It appears to me, from my experiences, that there is a significant lack of interest in sailing in younger people. For example, membership in our local Yacht Club for those under, say 40, is a very small fraction of those above that age. Under 35 dwindles to microscopic levels. I can count the number of sailboat owners that I know that are under 35 on one hand. Motor boats? Jet Skis- plenty, but sailors- forget about it. It seems to me that the MTV generation has very little interest in the sport. I understand that people my age (31) are much more likely to go to a bar than the Yacht Club, but the severe lack of interest does concern me a bit. The questions that I'd like to pose are: Is this a trend that has affected all of the sailing community or has you're experience been different? Has this trend developed recently or has this always been the case? Is there anything that you feel can be done to attract the next generation of sailors to the sport?
- Status
Not enough horsepower?
You are right, I am 30 and can say that most people my age and younger are more concerned with horsepower. Also, the easier something is, the more likely they are to do it. They must not value how much knowledge, experience and skill it takes to sail a boat. Especially one with multiple sails. I like all kinds of boating, and I don't shun people for their preferences unless they start that mess first. Powerboaters that have an "I am better" attitude drive me nuts. Everything they use to navigate, including lighthouses, channel markers and charts, have been around since before powerboats exsisted. It is similar to a snowboarder that shows up at a ski mountain and acts like skiers should get off the mountain. It comes down to respect. Younger generations don't appreciate the effort and work that has created things like ski mountains and the modern marine industry. Getting back to the topic, I think the go, go, go lifestyle of people today makes them think they have to get on the water and go fast. Sailing a boat somewhere takes to long for them. They forget that getting there is half, if not more of the fun when you are on the water. One other consideration is that people aren't establishing themselves in career positions like they used to. The average age of a person that owns a boat, other than a run about with an outboard, is probably getting higher.
You are right, I am 30 and can say that most people my age and younger are more concerned with horsepower. Also, the easier something is, the more likely they are to do it. They must not value how much knowledge, experience and skill it takes to sail a boat. Especially one with multiple sails. I like all kinds of boating, and I don't shun people for their preferences unless they start that mess first. Powerboaters that have an "I am better" attitude drive me nuts. Everything they use to navigate, including lighthouses, channel markers and charts, have been around since before powerboats exsisted. It is similar to a snowboarder that shows up at a ski mountain and acts like skiers should get off the mountain. It comes down to respect. Younger generations don't appreciate the effort and work that has created things like ski mountains and the modern marine industry. Getting back to the topic, I think the go, go, go lifestyle of people today makes them think they have to get on the water and go fast. Sailing a boat somewhere takes to long for them. They forget that getting there is half, if not more of the fun when you are on the water. One other consideration is that people aren't establishing themselves in career positions like they used to. The average age of a person that owns a boat, other than a run about with an outboard, is probably getting higher.
Nathen's Yacht Club
Nathen, Maybe your post holds some of the answer! You talk about the "Yacht Club".Most younger people can not affort to belong to a "Yacht" club. Think about your cost to join and dues.Boating in general has become more and more expensive and has eliminated poeple simply by cost!I don't see the hugh numbers of younger power boaters you talk about(exception being jet skiers who IOM are not real boaters)I feel the cost is more the problem then interest,people only have so much disposable income and have to spend according to there needs.Take the average income and the average family and figure how much is left to pay for a boat and expenses.Lets be real about cost, the $ per hour cost of owning bost is huge! It take someone who can afford it and who loves boating. Our marine has incresed cost 10% every year for the last three years, I don't think most people's income has increased 10% annualy.Most sail boat mfg have come a long way in makeing boats more user friendly (roller furling mains,refergreation etc) but this has a dollar value to it.I believe most poeple,young and old,enjoy boating but have finincal issuse and free time issuse as opposed to lack of interest.I am glad for you that you can afford to belong to a "Yacht Club" and don't mean to down you for it but truely believe cost is more of a issue then you think, and that might be a sad commentary on the boating industry that it has outpriced a large segment of the population.
Nathen, Maybe your post holds some of the answer! You talk about the "Yacht Club".Most younger people can not affort to belong to a "Yacht" club. Think about your cost to join and dues.Boating in general has become more and more expensive and has eliminated poeple simply by cost!I don't see the hugh numbers of younger power boaters you talk about(exception being jet skiers who IOM are not real boaters)I feel the cost is more the problem then interest,people only have so much disposable income and have to spend according to there needs.Take the average income and the average family and figure how much is left to pay for a boat and expenses.Lets be real about cost, the $ per hour cost of owning bost is huge! It take someone who can afford it and who loves boating. Our marine has incresed cost 10% every year for the last three years, I don't think most people's income has increased 10% annualy.Most sail boat mfg have come a long way in makeing boats more user friendly (roller furling mains,refergreation etc) but this has a dollar value to it.I believe most poeple,young and old,enjoy boating but have finincal issuse and free time issuse as opposed to lack of interest.I am glad for you that you can afford to belong to a "Yacht Club" and don't mean to down you for it but truely believe cost is more of a issue then you think, and that might be a sad commentary on the boating industry that it has outpriced a large segment of the population.
Don't equate Yacht Club to $$$
My yacht club costs less than $100 per year. It is a great way to get together with friends and put together organized cruises. I agree with the age aspect, though. I am 32 and am definatly the youngest member. So what did the members do about it? They made me Commodore. Hoping that I would bring "young ideas" to the club. Anyway, I encourage you to check around your area because there are lots of clubs out there and just because they call themselves "Yacht Clubs" does not mean that they are pricey.
My yacht club costs less than $100 per year. It is a great way to get together with friends and put together organized cruises. I agree with the age aspect, though. I am 32 and am definatly the youngest member. So what did the members do about it? They made me Commodore. Hoping that I would bring "young ideas" to the club. Anyway, I encourage you to check around your area because there are lots of clubs out there and just because they call themselves "Yacht Clubs" does not mean that they are pricey.
Slip fees..
When I got into sailing several years ago at age 32, I was able to afford the boat.what shocked me was what it costs to keep the boat in a slip. Now that I have it in South Florida, my slip is almost as much as my first boat payment... Of course it is supply and demand and if that is what the market will demand..... I guess the point is that the price of the boat is only part of the problem. Brian C s/v CREW REST
When I got into sailing several years ago at age 32, I was able to afford the boat.what shocked me was what it costs to keep the boat in a slip. Now that I have it in South Florida, my slip is almost as much as my first boat payment... Of course it is supply and demand and if that is what the market will demand..... I guess the point is that the price of the boat is only part of the problem. Brian C s/v CREW REST
I haven't found a young person ...
I've been hoping for the three years that I've owned my own boat that I'd find a young person who would get interested in it, and that I could teach and mentor. I learned and got sucked into sailing on lightnings and E's. Maybe I need a racing dinghy ... my old O'Day is just too slow and boring. 'Course, I don't think my body and mind are ready for E's anymore. Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
I've been hoping for the three years that I've owned my own boat that I'd find a young person who would get interested in it, and that I could teach and mentor. I learned and got sucked into sailing on lightnings and E's. Maybe I need a racing dinghy ... my old O'Day is just too slow and boring. 'Course, I don't think my body and mind are ready for E's anymore. Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
The next generation...
hopefully will be my kids. When I was in my teens, you couldn't keep me away from boats. Now that we have one, the kids are interested, but not like I was once, where I would be happy to be away from TV etc. just to go sailing for a week. I will hopefully give them the exposure and the opportunity and they will take it from there. Geof s/v Day-O
hopefully will be my kids. When I was in my teens, you couldn't keep me away from boats. Now that we have one, the kids are interested, but not like I was once, where I would be happy to be away from TV etc. just to go sailing for a week. I will hopefully give them the exposure and the opportunity and they will take it from there. Geof s/v Day-O
same with scouts
I used to be a seascout and the program was incredible. Now, what I see are area 'ships' with so many great boats but no kids. Donated boats recently include a Morgan 46, a late-eighties Hunter 30, a half dozen Coronado 25s, and scads of small boats. They have to hunt for scouts to justify each outing.
I used to be a seascout and the program was incredible. Now, what I see are area 'ships' with so many great boats but no kids. Donated boats recently include a Morgan 46, a late-eighties Hunter 30, a half dozen Coronado 25s, and scads of small boats. They have to hunt for scouts to justify each outing.
Try racers
I'm 33 AND a girl so you can imagine how difficult it's been for me. I was part of a great Catalina club here on the river for 3 years, was even the historian for the club but finally gave up last year. They were all really great folks but they were ALL older-than-me couples. Kinda hard to fit in when you're a VERY odd duck! I was never made to feel left out, it's just how I felt. What I have noticed is that the racing fleets have many more younger people than the cruising clubs. That go-fast mentality, perhaps? Or the parties afterward? But to answer your question more directly, I think it's always a "problem". Younger people like to go-fast and cruising is just too boring for them. They get older, have kids, "settle down" and the dream of escaping the grind grows. What better way to do that than a sailboat where they can now slow down? That's my perception anyway - take it for what it's worth! LaDonna
I'm 33 AND a girl so you can imagine how difficult it's been for me. I was part of a great Catalina club here on the river for 3 years, was even the historian for the club but finally gave up last year. They were all really great folks but they were ALL older-than-me couples. Kinda hard to fit in when you're a VERY odd duck! I was never made to feel left out, it's just how I felt. What I have noticed is that the racing fleets have many more younger people than the cruising clubs. That go-fast mentality, perhaps? Or the parties afterward? But to answer your question more directly, I think it's always a "problem". Younger people like to go-fast and cruising is just too boring for them. They get older, have kids, "settle down" and the dream of escaping the grind grows. What better way to do that than a sailboat where they can now slow down? That's my perception anyway - take it for what it's worth! LaDonna
Youth Sailing Program
We have a very active youth sailing program on Orcas Island. They kids are taught to sail small boats and they race against each other frequently year round and also compete against other clubs. I think the small boat aspect and the racing competition is critical to their interest. No question in my mind they'll be looking to buy boats when they're older. Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
We have a very active youth sailing program on Orcas Island. They kids are taught to sail small boats and they race against each other frequently year round and also compete against other clubs. I think the small boat aspect and the racing competition is critical to their interest. No question in my mind they'll be looking to buy boats when they're older. Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
Too much $$$
I can only speak for myself but here it goes. When I was 26 I started racing in a local club on someone elses boat. After 1 year, I joined the club and bought a 26' hunter. At the time I was single and living in a cheap apartment. I was the youngest member of the club probably by 10 years, they made me Bar Chairman!! After 2 years with that boat, I bought a 31' Hunter. Now as I turn 32 I am engaged and must pay twice as much for a wedding as I paid for the the second boat which is now sold. Instead of coming with money to buy a new toy or upgrade rigging, now I have to find a house, start planning for children: schools, clothes and the like. I am resigned to my fate at least for 5 years before I can get start seriously looking for a boat again. I spent around $11,000 each of the last 5 years I had a boat on the boat and related items i.e: club membership, boat payments, insurance, repairs, maintanance and the like. That is alot if you are trying to start a family on the North Shore of Long Island.
I can only speak for myself but here it goes. When I was 26 I started racing in a local club on someone elses boat. After 1 year, I joined the club and bought a 26' hunter. At the time I was single and living in a cheap apartment. I was the youngest member of the club probably by 10 years, they made me Bar Chairman!! After 2 years with that boat, I bought a 31' Hunter. Now as I turn 32 I am engaged and must pay twice as much for a wedding as I paid for the the second boat which is now sold. Instead of coming with money to buy a new toy or upgrade rigging, now I have to find a house, start planning for children: schools, clothes and the like. I am resigned to my fate at least for 5 years before I can get start seriously looking for a boat again. I spent around $11,000 each of the last 5 years I had a boat on the boat and related items i.e: club membership, boat payments, insurance, repairs, maintanance and the like. That is alot if you are trying to start a family on the North Shore of Long Island.
Make Juniors a Priority at Your Club
The web page below shows what the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club has done for their "juniors". Everything from learning how to sail to a full race schedule. Lots of fund raisers throughout the year - even the tip jar in the bar goes to the Junior Fleet! Talk it up among your members and get the kids involved in the planning. Ned and Tani Strain s/v Family Therapy 1995 h336 Chicago
The web page below shows what the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club has done for their "juniors". Everything from learning how to sail to a full race schedule. Lots of fund raisers throughout the year - even the tip jar in the bar goes to the Junior Fleet! Talk it up among your members and get the kids involved in the planning. Ned and Tani Strain s/v Family Therapy 1995 h336 Chicago
share the fun
We are that "under 40 crowd" (barely holding!) with 2 small kids. I would like to see more families and kids out sailing too. I'm hoping our kids develop an interest and having other sailing families at the dock would help. Most (if not all) of our friends have never been sailing. So, all you solo sailors, get your friends and take them out. We hope to introduce our friends and our kid's friends to the fun of sailing. Let's recruit!
We are that "under 40 crowd" (barely holding!) with 2 small kids. I would like to see more families and kids out sailing too. I'm hoping our kids develop an interest and having other sailing families at the dock would help. Most (if not all) of our friends have never been sailing. So, all you solo sailors, get your friends and take them out. We hope to introduce our friends and our kid's friends to the fun of sailing. Let's recruit!
Probably won't be a next generation...
if most yatch clubs are like the ones I have seen. Old money geezers have made the club exclusive buy charging a big membership fee, therefore keeping the undesirables (young and rowdy) crowd out. As a result, the youth sailing programs have disappeared. As the old farts die out or end up in nursing homes, revenues decline, so membership dues increase to cover costs, which again, eliminates the younger (but poorer) sailors. I forsee the club house eventually being sold to make way for a condo and the slips being privatized. On the other hand, small sail clubs operating on a shoestring budget out of a tarpaper shack on the beach that welcome new sailors, are doing great. Hopefully, the sail clubs will not go the way of the yatch clubs. Just my $.02 worth.
if most yatch clubs are like the ones I have seen. Old money geezers have made the club exclusive buy charging a big membership fee, therefore keeping the undesirables (young and rowdy) crowd out. As a result, the youth sailing programs have disappeared. As the old farts die out or end up in nursing homes, revenues decline, so membership dues increase to cover costs, which again, eliminates the younger (but poorer) sailors. I forsee the club house eventually being sold to make way for a condo and the slips being privatized. On the other hand, small sail clubs operating on a shoestring budget out of a tarpaper shack on the beach that welcome new sailors, are doing great. Hopefully, the sail clubs will not go the way of the yatch clubs. Just my $.02 worth.
Biggest obstacles
1. Raising pesky kids. 2. Soccer practice. 3. Big initial investment. 4. Big slip fees. 5. Considerable maintenance. 6. Peer pressure for other activities. 7. Lack of proximity to marinas. 8. Fear of failure. 9. Fear of water. 10. Fear of spousal disappointment.
1. Raising pesky kids. 2. Soccer practice. 3. Big initial investment. 4. Big slip fees. 5. Considerable maintenance. 6. Peer pressure for other activities. 7. Lack of proximity to marinas. 8. Fear of failure. 9. Fear of water. 10. Fear of spousal disappointment.
Agree with LaDonna
I think that is a fact of life that most sailing just naturally tends to attract an older crowd. As we age, the big, fast boats just don't hold the attraction any longer. The cost of sailing isn't the problem, the fuel is free (wind), slip fees have to be paid regardless of the type boat you use, and maintenance and upkeep is going to be pretty much the same whether it's a power boat or sail boat. The cost of a power boat comparable in size is usually much more expensive than a sailboat, and the cost of fuel is astronomically higher. The sailing club we belong to is mostly over 40, but we race every other weekend during the season, and believe me - there's a party at the end of the dock after every racing day - and the cost is extremely minimal. Cruisers pay $25, and racers pay $100 annually. But of course, we don't have a big clubhouse, etc - but we have an extremely large time!
I think that is a fact of life that most sailing just naturally tends to attract an older crowd. As we age, the big, fast boats just don't hold the attraction any longer. The cost of sailing isn't the problem, the fuel is free (wind), slip fees have to be paid regardless of the type boat you use, and maintenance and upkeep is going to be pretty much the same whether it's a power boat or sail boat. The cost of a power boat comparable in size is usually much more expensive than a sailboat, and the cost of fuel is astronomically higher. The sailing club we belong to is mostly over 40, but we race every other weekend during the season, and believe me - there's a party at the end of the dock after every racing day - and the cost is extremely minimal. Cruisers pay $25, and racers pay $100 annually. But of course, we don't have a big clubhouse, etc - but we have an extremely large time!
