View Full Version : Brag or Ridicule your wife's boat driving.
smsunman1
07-15-2005, 09:53 AM
This is probly the biggest post taboo ever, so fellas don't let the lady see this. Even if you write something good, your women will give you hell for the rest of our comments. :) :( :rolleyes:
3event
07-15-2005, 09:59 AM
Up there with the causes of divorce and general marital stress, we find "Teaching your significant other to drive the boat while you waterski". No doubt.
Married 6 months, she is learning to drive now, and I am very impressed. Pulled me on slalom once with a coach in the boat. No docking, backing, trailer loading needed for now. If you had to learn to pull a skier, how much easier could it be than a late model MC with Perfect Pass?
I contend that you can not fully teach people the spatial perception that leads to appropriate distances from docks, other boats, jetskis in flames, etc. Some are just better than others. Some get better with experience, some just don't.
AirJunky
07-15-2005, 10:02 AM
Hehehe, it's funny. My wife can back a tandem axle boat trailer into a narrow parking space, she can dock the boat, back it up & understands it's going to pull right....... but she has a tough time driving a straight line at 27 mph. But I hold off from saying much. I'm glad I got what I got.
smsunman1
07-15-2005, 10:03 AM
My girl is not bad either, pulls me better than any other person.
smsunman1
07-15-2005, 10:09 AM
Sometimes I find myself wanting to nit-pick, but hell I do the same things. I think it really wrecks your man-itudes when she can do anything with a boat. Its the final female frountier, past a bull-dyke in the NFL even! I think to myself often "she doesn't need me for anything".
east tx skier
07-15-2005, 10:11 AM
My favorite boat driver and a superb trailer-backer. I consider myself very lucky.
3event
07-15-2005, 10:12 AM
AirJunky, that's impressive. Yes, gentle encouragement is the key...we are lucky !
My girl is a somewhat fast driver on the road, and doesn't scare me much. So I would offer for the single guys, you might guess that if she drives quickly, tailgates a little occasionally, and handles the car well you may be in luck with the boat.... If she is too careful and conservative on the road maybe not.....
wiltok
07-15-2005, 10:40 AM
I have to comment on this one. I have been skiing (actually slalom, kneeboarding, trick, barefoot, wakeboard) for over 20 years and have had my share of good and bad drivers. My girlfriend (soon to be more!) is the best driver I have ever had - the best part is that she has only been skiing for 3 years. I am very particular about how I am driven - and I never have any complaints. I think the key is that she skis - so she can relate to what I like (squared turns for long straight runs, following your own boat path, no dragging, etc). Although I keep my boat on a lift - I even taught her to back the trailer when we need to take the boat out (I head over a few minutes early - then sit and watch her go back and forth back and forth back and forth... Laugh my arse off!! :)
sizzler
07-15-2005, 11:07 AM
my wife just passed her "ski-boat drivers award" which is an exam we have to have to drive at most clubs in the UK...this means she can stay at the lake whilst im at work,,(dont know if this is a good idea)..she rings me up to tell me how nice it is ....whilst i'm screaming and shouting in the office.......
however,she has become a good driver,due to this practice.....she gets a little scared at footin' speeds,but is getting used to it.......
dont fully trust her to put it on the lift...but i have plenty of friends who can do it for her....she has never filled it up with gas yet....she gets someone else to do it........guess she must be "reeeaaalll friendly" when i'm not there.... ;)
MarkP
07-15-2005, 11:10 AM
This is probly the biggest post taboo ever, so fellas don't let the lady see this. Even if you write something good, your women will give you hell for the rest of our comments. :) :( :rolleyes:
Nooooooooo Comment!:noface:
lakes Rick
07-15-2005, 11:16 AM
Whats a wife????
