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Each year, the membership of BWI conducts a writing contest recognizing top marine journalists around the world. Discover Boating is a BWI Supporting Member and sponsors the writing contest awards within the Boating Adventures category. This year the 17th Annual BWI Writing Contest was held, and Discover Boating was pleased to announce their 1st Place Winner, “One Mom, Two Teens, No Exit” written by Tania Aebi, youngest woman to sail around the world alone at 21 and author of an international best-seller. Tania was recognized for her inspirational, family bonding story that first attracted readers in the March 2009 issue of Boat U.S. Magazine. This moving story was created from first-hand experience when she set sail to the South Pacific with her two teens in hopes of giving them a world view and different sense of responsibility, all while spending time together.
Prepare to be inspired!
Hey There!
Have you ever wondered what would happen if something went terribly wrong while out on the water? If no one knows where you are going, how many stops you are making along the way, and what time you are expecting to be back by, how will they know when/if they need to call authorities?
A common rule before leaving the house is to say where you're going and when you'll be back. The same, simple rule goes for boaters too, except there's a name for it. Before taking a trip out on the water, you should always be sure to let someone on shore know your float plan, a detailed agenda of where you expect to be and how long you expect to be gone.
A float plan can include any or all of the following information: name, address, and phone number of trip leader; name and number of all passengers, emergency contacts and any special medical conditions; boat type and registration information; trip itinerary; a list of communication and signal equipment onboard.
Here’s how to execute a float plan:
- Designate two responsible friends and family members as your float plan guardians.
- Provide your float plan guardians with guidelines as to how long they should wait before contacting authorities when you do not check in as expected per your float plan. Use as many notes as possible to record this information.
- If possible, provide your float plan guardians with contact information for the emergency personnel (US Coast Guard, marine patrol, etc.) where you will be boating.
- As you fill in your destinations and estimated arrival dates (ETAs), take into consideration the predicted weather, realistic boat speed and your ability to contact your float plan guardians to update your float plan as you reach (or change) your planned destinations.
- Don’t neglect to fill in the crew and passenger information. Their ages, descriptions, medical information and emergency contacts are vital to search and rescue personnel.
- If your destinations and plans change as you travel, update your float plan so your guardians can easily monitor your progress, avoiding needless worry and unnecessary calls to emergency personnel.
- Remember to close out your float plan by checking in at your final waypoint.
Be safe, don’t be careless!
Hey There! Captain Chris Here!
With the great weather that we have been having in the Great lakes, my neighbor across the street came over and asked me a great question that I wanted to share with you.
His questions dealt with winterization.
He wanted to know if he used his boat over the weekend would he have to re-winterize the engine and all of the boat’s systems. My answer…ABSOLUTELY! If the boat is placed in the water and the engine is started and water enters the boat or the engines, then it needs to be re-winterized, not matter how long it was used or how long it was in the water for.
Newer boats are equipped with systems on their engines that assist with draining the engines installed in the boats. If you are not familiar with these systems, then an upcoming boat show is a great place to check out these systems. Stop by your local marine certified dealership display at the boat show and see what options are available. For a list of marine certified dealerships, please check out the list on our website. The link is http://www.discoverboating.com/buying/certified/dealers.aspx
Hey There!!! Captain Chris Here!
With the Boat Show Season fast approaching, I wanted to remind everyone that there is no better time to purchase your new boat, or upgrade your current one as we enter the boat show season.
Finance rates are still at an all time low and new boats are selling at prices that we have not seen in years.
In addition to purchasing your new boat, this is a great time to properly equip your boat as there are some great new items on the market. Whether you are looking to install electronics on your new boat or upgrade your existing system, there is no better place to do your research than at a boat show.
I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the shows this year. What shows will you be visiting? Why will you be visiting the shows? Are you looking for a new boat? Is it a family tradition? I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Hey There! Captain Chris Here!
While at the marina last night I had a fellow boater ask me whether or not they should perform yearly maintenance such as oil changes, water pumps, fuel filters, etc. on their engines in the fall or in the spring. After speaking with several industry
professionals, I have concluded that the fall is the best time for all your boat’s maintenance needs.
A couple of the many reasons that I was given are as follows:
· The boat will be all set for the spring with only minor chores to do on the boat
· While performing the routine maintenance, if you do identify an issue, you have all winter to address the issue.
· If you have water in the oil, lower unit gear lube or other various parts on your boat, you have a better chance of finding it and make sure that you do not have any freezing issues over the winter
When do you like to perform your yearly maintenance and why?
Before boat show season officially got underway, I escaped for a week of sunshine in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with nine of some of my closest friends.
One of the best days on our trip was spent aboard a 52 ft sport fish boat, funnily enough named Bad Company. We set sail in late-afternoon to check out the breathtaking Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean and catch the sunset that evening. These are choppy waters given that it's where these two bodies of water connect at the tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Regardless, Bad Company held her own.
Being on the water on a boat with your friends is truly one of the greatest ways to enjoy each other's company. The wind in our hair, sunshine on our faces, good music and a dinner of fresh fish from that day's catch made for one of our fondest memories.
If you're looking to go boating in Cabo there are a lot of options. Bad Company is one, and highly recommended.
Here are some shots from the cruise. Note the famous rock archway (second pic below), which is the point where the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean join.
Hey There! Captain Chris Here!
With another school year starting, who says just because you go away to school that you can’t go boating. Better yet, why not get an education in something that you love doing, like boating. Whether it's naval engineering at the University of Michigan or archeology at the University of West Florida, boating can be a part of any education.
Just imagine getting up every day and spending the day on the water. Better yet, sending your kid to college to do something that they love is worth every penny. I can remember going to school and visiting my friends at Michigan State. We would get up in the morning and join the water ski club for a couple of runs. What can be better than waking up knowing that you are getting college credit to water ski?
BoatUS recently published a great article on the “Boatiest Schools in America”. If you have not checked it out, you should.
What boating activities did you do when you were in school? Does your career involve boating now? Do you have any words of advice for kids entering college and trying to figure out what they want to do when they grow up?
Hey There! Capt. Chris here!
There's nothing better than spending Labor Day weekend on the water with friends and family. Lucky for us, the weather was amazing and we took advantage of every minute. On Friday night when I got home from work, my wife had the boat packed and ready to go. We went for an evening cruise and stopped for dinner on the water. Saturday morning the kids were up bright and early asking when we're leaving. We did just that and headed out to the sand bar for the afternoon. After a great day on the water, we had a special treat for the kids and headed to a local marina where we stayed the night. The marina is also a state park, so we were able to make a bon-fire, cook hot dogs and make my daughters new favorite dessert, S’mores.
We couldn't have asked for a better weekend, as it doesn't get any better than spending quality family time on a boat and watching my little ones experience something new. Below is a picture of the two of them on the bridge as we rolled with the waves.
Well enough about how much fun we had on the water, what about you? What great things did you do with your family over the weekend? Where did you go? What did you see? Did you experience or try anything new?
Hey There! Captain Chris here!
We're working on a Top 10 List why people go boating and we have the following reasons. Do you have anything to add to this? Would love to hear from you!
- Boating Improves Quality of Life.
- Boating is an Affordable Recreation Alternative
- Water Access is Closer than you Think
- Boating Fun Helps you Bond with Friends and Family
- Boating Helps Reduce Stress
- Boating is Convenient
- Boating is an Engaging and Rewarding Activity
- Boating is Good Exercise
- Recreational Boating is Easy to Learn
- Boating is FUN
Post your top ten list in this blog and I will make sure to give you a shout out in my next blog. I can’t wait to read all of the top 10 lists!
As part of our ongoing efforts to reach mass audiences about the benefits of boating, our team continuously works with reporters at a variety of newspapers, magazines and television stations across the U.S. Fortunately, we've had great success this summer and are excited to share some our highlighted feature stories.
Check out our latest Discover Boating feature story, which ran in the Chicago Sun-Times this past Sunday, August 30th. It discusses boating as the ultimate "staycation" and features ways in which you can get the entire family involved. We hope you enjoy it!
Read the story below, or click here to view the story on the Sun-Times website.
Take a break on the lake
WET AND WILD | Surprise staycation turns to treat with watery good time
August 30, 2009
BY DALE BOWMAN Staff Reporter
Tubing on Lake Michigan with Chicago's skyline as a backdrop while practice for the Air and Water Show decorates the sky and air is not a bad capper for the summer.
We didn't plan a stay-put sort of staycation summer.
Sometimes you just make do.
