Who got you into boating?

I got hooked after Katrina. I had to buy another house (nothing was available to rent) across the Lake to live in while my home was being repaired. I had to pass the local Sea Ray dealer EVERY day for nearly eight months to get to and from work. So one day I stopped by and started looking, took a test ride on a bow rider, and fell in love with the boat and the lifestyle. Well, my first boat was not a Sea Ray, it was a 2007 Chaparral 190SSI. Had that for 2 years and met some guys at an auction back in 2009. They took me in as one of them, and showed me THEIR boats:wow:. I immediately put my Chaparral up for sale and I remember it sold like in 3 months and I only lost about $1700 on her. Found my current boat in Destin, FL, sea trial, survey, negotiated, haggled, agreed, then drove her home in July of '09.

Funny thing is, NO ONE in my entire family has owned a boat, not even a Pirogue. I guess I just like to do things differently and enjoy life as I know it while also trying to turn my sons on to something different than video games and hot rods...

BTW, GREAT STORY KOHRAH!!!:thumbsup:
 
Kreole Kid said:
Funny thing is, NO ONE in my entire family has owned a boat, not even a Pirogue. I guess I just like to do things differently and enjoy life as I know it while also trying to turn my sons on to something different than video games and hot rods...

BTW, GREAT STORY KOHRAH!!!:thumbsup:
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I hear ya on the video games but hot rods are ok Dad.
 
I started with my dad first on a 1968 16 ft glaspar with 80 hp Johnson had that boat from 1972 untio 1998 then I had 1999 18 ft Glaston with a 3l four banger then 2000 20 ft glatron with a 5.0 in 2002 23 ft Glaston with 350 captains call. owned that until 2004 sold that for family reasons Then in 2006 got into coastal cruising with a friend in Portsmouth NH on a 32 ft Criss Craft also down in Ft myers Fla on a converted shrimp boat which was cool Bought my first Sea Ray in 2007 on Lake Winnapesauke 2002 300Da and now a 2009 350DA aniversary addidtion on same lake so my boating goes back a few years always loved the Sea Ray as a kid and young adult never thought Id own one .Sorry for rambling in short my father is to blame
 
Seagulls and strangers!!!
After growing up with boats that didnt run at the lake I had no intrest in boats. Then my wife insisted I go up to the Sandpoint Idaho public beach with the kids on lake Pend Oreille. I really had a problem with people walking all around me on the beach as I am kind of a private beach person. Then after I got craped on twice by seagulls I took a pellet pistol with me to the beach but I had to hide it and I couldnt shoot one of them suckers plus my wife wasnt into the dead seagull thing. One day on our way home I said why dont we sell stuff on ebay till we can buy something to dump in the water and be by ourselves. We sold and looked and looked and sold till we found a older (1983) 16' Sea Swirl that was in the best shape of all the boats we looked at, this was in 2007. We bought it and paid a lot for it but Dang It I wanted a boat that wasnt going to break down and be more of a bummer than a good time. It turned out to be a great little boat that my wife and I just loved. Untill one day the waves started coming over the bow. It scared me that weekend but that was also the same weekend we noticed Cabincrusers camping on the beach. We had just came from our motel and had a light bulb minute. Skip the hotel, buy a cruiser. So back to ebay we went. I sold a lot of the large old porcelain gas station signs and posts that I had and also got lucky buying and selling some industrial equipment. Our budget tripled by the time we found the one where she said "thats the one". I guess I would have to thank, God, seagulls and strangers
 
My son. He was 18 months old with very bad asmthma and we couldn't be more than 20 min. from a hospital. I actually brought a for sale ad to the hospital to show my wife a boat and of course, she thought I was crazy. She still does but that is for another post. We talked to the doctor and he said try it. Well, we took him out on the boat and he giggled the whole time (thank goodness). My wife was sold. That was 28 years ago.

Dan
 
My Dad did, I was 5 when we he had our 18' 1950's Century utility. It was in a boat house I remember with doors on a pulley system you would open or close when you pulled in or out. My biggest fear was running out of gas so I am told as I was constantly asking. He later got me into a junior sailing program where he and other members built 9 - 14 foot minature lightning (Bluejays) in which I still have today. His last boat was a 30ft Pacemaker, but sold it when both my sisters got married in 2 years. Now I understand why.
 
