Your boating history

dvx216

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Feb 1, 2012
2,692
Catawaba Island/Orrville,Oh.
Boat Info
340 Sundancer 2001
Engines
8.1s 370 v drv.
I'm a second generation boater .i was 6 yrs. old when parent got their boat . Dad help me get my first boat when I was 27 yrs . Son is 26 and afloat. My dad was a workaholic so the time spent boating were some fond memories spent on the Ohio River.
 
Third generation.
Son of a son of a sailor.
Mom waterskiied while six months pregnant with me.
I have never not been on the water (short of two years in Grad school in Indiana, and even then I found a lake).
Owned 16 boats.
Now indoctrinating generation four.
 
Second generation. Have very fond memories of the family on our '87 Sea Ray Seville Cuddy cabin. We rode out some pretty rough weather. I recall vividly the time when I was a young teenanger and dad said "go ahead take the boat yourself, be careful" That blew me away. I kept that thing so clean. I recall the old fogeys at the town dock being flabbergasted that this skinny teenager was backing this "huge 24' boat" (It was huge to me!) into the slip.

I'm now on my third boat, and no plans of stopping.
 
I'm the black sheep. My family doesn't like the water but I couldn't imagine not being on the water! 3rd boat with no plans of giving it up!
 
Dvx216 my story is alot like yours. I'm a 3rd generation. I've learned everything from my dad who was/ is a workaholic but always made time to take his kids out in the boat. He helped me get my first boat at 27 and at 30 I'm already on my 3rd boat.

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2nd generation. My grandfather brought me up on his 92 310 dancer. Every weekend was spent at watch hill or seaview for island. Have memories of being behind the wheel making sharp turns to make the bell ring at probably 8 yearsold. Best memories was getting stuck at watch hill during hurrican andrew? Watching things get bashed and battered! Not a good time but very exciting. Purchased my first honda ski at 17 had that for 4 years moved on to a yamaha lx2000 for 5 years then a 99 270 da for one year (sandy took her) and now I'm on my 98 330ec at 27! I can't imagine being with a boat!
 
My Father spent 12 years on Navy's boats. He was on a sub tender for the Atlantic fleet back in the day. I've always been near water but my wife bought our first boat. A 20 ft. tri-hall Glasspar with a 135 Evinrude. Her family boated on Lake Shafer in Indiana. BTW She also likes to hunt, fish, race cars, and boat. I LOVE HER!

So dad was a sailor, My grandfather settled in Minnesota (they have a few lakes up there I'm told:smt001) and my great grandfather was from a fishing village in Sweden. Though they were all blacksmiths, they all had this infinity for the water. The Admirlal's family all loved boats. Now my kids and grandkids have the bug.
 
3rd generation. My grandfather lost his boat in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. Sunk in a pile of boats in Sheepshead Bay.

I was born in January before the summer of love and was on my Dad's boat by spring, wrapped in swaddling clothes. His first boat was a 17' lapstrake Cruisers Inc. outboard, probably a late 50's model.

This is not THE boat but this is exactly how I remember it (he kept that boat up until the early '80s).
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Next was a 1959 Luhrs 31,
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then a 1967 (?) 28' Owens,
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then a 1970 35' Chris Craft Commander,

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then a 1979 26' Cruisers Inc Barnegat.
This is my Dad and Grandpa Renato on that boat in the Summer of 1987.
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And now he has a 1982 25' Chris Craft Catalina. This is not THE boat but same model.

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My progression of boats is down there below my sig pic. Just realizing the irony that my paternal grandfather and I both lost boats in a hurricane.
 
First Gen - 30 years ago my brother and I rented a little boat to go crabbing. Within a month of that we purchased our first boat together. Year after that we parted that boat and we each went our own paths with boats.... 7 boats later here I am. Married, family and kids all enjoying the boating experience. Expect it to continue a long time and my brothers boat right next to me. Today we just buy the crabs....
 
I'm a first generation boater. I got my first boat at age 5--a 9' rowboat. At age 7 I got a motor for it. Around age 10 I got a Sailfish (yeah, I became a bed sheet boater). I went boatless for many years until the early 90's when the bug bit me again and I bought a '90 Reinell 20' bowrider. I was hooked again and that really kicked off my boating lifestyle.

I kept the Reinell until 2000 when I bought a 1996 330 Sundancer and was fully hooked on the boating lifestyle. I kept that boat until I was hit by a BUI and it was totaled in 2002. I liked the boat so much I bought another '96 330 Sundancer just like the first one. I kept that one until 2010 when I traded it in on Beachcomber.

Along the way I've also owned 2 inflatable RIB's, a 16' Hobie Cat, a 12' jon boat, and now a 13' Boston Whaler Super Sport.

I tend to keep boats a long time, but I think that still puts me up in the 10-11 boat range. Fortunately GW is very tolerant of my boating frenzy because she likes boating as much as I do.
 
