No matter where you live, there is a good chance you will have a boating club not too far away. There are literally thousands of different boating clubs that you can join. A quick Internet search will show you boating clubs throughout the world!
Boating clubs are great places to meet people who share the same interest in boating that you do. People often join boating clubs for this exact reason. Boating is an almost obsessive sport, people involved usually have a lot of knowledge or have an insatiable desire for that knowledge. When you know others who share that same passion, you’ll fuel that fire in ways you never knew possible.
Boating clubs will also sponsor social events like boat shows that you can participate in. Social gatherings are great places to exchange information with other boaters and share your own knowledge. You can really learn so much about this sport just by talking with other people!
It doesn’t matter what kind of boating you do or are involved in, if you like people and learning, a boating club really is for you. You can compare boats with other people. You may learn about a different style or brand of boat that you want to check out and even buy. Maybe you’ve got a 16 foot ski boat and have always wanted to try a cabin cruiser. There is bound to be a fellow member who has the cabin cruiser and you can see what he or she has to say about the good and bad points of that particular boat.
Many boating clubs are able to offer members discounts through third parties on boating equipment, insurance and even on boating trips. They say that membership has its advantages. When you’re an avid boater, that’s certainly true with a boating club!
You can get boating lessons too in some clubs. Like golf clubs, there is usually a pro around to answer questions and teach techniques. If you want to learn about boating or brush up on some of the things you’ve gotten rusty at, just ask the pro!
Many boating clubs have their own “clubhouse” usually located on a body of water. Most of the time they’ll let members ramp for free and take advantage of the water with no additional charges. The cost is usually included in membership dues. The club house may even have a gourmet restaurant and bar for members to enjoy. And kids are usually catered for with junior activities, courses and competitions.
The benefits of joining a boating club are far-reaching for you and your family. You will meet new friends, learn about boating more in-depth than ever before, and find new, exciting ways to make your boating experiences even more fulfilling than they already are. We’re willing to bet there’s a boating club near you. Find it and join today – it’s well worth the price!
Monthly archives for April, 2011
Boating Clubs
Boating Charter
If you don’t own a boat, but are keen to experience a boating holiday, a boating charter is possibly a way for you to try. You can charter a boat either with or without a captain depending on your experience level and what type of getaway you want.
A bareboat boating charter is when you simply rent a boat and will captain it yourself. Most places that specialize in bareboat charters will give you a quick boating lesson so you know how to operate the vessel and know the ‘rules of the road’ when it comes to navigating the waterways. But generally, for the sake of safety, it’s not a good idea to get a bareboat charter with no boating experience at all. Remember even what looks like calm harmless waters, could be a potential danger.
The advantage to a bareboat boating charter is that if you do have some boating experience, you will be able to captain a boat that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to own. That means a cabin cruiser or even a yacht. 
If you’ve always wanted to go yachting, a bareboat boating charter may very well be the way for you to go. The costs of paying a Captain are also eliminated.
When you do a basic boating charter, you are hiring the boat as well as an experienced captain to operate the boat. The best part about a basic boating charter is that you can sit back and enjoy the boating experience without having to worry about – literally – anything else. You can be taken to places that would be out of your range, had you gone yourself.
When you book a boating charter, be sure it’s with a reputable company who has good quality boats and adequate insurance as well as enough experience to ensure you of a safe and satisfying getaway. Choose a boat that’s within your budget, but don’t be afraid to splurge a little, you won’t regret it. After all, this is a boating getaway for you; why not enjoy it to the fullest!
Have you always dreamed of getting away to an exotic location but want to incorporate your love of boating with that trip? 
Charter a boat once you arrive. Then you can really have the vacation experience of a lifetime. There are very few places you can go where you won’t find a boating charter company ready to book you on a cruise along the water.
Your trip can be a simple day trip up and down a river or it can be a week-long excursion where you can whale watch, swim with the dolphins, or just sit on deck and enjoy the scenery.
Boating charters are easy to come by and an amazing way for you to have a boating vacation that will be a memorable experience for years to come. Check out boating charters online before you book and then enjoy your trip!
Boating Accidents
Boating Accidents
Every year, the United States Coast Guard compiles information regarding boating accidents in the United States. These studies are very comprehensive and are based on accident reports filed by boaters who have been involved in boating accidents.
