Kids and boats

[Steve A W]

How old were you when your parents let you loose with the boat?
My nephew has a small boat he wants to give my 12yr old daughter.
He asked permission first. And I got to thinking I was about that age when
I first started running a boat without parental supervision.
Here in Indiana if she takes the online boater safety course and passes the test
she can run a boat up to 10hp by herself.
She’s got four motors 5hp and under. I think she’ll have a blast.

Steve A W

Member of the MOB chapter.
I live in Northwest Indiana

[frankr]

It really wasn’t an issue because I didn’t have access to a boat at an early age unless I was with my parents. But the first time that I got to go out by myself, was in 1948 and I was Eleven. I remember it well because it was on a lake in Wisconsin that was created by a dam. But they didn’t cut the trees down, so they still stuck up everywhere. I got the boat stuck in a treetop and somebody had to come out and get me.

I’ve wondered about that lake. I think it was Rice Lake near Rhinelander. Does that sound right to you Wisconsin guys?

[dave-bernard]

I lived by a river and when I was 7yrs old I was running a boat by myself a 16ft row boat with a 5hp Seabee. At 10 I was running a home mad hydro with a KG7H at 49mph and at 12 I was running a 14 ft Prywing with a Mark 75 at 46 mph.

[fleetwin]

I guess I was about 10yrs old when Uncle Fred loaned me his green JW to use on my brother’s old skimmer….Had a fun summer for sure.

[lindy46]

In 1958 when I was 12 years old. We rented a cottage on a lake in Michigan, and I remember getting up early one morning to go fishing all by myself. Came home with a nice bass which I waved over my sleeping dad – he woke up fast!

[Buccaneer]

I wasn’t around lakes or boats much until I was about 11 when
my dad retired from the Army, and moved back to MN to
a home on a lake. I think I was about 12 when my dad bought an old,
leaky, resort, cedar stripped wood boat, and it wasn’t long after
I set off by myself with my grandfather’s 3 hp Buccaneer!

Prepare to be boarded!

[richardg]

Early on I rowed around a lot and poled boats over the flats. I used the anchor when the wind started taking me offshore between rowing as best I could.

My Dads rule was that if I could start the motor cold by myself I could use it. It took time to develop enough strength from constantly trying. I would tie the Elgin 2-1/2 down to the transom, stand up on the rear seat and pull with my back and legs and flinging myself into the boat on each pull. I was amazed when I finally had enough strength to start it and proudly drive around.

Each larger motor was another round of strength building. A Evinrude 5-1/2 was the next challenge then a Elgin 7-1/2 then a whole bunch of different 7-1/2 u\including a Merc Mark7 that I still have 50 years later.

I had worked myself up to a Johnson 35 with pressure release by the 7th grade but I always brought along two or three friends because each of us was only good for 2 or 3 pulls.

[chuckw]

I started ed at age 9 with an Elto Pal on a 12 foot plywood boat. Graduated to a TD 20 and then an Evinrude 7.5 Fleetwin on an aluminum boat and then a "56 Sportwinn on aluminum boat. (Still have most of those motors). Finally got a Minimost with a KG7 as a teen. Still run old Mercs, racing and service.

[brook-n]

I was 10 yrs old. Boat was a 1960 Starcraft 12 footer. (Which I still have today ) the motor was a 1972 merc 7.5 that was the kicker from my father’s sailboat. He had purchased a new 1984 Evinrude 15hp for the sailboat. Several years later the sailboat was sold the 7.5 merc was sold with the sailboat
and I ended up with the 84 Evinrude. Wow what a ride that was! On more than one occasion did I nearly flip that thing over!

[sydinnj]

Dad bought a 8′ meyers pram for duck hunting, but I was his excuse, I was so small I had to stand up with the oars then fall back onto the seat to row it. A few days after my testing it got painted od green. Then in NY I could take the boat safe course at the age of ten. This was done in the fall and at this point Dad had a 3 hp Johnson on it (I still own it) That spring I had to show Dad that I could start it on my own and I had set boundaries that I could run in, then I could go out by myself. Dads fishing boat was a really neat older 14′ Star Craft (I would love to find it again) (Auburn NY area) with a 1967 18 hp Evinrude. That one again was when I could start it on my own then I could use it. Lots of fun in both of those. That 3 hp Johnson could run a long time on a tank of gas.

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