Family Day is everyday spent with loved ones on the water

Upon the onset of Family Day in Ontario in 2008, we thought “what a great idea”…but family day is all of July and August isn’t it? We know that boaters enjoy summer as that family time however for those of us that work in the boating business winter is our vacation time and the time that we get to spend times with our families and this year we have also made note that family day weekend is also family fishing weekend! There is no doubt…you can’t have family day without there being strong ties to spending time on the water…even when its frozen!

There is no question that boaters understand the concept of family day. Boating is family time at its finest.  There is no other activity that ties families together quite the same way that boating does. It doesn’t seem to matter what age bracket your family members fit in there is always some aspect of boating that can be enjoyed. From cruising, to over-nighting, camping to wakeboarding, fishing to diving, anchoring out to rafting up boating has something for all ages. We often have parents who come into the dealership with the intent to buy a boat to enjoy with their kids.

It never ceases to amaze me how often this topic comes up. Not too long ago we were asked to take part in the Recreational Boating Stakeholders Summit in Chicago. On the way there was I was sitting on the runway making small talk with the Chicago native in the seat next to me. Nothing crazy, just the usual stuff…where are you from, what do you do etc. When the “what are you doing in Chicago?” question came up I of course mentioned the summit and the boating business.  Now knowing that Chicago is a city built on water , and me being the boating enthusiast that I am the conversation then of course led to me asking the man “Do you own a boat?”. His response was one that we have heard a number of times “We don’t own a boat right now because I travel for work and my daughters are quite young but I plan to once my daughters are older. I want to be able to take them out on the lake fishing. I want to have something that they will want to do when they are older that we can all do as a family. I think that if we have a boat when my girls are teenagers they will want to be out with us instead of out doing other things.”

His response is a common one. As crazy as it might sound we often have parents that feel the same way and it is often the largest reason for the investment. They aren’t just investing in their enjoyment; they are investing in their family.

And it works! Some of my fondest memories as a kid were those spent out on the water with my family. In the summer Sundays were boating days. To this day, even now that I am an adult, Sundays are still boating days. This is one of the greatest family traditions, one that I hope to continue with my own family one day.

Do you have a wonderful family memory or family boating tradition? Please share it with us by clicking the comment link below.