There are certain regulations that the USCG has made regarding the reporting of a boating accident. You must report the accident under the following conditions:
* A person dies
* A person is injured and requires medical treatment other than first aid
* The damage to a vessel is more than $2,000 or there is a total loss of a vessel
* A person disappears from a vessel and circumstances indicate there maybe a death or an injury
It’s a good idea to report the boating accident within the first forty-eight hours in the case of a fatality or for a non-fatal accident within 10 days. Regulations differ as to the required time frame, but a responsible boater should report the situation as soon as possible.
In the year 2009, there were 4730 accidents, with 736 fatalities and 3358 injuries directly attributed to boating accidents. Of those fatalities, nearly seventy five percent of them were due to drowning, and eight-four percent of those who drowned, were not wearing their life jackets. Seven out of ten of those who drowned were in boats less than 21 feet long.
The most reported boating accidents were the result of collisions with a recreational vessel. Followed by skier mishap, collisions with a fixed object and flooding or swamping of the boat. However, capsizing and falls overboard were also among those most reported and contributed also to the drowning fatalities overall.
Overall, operator inattention, operator inexperience, carelessness, reckless driving, excessive speed, alcohol, machinery failure and weather were the amongst the most prevalent contributing factors to boating accidents. That is why the Coast Guard highly recommends all boaters take a certified boating safety class as well as qualified boating instruction classes.
The most common types of boats involved in boating accidents were open motorboats, personal watercrafts (Jet Skis), canoes/kayaks and cabin motorboats. There was a marked increase also in sailing accidents, houseboats, and fishing boats.
Alcohol was also shown to be a huge contributing factor in boating accidents. Impaired captains were shown to have a larger incidence of the possibility of accidents because of lack of judgment, inattention, carelessness and reckless behavior. In fact, approximately one in six of all boating deaths can be directly linked to the consumption of alcohol by the driver.
Boating accidents can be prevented rather easily if more people would take boating safety classes and receive proper boating instruction. Because of the various factors that are involved in boating, it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. If you want to be a responsible boater, they way to prevent boating accidents is to stop them before they start. Get educated and then put that information to use – all the time!
Boating Accessories
When you are looking for boating accessories, you may become overwhelmed at the amount of products that are available. Are you wondering just what kinds of boating accessories you really need? The truth is that answer is really up to you.
To begin with, you need to make sure that your boating accessories include all of the required equipment as outlined by the marine authorities. Those boating accessories include:
* Fire extinguishers
* Life jackets for each person on board
* A sound device like a foghorn, a whistle, or a bell
* Adequate lighting for night boating
Others might be:
* Marine radio – for communication with those on shore and with other boats in the event that you become stranded or are in an emergency situation.
* Flares
* V sheet (large fluoro colored sheet for high visibility)
* mirror (for reflecting light)
You will also want to have some type of two-way radio, while this is not a mandatory boating accessory while boating close to land, you really won’t want to be without this while in the middle of the water and something goes wrong.
As far as other accessories for boating, the rest is your decision. How will you be using your boat? If you will be participating in water sports, look into a pair of water skis and a slalom ski as well as a strong tow rope. 
Inner tubing just requires a reliable tube with handles and that same tow rope.
Some people think that an essential boating accessory is an on-board stereo system. If you will be entertaining on your boat, this can be a great addition. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a boat stereo, but you may find that the extra investment is well worth your enjoyment! The kids and teenagers will love it and a stereo seems to be essential equipment when wakeboarding.
Recreational boating accessories can run the gamut from fishing gear to nice sunglasses, the options are limitless. 
If you think you will want to park in one of the proverbial “party coves” that exist on many bodies of water, you will want to have an anchor lest you drift away from the party!
If you will be travelling on large bodies of water, a boating accessory you may really need is a navigation system. Today, many GPS systems can be found relatively inexpensively and they can save your life should you become lost or mixed up while on the water. But please if going out in the ocean make sure you learn some basic navigation and safety skills, if God forbid, your equipment fails. 
If your boat has separate below-deck living quarters, you will want to outfit that with some cool modern boating accessories. Well, they’re not necessarily boating accessories specifically. What we’re talking about here is a coffee pot, a microwave, and maybe even a television with a DVD player, 
Ipod dock or even a console. If you will be bringing your kids along, these devices could be life savers!