The youngster perspective...a slight tirade
I think that there's a risk of overgeneralization going on here. I'm 28 years old. I've been contibuting to this site since I was 24. My girlfriend is 26. I bought the boat we sail three years ago. At the time it was something a hulk but its in excellent shape now. Time to paint it probably, but its in excellent sailing shape. We sail almost every weekend in the summertime. The Maine season is short. We sail with several other boats on a regular basis. One crew is another girlfriend/boyfriend couple - both are under 30. One crew is husband/wife/child - they're early thrities. One crew is h/w/c mid-thirties. When we pull into anchorages at least here in Maine there seems to be no shortage of our peers. Of course, I think of anyone who loves the water as my peer. LaDonna's racing angle is certainly something to think about. We like to sail and fast. We reef late and on a 25 we tend to smoke much larger boats because they're generally sailed more conservatively - and we like it. This year will mark my return to racing and Jessica's initiation. It will be a very different thing from 420's and Lasers but will be fun. The competition and the comraderie - read parties - are attractive in equal parts. Our boat will be slow and uncompetitive - that's ok. Maybe next year we'll buy something faster. Maybe not - point of racing is the challenge and the social scene anyway. Needs to be balanced by some good isolated cruising, though. As a younger person I'd say the yacht clubs are not doing their part to ensure their own survival. I've been kicked off docks, shunned when I've looked into membership, and generally treated like an unperson. Why would I pay the dues? Now a sailing club - distinct in ideology if not purpose - is attractive. But we really don't need one. The people I enjoying knowing and meeting I tend to know or meet - because we're all out there having fun. Every once in a while I do get fed up with the attitude of the clubbies and I've been known to fly my boxers from the spreaders in protest of the bouquet of burgees - but for the most part the young people are there and we're meeting each other. And we're meeting older folks too - those with an open mind, anyway. Sailing is expensive but not prohibitively so - just takes creativity. I ran my boat through three years of law school on a thin budget but I did it. I don't have many of the toys I want but that's ok. Perserverence wins. I worked grueling hours at an evil chain marine retailer, became a contractor to do repairs on other people's boats, worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, and went to school fulltime. Yea me? Hell no - I just wanted to sail. I think that the younger crowd may mark a return better understanding of our boats - because we have to fix them ourselves. I can think of one nasty day here last summer. Blowing into the mid-30's, ugly chop. We sailed out to a favorite anchorage thinking it would be empty because no one else would have gone out. We got there to find a bunch of larger boats lying up and a bevy of sub-35 year olds on pocket cruisers. We struck up a conversation with the crew of a Catalina 38 - the S&S boat. They were amazed we were there. I don't know why -I could't afford to have my boat rebuilt - so I did it, and now I know the boat and trust it. There were nights I skipped dinner because the boat needed gear but there are worse places to be hungry than lying on the foredeck of a vessel you put back together. Now I find myself in an interesting position - at the beginning a new career and on the eve of increasing my income substantially. There's a new boat in my future. Next year, maybe the year after. I hope I can find someone as young as I was, as hungry as I was, who falls as desperately in love my current boat as I did when (s)he sees her. And the next boat? She'll be bigger, faster, and just as loved. And you won't find her tied to a mooring at the yacht club - but you should look for her at the finish line at their races. My two cents, worth what you paid. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
I think that there's a risk of overgeneralization going on here. I'm 28 years old. I've been contibuting to this site since I was 24. My girlfriend is 26. I bought the boat we sail three years ago. At the time it was something a hulk but its in excellent shape now. Time to paint it probably, but its in excellent sailing shape. We sail almost every weekend in the summertime. The Maine season is short. We sail with several other boats on a regular basis. One crew is another girlfriend/boyfriend couple - both are under 30. One crew is husband/wife/child - they're early thrities. One crew is h/w/c mid-thirties. When we pull into anchorages at least here in Maine there seems to be no shortage of our peers. Of course, I think of anyone who loves the water as my peer. LaDonna's racing angle is certainly something to think about. We like to sail and fast. We reef late and on a 25 we tend to smoke much larger boats because they're generally sailed more conservatively - and we like it. This year will mark my return to racing and Jessica's initiation. It will be a very different thing from 420's and Lasers but will be fun. The competition and the comraderie - read parties - are attractive in equal parts. Our boat will be slow and uncompetitive - that's ok. Maybe next year we'll buy something faster. Maybe not - point of racing is the challenge and the social scene anyway. Needs to be balanced by some good isolated cruising, though. As a younger person I'd say the yacht clubs are not doing their part