Outdoors

Sunshine State also the Boating State

By TERRY TOMALIN, Outdoors Editor
Published June 1, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Lara Cerri] Brothers Ryan Nylander (left), 5, Connor Nylander, 9 and Dylan Nylander, 9,hang out on the bow of their father's boat. Their father, Chuck Nylander, is a member of the Take A Kid Boating Foundation's advisory board who looks forward to taking underprivileged kids - such as foster children - out on the water to enrich their lives.

Apollo Beach - My friend was waiting on the dock when we stopped by on our way home from Disney World.

"Do you want to go for a boat ride?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "The kids have been driving me crazy. I've got to get back and go to work."

The friend, my son's godfather, had been looking forward to showing his "boy" the east side of Tampa Bay.

"Come on," Goddaddy Dave pleaded. "It's a beautiful day. What better way to spend it than on a boat?"

He was right. Here we are in Florida - the best boating state in the country - and I was thinking about heading inside to watch the news.

Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am living here in the Sunshine State, where the water is blue and the skies are, too. Sometimes, I need a little reminder.

My friend, Dave Mitchell, had just bought a weekend retreat in this tight-knit community of boaters, where people buy docks and homes come with them.

As we cruised along the canals in a pontoon boat that my pal had borrowed from a neighbor, our kids waved and shouted "Hello" to every boat we passed.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I've got no idea," he answered; "just cruising."

I had never thought about owning a pontoon boat, but after a couple of hours exploring canal after canal at 5 mph, I thought I'd add one to my list. For you see, the more I learn about boats, the more boats I want.

My 20-foot center console is a good all-around utility boat. But my kids are almost old enough to start wakeboarding, and they are sure to want a sportier craft. On the other hand, my wife, who considers anything outside the Ritz Carlton camping, wants an Express Cruiser, something with his and her bathrooms.

That's the problem with boating. The more you do it, the more you want. Some might call it an addiction, but that's okay. For like running and swimming, boating will add years to your life.

"As a stress reducer, the benefits are obvious," said Thom Dammrich, president of the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association. "For families, it is a great way to spend quality time together."

Dammrich's organization has a major public relations campaign under way designed to introduce more people to the benefits of recreational boating. (It is an easy sell here in Florida.)

"There is a boat for every budget, for every lifestyle," he said.

The Discover Boating campaign (see www.discoverboating.com) helps first-time buyers learn about an industry that often can appear elitist and confusing.

"We don't want people to think that owning a boat is just for the wealthy," he said.

Nationwide, boating is on the upswing. About one-third of all U.S. adults (73-million people) went boating in 2006. The industry is also doing well, raking in $39.5-million in sales and services last year.

One reason for that growth is an increase in the number of ski/wakeboard boats, personal watercraft and sea kayaks. Traditional powerboat sales are down slightly, but the upsurge in other areas of the market have compensated for that loss.

Dammrich hopes his organization will help take some of the mystery out of boating. This special edition of Gulf & Bay, aimed at boat lovers old and new, will hopefully help you on your way.

As for me, I'll dust off my Sea Pro and get it ready for the summer boating season. My kids won't have it any other way.

Terry Tomalin can be reached at (727) 893-8808.

[Last modified May 31, 2007, 20:52:54]