My Summer Is Over

Woody

Well-Known Member
Nov 20, 2007
9,349
N. Wisconsin/Lk Superior
Boat Info
2005 420DA
Engines
Cummins 6CTA8.3
Here we are again, end of the season for me. It wasn't a good one, the weather just didn't cooperate. A wet, cool, and windy season.

We had little fun with the boat, the grandkids don't come anymore, they're too busy. 14 years of always having a kid or two on board, now that they're not we recognize how big a part of 'our' fun they were.

We set out this spring with the goal to use the boat more than ever, lists of places were made and great plans of what to do when we got there. Few places ended up checked off the list.

If this Climate Change thing is to blame and it's what future summers will be like I'm actually thinking of selling the boat. We'll give it one more shot next summer and see.

Sorry if I'm splashing some cold water on the rest of you, but up here that's all we have.;) Haul out for me is next Monday, 9/25/17, this year I'm actually looking forward to it.
 
sad to hear Woody.....come on down south for year round boating....the weather is beautiful in the Carolinas and we get various weather as expected with all 4 seasons.....

we'll leave the light on for you.....:)....

cliff
 
My boat is already out... came out 9/10. We had a great summer! Very little rain, no wind, and lots of warm sunshine! I think I counted 56 nights aboard. Only a few of those were at the marina... most were out on the hook rafted up with friends.
 
This was just an off year Woody, next year will bring better weather. Pretty soon the grand kids will be inviting their friends out for the weekend and you'll be back at the helm.
 
Woody,
I am with you. This year the boat truly became more work than pleasure. Work & sports schedules did not cooperate. Our favorite Fire Island destination was shut down by the Fed's & the never ending crappy weather also combined to make this one of the worst boating seasons that I can remember. I am hoping things turn around & get back on track next year or this vessel may be on the market as well!
 
heck, i bet there are a lot of parents up there that would be glad to lend their kids to you for an afternoon of boating.....:D.......

cliff
 
heck, i bet there are a lot of parents up there that would be glad to lend their kids to you for an afternoon of boating.....:D.......

cliff
Hehe.. this guy would :)! This has been our best season to date. Though the engines didn't log many hours we had some quality time spent aboard and the hours on the genny reflects that. Not looking forward to putting her to bed in a few weeks.
 
Woody, sorry to hear of your dilemma, but it's always the same evolution. As the teen years set in these kids develop their own schedules and social agendas. Give them the keys to the car and it's pretty much over. It happened with me when I turned 16 - despite having grown up on boats since 6 months of age, I had at that point all but abandoned the boat.

My daughter is now 20 and in college. Luckily for us, we have friends at the marina with kids, all the same age, that my daughter hsa grown up with since she the age of 5. So it's still fun to have everyone together. They may come and go at various points during the weekend, and they may hop in a car and head off together somewhere, but, for now, they're all still around.
 
Woody, don't get rid of the boat for the reasons you stated. I promise it will come full circle. My 3 kids, now 47, 43 and 27 were all boating from 3 years old. Then came the teen years, college, starting families and careers, and the last thing they wanted was to spend time with parents.

Now when they come to visit the first thing they want to know is if we are taking the boat out. My son even bought his own. Hang in there, don't give up on that list.

Shawn
 
Reading posts like this really makes me feel blessed to live in a region with year round boating! It comes at the expense of living amongst the crazy libs but that's what the boat is for really to escape reality for the weekend!
Cheers
 
Woody,
I am with you. This year the boat truly became more work than pleasure. Work & sports schedules did not cooperate. Our favorite Fire Island destination was shut down by the Fed's & the never ending crappy weather also combined to make this one of the worst boating seasons that I can remember. I am hoping things turn around & get back on track next year or this vessel may be on the market as well!
As far as the grandkids go...I always insisted they learn to swim if they were going to come on the boat. Lessons started while in diapers. Four years ago they joined the local swim club, they have some natural ability and from the start were a couple of the best swimmers.

They got into it, it's training and meets during the summer that occupy their time and keep them from coming along. They've even done some open water swims. Next summer the oldest girl(14) is doing an open water swim called Point to LaPointe on Lake Superior. She wants me to pick her up at the end 'cause it'd be 'way cool':cool:. I don't think picking her up in a duck boat is what she's thinking so I better keep the 420DA at least one more summer.

