The neat little boat

[Red Bullets]

This would be a neat project to make for the kids during the winter.

https://www.facebook.com/guyhumoroff...94726710926619

[huntsfurfish]

Wow coolest boat ever!

[EZM]

Best thing I've seen in a long long time - really cool.

[KGB]

That is so cute! Especially the little guy washing his boat at the end

[owlhoot]

Is That ever Neat,
The Kid looks serious

[KinAlberta]

When I was a kid someone brought out their really cool little homemade hydroplane which just used a small outboard. It was maybe 10’ long.

My guess is that it was one those Popular Mechanics type of DIY boats.


My own post prompted me to do a search. Look at what i found. :-)

Build Your Own Boat: POPULAR MECHANICS, March 1965

“ Don't let the $25 price tag fool you. This sleek one-man skimmer is a rugged boat built for speed.”

https://www.popularmechanics.com/adv.../a189/1277141/

[KegRiver]

Now what could go wrong there?

I wonder how long it is before little Johnny take his wanna be power boat out when no one is watching, and flips it in the middle of the lake?

Of course someone will argue that it is the parents responsibility to make sure that does not happen.
My experience as a parent tells me that is not always possible. Even when I as a parent thought I had all the bases covered, my little one discovered something I had not thought of.

Or some times a moment of inattention, like a salesman at the door results in the little one getting into things they were told to leave alone.

Some things are a bad idea and in my mind this is one of them.

[tool]

What’s it using fora power plant? Sounds like a 2 stroke but I don’t see any smoke.

Didn’t see a prop either? Jet drive of some kind? Pressure washer pump maybe?

[KinAlberta]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Now what could go wrong there?

I wonder how long it is before little Johnny take his wanna be power boat out when no one is watching, and flips it in the middle of the lake?

Of course someone will argue that it is the parents responsibility to make sure that does not happen.
My experience as a parent tells me that is not always possible. Even when I as a parent thought I had all the bases covered, my little one discovered something I had not thought of.

Or some times a moment of inattention, like a salesman at the door results in the little one getting into things they were told to leave alone.

Some things are a bad idea and in my mind this is one of them.

It’s not just the parent’s responsibility. It’s the owner’s responsibility. Nothing can be more glaringly obvious to any normal adult that their kid or any other kid might come along to use it too. No different than a tricycle, hoverboard, scooter, atv, wagon etc. Simply lock it up or put it away when not in use.

[Hooter]

Well that is darn cool!! 😎

I’d like to know how many hours went in to that thing, though. I’m welding a shelf together for my wife and I’ve already doubled the time I thought it would take and I’m not even done yet!

On a side note, I do agree with Keg to some degree. That neat little toy could become a nightmare quickly if a rogue wave from a large boat came and capsized it. Gives me the willies just thinking about it. No different than an ATV, dirt bike, etc. Those things all come with inherent risks...

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by KinAlberta

It’s not just the parent’s responsibility. It’s the owner’s responsibility. Nothing can be more glaringly obvious to any normal adult that their kid or any other kid might come along to use it too. No different than a tricycle, hoverboard, scooter, atv, wagon etc. Simply lock it up or put it away when not in use.

Adding power of any sort adds a whole new dimension.

But I'm not going to argue the point.

I will however tell you why I feel the way I do.

Many years ago my sister was watching the neighbors kids. They were in the 8 to 14 age bracket.
Her kids, my nephews, had a dune buggy they were working on. The kids were told to not touch it but it was up on blocks so my nephews figured it was safe enough for the other kids to sit in the thing.

So then the other kids wanted to hear it run so one nephew started it up.
The kid in the drivers seat squeezed the throttle and before anyone could shut it off or pull his hand off the throttle the thing dropped off it's blocks, shot out the door of the shop, sideswiped my BIL pickup and then rolled completely over.

One kid suffered a broken arm and collar bone, the other kid wound up in intensive care.

That was just five minutes after my sister had last checked on them.

The thing is, my nephews knew how to operate that machine safely and had proven to be reasonable with it, except for this one mistake.
For the most part they did as they were told, but the desire to impress their new friends got the better of them.

You think you have all the bases covered but the one thing you overlook can result in a catastrophic injury when engines are involved.

There are enough risks in parenting without adding engines to the mix.

But keep in mind, that's just my opinion. I'm not going to call the cops on a parent that buys their kid a power boat or a quad.
I will however advise against it.