Boating accessories can be found in many shops, boat chandlery. Your best deals will be found online. Shop around and outfit your boat so it reflects you and how you want to use your boat. Then enjoy!
Buying a Boat As a First Time Buyer? Don’t Even Think About It Until You Read On
Owning a boat, regardless of the type, can be costly as you count up the bills. Let’s face it, a boat is a luxury for most of us and unless you make your living from your boat that’s exactly what it’ll be – a luxury. A fantastic luxury for sure, but it is an expensive toy and depending on your budget can cost moderate monthly bits of your income or large chunks of it.
Before you buy a boat there are three vital aspects to consider;-
1. You have the initial capital expenditure
2. The insurance and boating permits
3. The maintenance costs in the future
4. Petrol for the motor
You then have a few more sub aspects to think about
What do you want the boat for and why?
This sounds like a dumb question but it really isn’t. Actually it’s quite profound. Do you want the boat for a few weekends at the lake? Do you want to do water sports and entertain with the boat? This will determine what boat you will get and consequently at what price bracket you’ll be looking at. But right now, lets understand our frailties as humans and our naturally impulsive desires that can get us into a whole lot of trouble when buying a boat.
Most of us, being human, like the idea of something we dream about. Perhaps we like the idea of a fast sports car, or we like the idea of having a Lear jet, maybe we like the idea of owning a boat. Our desire sometimes blinds us to the practicalities of something. On the face of it, we can, unless we have bags of cash, forget about the purchase of an expensive sports car – for now at least and the Lear Jet comes under the list of ‘one day maybe’.
However, boats can lure us by their do-able price tags. It seems possible to have a boat. The price tag is reasonable. That’s the bait right there. The price tag is possible but in our excitement and enthusiasm we forget the real price – the cost of maintenance and permits. The cost of a trailer to take it to the lake or the cost of mooring if we choose not to transport. Suddenly, the hidden expenses start to rear their ugly and costly heads.
There’s the insurance you didn’t bargain for,
The mooring prices which are far higher than expected,
The permits and maintenance that blows your budget sky-high.
Yes, it’s a tempting mistress, a boat, but a mistress that can steal your time and cost you far more than you bargained for. Look past the price tag and investigate the real costs. Do your cost projections based on sound research and build in a buffer on all costing at 15 percent per annum. This will save you from under budgeting and guard against inflation, along with protecting you from the unforseen and inevitable price hikes. All going well a generously over-calculated budget will give you a surplus to play with for luxuries.
Let’s say, as an example, after all costs projected the boat will cost you $500 per month including repayments. Well, take that amount and add 15% on that and you’re looking at $75 plus the $500 = $575. This will be your real costs and if you budget like this then you’ll start to get a better picture about how much this ‘luxury’ will cost you. Now, based on these figures, take it even further and look at value vs cost projections.
This is where it gets really enlightening.
Determine your projected use of the craft and how much each outing will be costing you per annum. If you plan on 2 outings a month – based on the above example would really mean you are paying $285 per trip.(excluding gas for the car) Is that a fair price for you for a good weekend or day at the lake? Also consider that you will unlikely be using the boat year round so that could definitely up the cost of each outing if you calculate per annum usage.
Obviously you also have an asset – but a depreciating one. Determine the depreciation of the asset over 5 years and calculate a projected sales price to that. Subtract the sales price from your projected expenditure and usage over the next 5 years and you will reach a sum value or cost per outing. See how this helps sober the excitement and allows us to be pragmatic about our purchases?
How much do you want a boat – all things considered? You still think this is something you want then welcome future boat owner to a club and community of people who live their lives to the full, enjoying the family, friends and their boats. And how much more enjoyable will having a boat be when you know you have budgeted well and see the value you have from the boat in terms of family outings to the lake?
It’s all about getting real and, instead of fearing the idea of budget processes because we ‘just want the boat’, we can make a decision based on some sound judgment. Don’t let any of this put you off buying as boat – it can be one of the most rewarding of investments but only if you do it sensibly.
After that, it’s a win-win.
Jesse Ryder, a tell it like it is kind of guy, offers useful info and boat resources on his site, http://www.pontoon-boat-seats.org.
Summer’s on its way and it definitely is time to get boating.
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