No wife, but the girlfriend is an excellent slalom driver. Although sometimes she has trouble paying attention while driving :eek3:
dog paw
07-15-2005, 11:42 AM
The best driver I have had was my brother. He could nail the "just perfect" slalom start every time and drive a straight line with no "bat turns". My boat has 10 years on my wife. She can pull it across the country @ 90mph, back it blindfolded but will not drive it. I have been told that I am a SOB to drive for :confused: How could that be? :uglyhamme
sizzler
07-15-2005, 11:45 AM
Whats a wife????
something that eats money quicker than the MC :D
dog paw
07-15-2005, 11:47 AM
Daym RIC Why would you even want to leave the boat!
Nice shack in the background to..
lakes Rick
07-15-2005, 12:06 PM
Daym RIC Why would you even want to leave the boat!
Nice shack in the background to..
After I read this I had to go back and look at the pic again... I must not be too old yet, I missed the house the first time... party on garth..
ematthew
07-15-2005, 12:22 PM
When wakeboarding on Lake Michigan my wife very reluctantly agreed to drive the boat for me, warning she would just stop if another boat came close to us. She stopped after about 2 minutes of riding with no boats in sight and idled back to pick me up. When I asked why, she said there was a very large boat that, while still a bit away, was making her nervous. She then pointed out the "boat" near the horizon which was actually Great Lakes Naval Hospital about 15 miles away. I guess she made her point, because she hasn't driven for me since.
smsunman1
07-15-2005, 12:58 PM
thatS so funny
bucky
07-15-2005, 01:23 PM
I made a highly diplomatic comment to my wife. Only in the interest of improving her skills, mind you. After that she decided to show me how bad it could get. I now have "no comment". :rolleyes:
BriEOD
07-15-2005, 01:35 PM
My wife is a very good driver/trailer backer. She actually drives the boat more than I do. I'm normally behind the boat or coaching someone. She knoes when someone falls to pull it back to neutral and let the wakes dissipate before turning around. She knows to speed up in the turns. She can pull the boat up to the dock in traffic and she puts the boat on the trailer like a pro (better than me, well she always does it). I always load everyone in the boat and back it down and she drives it off. I go and park the truck and meet her at the dock. Then on the other side of the trip I go get the truck and she drives it up on the trailer. Then I pull her and everyone else out while they are still sitting in the boat. We've got it down to a science. Also, let me add here that where we boat has a lock between the river and the lake and it's also a hydroelectric plant. So, when they are releasing water the current is pretty strong. You couldn't swim against it for long. You go against the current to get to the ramp and then turn left actually putting the boat perpendicular to the current. Then about the last 10 feet there is a dock that blocks the current and changes the water flow. You really have to be confident to put the boat on the trailer in the midst of all of that. She does it like a pro...
Ron Grover
07-15-2005, 01:36 PM
My wife long ago stopped driving the boat. Can't imagine why. (but after all I am operating on a male brain). Now my 27 year daughter is a great driver and she drives for anyone that wants a pull course or open water boarding.
whitedog
07-15-2005, 02:01 PM
Wife backs trailer, docks and loads boat, drives for free skiing, swiveling and footing as long as there is only one footer. Is learing to drive with some one on the boom. All this from a girl who did not start pulling skiers until a year ago (age 39 +) she would kill me if I told you her age. Until then she was content to be the designated spotter for 15 years. This is what some driving cometition from a teenage son will do to his mother.:) I now get left behind on her mornings off.:(
BriEOD
07-15-2005, 02:35 PM
Is that your wife in the picture Tex?
rick s.
07-15-2005, 02:41 PM
Even with perfect pass my wife is still challenged. But I have to also say that I do not give her much experience as I drive the boat the majority of the time.
MarkP
07-15-2005, 02:42 PM
Even with perfect pass my wife is still challenged. But I have to also say that I do not give her much experience as I drive the boat the majority of the time.Sounds like me. Without the PP
ski_king
07-15-2005, 02:44 PM
No comment...... but my girls are becoming great drivers.
Is that your wife in the picture Tex?
Trixie? She's another story-Hot, drives a car, flys a helicopter, drives a submarine, no parents? She is perfect-I bet she makes a mean martini!