Our grand plans for the summer anticipated an overnighter at Indiana Beach, and a couple extended weekends of fishing/ swimming/boating/laying about with friends in northern Wisconsin.
A son's hospital stay put the kibosh on all that.
One adjustment was a staycation story Dana Fennewald pitched early in the summer. For the last several years, the public relations manager for the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association has come up with ideas for showcasing boating.
Illinois ranks 10th in boat registrations (379,454 in 2007) and 16th in new powerboat, motor, trailer and accessory sales ($301.4 million in 2008).
This year she wanted to focus on staycation and on-water options available within minutes off Chicago. We sampled the whole platter on the Friday before the Air and Water Show, a day we lucked into. Weather blew off the first date, then came the hospital stay.
But we were happy with the day when everything came together.
It was a treat.
I never tire of seeing Chicago from the water. It was even better sharing it with the whole family. And we took the whole gang, loading up at DuSable Harbor and strapping the younger ones into life preservers.
Capt. Rob Newsome strutted the stuff of the 32-foot Cobalt 323, ''The Corner Office,'' even showing the boys the switch that made the twin engines throb like a racing boat. But this Cobalt is designed to be a family boat, with lots of space at the back for play outside. That was our ultimate aim, play on the water.
Newsome is part of the DiscoverBoating.com team and has broad experience on waterfronts and lakefronts. I rank Chicago's at the top, of the ones I have experienced, for a lot of reasons, but wanted Newsome's ranking from his broader perspective.
He puts Chicago as the best urban waterfront overall. His point went beyond the scenic value of the Chicago lakefront to the actual use of it.
''Lake Michigan is so accessible,'' he said. ''You can leave your office and be on your boat in five minutes. That's what we do: five minutes to walk to the boat. And I like freshwater, personally.''
He started us with a quick tour of lakefront sights: the lock and Navy Pier, then out through the breakwall to off Fullerton.
The bonus was simply leaving the growing heat on shore behind. It was quite a welcome change when we passed out into the lake.
About that point, the serious practice began for the Air and Water Show.
That highlighted the day with everything from fighters breaking the sound barrier right over us, to helicopters whirling in waiting at the filtration plant, to transport planes passing by, to stunt fighters practicing loops just off North Side beaches while the oldest boy tried to identify each aircraft.
Then Newsome and Fennewald took us tubing with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop. The fright of the day came when the 4-year-old let go and floated around secure in a life jacket, screaming at the top of his lungs. Then we (well, most of us) went swimming in 30 feet of water. The only thing missing was fishing, and I have done enough.
The morning ended with a light box lunch while we drifted around, just relaxing and watching planes.
It was time.
Back on shore, we drove north on Lake Shore Drive and could not believe the hundreds of boats lined up to watch practice, where we had just been.
The day stayed with us, a good reminder the outdoors should be fun.
Hey There! Capt Chris here!
As boaters, we have a responsibility and it is up to us to help protect the environment. Protecting the environment takes a conscious effort by all of us and starts with how we boat, where we boat, and the products we use on our boats. The little things are what count. A couple of things that come to mind and that are listed on Boat US’s website are:
- Stow your trash until you get on land: Never throw anything into the water that didn’t come out of it. Keep trash, even food waste, onboard and bring it back to recycle or throw away on shore. This also includes cigarette butts.
- Respect the marine environment: Don’t feed or harass dolphins and other mammals. Reduce speed and give a wide berth to whales and manatees. If it is planted there, leave it there. Watch out for coral reefs and other vegetation where you boat.
- Slow down and watch your wake: Large wakes accelerate shoreline erosion. Throttle back in narrow waterways. Use moorings rather than anchoring in environmentally delicate areas such as coral reef. When snorkeling or diving, never touch any live coral.
- Follow sanitation laws and regulations: "No dumping" means no dumping! Install a coast Guard- approved marine sanitation device on your boat and use it. Consult up-to-date cruising guides for the locations of pump- out facilities.
- Tune up your engine: An engine that is tuned up and running properly improves fuel economy and burns fuel more efficiently, causing fewer emissions into the air and water.
- Refuel with care: Take precautions to keep fuel and oil out of the water. Do not top off your fuel tanks, as it can lead to gas spilling into the water. Use a "bilge pillow" to soak up leaks in your bilge, instead of using your bilge pump to pump it out.
