Boats and Babies
 

OK guys and gals.
My wife has just informed me that it may be time to start a family. How well do children and boats mix. Some of my buddies are telling me I should just sell the boat because I will never have time for it :confused: I have the bug for a larger boat, not larger family.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject for me.
thank you
Chris

A buddy of mine had his kid on the boat at 4 days!!! The kids that I have seen all love being out on boats. They ussually sleep all day. Something about the motion and noise seems to put them right to sleep.

Jon

Better do a search on the topic we talked about it several times this summer there is a thread with lots of pics!!!!My daughter was born in november and boated all summer just take it easy and all is well. The wife enforces a 45 mph speed limit with the baby on board but if its flat I've run 75.....The baby loves it sleeps most of the time...she's 10 months now and walking it could get interesting next year!!!

chris,

my little girl was out on the boat at 3 months last year and all summer this year, she loves it!!! just make sure you have a top or some other shaded area. good family time:D

Heck with that, Both my kids were babies on the boat. The youngest one was 4 days old when she went for her first boat ride. I could never understand people that sell boats because of kids, All you have to do is maybe drive responsibly. :rolleyes: My advice, buy a bigger boat and make the babies in the new boat.:D

We've been taking our grandson out since he was a year old. We didn't before that because we didn't have the boat back then.
Now that he's 3 1/2 that's all he talks about. He loves being on the water and not afraid of falling overboard. He keeps telling me my boats not fast enough. :( Wants to go faster. We have jet-ski's and he loves them too.

You just have to be careful, no real rough water, no wake jumping, racing, etc.
Find a life jacket with a head support and a grab handle in case he/she does go over the side.

Go for it!

I'm the proud father of a new baby boy. He was born the end of August, and due to motor problems he hasn't been for a ride yet, but I can't wait until next year to get him out there. I hope he will enjoy the water as much as my wife and myself do....

Don't sell the boat.

My daughter was 2 1/2 on her first boat ride (dad's Sea Ray) and all she wanted to do is swim and play in the water. Now that she is 10, and I have a fiancee with a 11 year old son, we find ourselves anchored at a beach area all day to "let the kids play" instead of cruising the river. You know how kids hate to sit still on a long car ride .

Anchored at a beach, with a beautiful woman next to me, a good drink in my hand, and lisitening to good music while watching our kids play is a very good day of boating in my book.:)

:cool: DON'T SELL THE BOAT!!! I bought a boat when my daughter was 7 mos. She loved it. Always "slept like a baby". Now she is 7 years. She loves the water. Has no fear, and swims like a fish. Now I have another "surprise" on the way, and would not consider selling the boat.

Chris.... There really is nothing that compares with sharing your passion for anything, especially boats, with a child.... I have an 11 yr old son and a 5 yr old daughter who have been boating with thier Mom & I since they where about 8-9 months old.... I'd be a liar if I said that thier schedules didn't conflict with my boating.... but now that I have kids...I wouldn't enjoy boating nearly as much without them.... "GO FASTER DAD.. GO FASTER".... "Mom they told me too!";)

As for life jackets next year we are going with the swim suits with the floatation buit in...they make a Coastguard approved version now......its a battle getting my daughter in the jacket after that she's great! looking into having a kid bolster made....she loves to be able to see and from the back seat she cant. Looking into making a frame that I can strap in between my bolsters and hanging a toddler seat in it...its in the planning stages good winter project.

My daughter had her first ride at 2 weeks.She turned 5 this august and is learning the ropes as it were.She can tie to a cleat,hang fenders and even helps clean the boat.It is all she wants to do all summer long.I was a boat baby myself some 38 yrs ago and it never had any negative effects on me,unless you consider being a boataholic a negative thing.Just use common sence,always hold the baby because car seats don't float face up and you will get to experience some of the best quality family time possible.

