Boats, Kids, Family Boating

Kids, boat, keep the kids sell the boat, make the house payment sell the boat keep the kids, keep the boat keep the kids and make the house payment, Well decided to keep the boat take the kids to play on the boat, and make the mortgage, how much fun is this, great wouldn’t trade it for anything, anyone else gone through the same thing? What’s the best photo of your crew?

I wanted to have a family activity as the kids got older. We bought our first boat 4 years ago and have loved it. We make trips every other weekend from April until mid August. My daughter made her first river trip when she was 2 months old and my sons was at 6 months. Both of them love the boat and going to the river. My daugher loves the tube and she tells me she is ready for the horseshoe ski (we will see about that in the coming week). No need to sell your house to enjoy boating. You might have to cut out all extra stuff and eat balony sandwiches for months at a time but well worth every penny (and it seems like gas prices are making me use more pennies)

Kids are 9 & 12. Got our own boat about 7 years ago. By far the best family investment we've ever made. Been on family vacations all over the place and hands down the kids would rather boat. Question: Week in Hawaii or week on a houseboat. Kid's answer: Houseboat, duh. It is such a great family activity that it is hard to describe to non-boat people.

It doesn't work for everybody, but we made the choice to be "boat people" and it works great for us. The one downside is we have turned our kids into water snobs. They get the butter concept. We were recently out with some friends on their boat and the kids came across as a little ungrateful since they weren't up for riding on some rough water.....(we straightened that out and threw them in the water).

On the flip side one of the only ways my 12 y.o. will wake up early is when he hears the Sanger start at 0:dark:30 on the houseboat.

Here I go again

My boat and tow vehicle cost as much as my mortgage. Without the boat and the tow vehicle we would all sit around the house and kill each other from boredom. I could have easily gotten a less expensive boat and tow vehicle and cut that down a bit. In a few years it will all be over and i can loosen the belt. Work is worth nothing if I can't do crazy fun things with the kids.

no regrets ever. the boat brings us close together literally and figuratively. it's something we can all share. It provides us all a challenge, a place to relax, a place to do cannonballs off the sundeck and listen to toons while swimming and tipping a cold one. I would have problems if the kids did not love boating and camping, but they do, so we will continue to have this in our lives.

Flux
Great pic

Thanks Ken. Last weekend really hit home as the boys both progressed ALOT. Both doing their own deepwater starts and hanging on for miles. They emptied the gas tank and wanted more. Both slept the entire 100 miles home, I laughed when the 8yr old told me his back hurt from riding.

It's sappy, but the tears welled up when each of them got up for the first time. i still feel that crazy happy feeling when they do something special like ride out over the wake.

Like Steve's kid, the only way to get em up early is to tell them the water is good, they pop right up and grab their flops and hoodies and wait by the shore.

I really can't put a price on making these memories. It's alot of work getting to the lake, but a few sets on the rope and watching the boys ride and it's nothing but a thing. I can't imagine life any other way.

Same boat as everyone (pun intended)...bought our first tournament boat before we thought we would. The plan was to wait until we had a few kids and could afford it....yeah, right....Then bought a different house, then upgraded to a new wakeboard boat. Had a another child, then decided to quit trailering the boat to the lake and just moved to the lake instead. The Mortgage and property taxes suck, but the boat is paid for, waterfront property just goes up and up each year, and since I teach, I have all summer to ski, board, tube, swim, etc. all from my backyard. The gas bill is a bit brutal, but seeing my 6 yo daughter tear it up on the board and skis might just be the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Am glad we pulled the trigger a few years ago. Fianacially it was a struggle, but we knew it would be one of the best decisions we ever made. Now I just look outside......if the water isn't that great, we just go later in the day. Wife gets jealous from time to time when I call her on the water while she is busting tail at work, but hey, someone has to pay for it! She is happy if she gets her nightly ski set every other day, plus weekend morning sets. Life is way too good..........now if I just lived some place where the weather was a bit warmer............nah, that is asking too much.

Eventually the kids will be big enough to tow dad arond the lake.......that is the only real negative.........finding someone that can go with us during the week that can drive the boat when I want to board!!

We think about going on vacation somewhere and taking the boat, and we just look outside and say "Why?" We have everything we need right here and grab the towels, the boat key and head out for a late evening set.......I would be out there right now, but have to do the grocery shopping.........lol.......in 3 hours, it will be family time on the water.

A BIG Thumbs Up to all of us that commit to being boat owners and having a family and/or friends that we can enjoy it with!

Son is 3 years old. Bought my first boat two years ago. Then upgraded last year. It was between a new motorcycle for dad or a boat for the whole family. Obviously went the boat route. My son absolutely loves going out on the boat. He wants to take the boat down to the corner store for bread and milk he loves it so much.

