www.iFourWinns.com

Marc's "A new boat owner's story" got me thinking aqbout my youth and how boating played in that ... up to where we are today.

What's your story?

Mine? Here's a bit:

Was born in Traverse City, MI, we lived on lake MI at the tip of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, in Glen Haven. The front yard was the beach. There were always boats around with the family, either at the beach or at the nearby Glen lakes. My grand father (mom's side) always had 40-something foot sportfishers.

We moved to Toledo in the mid-60s and Grandpa had the boat at Toledo Yacht Club, so we were always out there. I would spend much of the summers with him on the boat. One of my best memories is going places on the boat .... just as you would in a car .... out to a resurant on the water .... etc.

Gotta go for now ... I'll add more later.

What's your story?

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

My wife & I both grew up around camping & boating, so it's just always something we wanted for ourselves and for our kids. As adults, it became more a matter of realizing that the kids are "here today, gone tomorrow" and we wanted to do something that would get us out of the house and doing something fun together as a family.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Exactly 230Mike. I did not live near water as a kid and never had much of an interest in sports or team activities. I remember my very early days when we did things as a family (such as boating or camping) until things sort of drifted in my very early teens. I left home and moved in with friends who lived on the water and we partied real hard for a long time. Memory is pretty fuzzy through that 10 years but I know it was a blast. I did recognize however that there were the kids that lived on the water and always had things to do such as bonfires, boating, swimming etc. and those who basically hung at coffee shops or shopping malls untill they were either invited along or had a friends parents place because they were out of town (that never ended well).
My oldest (shes's 20 now) was into competitive paddling and got pretty good. She's just beginning her career in industrial constuction, management & accounting now while finishing her last year in university. She just bought her first brand new car on her own. My youngest has lived on the water since he was 4 - we had the land with a cottage on it since he was 2.
It worked with the oldest - keeping her interested & busy while giving her enough distance to make her own mistakes - and like the rest of us she's made plenty. She remains close with us now though she no longer lives with us. When she wants to party with her friends she comes home - there is just so much they can do there without the drama and risk.
My objective is such that the youngest gets into swimming, paddling, rowing, skiing, tubing, wakeboarding whatever - just as long as he does it where we can keep an eye on him. Too many kids these days are drifting away from the people who genuinly care about the paths they choose and following the "having fun crowd" that more often tend to lead them into the darker aspects of life.
It is a big investment and expense but we have something that we can all enjoy as a group thus keep the pack close - easier to look out for each other. Life experiance and memories we can make together.
Privaleged a life as I am able to provide but I feel it is certainly better off than dropping my monsters at the shopping malls to roam all day in the peak of summer.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

"It is a big investment and expense but we have something that we can all enjoy as a group thus keep the pack close "



That's exactly it .... My wife & I see the boating as not only time for us to be together (when we are out alone), away from all of the strings that pull us, but as a way to keep the whole family together in a common activity, experience ... and memory builder.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Grew up in boats, Mississippi river, & Tombigbee, AL.
True redneck, waterskiing behing the old bassboat as a kid.

Bought a Baja right after marriage, wasn't family friendly. Sold it, took a few years off, now back in full swing.

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

I grew up (summers) on a lake in New York. Our first boat I recall sea trialing at around 4 years old on the CT River near Greenwich CT. She was a wooden tub Pen Yan with a 50 hp old evinrude from the 50's. I was scared of the boat.

That boat never ran again for 3 seasons. Every time we would fix it up and launch her, she would strand us on the lake and we had to get towed in. My folks didn't have the money to keep fixing it so she just sat in the water in front of the house.

Until one day my folks won a town raffle and we won a new boat,motor and trailer. She was a Glastron 14.5 footer with a 40 hp Mercury. That boat got used real heavy. We all learned to ski on her and would use it every day of the summer months. I would drive her to town to check the mail and get the paper or a loaf of bread at the general store. Our lives revolved around the boat and the lake. I knew every boat on the lake and who owned them and all the stats on the engines and boats. I caught the bug early.

My first boat was used on the same lake where I bought my first home as a weekend place. Obviously I have ditched that boat and the home and am heavy into cruisers. Combining the boat and the home on the water into one thing!

My partner and I are beginning to plan for retirement and so far we know it includes finding a place we can continue to boat.

My fondest memories of growing up revolved around that house and the boat we used like crazy. I recall us going into town to fill five gallon cans because on the water the only gas dock was 50 cents/gal where on the street it was only 35 cents/gallon. WOW, now I am sick!

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

I grew up on sail boats. We always had one. Over the years they got bigger but my fondest memories were from my youth and our 1954 24' Drake. I think my moving to power boats somehow disappoints my Dad but we still enjoy our time together whether we're on his boat or mine. I just get tired of hearing him complain about the cost of fuel and the noise from my engine when he's on mine. Maybe I'll understand his contempt for power boaters as I grow older. Here's a couple pictures of his boat. It's a 1983 47' Formosa Cutter.

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Jeff
2006 H240 6.2 MX 320HP B3
La Habra, California

Wow, that is beautiful to be sure. I quite like sail but know nothing about it. Love Beneteau, Swan & Oyster and the idea of drifting somewhere tropical in my later years. The Carribean, French Polinesea, Europe.
So very fortunate you can enjoy such glorious examples on both ends of the spectrum.

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2008 Four Winns 210 5.7 GI/SX
2007 GMC Sierra 2500 Crew
1966 Fed-Up Wife

I started my love affair with boating when I was 9 years old when my Dad bought an old 12 foot wooden boat with ancient "west bend" 7.5hp motor.The boat needed months of work repairing it. Once on the water the motor wasn't the most reliable but we still had great fun. Skipping a few years to about a year before I married I bought a 14 foot aluminum Savage runabout with 25hpJohnson ,repowered it with a 35 johnson. It was a good boat but you couldn't slalom ski behind it, so that got sold and I bought my current boat which is a 15 foot Stacer aluminum runabout with a 70 hp Johnson. It originally had a 40 Yamaha on it but I repowered ( 20 to 30 hp over the rated hp for the boat) with the 70 hp to satisfy my skiing needs. The boat was originally used for fishing, scuba diving and occasional waterskiing.
Eight years ago the Admiral and I bought a block in the Riverland of South Australia on backwater that leads into the River Murray.The block has a few caravans on it, and we use the block as a ministry by providing a relaxing weekend away for friends and people who need to take some time out to unwind, but often cant afford to do so. The boat plays a big role in this as it is a draw card alowing us to get on the water not just beside it. For a lot of people they never get to experience the joys of boating . I have had the current boat for about 12 years and although it is a fun boat, we need a bigger/more powerful boat for our needs,hence we are planning to upgrade to a H180 3.0 Merc in the very near future.
A lot of people say to me the like boating because they can get away from it all while on their boat, but for me I get the most pleasure sharing the experience. I can not put a price, for the smile on someones face, when they master kneeboarding or get up on single ski for the first time ,or I give them a drive of the boat. For me thats why I love boating so much
Ardy
South Australia

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc