your spouse

[Dixie Highway]

Once we get to the ramp, I prep the boat while she helps. Then she gets in the truck and turns on the VHF (Instructions are much easier to speak quietly into a radio than yelled through an open window 20 feet away, especially when the other boating couples are cursing at each other due to their launching inabilities). I start the blower, and radio check. She pulls up, backs in, I drive the boat. I pull away from the dock to let others launch/retrieve if necessary. Otherwise I’m there with the fenders out and waiting for her to return. I then scoop her up and we boat. She will help with anchor/fenders/lines if necessary but usually the kids are better at that lol. End of the day I drop her off at the dock and pull away again if necessary. Once she’s up I help direct on the radio, and ease the boat on the trailer. Clip on the winch strap, take up the slack, thpen let her know to pull out to the side so we can finish strapping and unloading. Easy as can be.

 

[212s]

New to owning a boat. I will appreciate your feedback to what your involvement is of your spouse when boating. Specifically, backing-up the trailer during launch and retrieve, handling lines/boat anchor pole when docking, etc. We have been renting boats fo years, but the boats are on the water already and we hardly ever stopped anywhere to eat. We were mainly tubing, snorkeling, etc. I don't want to overwhelm her with some many requests, so if you could share how you got him/her started and what is she/he taking care of. I don't want to be the only one doing it all. Our kids are 9 and 4 in case you have your kids helping with wiping things etc.

My wife is very involved...to be honest if she wasn't my wife, I'd probably not own a boat, maybe something else my "other" wife would like, such as cars, planes, bikes, inter-dimensional portals, whatever!
?
Seriously, she does at least 60% if not more of the prep. You just need to figure out which parts are suited to your skills and work out a regular timed program - once set it's like clockwork - we get compliments about how fast and organized we are at the ramps all the time. It's not hard...it's kind of like a dance...a dirty dance...

 

[212s]

...especially when the other boating couples are cursing at each other due to their launching inabilities

Oooo...me thinks like you thinks.

 

[jetboater4life]

My wife is capable of backing the trailer in. She swerves back and forth a bit so if there is a two spot ramp she usually uses both spots, but gets the job done. I'm usually in the boat and after she backs in, I unhook and drive off while she parks. Then I pick her up at the dock. If it's a really busy ramp then I will back it in and unhook, then jump in the boat and drive off while she parks. We haven't needed to retrieve in at any high stress ramps so we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I spend "zero" time holding the boat to the dock and have not gotten one single scratch as a result. She will drive the boat when I want to surf or ski but that's about it. My 14 year old son is learning to drive the boat so her driving time will probably go down quite a bit. We have the boat on a lift now so she doesn't get much practice anymore which is both a good and bad thing.

 

[2kwik4u]

We have kids. 9 and 2. Both boys. This is our second boat and our 10th season on the water. She does about 1/2 and I do about 1/2........generally speaking.

At home:
She "packs the stuff" and I "ready the boat". That means she's getting togethor the dry clothes bag, beach bag, packing coolers, and making lunch. Things like that. I on the other hand am rearranging the garage, moving cars around, getting the boat attached to the truck, getting the other car back in the garage, and prepping the truck/boat for a tow. We've got this down to about 30min or so from the time we say "go". End of the day is opposite, she deals with the indoor stuff, I deal with the outdoor stuff.

At the ramp:
I run the truck, she runs the boat. I ready the boat for departure, straps off, plugs in, bimini deployed, I drive/back the truck/trailer. She's in the boat, with the boys, blower on, waiting to hit the water. Once in the water, She starts engine, I unhook safety chain and winch release, she backs out into water and waits out of the way. I go park the truck, she comes and gets me at the courtesy dock. We idle out and have a good day. Reverse when we get back to land. She does all the boat things, I do all the truck things until we're on land togethor. Then she gets the boys in the truck, and unpacks the boat, as I'm drying the boat, pulling plugs, adding straps. Once everyone is out of the boat and in the A/C of the truck I stow bimini, cover, and tow home.

When we bought our VERY first boat, this "methodology" was forced on us by the previous owner. He was a houseboat salesman, and he was selling his personal runabout that he used to shuttle people around the lake to look at houseboats. Said he had far greater sales once he started making it an experience, vs a "showing" for a boat. Would take them out, show them a few marina's, a few houseboats for sale, then buy dinner. Said once it was to that point it was something like an 80% close rate. Anywho, he had a TON of experience coaching husband and wife teams on how to handle boating. Both small and large vessels, and he made us choose who was going to do what before we bought. He made me drive the truck/trailer and her drive the boat DURING the test drive. He coached her through it, and ever since, well, that's what we do. We're in/out in literal minutes when we hit the ramp. No muss, no fuss, no arguing, no fighting, no issues. Just get it done, and move on.

I HIGHLY recommend @cjaysanchez , that you have an open honest talk with your spouse. Ask her what she wants to do, what she's comfortable with, and go from there. You can see here there are MANY MANY different opinions, habits, and patterns and none of them will work perfect for you. The biggest goal here is for EVERYONE to have a good time, that's why you bought the boat in the first place right? So cater to what she can and is willing to handle, and adjust from there with some open conversation. No judgement, no predefined notions, no pushing one way or the other. She does what she can, and you handle the rest to make it an easy/fun day for everyone.

 

[Garrett C]

@cjaysanchez I have three kids two of them twin two year olds and a 6 year old. The best way we do it (I live on a military base with a boat launch) is I load them up in the boat, drive to the marina, the wife has control of all the kids and I lower the boat, launch with them in the boat already and take it to a little floating dock they have by the boat launch which no one ever uses because it's mostly people going fishing who have 2 or more adults on the boat that can tie up in the marina. Then I run, get my truck and park it hopefully close, but with the fam they are usually not ones to get up early and get out early which is ok, as long as we get out to the sandbars life is good (takes 5 minutes max to do all). She has pulled me out of the water and has backed the boat off the trailer but I could tell there was fear or uneasiness but it is all good if she wants to do it she will just let me know and I leave it at that.

 

[Toby]

She is involved in everything. It's her boat lol. Puts it on the trailer better than most. Front anchor handler. Bimini takedown. She was waiting at the dock for me to get the trailer one time and FWC did an inspection. They were impressed she knew where everything was. She said "Of course i do, it's my boat!" Haha. Love that woman!