I started with a canoe and a girlfiend. I then found myself with a Premier pontoon and a Wife. Now I have a Wife and a Seville. The Seville has held up very well.
 
Woody, don't get me wrong, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOT RODS. I just want them to be well rounded. (my sons)


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I remember playing golf with my father and looking at the boats on the Mississippi River while waiting at the tee box for my turn. Looked like more fun than golf. Went on to enjoy many rounds of golf and many hours of boating with my parents on my boats. The boat is my default today. My children and their children enjoy many sports and will be boating and doing other activities this summer in Michigan. Life is good.
 
I grew up in Milford, CT...small coastal town. My dad always had boats. He's 77 now and I just bought my SR a couple weeks ago. I will be taking my dad out this weekend for the first time in 20 years. Life has come full circle.
 
kohrah said:
Thank you all for your stories and answers. I wrote this last night never expecting anyone to answer. It was my way of helping to heal myself and keep the memories alive for me.

Hope everyone enjoys their boating season. Also remember those that got you into boating that are no longer with us are still right there beside you.

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korah, hearing your story reminded me of this video. http://www.discoverboating.com/goodrun.aspx I'm sure you've seen it before, but I think it's worth sharing again. I've had so many happy memories of growing up with a boat. Thanks for reminding us. Sincerely, Brian
 
alwhite00 said:
My wife wanted a camper & the kids wanted a pool, I bought a boat & everyone is happy. :grin:

LK
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That is great and speaks to me as well. Pool season is short where I live, and pools can almost take value away from a home. Camping isn't the greatest appeal. Owning a second home where everything is miniature isn't my thing, I'd rather check into a hotel or cabin and explore from there.

And, the kids think we are perfect parents everytime the boat goes out!
 
Well my dad died when i was very young, so my mother pushed me into Scouting. From Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and made it to Eagle Scout. 5 gentleman became my surrogate dads through all those years. It started with canoes, then sail fish, and then my first ride on a power boat. Learned how to water ski when I was 14. After scouting one of the surrogate dads used to bring me along with his wife and son on their boat every weekend during the summer. Made my mom happy because she was working and this was a built in care taker. I boat my 1st boat, at 24, a 1966 MFG that needed work with an 80 Hp out-drive. It was all down hill from there. Now on my 7th and last.
 
It was my father and he actually got me into sailing! I was 13 and he convinced me to attend a sailing course even if I was kind of reluctant to it… but it changed my life!

I loved boating from the first day. After a few years and lot of regattas I became a sail instructor. It was a great human experience for me and helped me in growing my love for the sea and my need for "floating".

In 1987, when I was 23, my father and I decided to buy a boat for the family and it was an Italian center console with twin i/o Volvo diesel. That was my personal evolution into motorboating and then into the world of Sea Ray!
 
It was a bunch of drunks on a houseboat for me. I'd never been exposed to boating as a kid. My parents didn't swim and would freak out if we got near water deeper than a swimming pool.

I got talked into going on a houseboat trip with a bunch of friends when I was about 30 yrs old. Found that I loved being on the water and ended up buying a Waverunner, then a 21' cuddy, then a 27' cuddy, and now a 27' bowrider. Have made some fantastic memories and friends due to being bitten by the boating bug. I can't imagine my life without a boat now.
 
Without a doubt it was my Dad. As far back as I can remember our family always had a boat. It's something that we all did together as a family when I was younger and it's something I'm doing now with my family. I have some wonderful memories from my childhood and I hope that my son will look back on our time boating together with the same fondness that I look back at my childhood days spent on the water.
 
This was the first boat my dad ever took me on. A bit too big for a trailer but very stable in the water. The little boats (Submarines) were attached to her like pups on a momma hound. Many years later the admiral bought our first boat for us. Her family boated.

BTW. Let's remember all those who fought and gave it all for our freedom to have a fun day on the water!
 

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Fortunately my entire family has been into boating. My grandfather and his father captained tugs on the Hudson. My father spent summers working a gas dock on Long Island and told me stories of the captain's daughters waiting as their fathers filled up. To top it all off my wife grew up water skiing on a local lake and loves the water. Now that I have my own "captains daughter" I may have to make the trip to the fuel dock solo.

Thanks for the great thread.
 
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