Leroy
07-15-2005, 03:08 PM
My wife has driven most of this year and really improved. Going out in the weekday mornings when there are no other boats has helped. PP takes that whole issue out of the question.
BrianM
07-15-2005, 04:07 PM
My wife is a descent driver for open water skiing. I get real nervous with her on slow speed manuvering around the dock and such because she hasn't quite grasped the quick in and out of gear finesse that is required with these boats.
Now that we are on our private site she doesn't drive much. The lake has a short setup and she gets a little nervous pulling a skier up towards the bank and then making a tight hugging turn (spray on the bank) and lining up the course in one smooth motion. Now with PP once she is in the course she can hold it straight and the PP holds the speed. Pull outs at the end are another issue. To her credit she hasn't driven the lake much since there is usually someone else there that is an experienced driver so she would probably do well with more practice.
wiltok
07-15-2005, 04:15 PM
I have a funny story that I forgot about until reading this thread. Girlfriend driving boat - me on the boom barefoot. Told her to go into the cove and take a right turn (we usually go left). This would keep me on the outside of the boat so I don't slow down nor spray water all over the boat. The boom was set a little high - but didn't think much of it. We head into the cove - all is good - until she takes a really sharp turn (she is used to to turning sharply while slalom in the other cove). The boom goes up over my head, my legs fly off the water and I am doing a superman impersonation (sideways - mind you). I was too afraid to let go, couldn't yell stop, holding on for dear life. She comes out of the turn - I put my feet back on the wate and continued on my way. I was still shaking an hour later....
I have a funny story that I forgot about until reading this thread. Girlfriend driving boat - me on the boom barefoot. Told her to go into the cove and take a right turn (we usually go left). This would keep me on the outside of the boat so I don't slow down nor spray water all over the boat. The boom was set a little high - but didn't think much of it. We head into the cove - all is good - until she takes a really sharp turn (she is used to to turning sharply while slalom in the other cove). The boom goes up over my head, my legs fly off the water and I am doing a superman impersonation (sideways - mind you). I was too afraid to let go, couldn't yell stop, holding on for dear life. She comes out of the turn - I put my feet back on the wate and continued on my way. I was still shaking an hour later....
:eek3: .
warren
07-15-2005, 04:24 PM
My wife is one of the few ladies at the lake we go to (West Branch in Ohio) that can actually unload from the trailer, drive the boat around until I get back from parking the truck, pick me up at the dock, and load the boat on the trailer at the end of a long day. Better yet she can even back the trailer if needed.
In fact she is a better boat driver than half the men out there. Especially the fisherman who have to tie their boats at the loading ramp with their buddy sitting on his *** in the boat.
JEREMY79
07-15-2005, 05:00 PM
I cannot say anthing bad about mine.
She can back the trailer in
She can pull the boat on and off
She is my favorite driver
RobertT
07-15-2005, 06:23 PM
I wouldnt know, she hits the trash cans backing out of the 20' wide driveway....I let my 11 year old drive....but not my wife:)
lakes Rick
07-15-2005, 07:08 PM
I wouldnt know, she hits the trash cans backing out of the 20' wide driveway....I let my 11 year old drive....but not my wife:)
The times my ex ran out of gas ( over 20 times) left her lights on and killed the battery, backing out of the garage with her door open and it smashed against the wall... You would think she could putt putt around the cove while I backed the trailer in??? Yeah right.. She was clear across the other side of the lake by the time I backed the trailer down the ramp ( what she was doing I still don't know) putt putting.. Since she would only idle the boat it took her around 20 minutes while I sat at the ramp HOGGING it..
God I am glad she is someone else's problem now...... Celebrating 10 years since divorced this month......
mcprostar197
07-15-2005, 10:07 PM
My mom is a terrible boat driver. I would most likely never even let her sit in the drivers seat of our MC, not that she would want to anyways. One time when she was towing my dad behind the Glastron (I dont remember why I wasnt driving), she came within like 10-15 feet of hitting a boat. Me and my dad got so pissed off about that and since then she has only been spotter.