- Is your marina a clean marina? I support all the local marinas that participate and have been labeled a “clean marina”.
- Shrink Wrap: Purchase a reusable winter cover to help reduce the amount of waste. If you do use shrink wrap, make sure to recycle. I use shrink wrap, but I make sure to personally put it in the recycling bin at the marina.
- Solar Panels: Have you ever thought about installing solar panels on your boat to help charge your batteries or run your electronics while you are on a sand bar, instead of your generator?
- Be on the look out. If you see oil or chemical spills or other pollutions, call the United States Coast Guard’s National response Center hotline (800-424-8802).
What are you doing to help protect the environment while you are boating? What tips do you have for me and other boaters?
So many people think of boating, fishing and watersports as something you can only do in coastal towns or on vacation, but New York City is an amazing city for boating and more than ever before, our Manhattan-based friends have access to affordable options.
New Yorkers tend to lead a pretty hectic life in the big city so a fishing clinic on the Hudson River or evening sail may be just what the doctor ordered for reconnecting with nature, family and friends. And, let's admit it, the views of Manhattan from the water can’t be beat.
Okay....drumroll...here are some of my top-recommended NYC boating spots:
- New boat rental programs out of Chelsea Piers: Last year, Luxury Yacht Rentals launched its rentals and captained charters business with hourly rentals on powerboats that comfortably accommodate 6-8 people. Rental fees for a 27’ powerboat that accommodates 6-8 guests start at $550 for the day (plus fuel). Add a licensed captain starting at $200/day. www.luxuryyachtpartners.com or 646.283.0452
- Fractional “time share” ownership continues to gain popularity for new boaters looking to try before they buy. SailTime offers fractional ownerships in New York City out of Chelsea Piers - www.sailtime.com
- Hudson River Community Sailing at 26th Street - http://www.hudsonsailing.org/ - a non-profit dedicated to developing leadership in New York City youth through sailing education and providing maritime recreation to the community at large.
- Jet Ski Adventures - http://jettyjumpers.com/ -- Jetty Jumpers runs private Jet Ski tours around Manhattan for the thrill-seeker in all of us.
- Brunch, sunset, happy hour, night, themed and charter sails for groups from several operators, including:
- Shearwater Sailing: http://www.shearwatersailing.com/index.cfm
- Classic Harbor Line: http://www.sail-nyc.com/
- Circle Line: http://www.circleline.com/
- Spirit of NY: http://www.spiritofnewyork.com/ny/bridge.jsp
- NY Waterway: http://www.nywaterway.com/NYHarborCruises/tabid/69/Default.aspx
With all of these options, there’s no excuse for not taking advantage of NYC's boating lifestyle.
Hey There! Captain Chris here!
I always tell people that renting a boat is the best way to find out what kind of boat is the perfect fit for their family.
This past weekend my family and I had to go out of town for a family event. We arrived the evening before everyone else so we rented a boat! There is no better way to see a city that you are visiting than by boat. The kids always love being on the water and my wife always loves to look at all the waterfront properties along the trip. We are no strangers to boat renting. Depending on where we go, we have rented jet boats, pontoon boats and cruisers.
Here is my daugther having fun this past weekend
If you're looking for a great vacation idea, rent a boat for the week and cruise the Florida coast line or the Keys. If you are not comfortable driving the boat yourself, most rental facilities will either provide you with a captain (charter) or recommend one for you. There is nothing like a relaxing trip visiting restaurants you normally would not have or seeing the sites that you normally would have missed. Don’t forget the natural wild life. You definitely will not see Manatee or dolphins up close from your car. If you have never done it, then a must do on your list is rent a house boat with 12-20 of your closest friends and spend a long weekend or a long week on the water barbequing, soaking up the sun and swimming till the sun goes down.
Check out the boat renting section on our website. Have you ever rented a boat? What kind? Where did you go? What did you do? I would love to hear about your boat rental adventure.
Hey There! Captain Chris Here!
This past weekend my dock mate asked me about how he could get better fuel economy in his boat. He started talking about all these expensive ideas and I realized that he never considered a few basic things that can make a huge difference when it comes to fuel savings.
I recommended him a couple of simple ideas that may be helpful to you too. Check them out.
