During my childhood we owned a 17-foot boat, which we used to pursue a number of recreational activities.
While we lived in Slidell, La., at the time, most of the instances I recall of being on the boat entailed time along the Jourdan River or on Lake Ponchartrain.
A couple of times we took the boat to Ship Island and toured the old fort.

Many times we would incorporate camping and boating in the same weekend.
As camping went, we would rent a space at McLeod Water Park, and then launch and tie the boat at the riverfront next to our campsite.
All day long would be spent on the river, tubing, knee boarding and, as we got older, learning to water ski.
After these hours on the river, we would head back to the campsite, build a fire and cook dinner on camp stoves.

We would spend time after dinner talking and cooking up marshmallows.
We used tents, only rarely would we borrow an RV from the grandparents.
I found the use of tents to be the most enjoyable.
Even though I was miles away from any television set, or gaming console, I enjoyed my time outdoors.

When it was too cold to go water skiing, we went fishing instead on the lake, or sometimes in the Gulf of Mexico.
That boat got a lot of use, and we learned a lot about being on the water.
Those experiences still linger in my mind, leading me to consider buying a small boat that would be easy to maintain and maneuver on a nearby river.
My point is, find an activity that your family can enjoy together.
You never know what kind of fond memories you can build.