline. I'm not usually interested in the shoreline so for quick runs with the guys I go to Quail. PM me when you come down. Hands down the best wakeboarding day of the year is Halloween - no wind, no people, still not too cold.

absolutely no! think about the 9 year old kid they run down, or how long your boat will be in dry dock.

OK here's a few pics:

awesome shots that boat looks great too, glad you had a good trip

I know this ordeal is already over for you, but i have had a simular situation but my wife never even asked to take our boat, instead they took a friends bayliner that was about 1/6 of the cost. i was happy my wife did not even ask, expecially when i heard that they forgot to raise the outdrive on the bayliner and dragged it up the ramp at the end of the trip. my wife can drive our boat very well, but when she does, she turns down the stereo and literally won't let anyone talk to her. we have 2 young boys (1 & 4) and at times either one or both can be a handfull. my wife knows the "funny" things about the boat (no steering in reverse etc) but also willing admits that there is no way that she would be fully confortable being the sole person responsible for everything or guiding everyone to help w/ boat duties. i leave for powell in 3+ weeks, were there still plenty of spots to beach the house boat?? what canyon were you in?? we like iceburge and escalante. i am chompingh at the bit for our first powell trip of the year, the sedcond one is in september.

talltigeguy,
Did Brian B. go with you to Powell? He was going with us about once a week before he moved, and took his board with him. Now we gotta get our own board.

About Sand Hollow, we got about twice a week. NEVER on Saturdays when it is a ZOO. It is super shallow by one of the dam's only about 8-14 feet. There are even some trees and bushes sticking up. Still so much fun though!!!

I could never imagine telling my wife--No you can't take our boat. If your wife doesn't know how to drive the boat--that is your own fault for not teaching her when you first got the boat. Make your wife drive the boat full time while you are out together. Having my wife drive only when I need a pull just means there is no one in the boat to tell her what she is doing right and wrong. It took a month or so before my wife became comfortable with all aspects of the boat. She can handle loading, unloading, docking, anything...

Not allowing your life partner to take the boat without you just seems self centered or that maybe you don't trust your wife or don't think she is smart enough to handle the boat and taking care of the kids...

Whit - i have to disagree w/ you on this one. My wife will drive the boat when it is just us and the kids and I'm riding. but that is the only time she WANTS to drive. Either then or at lake powell where there are very few boats around and their is no loading or unloading. she also drives the boat when i park the houseboat. she has no desire and i sure won't force my "life partner" to do something she doesn't want to do. it works great for us, but maybe not others. what works for you is great but it may not be for everyone. my wife would never ask to take the boat with her family or anyone else where there were things she wouldn't be comfortable doing (like docking). Not that it wouldn't be nice to have her be able to do all of the tasks needed to take the boat from the garage out on the lake and back again, she just doesn't want to.

I second that BR.

Do your wives join you when you board on a regular basis? If not--no real reason for them to learn or ever ask to use the boat. My wife and I tend to do everything together.

You guys talk like driving a boat is something tough to do... Do you guys allow your wives to drive cars? What about use hot stoves? I know there are a bunch of ditzy women out there--I guess someone has to marry them.

You don't need a license to drive a boat. In fact any twelve year old kid can drive a boat in our state. (less than 10 deaths a year related to boating--most involve alcohol.)

My wife and I spend a lot of time on the water. Not learning how to operate the boat was never an option. But it was also something she wanted to do. Something tells me the only reason some women don't want to learn is because their partner has them worried to ask.

If you let your wives drive your kids around in heavy traffic on the highway--they are at far greater risk then driving around on a boat.

I don't have time to reread the entire thread, but I think I made it clear its not her driving that was the issue. When we go boating we assume different roles. I like to drive, she likes to relax, or keep an eye on the kids. She'll do just fine with a few brief lessons as far as docking and loading on the trailer. I think if the tables were turned and I had to go to Lake Powell without her, then I would be very stressed about how I would take care of the boat and the kids including nursing the baby (I guess I wouldn't worry about nursing, but feeding). So the real issue is having only one adult to manage the boat and a crew of young kids. THere are times when it is much easier to have two adults to manage the boat by itself, let alone take care of the kids.

WHit,
Your post seems to insinuate I married a ditz. I think it just comes across that way, and you didn't mean it, because that would be rude, and we're never rude to each other on wakeworld...

talltigeguy, Whit didn't mean any rudeness. It's just hard for us to understand your situation.

I learned about boats for the first time 5 years ago, when we got an Xstar and started wakeboarding. Whit has been around water all his life. Since I wanted to be the kind of wife that does all with my husband I made it my desire to learn all I could about boating and wakeboarding.

The advantage came when I was learning to ride and I wanted time to ourselves to get the hang of things. I felt badly when others had to sit on the boat while he had to pick me up after every attempt. So I requested that just the two of us go more often. When it's just two people, you have to learn very quickly how to do everything by yourself while your partner is doing their part. It's a give and take.

I have had several family kids on the boat with me, ages 3 and up, and still am able to concentrate on my responsibilities. Heck, yesterday Whit had to run errands, so I took his sister, niece, and nephew out for the day. We tubed, surfed, wakeboarded and bodysurfed. If I weren't confident in my abilities to handle everything out there, then they would have had a boring vacation day inside at the lake. Instead, we had a blast!

Good luck with your future family outings. It seems everything worked out for you this time anyways. Happy boarding!

I wouldn't worry about your wife, I'd worry about her brothers. Dudes can rag a boat out in no time! I would'nt let my brother in laws anywhere near the helm..

(Message edited by rjva on July 14, 2004)

Wakebunny, be careful if you are bodysurfing behind the boat. Many people have died from Carbon Monoxide poisoning that way. It has happened a few times here in CA & unless you have the side exhaust from Centurion, is a very dangerous venture. Don't do it!

Stephen, thanks for your concern, but I'm well aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poison. We called it body surfing, but it wasn't actually what you're thinking.

(Message edited by wakebunny on July 14, 2004)