Like many on here I was born into boating and have boated for much of my life, though with some gaps in between. I am a son of a son of a sailor (actually, you can put grandson at the front of that. I am the first, firstborn male in my family in 4 generations to not serve in active duty in the U.S. Navy). My family's boat when I was born in 1960 was a 1957 32' Chris Craft. I can't remember all of the boats my father owned after that, but my first one in 1977 was a 1972 17' Winner bow rider with a 90 HP Chrysler outboard. We ran that boat until it died in 1982. After that, the sea was my life for awhile, eventually reaching a USCG Chief Engineer license, Steam and Motor endorsements, Unlimited Horespower, Any Ocean. After being out of boating for almost 20 years I got back into it in 2003 after a ride on my brother in-laws 310 Sundancer by buying a 2003 320 Sundancer. There started the illness with progressively bigger boats and dollars, each a 2006, 40 Sundancer, 44 Sedan Bridge and since last year a 52 Sedan Bridge. The illness continues as I'm contemplating my next move....a 58DB or maybe a 60DA. We'll see what the new 580FLY looks like at the Fort lauderdale show in the fall...boating has become a lifestyle for me, my wife and our daughters that we'd be hard pressed to live without.
 
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I'm a GEN II, also. Dad was in the Navy and bought his first runabout, 16' Dorsett w/ 45 hp Sears motor when I was 8. Learned to ski on that underpowered shell of a boat. He bought me a little blowboat when I was 13 and I bought his Dorsett from him when I was 19. Then a 1960 Glaspar Delmar, probably the best boat I ever owned-11 years and $5 in repair parts. Then a 1980 Silverline, 2001 Four Winns 26', 2001 18' Striper, and now a 25' Sea Ray 250 CC.
 
From the 1700's to the end of WWII my fathers family built boats of all types for anyone with the money to pay for them but they only owned one, a Chesapeake Deadrise. When my grandfather died in the 70's the boat sunk none ever figured out why. My father never owned any boat "a hole in the water" is all he ever called them. I owned an old wooden row boat back then and knew the Warwick River like the back of my hand. In 87 I bought my first power boat 16' Bayliner with a Force motor, I owned it a year and bought a 19' named VAGentalman. Then my first real boat 26' SeaRay Sundancer, great boat way underpowered. My oldest child was born and I got out of boating, 18 years later here I am boating the same rivers I grew up in and on, with a great boat and two great kids who love the boat and boating. I want my girls to love boats and respect them and the waters they are on.
 
2nd generation here. Started on my father's 17' Dorsett cuddy then to a 24' Owens then this 31' Chris Craft Cavalier. I have owned a total of 6 boats but only 2 of them "big boats". Time spent as a kid with my Dad on a boat was great and something I will always cherish. He let me take the 31 footer out on my own during the summer (Mom their since I needed to keep it legal) while he was at work. Yes, that is me in the cockpit...
 

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2nd generation boater. My father built a wood runabout kit boat the year before I was born. I grew up on that boat going out with him on the Willamette river in Ore. and also alot of boating in the Puget Sound in Wa. State during the summers he was geting his masters degree in biology. Those years put boating in my blood, and as soon as I was financially stable I bought my first boat. A 1977 Sea Ray SRV 180 with a 150 Johnson outboard. That was a great boat, and I wish I still had her today. My second boat was a brand new 1989 Four Winns 245 Vista which I owned for 10 years and then sold as I was starting a business and needed the money. 13 years later and the Admiral and I purchased our current 1990 Sea Ray 270 DA which we love and enjoy as many weekends as we can out on the Chesapeake bay, and as they say, the rest is history!
 
2nd Generation here too. Got wired when Dad took us fishin' in the 12' aluminum with the 9.9 Johnson for the first time. I remember them sayin' that they couldn't shut me up about boats ever since. Still love the smell o' those old 2 stroke environmental disasters. As the family grew so did the boats. I'm most comfortable in the 24' to 26' range though. It's just a very managable size for us. Dad's last boat was a GB and, although really nice, I find the bigger boats just too stressful to own. (Probably 'cause I'm gettin' lazy now!!!:smt021)
 
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Pretty much first generation. Had friends with 13' Whalers and pretty much terrorized Huntington Bay in the 70's. Mooched off my uncle as much as possible. That included Whalers, Donzi, 47' Alden ketch. I then bought my first a brand new Cobia. Spent most of the time on Lake Winnipesaukee. Then on to a 18' Whaler Outrage. That was on the Cape. Moved to NC. Years past and then the '94 250EC for a year and then '00 270DA. Circumstances now makes sense to be boatless now but I will have another someday.
 
Dad had a fishing boat till I was about 9 or so, 4 or so years ago the wife mentioned getting a camper (I HATE camping) and the kids wanted a pool. I solved both issues by getting our first boat 86 Sea Ray Seville II (21' with aft cabin) - That lasted a couple years till we ought our current boat. Family LOVES it & we are staying on the boat damn near every weekend through the summer. Now we can not imagine being without a boat.
 
God bless America and the greatest generation ever! We are rich men and have our fathers and their fathers to thank for that! Mom's too!!

Best thread ever...reminds us of who we are and why we owe those before us. A debt we cannot repay, ever!

Miss ya Dad

Capt. Rusty
 
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Second generation boater and training the third. As far back as I can remember we have had small boats to fish with in the finger lakes. At 21 I bought my first boat (a 1987, 23 ft. Bayliner Ciera), then got rid of that for a 19 ft. Maxum (We still have it for tubing). They were fun boats but we made a jump into the 380DA. We spend most weekends on it during the summer. My wife started learning how to handle it in the marina and through the channel to lake Ontario last summer, this year it the kids turn to learn. What a great way to spend the summer!
 

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