Around Town Buoy oh buoy, did they find fun times Amy Rosen   Our family recently discovered our magic key to spending time together during the summer. We bought a boat. People say it's hard work to have a boat and that the happiest days for boat owners are the day they buy one and the day they sell it, but when we observed people in their powerboats as we paddled along in our kayaks (our first vessels), they didn't seem miserable, they looked quite happy. So we dove in and bought the boat-show special - an 18-foot bowrider. We happily took safe-boating classes, perused books and magazines, watched "Ship Shape TV," and soaked up oceans of knowledge. Still, the best way to learn is from doing, but in our case we learned from our mistakes. When we put our spotless new boat into the water for her maiden voyage on the Navesink River, the people at the launch ramp warned us not to stay out too long. We eventually learned our first lesson when we bottomed out on a sand bar as we were zipping along. When we broke free, a giant wave of black water and dirt kicked up by the propeller came over the stern (rear). I saw it coming in slow motion and dove past my whole family into the bow (front), where the black muck would not get me. So much for our nice clean boat (and nice, polite mom). Lesson learned: check what time low tide is before setting out (and stay out of my way). Other lessons learned that summer were: lift the engine before retrieving the boat at the ramp or you will scratch your skeg, if you forget to put the bilge plug in before putting the boat in the water the boat fills up with water, and if you approach the local naval weapons station to see the battleships you will see the patrol boat officers lift their guns and yell warnings with bullhorns. Have you ever been pulled over by a friendly state trooper while driving? Well, we have, but we were driving on Lake Hopatcong. Luckily we had all the proper gear onboard except for an orange flag indicating when a person is in the water swimming, tubing, etc. A local store on the lake sold us one - for triple the price of stores further inland. Speaking of tubing, did you know that if the operator of the boat takes the turns super sharp the person being pulled behind the boat can go flying out of it? We do now! When attempting to anchor in coves like other boaters do, we drifted around in circles closer to the other boats, until we eventually figured it out. Some family members mastered the fine art of docking without damaging the boat faster than others (we now call one son "The Captain"), and others became great at jumping off and tying the knots to secure the boat to the dock, and putting out the inflatable bumpers that protect the boat. Oh, and some are really great at giving orders to the rest of the crew. Yes, we've got our act together! We also discovered that when you go over another boat's wake (waves), it makes a loud bang and subsequent waves hurt more, so it's best to take them on an angle and slow down a bit. Speaking of other boats, there seems to be an unspoken rule that if you pass another boater on the water you wave, but if you pass them in a car you wouldn't give them a second glance. My theory is since we all check out each other's boats and we're out in the open, we wave because it isn't polite to stare. But there are some people who get really mad if you go too fast in a "no wake" zone, and they say more than just "hello," and sometimes don't even use their whole hand to wave. We got through that first summer much wiser and decided we needed a bigger boat to accommodate rougher waters and more guests. So we traded up and, happily, the second summer was a total success - almost; until we caught the big one without trying. While entering the Atlantic Highlands marina, we suddenly found the boat wouldn't move as big fishing boats passed us. Then a sturdy vessel called "Neptune's Toy" from Brooklyn appeared and the kind captain (who reminded me of Popeye) offered to tow us out of danger. He threw us a line and gunned his engine, but he couldn't move either. After several tries, he towed us with difficulty and deposited us at the closest empty dock (which turned out to be owned by the local yacht club - where the nasty driver of "The Water Witch," a dingy for members, repeatedly made it clear that we didn't "belong" there). We had to call Sea Tow, the auto club on the water, and Captain Frank appeared to rescue us. He figured out that a chain was knotted around our propeller and slowly towed us back to the launch ramp, several miles away. Upon retrieving the boat from the water, we were all shocked to find a cinder block attached to the chain, creating an anchor - just our luck, one that finally worked when we didn't want it! We don't catch fish; we have to be different. With no harm done and our eternal gratitude to Captain Frank and Popeye, we closed the boat for the winter and still laugh about it. Despite all our mishaps, boating has changed our lives. We love boating on nice days with family and friends aboard. We've discovered that vacations can be relaxing and fun as we continue to explore new waterways of New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Virginia and more. We enjoy shopping by boat and "dock and dine" restaurants (even if the food is less than perfect at some, we return because docking is cool). We've also become more aware of how important it is to keep our waters clean when runoff from sewers, chemicals used on grass, and nuclear power plants threaten the ecosystems of our beautiful waterways. These changes were painfully evident to us on the beautiful Barnegat Bay when newly prevalent stinging sea nettles (jellyfish) made it uncomfortable to swim in spots. Since boating came into our lives, our family is never bored on nice days. Finding a common interest has brought us closer together and created everlasting memories. I recommend all families discover an activity they love to do together. Go find whatever floats your boat - we did! Amy Rosen is a staff writer with Greater Media Newspapers.