Did I tell you my daughter bought a boat?
We took it out on Lake Mendota for the first time today. She bought it from Skipper Bud's in Madison, and they run a dry stack storage facility, which is pretty cool. They store the boat for her and all she has to do is call up two hours in advance so they know to put the boat in the water for her.
Anyway, today was our orientation outing. She brought along me, her roommate and another friend. So we all got a chance to drive the boat. Yes, even me! We learned all about the ins and outs of navigating the channel from Skipper Bud's out to the open lake. We learned about no wake zones, plus a quick reminder of the "rules of the road" for boating. Then we took her out and let her rip. I could get used to this!
I'm sure you're dying to see pictures, so here's a few.
Alexia at the helm. You can see the Red Gym behind her to the right. If you could see just a little more to the right, you'd see the Memorial Union.
Sail kicking back. We had just pulled away from the dock over by the Limnology building where Alexia's friend Ramsey works. The water was very calm that day, especially in the lee of the shoreline.
Another of me. What can I say; I'm very photogenic. :D
Alexia's roommate Christa ,calm and cool. She was just a tad worried about driving the boat. The last time she tried (when she was 10-11 and her brother told her to put the boat in reverse) she accidentally drove the boat up on the shoreland. Oops. She did much better, today.
So, that happened. Alexia's already scheduled to take the boat out this Sunday and next Tuesday. I suspect the Tuesday's are going to be on the schedule all summer; both she and Christa get off at 2pm and can be at the marina by 3pm to take the boat out. Lucky sods.
Anyway, today was our orientation outing. She brought along me, her roommate and another friend. So we all got a chance to drive the boat. Yes, even me! We learned all about the ins and outs of navigating the channel from Skipper Bud's out to the open lake. We learned about no wake zones, plus a quick reminder of the "rules of the road" for boating. Then we took her out and let her rip. I could get used to this!
I'm sure you're dying to see pictures, so here's a few.
Alexia at the helm. You can see the Red Gym behind her to the right. If you could see just a little more to the right, you'd see the Memorial Union.
Sail kicking back. We had just pulled away from the dock over by the Limnology building where Alexia's friend Ramsey works. The water was very calm that day, especially in the lee of the shoreline.
Another of me. What can I say; I'm very photogenic. :D
Alexia's roommate Christa ,calm and cool. She was just a tad worried about driving the boat. The last time she tried (when she was 10-11 and her brother told her to put the boat in reverse) she accidentally drove the boat up on the shoreland. Oops. She did much better, today.
So, that happened. Alexia's already scheduled to take the boat out this Sunday and next Tuesday. I suspect the Tuesday's are going to be on the schedule all summer; both she and Christa get off at 2pm and can be at the marina by 3pm to take the boat out. Lucky sods.