I disagree about putting your foot down on letting your daughters drive (in the right conditions). You never know when you or your husband are the only adult in the boat and might become incapacitated. In cases such as this, it would be good that your kids understand the basics of handling the boat to get you back to dock. Not just boat handling but also understanding the ATON markers. I do both of these by:
1.) when boating traffic is light and the lake is calm, I let my 11 year old take the helm. I sit behind him with my hand on the kill cord so if I go overboard or see trouble coming, I have the ability to stop the boat.
2.) while he is driving, (or even if I am driving), I point to ATON markers and say "what side of that marker should I be on?" or "what does that marker mean?". I do this constantly and as a sort of game as longer rides can be boring for younger kids and it gives them something to consider. As I'm approaching other boats, I say "what side should I let him pass on" or "what side should I pass on?" or "what did that guy do wrong?".
While I don't let my son drive all the time, I do want him to have basic skills because he could be in a position where I need him to save my life. I want him to know how to and have experience in basic boat navigation and taking to boat out of and putting it into gear. I know eventually, he'll be 16 and looking for the keys and the more experience I can give him, the better i will feel about him being out there.
All this said, I have a 16 foot boat (not big for Winni) and have been out in 3 foot rollers out there. When this happens, try not to be parellel to the waves and keep one hand on the throttle as you have have to speed up/slow down with approaching waves. I try to use land masses to avoid the worst waves (points of land, islands and mainland). Often times, one shoreline is more protected than the other...move along that shoreline. Crossing the open Broads really offers no protection. In the past, I've actually travelled far up or down the Broads in the direction the waves are coming to avoid the worse the lake has to offer. Watch the weather. If wind over 25 is expected, stay home if possible or head for more protected areas of the lake. Find routes between islands that offer protection and avoid the Broads. Avoid areas where the biggest and most boats travel at busy times of the day (Weirs out to Welches comes to mind). Put on life jackets if you must go out in rough conditions.
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