Who drives your boat while you...

hemidoc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
86
Who drives your boat(the one you own) while you wakeboard, ski and tube? Alot of guys say their wife but I can't ride in a car with my wife(or very many others) without fearing for my safety and that of others.

So who DRAGS you around with YOUR boat and how did you get comfortable with them.
My boat is an 18.5" bowrider with a 305 v-8
 

BigB9000

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,154
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

Im the same way with people and cars.

But I cant really tell you who, as none of my friend like boating like me, so Im a lone wolf on the water.
 

hemidoc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
86
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

Im the same way with people and cars.

But I cant really tell you who, as none of my friend like boating like me, so Im a lone wolf on the water.


Yeah most folks chicken out on us at the last minute. I have one friend who has gone with us ( and brought his wife and kids) and he towed me on the tube and he drove while the kids rode the tube(I was spotting) He aslo races motorcycles so I'm not not sure if he's real sane.
 

cordell

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Messages
308
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife pulls me around on the tube and board. You know I am worried at times, I think she might hit some big wake or something of that nature. My biggest worry is if when I fall and she comes to pick me back up and runs me over with the prop! OUCH:eek:.....lol I try to make sure somebody is with us, this way I know I dont become a life insurance check...hehe j/k:D Seriously though I trust her pulling me around.


cordell
 

wca_tim

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
1,708
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

...still looking for that lady with among other things, the brass to drive the boat with authority...

The wife? She wouldn't go out in the boat we had 10 years ago... so she had to GO!

On a more serious note, no one really, so I get to enjoy watching my daughter and her friends, keep her dog from going over the side after her when she gets in, smile, laugh, supply sandwiches, and be content to watch them enjoy the kinds of days that I still remember from my own youth...

If i don't find the woman who i trust to drive by the time supergirl goes off to college... I'm buying a 100+ mph tunnel rig :D
 

hemidoc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
86
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife pulls me around on the tube and board. You know I am worried at times, I think she might hit some big wake or something of that nature. My biggest worry is if when I fall and she comes to pick me back up and runs me over with the prop! OUCH:eek:.....lol I try to make sure somebody is with us, this way I know I dont become a life insurance check...hehe j/k:D Seriously though I trust her pulling me around.


cordell

My biggest concern is hitting a sand bar or a log or some other obstruction. We've been going to lake Oconee and some parts of that lake have stuff in it
My friend who went with the last two times said he didn't realize how 'shallow" the water was off the point I'd been driving around until it rained some and stirred it up, then he could see the change in the water

Ok maybe I'll have her try driving after I take a sedative. She drove my Ram2500 ctd 4x4 towing our 30' travel trailer. That had to be the scariest 10 minutes
 

hemidoc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
86
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

...still looking for that lady with among other things, the brass to drive the boat with authority...

The wife? She wouldn't go out in the boat we had 10 years ago... so she had to GO!

On a more serious note, no one really, so I get to enjoy watching my daughter and her friends, keep her dog from going over the side after her when she gets in, smile, laugh, supply sandwiches, and be content to watch them enjoy the kinds of days that I still remember from my own youth...

If i don't find the woman who i trust to drive by the time supergirl goes off to college... I'm buying a 100+ mph tunnel rig :D

we were towing my daughter and my buds daughter and they were leaning back in the tube(Obrian 4 person tube) not too fast and hit a wake from another boat and one of them went airborn out of the tube. Then all of the kids wanted to wipe-out
 

Irv964

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 3, 2008
Messages
315
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife, sure I am nervous but she is pretty cautious for the most part. This year was the first year she has driven it, she use to drive my old Smokercraft with a 50 occassionally but with my new one she is quite concerned about wrecking something.
Next year by this time she will need her boating card and I am sure she will learn a few things while she is studying for that? Having this card will not make her a better driver though, she may be a little more aware of what to do but nothing beats good ole seat time...........Irv964
 

Adrift

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
33
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife...
I have to admit that she is better at the finesse stuff than I am. She is a much better wakersurf driver than I am because of this. However, I cannot get her to "nail it" when skiing so she drags me a little.

When cruising, she likes to ride just below planing speed with the bow in the sky. Working on it...
 

dvan1901

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
503
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife, or my brother-in-law. My wife is a good driver and my brother-in-law is good too and very aware of a)it's not his boat so he should be careful and b)other boats and dangers around him.
 

woodee148

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
178
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

My wife pulled me around on the tube and the skis for the first time this past weekend and she did great, First thing we did was go out into the middle of lake Huron lol so we had lots of room. the only problem is that she is still a bit unsure about the boat / over cautious. A boat would be 1/2 mile away heading in our general direction and she would make me wait the 10 minutes till the boat passed before she would hammer down. but it was great for me to be ablwe to get out and I can't wait till I get to go again.

ps she also had to circle me about 4 times before I could get the rope cause she didn't want to run me over

Woodee
 

fixb52s

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 14, 2004
Messages
463
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

I guess I am lucky. My wife is an old hat at driving the boat, and does a dang good job at it. I have no problems with jumping on the skis or tube with her as the pilot.​
 

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tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

when were kids, my dad made sure the complete family was competent enough to drive the boat. as kids, we all had our favorite driver to pull us. i was the one who love to get a good straight run, and then take the boat into several donuts, so the rider got a really good ride. it got to be a competition, between my little sister and i, who could throw each other off. whether skis, or tube.

remember always have someone as a look out. if for no other reason, if the person in the water, is injured, one person will have a big problem, getting that person into the boat.

you guys, that are scared of your wife driving, need to let them drive more when just cruising. they learned to drive a car, by repetiton. also get them to take a safe boaters course, if you have not taken it, do it together. this also gives them more confidence.
 

mthieme

Captain
Joined
Oct 6, 2007
Messages
3,270
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

You let your wife on your boat ?
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

Like some of you, I can't ride in a car with my wife driving. She pulls me tubing while keeping an eye on our two little ones in the cockpit. I have a huge ski mirror to make it easier but she will pull me at barefoot speeds on a straightaway and that is uncomfortable. She has pulled the trailer out of the water only one time and clipped another guys brand new trailer at the ramp. I think she is genetically disposed to bad driving. Watching her on her snowmobile is just as nerve racking.
 

Limited-Time

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
5,820
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

Any one (adult) who is willing to try.................the last thing I want is a person at the helm that doesn't really want to be there:eek:.......................That said I always let them pull several other people prior to giving up full control.................being at the far end of the tow line that is................................. This allows the the person to get familiar and comfortable operating the boat........................... and allows me to give instruction and advice on towing correctly...............helping them learn if you will.
 

JoeCrow

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
218
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

No one drives my boat
That also means I never get to ski / tube / board
Small sacrifice to make in order to keep my boat safe
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

i agree with Limited-Time. every one of my boats handles differently. throttles respond differently. steering. who ever needs to find out how it handles.
 

chrisg

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 29, 2004
Messages
476
Re: Who drives your boat while you...

Sounds like I'm in the same boat (no pun intended :D ). Wife wants noting to do with driving the boat, so I just get to pull the kids around. Last time I was on skis was when I got some guys from work to go out on a week day. ( took the day off for some Guy time. ) Unfortunately, they have been fired this year, ( Company downsizing) So I'm on my own again, and the other guys here can't see why anyone would want a boat, let along have a cabin, or anything by the water. - I think they are Jealous - I just put a pic of my cabin and boats as my background at work - need something to look at!. I tell them that the kids education Fund - with a better rate of return then the stock market. ( When was the last time you could take your stocks out for a spin!)

As for letting the wife drive and pull me, no way! She as a big life insurance policy out on me!
 
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