Clean the bottom of your boat: Algae, Zebra Mussels and other things that grow on your boat’s bottom or outdrive can add drag and create small performance issues that you may not notice, but will cost you fuel economy over time.
Fuel Filter: If you have a dirty or clogged fuel filter, then it's doing its job, but you need to change it to allow proper fuel flow to the engine. The engine could end up working twice as hard to get the fuel that it needs to run properly. I recommend that you change your fuel filter every 100 hours or once a year.
Water Separator: Some of you may not even know you have this filter in your fuel line or on your engine. This filter cleans out the water condensation that may have built up in your fuel tank. This filter not only can save your engine, but a clean filter will allow the engine to run more efficient by providing the proper amount of fuel to the engine. I recommend that you change your filter every 100 hours or once a year.
Prop Condition: Even the smallest ding or bend can cause your prop to cavitate or form air pockets around the prop. When this happens, the prop has to spin more times to catch the water, rather than catch the air. Make sure you check and inspect your prop regularly to insure there is no major damage. Even if you think you did not hit anything, you may have caused some sort of damage from something that was in the water.
These are just a couple of suggestions that I tell people all the time that are relatively inexpensive. What are you doing to save on fuel economy? What suggestions can you make to assist other fellow boaters?
Sailing trips are a great value, especially when splitting costs with another family
From Taking the Kids, where author Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.
(Tribune Media Services) We are in paradise—really. The fish literally eat out of our hands, the water is so clear I can see seashells in the sand six feet below us and the island nearby is ringed by lush, green trees, some dripping with exotic fruits.
We are following our Catamaran Captain Turo Ariito around the tiny motu (islet) named Tau Tau, (yes, we grown-ups definitely thought Gilligan’s Island) off the Tahitian island of Taha’a to some of the best snorkeling we’ve ever enjoyed. The Coral Garden teems with fish—striped banner fish, long skinny trumpet fish, parrotfish, triggerfish, a barracuda and big ugly eel—that eat the scraps of day-old baguettes (we are in French Polynesia, after all).
Our boat, a gleaming, four-cabin Catamaran (chartered from www.tahitiyachtcharter.com), is moored a short distance away, just offshore from the oh-so-exclusive Le Taha’a Island Resort and Spa (http://www.letahaa.com), which offers over-the-water thatched-roof bungalows favored by Hollywood types, including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who I’m told vacationed here with Suri last summer.
Sure Tahiti (www.tahiti-tourism.com) is a favorite spot for honeymooners and we meet plenty during our two-week sojourn here, but we meet lots of families, too. Tahiti is closer than many think—just a little over seven hours from Los Angeles, about two hours farther than Hawaii—and Air Tahiti Nui (www.airtahitinui-usa.com) is encouraging more families to visit with kids-fly-free offers and discounted hotel rates.
We’re traveling with another set of parents and four 18-year-olds—my daughter Mel and her three friends who have been BFFs since they all met at Camp Kamaji (www.kamaji.com) in Minnesota nearly a decade ago. When Mel asked me to plan a graduation trip to include Margaret, Lane and Orlee, I figured it had to involve sailing, since the girls spent their summers sailing (later teaching sailing), and it had to be someplace they likely wouldn’t go on their own—in the near future anyway.
So here we are exploring a small slice of French Polynesia’s 118 islands—the four girls who have come from Connecticut, Wisconsin, Kansas and California, my husband Andy and me and Allan and Pam Roza, from Milwaukee, whose daughter Orlee only reluctantly agreed to her parents joining us. I’m especially glad they are here when it turns out Captain Turo speaks little English and The Rozas, who were raised in Canada, speak fluent French.
Our 40-year-old captain is straight out of Central Casting—or a Gauguin painting—huge, muscular with a long mane of hair, tattoos, which he explains tells his family story, and a smile that no matter what happens makes us all relax. In the past, we’ve chartered sailboats closer to home in the Caribbean when we didn’t have a captain. Check www.sunsail.com and www.moorings.com, which also have outlets here, but I couldn’t have imagined this trip without Turo, a prize-winning sailor who has competed in races around the world.
Turo regales the girls with tales of his four sons (by four different women) who live around the world. One look at Turo and I hear my daughter voluntarily speaking French for the first time outside the classroom. And wherever we go—to the tony resort on Taha’a, to the local summer Heiva festival on the island of Ra’iatea to the iconic Bloody Mary’s restaurant on Bora Bora, everyone knows Turo. (They even know what he likes for dinner.) He’s got friends and cousins everywhere and leads us to places we never could have found on our own.