Keeps the family together and like they say a family that plays together stays together. I'm just glad that I can provide that enjoyment for my son as I never had it when I was a kid. It will continue to provide fun for us as a family for many years to come.

It's a lifestyle. Just look at all the people in their cars as you drive by them towing the boat. It's almost like every one is checking out the boat. And they are all thinking the same thing, "Man, I wish I had one of those" or "Man, that's a nice boat". They are costly, but family togetherness is well worth the cost in my opinion.

My husband grew up with his family boating all the time. They gave him their 86 Centurion before we met 6 years ago. I have been boating ever since and have had 2 kid since then. We have an almost 2 year old and an almost 5 year old, both girls. They have been going to the river since they were born. We usually try to go 2 times a month. It is definatly a great thing for families and anybody.

I hear you on the mortgage and bills part. We just bought our own new boat a few weeks ago. Had to cut back here or there a little but it is totally worth it in the long run.

Can't put a price on fun!

AMEN

life is too short to not have fun

Nuff said...

Ive been skiing since 9 yo... wake boarding last 2 ... ive had a boat pretty much the whole time ... have been camping/ boating with my family from the begining... have 3 daughters 17/19/21... the oldest stopped going when she was 15 , shes been at college 3 yrs, the last year in Genevau... she came back on Sunday... were going to Laughlin/mohave next week... AND shes going ... anyway its not just the fun ...its the pride of accomplishment, confidense/charactor building of getting out and boarding/surfing/skiing ...we make it a point to get out all the kids that go with us out and in the water ...GL and enjoy

Tow vehicle: expensive
Boat: even more expensive
Gas: let's not go there

Spending time with your kids and watching them get progressively better and sharing in something that we all love to do: Worth every damn penny and then some.

If this is'nt worth it, then what is....

We moved to the lake and bought our "slalom" boat 12 years ago when the kids were little. I thought that was the last boat I would ever need..., "skurfing" was just a novelty. The buyer picks up my 2nd boat today, and we will be looking to upgrade. The value of my next boat will be roughly 5 times the value of our family car (we need a new one but this one keeps going).

My wife always pointed out how when we're in the boat, the kids are in a confined space with us. We captured them for that amount of time. My kids are now 18 and 15, so they now do their share of boating without us. We now see the boat and the lake as an attraction to draw them back after they leave home. (dang, I sound old)

Got into boating when our kids were 4 and 6. Still going strong now and they are 14 and 16. Boating keeps them with us more and out running around less. Their friends are always on the boat with us, because we are the cool parents with the boat. We also happen to have a good group of friends whose kids are all the in the same age group and the parents all hang out. So far, our kids have not outgrown us. They have picked friends who are just like them and how haven't outgrown their parents yet either. Hopefully, they will be like our friend Mike, who is 27 and still lives with his mom who has the river house and boat.

Me and my nephew on his first day wakeboarding. 4yrs old, got up on 1st try, with me on my board!

ITs been serveral years back and a different sport but I cant tell you how proud I was!

Not too many things better than a day on the lake with the kids!

I have 6 (six) kids, and they all love it. My oldest three can wakeboard, kneeboard (who can't) and this last weekend they all three got up on the sky ski. My 8yo also boards. It really was personally rewarding. My 11yo son is begging to get to the lake a few more times before school starts. There's something to it that you can't put a price on. I believe in life without regrets.

Man I don't have kids yet, but any sacrafices made to spend time on the water with friends and family is worth it. I've been going to the lake and fishing since I was about 10 yrs. old. Yea the cost are skyrocketing with gas and everything else, but that's why we work. Matter of fact I was just talking this weekend and how I wanted my kids (when I do start a family) to enjoy watersports and just enjoy being on the water as I do. Seeing these pics just makes me want it more so. Besides, who doesn't like to find a cove, throw out the anchor, crank the tunes and relax with friends under the sun or moon for hours on end!

My kids 5 and 8.

I'm surpised someone hasn't posted a complaint about all these " kids on the water ruining our glass...and they aren't even serious about riding!"

I tought my kids to ski, board and even drive the boat at an early age. Man... I miss having young kids again.

I'm just a little upset with all these kids mooching. I have asked for gas money, and they look at me like i have three eyes. They eat all the food, drink all the sodas, and get the towels all wet.

Then they sleep the whole tow home on Sunday, it's simply out of hand.

My son loves to drive the boat. He gets the biggest kick out of it. Next year up on the board. We love going camping and to the lake. If we could drive our boat everywhere instead of our Cars my Son would be in heaven.