Zachary Shares How His Sons Amplify His Love For The Water
Zachary, a father, active duty United States Coast Guard, and Naples, Florida native, grew up around the water and has been boating for close to 20 years. His passion for boating started when he was 10 years old as he “grew up around the water, starting out with the Jon boat and then the rowboat and then the trolling motors” and continued to ease his way up eventually to his “first big boat, custom-built” from his Grandpa.
Following his childhood and early life in Florida, Zac married and started a life with his wife in Virginia, where he was stationed for five years and his first son was born. His passion for being on the water with his family started immediately as he recalls living in Alaska where his youngest son was born and was already “on the boat at only a couple months old”. Today, Zac’s family of 4, resides in North Carolina and their love for boating remains.
First boating memories with his sons
Being a father is filled with special moments, and for Zac, the ability to raise children who love boating as much as he does feels particularly special. Do you know any kids that love waking up before the sun comes up just to get on the water? His do! “They have no worries about getting up at 4:00 in the morning just to get to the boat ramp by 7:00”. Whether they are spending the day watching dolphins, fishing, or at the sand bar, boat days with the entire crew keeps the family close together and is their favorite way to relax.
As much as they enjoy all water-related activities, their family favorites are fishing and island time. “My oldest son loves to fish, he’d rather stay trolling all day, while my youngest son is a beach-bum. It takes a while to grow patience for fishing but every time you say ‘fish on’ he’ll jump up, reel it in and then go lay back down.”
Boating with the people you love is just an added bonus to creating memories on the water. Zac’s most memorable days on the boat revolve around “firsts” he’s had with his sons. “I’m definitely all about first experiences. I remember the first fish each of my sons caught as well as my wife’s first catch. I get more excited about them doing something than myself”. Being able to bring favorite moments full-circle, is without a doubt one of the most exciting things to experience as a dad.
Sharing his love for the water with others
As Zac’s family has spent more time at home and on the water the past couple of months, he started thinking about how he could let others have the opportunity to go boating. “The main reason we listed our boat on Boatsetter wasn’t because we don’t use it, it was to give everyone else the opportunity”.
Around town and their circle of friends, “People are always saying ‘wow, you’re always on the boat’, ‘how did you find that?’, ‘where did you do that?’ so let’s give everyone the opportunity to hook them up- we have all the stuff they need!” Zac’s family and their ability to give everyone a chance to create memories on the water is just a glimpse into their tight-knit values and the passion their family shares for boating.
As a new owner on Boatsetter this season, Zac landed his first booking on his 20 ft Sea Hunt within 24 hours of listing, and a few more requests are already on the calendar. “At first it’s intimidating, but it sets me at ease knowing that there is a team on the backend looking out for me and making sure everything is going smoothly. I have 100% confidence that me and my boat are taken care of.”
As Father’s Day and summer days on the water approach, we share in Zac’s excitement to provide memorable experiences on the water for everyone. To give Dad the perfect day on the water, see our guide on how to plan a fishing trip for dad.
