Struggle is real: Launch with my son

[lilbuddy]

Happy Monday Y'all

 

Thought you guys may get a kick out of this.....

 

Told my son to hold the rope tight when I was putting the boat in...well I guess he now knows what I mean by the word tight. 

[BassNJake]

Hope the water was warm and you enjoyed your little swim!!

 

 

[lilbuddy]

2 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

Hope the water was warm and you enjoyed your little swim!!

 

 

Lucky enough someone was putting in right after me and he helped us out. 

[WRB]

It's not his fault, a quick jerk can snap the winch strap or hook. Teach your son to run the your boat, that way he can be in it when you launch.

Tom

[lilbuddy]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

It's not his fault, a quick jerk can snap the winch strap or hook. Teach your son to run the your boat, that way he can be in it when you launch.

Tom

Yeah it was probably more my fault.. Well he's 12 and I barely trust him riding his bike...I am teaching him how to work the trolling motor...

 

Anyway I thought you guys would get a kick out of this. We've all had our moments at the ramp. 

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, lilbuddy said:

Happy Monday Y'all

 

Thought you guys may get a kick out of this.....

 

Told my son to hold the rope tight when I was putting the boat in...well I guess he now knows what I mean by the word tight. 

Same thing happened to me this summer. He's 7. Told him to hold the rope. He held it, and watched the boat. He didn't watch the rope go under the tire and snap. The boat launches and he's holding the rope! He's also yelling the boats floating away. By that time I noticed it already. Unlike you I had to swim. We had a good laugh after I got it back to shore.

[Way2slow]

That's why I keep a 25 foot winch strap/rope in my boat with hooks on both ends.  Hook one end in the eye when you take the winch strap out, the other end on the back of the trailer, making sure you rout it back in a way it doesn't hang on the trailer.  Launch the boat and pull the trailer forward some and it brings the boat back with it.  Just don't forget the boat is hooked to it and try going to park the trailer, that would create a bad day. 

[WRB]

Start teaching your son how to start the engine, put in gear at idle speed and run the boat slow. You can do this every time your start your engine during the day's outing.

This builds confidence and a bond of trust. My son and daughter at age 12 could back the boat off the trailer, pick me up at the dock and load the boat onto the trailer, they learn fast!

Tom

[J Francho]

Trolling motor training should suffice.  At 12, I could commandeer a small tiller tin boat.  Docking with a big motor can be daunting for even an adult, depending on conditions.

[Darren.]

Ahh the joys of children. I've got 4 boys, don't have a boat,

but we've all done similar stuff. Live n learn. Trolling motor

training will help as others have said.

[J Francho]

It's funny, as I can remember being the only non boater in a 20 boat field that could launch boats, on a busy ramp, so a few of us were launching boats into the lake, unmanned, just to make use of all 8 slots.  Then we piled into on boat (piloted, of course) and ran out to the "floaters."  It was pretty funny, and the Fed guys behind us were laughing, but appreciated the gesture, as they had over 100 to launch that day.

[lilbuddy]

I did teach him how to use the trolling motor yesterday after this incident.  Most lakes around here are VERY shallow at the ramp ...its extremely easy to totally mess up your prop etc. 

[tander]

2 hours ago, lilbuddy said:

I did teach him how to use the trolling motor yesterday after this incident.  Most lakes around here are VERY shallow at the ramp ...its extremely easy to totally mess up your prop etc. 

Best thing you could do, love the picture.

[Further North]

9 hours ago, Way2slow said:

That's why I keep a 25 foot winch strap/rope in my boat with hooks on both ends.  Hook one end in the eye when you take the winch strap out, the other end on the back of the trailer, making sure you rout it back in a way it doesn't hang on the trailer.  Launch the boat and pull the trailer forward some and it brings the boat back with it.  Just don't forget the boat is hooked to it and try going to park the trailer, that would create a bad day. 

I do something similar...but I use about 18 ft of 1/2" bungee cord instead of a winch strap...boat comes in nice and slow and there's no hard stop in the process.

[IndianaOutdoors]

13 hours ago, WRB said:

It's not his fault, a quick jerk can snap the winch strap or hook. Teach your son to run the your boat, that way he can be in it when you launch.

Tom

While I have nothing against 12yr olds operating a boat, DNR may feel otherwise.  Can't remember for sure but I think Indiana law says they have to be 16 with a valid driver's license to operate a boat without an adult on board.  I know it's just for a launch but I think some of us know how the DNR can be sometimes.  Not sure if this applies to OP or WRB just something to think about.  I would recommend teaching your son how you solo launch.  I always held the rope for Dad. When I got my own boat I had to learn the hard way.   

 

Edit:you may still teach your son how to operate the boat as well. He'll need to know that down the road and may be useful in case of an emergency now.

[IndianaFinesse]

9 hours ago, IndianaOutdoors said:

While I have nothing against 12yr olds operating a boat, DNR may feel otherwise.  Can't remember for sure but I think Indiana law says they have to be 16 with a valid driver's license to operate a boat without an adult on board.  I know it's just for a launch but I think some of us know how the DNR can be sometimes.  Not sure if this applies to OP or WRB just something to think about.  I would recommend teaching your son how you solo launch.  I always held the rope for Dad. When I got my own boat I had to learn the hard way.   

 

Edit:you may still teach your son how to operate the boat as well. He'll need to know that down the road and may be useful in case of an emergency now.

I was launching our boat by the time I was twelve, never had any issues with the DNR. Heck, by the time I was 14 I drove the boat more than my dad.  

 

BTW, the DNR does not consider anything less than a 10 HP motor an actual motorized watercraft, so a 9.9 can legally be run by any age.  You can also take a boaters safety coarse at either 14 or 15 (can't remember which), and that combined with a state id makes it legal ro drive any boat.

[boostr]

On 9/11/2017 at 2:03 PM, J Francho said:

Trolling motor training should suffice.  At 12, I could commandeer a small tiller tin boat.  Docking with a big motor can be daunting for even an adult, depending on conditions.

Shoot, I'm an adult and I use my tm to dock. Makes it easier on me and the boat. I also pull my boat to the trailer.

[Way2slow]

By the time my granddaughter was 11 she was driving the truck from the house to the ramp, backing the boat in the water, and either parking the truck after launching or driving the boat to the dock after launching while I parked the truck.   One of the benefits of being a south GA country girl and having a grandpa that believes kids can do most anything adults can do if given the opportunity. 

At six years old, she was already pretty good with a Shimano Curado and at 21 now, can outshoot almost any man that's dumb enough to challenge her. 

When my kids and grand kids came along, I always furnished the with good equipment, even when they were still very young.  I didn't see any since in giving them the opportunity to do something and hand them that cheap kids junk to try and do it with.  When she was seven, she caught a 10 pound 2 ounce bass, walking a Spook (it's nice to have friends with very good private ponds), couldn't you see her trying to land that with one of those $5 Walmart things.