While I think most everyone will agree that "Babes" go better with boats than "babies" :D :D ;) , I have to agree that boating is a GREAT family activity! I have four (:eek: ) children, ages eight, five, four and three. We have a 28 Eliminator V-hull that will run (when I'm done forking with it :D ) close to 80, and the kids absolutely love it!
It's all a matter of compromise, IMHO. I really would like to own a fast cat (and will soon;) ), but the small cuddy is great for the little ruggers. My two three and four year old lttle girls will crawl up in the cuddy and take a nap at WOT!!
I looked at a 30 Daytona and have convinced myself that it has just enough cabin for the kids to play in and me to go 100 plus!!
Now if I can just find some reasonable cat insurance!!

I was raised around boats, and look what it did to me! (OK, no comments please.)

I do not have any experience directly, as I do not have kids; however, I am not afraid to take them out. When the time comes, you can do as Ty (Agressor 25) does; he takes the laptop, sets it up in the cabin, and plays kid DVDs for their daughter and anyone else's little ones that are around. Works great at keeping them entertained, and Corinne LOVES going fast.

My buddy got a puppy this season....no where near a kid but his boating days are over!! :eek: :( :D atleast this year....we'll see what happens next season!

Wally, your buddy should have bought a retriever. I also have one of those, and they love the water and people. I have met alot of great people through my dog. Everyone loves her.
As for "babes" over babies, my next child is due in Feb/March. That should get my wife back in shape by boating season.

gator, its a yellow lab and the dog actually likes the boat from what i can see. Still a little timid of deeper water but she's coming around......its more the wife "baby'ing"(sp?) the baby!!! ;)

Wally, Mine is also yellow lab. No problem deep or shallow water. Start it off slowly at shorelines. Other labs around help. I started mine in a pond at about 4 mos. A friend had his adult lab also, so mine did everything the older one did. When I had a center console boat, I could not fish top water lues. She thought we were playing fetch. Everytime I casted she jumped in. She has also jumped in after crab buoeys, milk cartons, birds and fish swirling near top.

I had my little guy out on my Skater when he was 6 months old , now he is 2 years , and loves it, get him out early.

I CAN'T KEEP MY KIDS OUT OF ANY OF MY BOATS THEY ARE 5 AND 7 LOVE IT.

Brian,

You beat me to it.
Corinne (4 years old as of Monday) is always out with us and she loves riding fast (safely of course), rougher the better for her (Daddy make it go bouncy, bouncy), anchoring out under the sunshade, playing on the beach, or watching her favorite DVD cartoons in the cabin with a fan. I would not even think of getting out of boating...maybe a bigger boat... hmmm? We stay out overnight alot and we always treat it like a camping trip with all the amenities that a tent could never have. We have met alot of great families out on the water and always enjoy making new friends young and old.

Ty

Boating is great family fun! My kids love the boat.

Thank you all for the wonderful insight.
Just to clarify, I would never sell the boat, just the wife :D LOL.

Dave M - Great Picture!!

Oops, I'm sorry I thought this thread said "Boats and Babes" :D

You can still boat!!
 

It might slow you down for a while, but it's not the end of the world. My daughter was born May 31, and we had her out on the boat by the time she was six weeks old. You just have to pick your days/water a little more carefully when they are real little, until they have a chance to develop stronger neck muscles. And yes, the boat is like a giant rocking cradle - she is so happy and content when we have her on the boat, and she goes right to sleep when that big block fires up! (It has the opposite effect on Dad - sproing! :D)

It helps to have a sizeable bimini and cuddy to keep them out of the sun. A couple of portable fans help too. And remember, if in doubt, drop the tabs and plow through the wakes like a cruiser!

Good luck!

BTW - Does anyone know how to get afound this F*&*&ing file size limit of 75K for pictures? I have tried resizing, reducing colors - everything I can think of to get this to work, and I STILL can't post a picture!!

Thanks!

Our two daughters absolutly love boating. They are 4 and 2 1/2 and really enjoy it. In fact we bought a bigger boat to accomodate them. We like to take long weekends and week long vacations and we stay on the boat.

