Who does boating? The hobby conundrum......

[LJTim]

-Yes, they are money pits. Even if they are reliable like mine was. I had an older Super Air Nautique, which I absolutely loved. It didn't have problems, but when you wakeboard and surf, you just want the best equipment out there, so between boards, surf devices, ballast upgrades, etc. I was dishing out thousands every year on crap. some necessary because of kids growing up, some optional just because I wanted the new stuff. There could have possibly been tears when I sold it. The reason I sold is was mainly a lack of interest. My and one (7 year-old at the time) daughter were the only ones that loved it. My wife and other kids would come, but never get in the water. You would be surprised at how difficult it was for us to even fill the boat with guests. Families with a similar age dynamic as ours, just simply didn't have the time. I couldn't justify all my trips to the lake for me and my daughter to get out on the water and everyone else asking if we could go home yet. And I was definitely done begging people to come with us.

-I didn't trade other hobbies. Boating was the one activity that I loved as much as wheeling.

-I don't have any experience with a truck camper, but always wanted one and still do.

-Last year we only did hotels for our Moab trips, but we have since had a friend acquire some property in Moab, so we have enjoyed camping together. I only stayed in a hotel/condo a few times when boating up at Pineview. All other times for the past 20 years - we have camped.

 

[Gravy]

That's crazy that some kids don't want to go out in the water, I loved every minute of it as a kid, but I distinctly remember, as a kid, my father getting mad and chucking my little sister out in the lake with a pair of skis and telling her she couldn't get back in the boat unless she got up. The next week she wouldn't get back in the boat without him pleading for his turn.

 

[Jesser04]

That's crazy that some kids don't want to go out in the water, I loved every minute of it as a kid, but I distinctly remember, as a kid, my father getting mad and chucking my little sister out in the lake with a pair of skis and telling her she couldn't get back in the boat unless she got up. The next week she wouldn't get back in the boat without him pleading for his turn.

My dad did the same stuff. I thank him for it everytime it’s brought up. I also hated cottage cheese for most of my adult life because he would let me out of my chair as a kid till I ate it. Saying stuff like you don’t have to eat it for dinner but it’ll be waiting for you at breakfast if you don’t.

 

[UNSTUCK]

My two youngest didn't want anything to do with ropes behind the boat. They were fine to swim when we came to a stop. This went on for the first two years of boating for us. I didn't push them, but did encourage them. It pretty much happened on their own, when they were ready. They are playing catch up pretty hard now and loving every minute of it. My wife was the slowest to come around. She got in the water for the first time towards the end of this season. It is awesome now that we are all finally in the water, but yes, it has made my turns MUCH further apart.

 

[Hickey]

Picked up my new-to-me boat last night.

 

[Hickey]

Who's up for an RME boating trip on New Years?

 

[Spork]

Who's up for an RME boating trip on New Years?

I've been out in November before with a shorty wet suit, I was the last one in the boat when we headed back to shore and I think I grew icicles on the way back in.

 

[Hickey]

We're headed to Havasu on xmas day.

 

[Bart]

We're headed to Havasu on xmas day.

Hahahaha, have fun and enjoy. I'm jealous. Make sure to winterize before heading home. I've known people that didn't and had their blocks freeze.

 

[Hickey]

We planned on that. This will be our third visit to Havasu.

 

[pELYgroso]

We're headed to Havasu on xmas day.

Awesome! I've been looking hard at boats and think I'll get one before the end of winter. I need to sell my camper and sxs first. I just plowed my (large) driveway with it the other night and thought twice about selling it but it will be nice to have the boat!

 

[Hickey]

Winter is a great time to buy a boat. Germaine Marine was very easy to deal with, and they can bring up a boat from their Arizona location if you find one there.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Winter is a great time to buy a boat. Germaine Marine was very easy to deal with, and they can bring up a boat from their Arizona location if you find one there.

The guys at Germaine in both Utah and Arizona have been very good to us. We haven't purchased a boat from them yet, but have been very close a few times. I feel like we owe them a sale.

I've been out in November before with a shorty wet suit, I was the last one in the boat when we headed back to shore and I think I grew icicles on the way back in.

My B-day is November 2. This is the first season we have not boated on my birthday because I had to take the boat to ID to the dealer there...

We're headed to Havasu on xmas day.

We usually spend Christmas in Mesa. We've been know to test drive a boat or two while we've been there. Gives a quick fix and beats bringing our boat down with us.

 

[gatchmo5710]

We planned on that. This will be our third visit to Havasu.

Thread hijack but how is the border inspections during the off season? Ever have issues? Debating taking my bass boat to mead early spring.

 

[Hickey]

Thread hijack but how is the border inspections during the off season? Ever have issues? Debating taking my bass boat to mead early spring.

The surrounding states all close their water vessel inspection station during winter. From what I understand, freezing temps kill the invasive species.

 

[UNSTUCK]

We were at Mead at the end of September. Their season was considered over by then, and their inspection station was closed up. There is no inspection station between Utah and Arizona/Nevada on I15. On the way home we stopped at Sand Hollow and they had to decontaminate us there before we could get in the water. I did get stopped on my way to Boise on October 29th though. They just asked about the last time I was in the water and took down my HIN.

On a side note, I have been "professionally" decontaminated twice now. At Sand Hollow and at Jordanelle. I have to say it's a complete joke. I have no doubt that if I had muscles in my boat, I put them in these lakes. Yet they cleaned the boat to their satisfaction both times and let me in the water.

As much as I wouldn't want it, the only way to stop the spread is keep infected boats out of the water the necessary time.

 

[pELYgroso]

Is there something proactive you do to mitigate the possible spread of the mussels?

 

[Jesser04]

Went to Tahoe 2 summers ago they don’t mess around there. Every boat goes to an off site location and gets decontaminated before it can be put on the water no honor system there. They make you pull your boat on to a rubber bladder and contain all the water that comes out of your boat and haul it off. Took about 40 minutes once they started cost 60 bucks they said wakeboard boats are the main cross contaminaters because the ballast takes never fully empty.

 

[Bart]

I don't blame them a bit. We saw the how the mussels have contaminated Powell last year and it is sad. You have to make sure and wear some kind of water shoe/sandal before going on a beach to set anchor lines or you'll tear your feet to shreds.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Is there something proactive you do to mitigate the possible spread of the mussels?

The best thing you can do is take some time off between switching lakes. I don't recall the exact numbers, but in the heat of the summer if you leave Powell and want to go to a "clean" lake you need to wait 7-10 days. That time will kill off anything still in ballast bags or bilges. The wait time is longer as the temperature goes down.
A decontamination sight will pressure wash everything they can see with HOT water. Then they run the hot water through the engine as well.

At Jordanelle they were not able to get a good connection between their hose and my boat to run it through the engine. They never got water out my exhaust. They said they can only run the engine for 30 with no water out the exhaust before they have to stop to avoid engine damage. I thought they were going to tell us we could not get in the water. Just the opposite. I think they should have kept us from getting in.

At Sand Hollow they did not do anything about my ballast bags, but spent a lot of time pressure washing the easy stuff: life jackets, boards, etc... They handed me the wand and I washed out the bilge. They had good flow through the engine that time. My ballast bags were mostly empty, but yes, still had Mead water in them. They didn't seem to care.

I think every lake needs to be more strict like Tahoe. If you can't prove your last outing was at a clean lake your boat needs to be 100% decontaminated. If you have ballast bags you just need to wait the time period no matter what. The partial cleanings and honor system are failing.