[GrassClippins]

i was wondering your thoughts in is 14 year old to young for a small boat.(13-18ft)
my son is a die hard fisherman and dreams for a boat.i feel 14 is to young. what are your thoughts?

 

[MIKE TUNA]

I say thats your call . Operating any boat is a big responsabily at any age . You probably should have him learn the rules of the road first . Make sure he understands safty first . Then run the boat with him . That should buy you a couple of years .

Quick story when I was 16 or so a 4 us kids went out in a friends boat . We all were fishing since we were real little so we knew it all . We were all about the same age . Nice day we went not to far away from an inlet and dropped an ancor . So I feeling my oats decided to dive in . Thats when I learned the hard way how strong a current could be as I got further and further away from the boat . So I tried to swim back . All that did was exaust me to the point I could bearly stay afloat . My friends thought I was kidding around . Finally one of my friends reliesed I was in trouble and jumped in to help me . He did for a few moments then the both of us were in trouble . So another one of my buddies jumped in also now the three of us are not in a good position . Thats when the last of us captain kid pulled up the ancor and got to us just in time because we we dead meat . Just a couple of boys having a good old time .

 

[613766]

RESPONSIBILITY..........

and RESPECT for the elements of MOTHER NATURE.

@ 14, how responsible is your son?

I feel that a 14 Yr. Old isn't to young, as long as he is Responsible, and he has Plenty of Respect for the water.

Bay Fishing @ the most, no Ocean!

Must take the Boating Course, and How about who might hang out and fish with him.

Your son might be Responsible, but what about his Buddies.

This is a tough call you have to make and sure that you will make the right one.

Good luck.

 

[togmaster]

BOAT NOT THE ISSUE?

I think the boat has nothing to do with it. It's more do you feel your son is responsible enough? And understand your some what responseable your self and liable also. It's a tough call but thats a decsion only you can make? good luck i know my 12 year old is doing is boater saftey course and planning on the keys to my 20 ft. very shortly. I know the feel'n

 

[Fishmeister]

RE: too young for a boat

i remember my first boat, it was a rental at Arthur St. Marina, in Baldwin.
I was 14 at the time, made friends with the guy that owned it, Arthur i'd guess,lol...i'd go over every sat., for a couple of months, and take it out for the day, BY MYSELF! he finally decided that that was it for me when the day came that he found out i would take it from way back in baldwin canal all the way too far rockaway inlet and back! ahhh the good ol days! little by little i'd go a little further each time out, trying to remember where i came from and how to get back home. i tell you this so you can keep it in mind when you let your kid go...p.s. i took an excellent course with the Hempstead Bay Power Squadron. taught me alot. liked it so much i took it again 5 years ago!
good to refresh ourselves every 20 or 30 years!! if he likes fishin/boatin that much, let him go, but only with the "buddy system" looking back i wish i did it that way...too many chances.

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

That's about the age I was when dad began letting me take out the boat alone. I had been going out with him on our little 16 foot Sturdy Dory since I was 4 years old, and was very well trained on running and docking the boat in the Great South Bay. When I was about 14 and my brother was 12 he put us into one of the Boater Safety Courses offered at the college in Patchogue. After that he would trailer the boat down to the ramp for us and let us go out for the day.

We got into a little mischief like any kids and ground up a prop once, but for the most part were responsible.

I'll never forget one time myself and two friends went out and got caught in a storm in the bay, a mid summer squall. The rain was like needles coming horizontally. I pulled into the nearest safe harbor, Sailors Haven, and after spending about a half-hour in the gift shop, we got a phone call. Dad knew right where we'd be. He let us know the storm was passing and he could pick us up at a closer ramp.

He gave us a lot of responsibility early on, but taught us well before hand.

Chris

PS. I can't tell you how exiting it was to catch that first fish all on my own. I ran the boat, picked the spot and rigged the lures and had success with some weaks off Ocean Beach.

 

[paulh]

there used to be a law regarding the minimum age to run a power boat, perhaps it was 16 ? when i was a kid (i'm 40 now) i took the US power squadron course to prepare me for a NYS exam given to young boaters. if a course like this is still offered i would have your son take it. then let him learn about boating the way most of us did, by doing.

 

[GrassClippins]

you all bring up great points. me and my whole family took the boating safty coarse last year and my son is responsible but time will tell how resposible he really is

 

[Hipshot]

All kids are different! If you think your son is mature enough to handle a small skiff or runabout fine! BUTTTT watch out for his friends-peer pressure can be awsome to a teenager and make him do things he doesn't want to do-this is the real test whether he is mature or not!
Hipshot
P.S. GOOD LUCK!-I'm glad i'm not in your shoes-but as they say give him the benefit of the doubt-If he dosn't live up to the rules-take it away from him!
Hipshot

 

[wader]

13 SEEMS A LITTTLE TOO YOUNG

For me anyway..... Responsible or not - **** happens.

Will he be able to cope with the unexpected? As someone else pointed out - he maybe responsible - what about his buddies and peer pressure?

I'd buy him a boat - but - let him get a few years under his belt with you on board before he goes solo. Maybe @ 16 (?)...

 

[613098]

Guys,
I was thirteen when I built my first boat - with a great deal of help - an 8 ft pram. It was kept in my grandfather's yard in Gerritsen Beach, ad I used it mostly in the creek. A few times, I got brave and rowed over to Dead Horse Bay. Next year, I traded it for a nice big 14 ft Gilfeather skiff that needed a bunch of work. That and a 5HP Johnson gave me the means to fish and catch bait and gig eels for the market for the next four years. I had a lot of fun, made some really DUMB mistakes and earned about five times as much as I had when working in the neigborhood deli. That boat as an education in itself and a lesson in personal respnsibility. I dunno if it's legal for a 14 yo to run a motorboat nowadays, but for a mature kid, it's a great experience. Safety training is a MUST! We all have to grow up sometime, and the kid out fishing isn't gonna get involved with gangs and drugs.