to ensure their own survival. I've been kicked off docks, shunned when I've looked into membership, and generally treated like an unperson. Why would I pay the dues? Now a sailing club - distinct in ideology if not purpose - is attractive. But we really don't need one. The people I enjoying knowing and meeting I tend to know or meet - because we're all out there having fun. Every once in a while I do get fed up with the attitude of the clubbies and I've been known to fly my boxers from the spreaders in protest of the bouquet of burgees - but for the most part the young people are there and we're meeting each other. And we're meeting older folks too - those with an open mind, anyway. Sailing is expensive but not prohibitively so - just takes creativity. I ran my boat through three years of law school on a thin budget but I did it. I don't have many of the toys I want but that's ok. Perserverence wins. I worked grueling hours at an evil chain marine retailer, became a contractor to do repairs on other people's boats, worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, and went to school fulltime. Yea me? Hell no - I just wanted to sail. I think that the younger crowd may mark a return better understanding of our boats - because we have to fix them ourselves. I can think of one nasty day here last summer. Blowing into the mid-30's, ugly chop. We sailed out to a favorite anchorage thinking it would be empty because no one else would have gone out. We got there to find a bunch of larger boats lying up and a bevy of sub-35 year olds on pocket cruisers. We struck up a conversation with the crew of a Catalina 38 - the S&S boat. They were amazed we were there. I don't know why -I could't afford to have my boat rebuilt - so I did it, and now I know the boat and trust it. There were nights I skipped dinner because the boat needed gear but there are worse places to be hungry than lying on the foredeck of a vessel you put back together. Now I find myself in an interesting position - at the beginning a new career and on the eve of increasing my income substantially. There's a new boat in my future. Next year, maybe the year after. I hope I can find someone as young as I was, as hungry as I was, who falls as desperately in love my current boat as I did when (s)he sees her. And the next boat? She'll be bigger, faster, and just as loved. And you won't find her tied to a mooring at the yacht club - but you should look for her at the finish line at their races. My two cents, worth what you paid. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Hey old farts, move out of the frozen tundra.
The reason you guys aren't seeing young sailors in your area is because they had enough brains to move out of the cold north and head to Florida. There's plenty of youth down here kicking my old butt on the race course.
Ted
The reason you guys aren't seeing young sailors in your area is because they had enough brains to move out of the cold north and head to Florida. There's plenty of youth down here kicking my old butt on the race course.
TedAnother Consideration
All you folks have brought up good points. Another consideration is, that there are a lot more trailer sailors now. Maintenance is'nt as much, the boats can be transported lots of places,and in most cases can be stored for a lot less than slip fees. And if fortunate enough to have the room at home, no fees. I recently talked to some young folks, and was told that they not only felt sailboats are too slow, they are more complex to learn, and that its easier to just fill the tank up with fuel,turn the key, go like hell. As far as yacht clubs, I was also told that those are for rich people, their children, and there are too many rules, and they would rather do other things.
All you folks have brought up good points. Another consideration is, that there are a lot more trailer sailors now. Maintenance is'nt as much, the boats can be transported lots of places,and in most cases can be stored for a lot less than slip fees. And if fortunate enough to have the room at home, no fees. I recently talked to some young folks, and was told that they not only felt sailboats are too slow, they are more complex to learn, and that its easier to just fill the tank up with fuel,turn the key, go like hell. As far as yacht clubs, I was also told that those are for rich people, their children, and there are too many rules, and they would rather do other things.
We are the people
Just a short quote that may or may not relate to this subject-"We are the people that our parents warned us about" (Buffett) Yes, all those kiddy duties (soccer, play practice, dance lessons) sure get in the way. My advise (well worth what you are paying for it!) is a) start 'em young before all those adolesent and nubile activities get in the way, and b) never ever let the SOBs get you down-keep dragging them to the lake every chance you get! That's my plan and I sure hope it works-becasue when I'm 85 and barely kicking, I want my son and grandson to take me out on their boat!
Just a short quote that may or may not relate to this subject-"We are the people that our parents warned us about" (Buffett) Yes, all those kiddy duties (soccer, play practice, dance lessons) sure get in the way. My advise (well worth what you are paying for it!) is a) start 'em young before all those adolesent and nubile activities get in the way, and b) never ever let the SOBs get you down-keep dragging them to the lake every chance you get! That's my plan and I sure hope it works-becasue when I'm 85 and barely kicking, I want my son and grandson to take me out on their boat!
- Status