Sailing trips are a great value—significantly cheaper than hotels, especially when splitting costs with another family and cooking your own meals. There are other American families like ours sailing these islands. It’s a great adventure—sails billowing in the wind, the sun in your face, no one anywhere near—but sailing isn’t for everyone. The seas get rough at times. (Bonine helps!) You’ve got to pump toilets to make them flush, showers are rudimentary and living quarters are cramped. But when you’ve got sea breezes, sunshine and starry nights, you don’t need much beyond bathing suits, shorts and flip-flops.
We let Turo lead the way around the Leeward Islands—from Ra’iata, the yachting capital here, to Taha’a, known for its pearl farms and vanilla plantations, to Huahine to Bora Bora with its deluxe resorts. Later we will visit Mo’orea (more about those adventures in other columns). (I’m glad I have my Lonely Planet Tahiti and French Polynesia guide along (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/tahiti-and-french-polynesia/tahiti).
Each island is different and more beautiful than James Michener’s descriptions in his “Tales of the South Pacific.” The locals are even more exotic than imagined with their crowns of flowers and leaves, the women wearing brightly colored pareos that can be tied so many different ways. Everyone is friendly as we buy groceries at local markets (fresh coconut milk) and join them at an annual competition in Bora Bora one morning where we watch young men weave thatch for roofs from dried Pandanus leaves. These days, though, thatched roofs will only be found at hotels. “We’ve evolved,” young local mom Heiata Tupahiroa explains. Thatched roofs have to be changed every few years.
In many places, we’re the only Americans, the only English speakers, which only adds to the adventure.
On Taha’a we meet the Champons, a family of pearl farmers, and learn how those beautiful black pearls are cultivated. Moeata Hioe, a nurse educated in America, shows us around the Vanilla Valley (vanillavalley@gmail.com), the vanilla plantation she took over from her grandfather. Vanilla Valley produces 30 tons of vanilla annually and everything is done by hand right down to pollinating the plants. “If the bees did it, it would be so easy,” Hioe says. But they won’t go hungry. There are fruit trees everywhere—limes, starfruit, grapefruit and mangos—and 47 species of banana trees. “You have to love what you do,” Hioe tells the girls. That’s a good message for four girls about to go off to college.
We snorkel with big Sting Rays without another boat in site, jumping off the boat to swim. We eat local pamplemousse (giant, tasty grapefruit) for breakfast, crisp baguettes, salami and cheese for lunch or (organic) mac and cheese I’ve brought from home. We make papaya smoothies—sans blender. We drink local Hinano beer and my husband introduces Turo to martinis. It’s everything a vacation should be and all the better because our BlackBerrys don’t work and we aren’t near any Internet cafes.
And then there are the sharks. Just as we’re sailing into the Bora Bora lagoon with its majestic green cliffs and clear water, we catch a 16-pound Mahi Mahi! We can’t believe our luck! Turo tells us a fish this size would cost $70 or more in the local market.
Turo cleans our catch where he knows the Lemon and Reef sharks—some as long as four feet—will be. Soon the sharks were swimming in circles around the back of our boat, looking like a bunch of kindergartners squabbling over the last cookie. Turo assures us it’s safe to get in the water and we do, watching the sharks swim beneath us, snapping photos with our Olympus, good up to 10 feet underwater (Stylus Tough-6000 www.olympusamerica.com).
That night, Turo barbecued our fish and we ate under the stars, the boat gently rocking.
We congratulate ourselves for our good fortune—catching this magnificent fish, having Turo as our captain and participating in an adventure that the girls—and us—won’t ever forget. We beg Turo to visit us for Thanksgiving. He just smiles.
(c) 2009 EILEEN OGINTZ DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
For more articles by Eileen, visit her blog at www.TakingtheKids.com.
Hey There! Captain Chris here!
Joining a boating club or organization is another great way to enjoy your boat and meet people who share the same passion as you do. Personally, I am a member of my local United States Power Squadron and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and two other clubs in the area.
Here is a quick link on our site where you can locate a boating club or organization near you. If you’re thinking about joining a club, there are a couple of things that you need to consider.
