While scrolling through Instagram recently, I found some good posts by The Boat Mom, or Paula Sleiman. She’s the mother of 3-year-old Kai, and the owner of two 21-foot Nautiques. She drives the version with a direct-drive inboard; her husband, Dusty Able, prefers the 21 powered by a V-drive. Sleiman’s feed was in its infancy, but it appealed to me, as she was addressing hot topics for women trying to raise children and learn about boating simultaneously.
I remember being in that position many years ago, and too often feeling like a Nervous Nellie, as I could get myself worked up about creating a safe environment for the kids. Sleiman, on the other hand, seemed completely comfortable in her own skin and at her own helm, in videos on everything from how to pack for a day on the water with a toddler, to how to drive a boat up onto its trailer. She did a nice pop quiz on the anatomy of an inboard engine, too. Her feed also generated good questions from other moms. I liked the community she was building, so I reached out to learn more about her.
Sleiman, 38, does most of her boating with her family on Lake Conway in Orlando, Florida, which is near her office at Correct Craft, where she works full-time. Dusty works at the same company; they are engineers. She grew up in a boating family and spent her childhood exploring the Mediterranean Sea. “I learned so much about boating from my family, my profession and from my husband,” she says. “Yet for a while, I took for granted all that I know.”
The idea for The Boat Mom came to her on the job, while at a sales training meeting. “I was talking with a dealer who said there was a need for women to connect with other women who could show them that boating is safe, approachable and achievable, even if you’ve never done it before.”
After that conversation, Sleiman started to pay closer attention to the women on her lake. “They were rarely driving their boats, and their husbands sometimes seemed overwhelmed by having to do most of the work.”
So, Sleiman created her Boat Mom persona, and purely for personal reasons. “It’s not a business venture. I just have a passion to help more people enjoy the sport. As a working mom, I don’t have a lot of time to create content, but I have many friends and colleagues who want to contribute.”
This summer, she’ll do a series featuring tips from mothers of all ages. One woman will talk about boating with teens; another will share her perspective as a grandmother. “We’ll draw from people in different seasons of life,” says Sleiman. “If you know other moms who have not let the process of becoming a parent prevent them from being on the water, let me know.”
Jeanne Craig, [email protected]
This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue.
