Get Out and Boat!
Published: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
By: Norm Schultz
Our boats may never serve a more important lifestyle purpose than in today’s trying times. Covid-19 has challenged how we work, connect, and recreate and it will likely trigger more societal changes when it is finally in our wake.
As we’re now in the full swing of the boating season, and boat sales have been surprisingly brisk all spring and summer, families that own boats are out enjoying a safe-haven time together on the waterways, from small lakes and rivers to America’s five Great Lakes.
Why? There’s something magical about being out on a boat. If it’s anything, the boat is our “escape machine.” I discovered many years ago, from the moment we pull away from the dock, we feel a sense that the grind and daily dose of problems have been left behind on shore—kinda like being set free!
The truth is, out on the water we are free. We can turn left or right, go fast or slow, chart our own course to where crowds are a distant memory, or simply kick back in the warmth of the sunshine. There’s no question boating is a great family outdoor activity and brisk sales indicate lots of new boaters are discovering it, too.
In fact, studies show most of us spend up to 90 percent of our waking hours indoors each day. Think about it. We mostly work indoors whether at home or the office. We now hold school at home indoors. We attend to most family needs indoors. Yet, we’ve never heard more urging from health experts to get refreshed outdoors than we hear today in this pandemic.
Boating families swim, wakeboard, ski, and tube from their boats. We pull up on a beach to picnic and we see the excitement on our kids’ faces when a perch, walleye, or bass tugs on their fishing pole. We feel the breeze gently fill the colorful spinnaker on our sailboat. Best of all, every day on the boat can be a multi-activity family adventure. It means less Xboxes and more tackle boxes!
But there’s an important responsibility these days, too. This summer, boaters must remain vigilant in adhering to the continued need for social distancing, something we’re not used to doing. It applies whether we’re in a marina, at our favorite launching ramp, or docking at a waterfront restaurant. It means keeping boats at least 10 feet apart, no rafting parties or gathering in close groups on the docks or beach.
For those thinking about getting into boating, the best news may be that the steady new boat sales can be attributed, in part, to two things. First, boat builders are concerned about selling existing inventories so they are giving dealers a myriad of added sales incentives and the buyers are cashing in on the historic low prices and financing interest rates.
Second, there’s continuing recognition that a “staycation” now replaces the usual summer vacation for boat owners. But unlike a short regular vacation, the boat makes the “staycation” happen every summer weekend! Indeed, throughout the Great Lakes and around the country, it is estimated more than 60 million family members will enjoy “staycations” out on the waterways in boats this summer, sharing the boating lifestyle with the people in their life.
Where are you spending your family summer time?
Reprinted with permission from Soundings Trade Only.