 

[613098]

Fishmeister,
Arthur Street Marina in Baldwin?? My old stomping grounds! My broter first took me there to fish when I was nine - back in 1952. Leaky wooden rowboats and Scott-Atwater motors. The place was owned by Bill and Fred Fritch back then. Two of the nicest guys you ever wanted to meet. Please, let's hear about the fishing you did there and when it was. The winter is the best time for these "Olden Days" stories.
Denmark

 

[Fishmeister]

amen to that denmark!
one last thought...
in the last 4 fall bass runs, i'm sorry to say i've had 4 near life/death experiences on the water...
all involving the same **** thing, unexpected weather. one time i said to myself; what could happen? i'm only 10 min.'s from the canal...well that was the summer of '98 when we had those "tornado's" come across long island, and one of those "unforseen incedents happened", waterspout hit the **** boat, picked us up from the middle of the channel, and literally threw the whole **** boat up on land, 100'away! snapped/demolished the outdrive, ripped the canvas completely off and into the wind it went,(never recovered). wiped out all the electronics on the boat, wound up waiting for help after 45 mins of horizontal rain needled us over and over. message? teach your kid to wear his life preserver in any weather, sun or rain...lol, needles to say, my first time passenger never went out with me again! just another point of view...

 

[613098]

Fishmeister,
Come on - let's hear about your experiences at Arthur Street.
Denmark

 

[Fishmeister]

hummm, arthur street?
back in those days, it was pretty much flounder, fluke, and bluefish...didn't have any luck with bass until 12 years ago. i used to take out the old 16'dory, with the 6 hp johnson, when the tank was 1/3 full, i'd stop over by scotty's and top it off, and inroute to a place called casino beach in island park,(where i caught my very first flounder off the pier), and anchor up and chum...i remember one time i was over by debs inlet, drifting for fluke when i got a doormat, and was so into what i was doing, i didnt see the "commodore" right next to me! i drifted right into him!, felt like a **** fool, tangled up half a dozen lines from his crew. apologized up and down, and left the scene of the crime in a heartbeat,lmao!!!wow, havent thought bout that one in quite some time!!!ahhh, the good ol days, when there really were flounder "all around".
i remember when! lol yea, his mane was bill come to think of it! same name as the capt. of the "ginnie-mae, in island park, that i used to go codfishing with. lol, there's a good story, for another time!

 

[TRADEnFISH]

Not 2 Young

I was 13 years old when I was given use of my uncle's 23' John Allmand center console. I used to go out with my friends to Cholera and chum blues all summer long. This was after fishing with my father and uncle on his boat since I was 6 years old. I had taken one of those CG courses at my local high school and my unle felt that after 7 years on the water and fishing with him I was able to take the boat out alone. A couple lessons in docking a single screw inboard and off I went.

 

[baywatch]

Matureity

My son (11) runs an inflatable during the summer off Davis Park while Dad has the glasses on him.

The deal was take and pass the saftey course and you can use the raft. He has been boating and fishing with me for over 5 years now and is preety good I must admit.

I really don't think he wants to do all this by himself yet because of his confidence level. He will dock the raft and do everything right as long as I am around.

He has handled my boat with no problem except for docking.
He realizes that it takes more then just to start the engine and go and I am glad he thinks that way. Especialy when it comes to cleaning and maintence which is a big part. You use it, you clean it! Make it ready for the next time.

It is up to the parents to guide them and teach them and age shouldn't have anything to do with it. How many 40 year olds do you see run a boat without a clue. You can pick them out anywhere at any time usally behind Seatow.

Hey Chris ... when you where 14 there was also a lot less boat traffic to deal with but after meeting your Dad I am sure he knew you guys would be Ok.

Bottom Line is teach them well to respect the water and others also. They will grow into it if they want it bad enough.

Bill

 

[613766]

Just make sure......

you find out what the State Rules and Regulations are.

I'm sure there is an age requirement.

DAM Bill, out here in the HAMPTONS, some of these ADULTS shouldn't be allowed to Own, no less Operate a boat!

 

[baywatch]

Starter Course

The younger the better.

The little guy tooh a course at an Adult Ed Boaters Saftey course which gave you the basic's and pertained to PWC.

The Rules of the Road where involved as well as extreme saftey ideas.

It gave him his certificate and confindence that he was able to do this, and I had to go with him.

It wasn't a tradional BSC but gave then the basics, although you get a cetificate for it. As time and his abilty grow he will be more willing to take a better course with more guidelines and hopefully he will get a Capt. License one day if he so desires.

The most impotatnt thing is that he learns nothing comes easy or overnight.

As I tell him " If it was easy anyone would do it."

Hey Andy... I have ventured out that way on a W/E to visit W/H beach. What a trip! I never saw so many flagrent acts in my life. Sea tow must do good there!

Teach em Young!!!

Bill

 

[613098]

Fishmeister,
Now 'fess up and tell us just when it was that you fished out of Arthur Street. Don't be embarassed about revealing yer age. As my above post shows, I'm older than dirt and not ashamed of it. Just trying to compare notes. When we started fishing out of Parsonage Creek and into the bays, spinning tackle was sorta new exotic stuff. Most guys would anchor up for fluke, and use live killies on stiff, old-fashioned flounder rods. With light spinning tackle, drifting with spearing or strips,we would usually outfish them most days.
Denmark