Ellen's Blog

Boating: Bringing the family together?

2010-08-03T15:54:32Z

The Washington Post ran a story on Sunday titled "Trading Life on Land for Love of Family" that's getting a lot of attention from boaters and non-boaters.

A Washington, DC-area family of five lived at sea for seven years, exploring the world from a sailboat. While an extreme example, the story reinforces the core emotional reason people buy a boat--to build relationships. Whether it's spending more time with your kids, finding a place to escape with your significant other or releasing stress with a group of friends, boating is more than a means for travel and fun. It's a vessel for building relationships with people, yourself and nature.

Check out the story here.

Chicago Takes Cabo

2009-10-02T11:20:33Z

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.

Boating Loves NYC

2009-08-05T12:00:50Z

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

Big City Fishing (FREE) through Hudson River Park Trust, at Piers 84 and 46: catch and release with pro anglers right off the Pier – equipment, bait and instruction are provided http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/education/big_city_fishing.asp

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

Sailing lessons, sailing camp for kids and private yachting through Atlantic Yachting, out of the 79th Street Boat Basin - http://www.atlanticyachting.org/

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.

NY Harbor Sailing Foundation - http://nyharborsailing.com/ - a non-profit foundation whose primary goal is to increase national and international sailing competitions in New York Harbor.

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.

TODAY profiles one of DB's Top 10 Destinations!

2009-07-27T10:59:05Z

I'm excited to share the news that NBC's TODAY went live from Lake George, NY this morning -- one of Discover Boating's Top 10 Destinations! Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira get a taste of life on the water and what an American summer vacation is all about.

It should be no surprise that Lake George boaters were out in full force, sharing their love of the boating lifestyle.

Chime in on what you think about Lake George boating or nominate a different favorite boating destination.

Check out some cool clips here:

River Day Recap

2009-06-08T09:39:56Z

Before I forget, I wanted to post some pics from Friday and Saturday. The weather was a bit gloomy on Friday night and early Saturday morning, but the energy of the boaters was amazing! We heard this morning that during yesterday's leg of the flotilla 320 boats came out! Boats of all shapes and sizes too.

The flotilla will continue through this Saturday, June 13. You can jump in at any point...check out the itinerary here.

Alright, here are the pics...

We actually posted some pics over the weekend too on twitter. You can follow Discover Boating on twitter here.

Set up for River Day

2009-06-05T14:17:08Z

As I mentioned last week, we're out in NYC this weekend celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage through the river that now bears his name and when he first identified the Hudson River Valley (an historical event for recreational boaters for sure.)

We're getting set up now for Harbor Night where there will be a blessing of the fleet by a host of NY and maritime officials including Governor Paterson. The festivities are tonight and start at 6pm EST.

Tomorrow morning we'll set sail at 9am EST from the Statue of Liberty for the big River Day flotilla. Go here for all the details.

As you can see, the weather here is, well, not so great. But, we're hearing it should clear up tonight for Harbor Night and according to the lovely folks at weather.com tomorrow is supposed to be perfect

Here's a shot of the sailboat....

Alright NY boaters....hope to see you at River Day this weekend...

Boating on the Hudson

2009-05-27T15:56:23Z

Hi Boaters!

This is my first post for the Boating Blog. I'll be joining Chris and a few other resident Discover Boating team members to share our on-the-water tips, stories and inside scoop as we navigate the world of boating.

Today, we've been working on getting our team boats ready for the upcoming River Day Flotilla and celebration in New York which kicks off June 5th from New York Harbor. The event marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's expedition up the river (which now bears his name). With his voyage, the history of America, and more specifically, New York, began to take shape. It's a pretty fascinating story you can read more about here.

The Discover Boating team will participate in the first leg of the flotilla. We'll have three boats on hand -- two power and one sail -- to help bring the voice of the recreational boater to this historic event. There are actually an estimated 500,000 registered power and sail boats in New York...and we're hoping to see all of you New York boaters there!

To learn more or register your boat for the event you can visit the official River Day site.

We'll update you as we get closer and will be live blogging from the flotilla.

Until then...see you on the water!