Of course the younger girl(11) has to do whatever her sister does, so in a couple years she'll want to make that same swim and I'll have to pick her up too. I guess I got myself talked into at least 3 more years:rolleyes:, problem temporarily solved....can't wait until next summer.:D
 
Sorry to hear how your season went. We had somewhat sucky weather this year on our side of the lake as well. It was either rainy and flat or beautiful and rough so it seemed. Water temps for fishing were warm even at depth and fishing has been awful. August was more like a typical September with 70's highs and 50's lows. However we had a great year.

One thing I might point out is you may have been so family focused that now that they are gone you lack a network to have fun boating with even in less than desirable weather. Many folks now without kids or grandkids around all the time are having to build a new network of friends that are at a similar point in life. They are out there if you look for them. Is there a yacht club you could join, people on the dock you have not really gotten to know because you were so busy with your family in the past?

For us the texts and posts with our boating friends about the fun we will have this coming weekend are already flying. A group like that can really put the fun back into boating.

MM
 
Sorry to hear how your season went. We had somewhat sucky weather this year on our side of the lake as well. It was either rainy and flat or beautiful and rough so it seemed. Water temps for fishing were warm even at depth and fishing has been awful. August was more like a typical September with 70's highs and 50's lows. However we had a great year.

One thing I might point out is you may have been so family focused that now that they are gone you lack a network to have fun boating with even in less than desirable weather. Many folks now without kids or grandkids around all the time are having to build a new network of friends that are at a similar point in life. They are out there if you look for them. Is there a yacht club you could join, people on the dock you have not really gotten to know because you were so busy with your family in the past?

For us the texts and posts with our boating friends about the fun we will have this coming weekend are already flying. A group like that can really put the fun back into boating.

MM
+1
 
Looking forward to hauling out up here. Terrible wet weather in our area from April to end August.
Summer started Sept 15 but the days are shorter and autumn weather is not far off.
Actually on a scale of 10: Pump outs leading engine hours 7-3.
 
Sorry to hear about the crappy weather up north. We are in the mid-80s here with plenty of sun. I'm taking the day off tomorrow to get out on the water.
 
Near Record temps here the last 2 weeks! Bummer is I go back on the wheel at work starting Sunday. Oh well, we made the best of a mediocre summer. Record high water, rain and less than great temps. Gonna finish prepping Sweetspot for haulout/storage the next 2 days and begin the long wait till spring!
 
Well I figured you all would have a record sun and heat summer since we sold the 410 in the spring...sorry I could not help.

Woody - we sold our 410 because our kids are so involved in stuff. Baseball and soccer mostly. Bought a wake boat and have had a blast the past few weeks on it. Can't sleep on it but a lot lighter on the pocket book and more fun.
 
Last two weeks in the Thousand Islands have been the best two weeks of the season...lots of sun warm temps, no wind..the water temp has even climbed back to the low 70's ...did the Rideau 10 days ago..outstanding..no traffic, no bugs.. worth the wait!
 
Here we are again, end of the season for me. It wasn't a good one, the weather just didn't cooperate. A wet, cool, and windy season.

We had little fun with the boat, the grandkids don't come anymore, they're too busy. 14 years of always having a kid or two on board, now that they're not we recognize how big a part of 'our' fun they were.

We set out this spring with the goal to use the boat more than ever, lists of places were made and great plans of what to do when we got there. Few places ended up checked off the list.

If this Climate Change thing is to blame and it's what future summers will be like I'm actually thinking of selling the boat. We'll give it one more shot next summer and see.

Sorry if I'm splashing some cold water on the rest of you, but up here that's all we have.;) Haul out for me is next Monday, 9/25/17, this year I'm actually looking forward to it.

I was up at the Apostles (Cornucopia) the week of July 4th, 1st week in August, and a long Labor Day weekend. Out of those 17 days or so, we probably boated 7. Too windy, to cold, or raining. I basically paid for a slip to look at my boat. Not a great year up there. I still love it though.


Hang in there Woody. It's nice to know of a fellow Club SR Boater in the area.
 
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We've had what could be described as a quirky summer. It was cool, windy and rainy in the spring and into early summer, then overnight it seemed to go to temps over 100*, then back to chilly. That was accompanied by lots of smoke from the forest fires in the PNW. For days we couldn't see the other side of the river, and that's only 1/2 mile way.

Now it's in the low 80's with almost no wind, but that's supposed to end before the weekend.
 

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