boating question
 

my son has been wanting to take my boat to the lake fishing, with a buddy of his, and hes a pretty well trusted boy, hes 17, he's got experience driving it, and loading it on the boat. if it was your son, would you let him take it to the lake?

RE: boating question
 

what kind of boat? If is my small jon boat, i'd say probably, but not a chance with my high speed bass boat.

RE: boating question
 

I'm 18, and my dad has been letting me take his 40 horse, sixteen foot boat out with my friends since last summer when I was 17. Here in Wisconsin I was required to take boaters safety, before I could do it. My dad knows I wouldn't do anything stupid, so he trusts me a lot. He knew though that I knew what I was doing, since I drive all the time when we go fishing, and he knew that I knew everything about loading the boat up, including backing the trailer all the way down the 250 foot driveway leading to the boat launch. If you have a lot of trust in him, and know that he knows what he is doing, I don't see any problem in letting him take the boat out.

RE: boating question
 

Who else on the internet is going to know his capabilities other than his dad and if you have to ask then I say hell NO!!! You don't provide a whole lot of information on his skill level or the lake or the activity on it. There are too many inexperienced people on the water ways and if he doesn't have proper certification on boating than if an accident were to arise than it would be a liability issue as if he has had proper training in boating. If he doesn't have the boating certification then HELL NO. Bottom line. Just because you showed him how to trailer a boat doesn't mean he can handle the conditions if they change on a lake.
Theirs more to boating than throwing the kids a set of keys to the boat.

Bobby

RE: boating question
 

Welcome to the fishing forum Lightsout?

Depends on the ...

a. size of the boat
b. size of the lake..IN Florida every body of water is called a lake:D:D1/2 acre to 451,000 Lake Okochobee
c.Depth of the lake.
D. will he be using the outboard or not..Most of our fishing places is trolling motor only.

Think about it good though..I let my son and his budy take out my 10 foot cutomized [8D]jon..When I got it back..
It had a few problems..
1. His buddy..was leaning back too far in my boat seat...busted it..
2. They both stood on the tongue and did some damage to the gadget that attaches the tongue to the ball.
3. Dropped my battery on the drain plug bending the drain plug tunnel..I had to reform it by tapping a taperedbroom handle into the hole.
4. Trash was left in the boat.
5. Last but not least..I was called on the phone to come down to the boat ramp..[:-][:-][:-]somehow one of the wheels was floating in the lake from the boat trailor..:D:D:eek:
Anyway I always carry extra greased wheel bearings and repaired it on the spot.:D:Dthat was a first for me..I never knew that was possilbe.[:-]That of course was not their fault..

Matt got a good lecture and his buddy Chris has moved away..[8D]Matt still takes out the jon boat {Which is the only boat I have} and is much more careful.

RE: boating question
 

You know your son better than the rest of us do.. Is he a show off type once he gets away from sight? Is the lake a large lake full of roack piles or ledges that can be buried just under the surface where a lower unit could hit it? How big of a boat and how much horsepower are you talking about? How many people would he try to take out with him? Does he pay close attention to you when you have him driving the boat?

Those are the questionsI would be asking myself as well as how much trust am I willing to place in him. How mature is he for his age and if you feel comfortable or not. Does he know the laws for as far as wake zones and other issues that can arrise. If you feel it is OK for him to, then why not..?

RE: boating question
 

Ranger 175hp

RE: boating question
 

I am not so sure I would want him to be playing around with that one. But then again i do not know your son none so it's not up to me to decide. It's just that your average teen once out of sight likes to play. Up here with a boat like that opened up and all the sudden rock piles or deadheads from the logging days of river drives could quickly become disaster. I wouldn't want that on my concience...
Again though only you and his friends knows him more.

RE: boating question
 

Ranger 175hp
Lightsout..


Not me..;)

RE: boating question
 

that boat should run in the mid 60's. they can be tough to drive even if your experienced in driving. Also, most states require younger people to take a boating class before they can legally operate one alone.