Cost: How much is my membership and what is included? Are there any additional monthly fees that I need to be aware of? Memberships at some clubs can be as little as $25 a year to costing you thousands a month, so make sure you know all the details before you join.
Events: Does the club offer weekend boat trips? Where do they go? How many trips are planned a year? What events do they offer outside of boating season? Weekend trips to other clubs can be a blast. Many clubs set weekend dates at certain local marinas in the area and spend the weekends at the marina on their boat. One of our local clubs has a dinner dance once a month in the winter to keep all members active. In the summer, they have BBQ’s, corn roasts and other activities planned for us to enjoy.
Facilities: Do they have a club house that you can visit and socialize at? Are they on the water so that you can visit the facilities by boat? Once you arrive by boat, are there things to do, such as a pool, bar or restaurant. Do they offer shower facilities? Are they clean? If you have children, do they have facilities for the kids to play at?
Clubs and organizations have been a great way for my wife and I to be involved in the boating community and we have met many great friends. I would love to hear what makes your club or organization so great? Send me pictures of your club’s facilities or an event and I will make sure to upload them to the blog.
Zac Efron, star of the High School Musical series
From People.com:
READY TO LAUNCH
Zac Efron eases his ride into the water as he prepares to set sail Wednesday in Vancouver, where he continues to shoot his latest film, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.
Hey There! Capt. Chris here!
I wanted to share with you this link to the “Special Offers” section on www.discoverboating.com. You can order a couple of free boating magazines to enjoy when you are sitting on the back bench of the boat or get some special deals on boating books and games.
I always leave my boating magazines in my office at work. Everyone comes in to check out the latest edition of their favorite sailing, yachting or fishing magazine. 
There are books for all skill levels and all ages. One of my daughter’s favorite books is “My First Picture Book of Boating Words”. We read the book all the time before bed. As for my son, his favorite book is “Bur Bur’s Boating ABC’s”. There are several great books on how to introduce fishing to your kids.
Even though I've been boating for years, I enjoy reading "Boating 101" or "Power Boating for Dummies" to brush up on a rule or two that may have changed.
Check out all these resources and let me know if there are any other great books, magazines, or games that should be added to the list.
See ya out on the water!
Today's TGIF post comes from my colleague and avid boater, Rob, who explored the waters off the Florida panhandle:
I recently visited the beach town of Destin in northern Florida with a few friends and a very clear personal mission: to catch a fish big enough to beat out any fish my friends may catch. What I found, beyond fishing glory, was the boating destination that I cannot get out of my mind in the weeks since.
We gave ourselves three full days in this boater’s paradise. With perfect weather ahead, we dedicated the first two days to pleasure boating and exploration. Our boat was docked in the bay area about 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The ride to open water took us past Eglin Air Force base, where our eyes were drawn with amazement by the occasional fighter jet screaming into the skies above. Just before we reached the opening to the Gulf, we came upon the local favorite spot --Crab Island (see below).
Crab Island is a sandbar area just before the Destin Bridge, where hundreds of boaters go to swim and relax in its crystal clear waters. We quickly discovered a floating restaurant and three-story inflatable waterslide. We had no problem spending the enter day there, meeting the locals, playing football in the shallows, swimming and diving into the waters where you can see 30 ft. to the bottom.
Day 2 was spent navigating the bay area waterways, stopping at several quiet and secluded beaches. Beaching the boat on the pure white sands and getting away from everything was exactly the kind of relaxation and scenery we all hope for. This was the kind of view we put on our computer screensavers, where all that exists is the perfect combination of water and palm trees. Our exploration that day took us near Crab Island again, where not too far off we found a stretch of countless restaurants to dock and hop out for a late breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 3 was game day, dedicated to the pursuit of fish. 5am is early, there is no debating that, but we had the burst of energy needed when awoken to the song “No Fish Today,” by Kid Creole & the Coconuts (if you haven't heard this song, find it, it's my new fishing theme song). We didn’t need to go further than a few hundred yards offshore before we had the first bite, and this luck continued the entire morning.
That’s yours truly in the blue shirt. My fish was 3 oz. heavier and an inch larger than any of the King and Spanish Mackerel we caught that day ... mission accomplished! Vacation a success! As my mind drifts back to perfect boating trip in Destin, I can’t help but wonder what I will find in my next exploration of new waters.
Have a great weekend on the water!