What do we resolve to do during the year as related to boating and yachting only? More time on the boat? Different boat? Complete renovations? Change the amount of time we work in the industry? Move aboard? Cruises we intend to take? Places we intend to go?
2013 we bought our first cruising powerboat and did the waterway to Palm Beach. 2014 hop over to the Bahamas return north stopping at some places we missed on the way south
Boating, boating and more boating...... Basically the whole Alaska to Fort Lauderdale thing Washington, Oregon and Alaska then California, North to South and Catalina Down the Coast and through the Panama Canal Jamaica and Cayman Islands Mexico and Gulf including TX, LA, AL, MS, Florida. A few weeks here and there in the Bahamas. Maybe one trip up the east coast at least to the Chesapeake. Then just playing around locally, Key West to West Palm area. Build my Captain skills more and more throughout the year.
I hope 2014 will allow me to spend more time on the boat. 2013's season was cut short because of my health and visitors from over the big pond. Plus I'd like to do a few things to the boat. First and top of the list is installing spiral stairs from the swim platform. This will allow me to anchor more often so I can get both me and the dog up to the aft deck. My wife wants to change the carpet since it is the original 1989 rose coloured shag that went out with disco. We're talking about just removing the carpet and going with the plywood floor....sanding/staining and over coating. Plus I will need to change some of the clear on the canvas because it was not cleaned in 5 seasons and asuch as we tried we could not get it all cleaned enough to be acceptable. As for trips....I'd like to cross Lake Ontario and go to the Finger Lakes, but my wife is leary because when we brought the boat up from Brewerton there was an awful storm and 8+ foot waves..... And of course we will do some of the Rideau Canal which we didn't do last year. And finally, I wish that we all have a good and healthy New Year!
Have you considered cork for the flooring, warm and "soft". As for 2014 I'll keep buying the lottery tickets. Pete
My main boating resolution will be to spend more time on the boat. In 2012 we put up 165 hours on the meters. In 2013 it was just a whisker over 100. I hope for ~150. It's going to include a trip to Portland, OR in early spring to get the boat hauled and have some work done. Other than spending more hours on the boat I'm going to wax the entire boat this year. It's been almost 4 years since I waxed it. The boat is kept under cover so it still looks pretty good, but it's time. Another is to get my wife more thoroughly trained on operating the boat. She is pretty competent but needs more work to build her confidence. I expect a lot of the confidence building will come on our trip to Portland.
Thinking everyone should have the resolution to spend more quality time with their loved ones, their family and friends. And there is no better family activity than boating. So spending more time on the boat always sounds like a good resolution.
It strikes me that most of us are probably saying more boating. Now the question is will we take the steps to make sure that happens. Will we treat our leisure and recreation as an important part of our life? There once was a time that people letting their personal lives interfere with their jobs was an issue. Today it's far more often the opposite as we let our business lives interfere excessively with our personal lives.
Hi there, That is not a resolution, it is more like wishful thinking! More boating means more maintenance despite everybody's liking! Fair winds to all, see you on the water. Cheers.
BOAT RESOLUTION POST 46 “WE’LL SEA” The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the Boat crew of the “We’ll Sea” (the Boat) on the 1st of January 2014 It was resolved that: The owner of the We’ll Sea, license 26477, be hereby authorized to conduct at least 52 days of boating and at least 52 days of maintenance en updating the Boat in 2014 for and on behalf of the ‘Always sunny Boat fun days 2014’ and will be authorized to sign, initial, accept or execute all documents in connection with boating. P46-Curaçao Captain/owner CERTIFIED TRUE COPY
Let me tell you a secret Laurence, I bought my 33 year old boat (had a brand new one) for the sake of all the work that needs to be done, I needed a hobby again!
Olderboater, you nailed it with your comments. In addition to that, one of the things we enjoy doing (for a variety of reasons) is donating dinner cruises on our boat to local charities. We donate the cruises, the charities auction them off and they keep all the proceeds. Typically we'll take two couples our for a four hour cruise in the evening. We prepare a 5-6 course gourmet meal on board and serve it to our guests with three courses of wine. In the past several years we've donated about 4-5 of these a year. This year we also donated an all day cruise to our local cancer center for up to 10 people. We'll cruise down the Columbia River, turn up the Snake River, go through Ice Harbor lock, serve appetizers for lunch and let everyone go swimming, then head back through the lock and back to the slip. This one sold at the charity auction for $3,500. It's a great benefit to the cancer center and we get to meet new people and enjoy having them on board for the day.
Sounds like a great thing you do with upside all around. You cruise as you enjoy. You get to meet others who want to cruise and are willing to pay a charity for that right. I would think the experience is great for all involved.