I think its a great way for the whole family to have fun. Dad gets to go fast, kids get to swim and play in the cabin, mom gets to take care of all of us:D and get a little sun & swim time as well.

We look at it like a motor coach on the water.

Is this a "TRICK" question??? Just because you have kids doesn't mean your whole world stops, it just slows down a little bit for a little while!!! I had BOTH of my kids on snow skis by the time they were 2...They both were in the boats since day one with no problems...They both could "drive" the ski boat at 3...They both could snow & water ski SOLO at 3...They both could start the boat(SKI BOAT),work the throttle,shift, & knew the run through before the boat was started & were familiar with the rules of the road at 4...They both could run the boat & dock it (even with the left hand torque of direct drive) better than most of the clowns I see out there at 5...I bought them a 14' STARCRAFT w/a 20 hp MERC when they were 8 & I set them free in our large cove with no drama...At 10 I bought them a BAJA MINI CAT w/a 25 hp JOHNSON that scooted pretty good with ZERO problems...My kids are now 14 & 15 & if there wasn't an age/horsepower regulation, I would have NO QUALMS about letting them take our WELLCRAFT NOVA family barge,the ski boat, or the WAVERUNNER out solo...Another year or two and they can drive the rocket ship...Just think of kids as small people & things aren't the same only different...It's also REALLY KOOL to see them do a lot of things you/I didn't get to do at there age!!!

Just got to make sure you get those diapers tight ,cause it hell on white interior!!!!!:D

My 7 year old has been BANNED from the boat. Cruising along a couple weeks back after work running in the bay heading to the ocean. Nice chop, almost 3', the boat is aired out speedo bouncing 86 - 88. Kid looks up at me and says "Come on dad, it that it? I want to go wide open." Ouch!!!

DAVE M - Great Picture - I especially like the "bottle" in the drink holder!;)

My daughter started boating when she was 9 months, she is now two and loves every minute of it. The best part about kids and boats is that someone else can clean it for you.

Down here we got a lot of Warm Weather my 3 Boys were on the Boat as soon as Momma was able to also. The oldest around 3 years could run the Boat fairly well (with Dads close Supervision) when we were away from any boat traffic.

Problem is the little Ones like Speed and are totally fearless! They make a whole Lot of really nice Life Jackets or Ski Jackets for the little Guys. Which I tested with them in the Pool!
:)

Need I say more?????

This was at 15 months. His first ride was at 5 months. The rougher it is, the more fun he has.:)

Say it isn't so!
 

Chris, YOU FEELING OK??????????
you sure she didn't mean more Babes on the boat! :eek:
We've only just begun to have fun! Remember the beads? Remember the Booze? Remember the Base Blasting out of the speakers?
We need to get together more, your getting weak!
At least get the 32 then buckle under the preasure ;)

See ya Sunday bro.
Cordell

Are you talking about babies, or people that act like babies? :D :D :D

:cool: My son was born on Christmas day, and in February I was flying to florida to purchase a 280 velocity. The 22' stingray was a little to small to be riding on the home town lake with an infant.
Plus it was a bit of a handful to drive in rough water at 90++. My son took his first ride in that velocity in florida when he was only 6 weeks old and he has been in it almost every weekend this summer.
:eek: Now I just found out that we have another on the way!
wish me luck for next May.

Mark

Mark Congratulations!!

Cordell,
I think I am loosing this battle with Pam. I will still be "allowed" to go play at PIB, and Cumberland with you guys next year.
I will just be solo :eek:

Our new boater..
 

I'll try this picture thing again...

Chris,
Is this why you were asking me about adding a bolster between the two seats?:D
Now I know why you are staying late nites at the office searching out that next boat.
Your draging your feet, so to speak!
When there on a mission, you can run but you can't hide.

Cordell

2 Yr old Ashley driving the little boat.