Have You Ever Considered Boating?

Bamby

New member
Thought I'd post and share this with everybody, maybe you'd enjoy reading it.

Boating can be such a totally free and relaxing experience that you'll be amazed how it sometimes consumes your whole life. After we purchased ours we were amazed ourselves as to how our priorities changed in our day to day life. Sure we were still beat up after hectic days at the grindstone, but we found reserve energy to complete tasks we'd normally procrastinated on till the weekend. Isn't it in reality "working for the weekend" what it's all about? If you too should decide to get into boating I'm willing to bet you'll be working for the weekend also.
When we first purchased our Pontoon Boat we were free birds so to speak. We would trailer our pontoon everywhere visiting new bodies of water and places most every weekend. And it's always refreshing to have so many bodies of new experiences on which to launch our boat. Sometimes we still get that itch and hook up and go someplace new for a refreshing change of pace. But mostly we've settled down to a specific body of water we now call home. It's called the Muskingum River and it's in central Ohio. It's mostly a slow meandering river with historical locks and dams on more or less 10 mile intervals. Though at one time was heavily used for commercial boat traffic, that’s no longer the case and its maintained now exclusively for the use of recreational boaters such as us. And it's like having a several lakes back to back, each with its own unique shoreline character of camps, forests , pastures and homes to observe as we slowly travel its course.
Though our boat is capable of moving right along when we really desire it to. You'll most often find us just slowly progressing along the banks of the river observing the landscapes and views along the way and exchanging curtsies with others near the river's shore. Our pontoon is capable of moving along so silently along you can hear the wind whispering through the leaves and the birds singing in the shoreline trees. There is real abundance of wildlife that also frequents its banks often seemingly unafraid as we peacefully pass them by. There are always numerous cranes and several species of ducks and geese and even a few swans that have been released that call this river their home. You'll also see and hear the fish jumping after insects and even occasionally observe bald eagles on shoreline snags carefully observing for their next meal to swim by.
But maybe what is most refreshing is the other people and boaters we've met and shared experiences with on the Mighty Muskingum River. It's as if you'd stepped back in a distant time long ago where people actually cared about one another, and stepped into the stage set of "Cheers" in more ways than one. Our shared stories, tales, pork chops and good times would fill a large volume of a book should anyone chose or care to write about it. But out of respect for our friends there "what happens in Vegas is staying in Vegas" so to speak. There are so many interesting people from different trades, backgrounds, and financial means meet and have such a high ho good time without any social status arrogance involved. And it's such a refreshing and enjoyable experience to have so many new and interesting topics and ideas being discussed and hashed around.
There are boats of every description that can be seen and used on our river but by far the most common seems to be the pontoon boat. Sometimes there are forty to fifty pontoons with a mixture of cabin cruisers pulled up into the sandbar on weekends with nice weather. It is the public social gathering and staging area on our river and often our destination point on any sunny Saturday afternoon. It's an exclusive boater's sandbar, for there's not any public road access point for non-boater's to get there. From early spring and throughout the summer you'll also find a volleyball net, and it seems as if there always a game being played. Sometimes we'll end up spending the entire afternoon on the sandbar with our river friends swapping stories, jokes and tall tales and sharing whatever resources we may have brought along for the day. Then as the evening wanes we'll often leave in groups of boats for a nice pleasurable but slow trip back to the marina.
Often we'll tie our boats off four or five abreast and make a tow which is easily done with pontoon boats. Then everyone but the designated captain's boat shuts off their outboards and synchronizes their radio's and proceed to have a party on one huge floating party hall. The boat with the best sound system is the one everyone loves to watch, for it's the one the women gather on to dance the evening away and sometimes far into the night. And it's also not unusual to watch people onshore also begin boogieing with the women as we approach them and pass by. Everybody always regrets the evening coming to an end, and we'll enjoy each other's company and savor the moment as far as possible into the night.
Now maybe you too can relate a little more about boating, and why we're "working for the weekend".


www.pontoonhouseboatodyssey.com/
 

Doc

Liquid Addiction
Staff member
GREAT post Bamby. :thumb: Since we have a boat we feel like we're on vacation all summer. We just have to work a little inbetween to keep the paychecks coming in. :D

A co worker is trying to talk his wife into buying a boat instead of going on a cruise. With a boat you'll get many weekends of fun, instead of one week of fun on the ocean. Both are good, but I'd go for the boat instead of the cruise.
 

Bamby

New member
Really its a personal choice and a real no-brainer as far as I'm concerned. At first my wife resisted the idea also. She insisted we should purchase a camper instead. I warned her about availability of places to go especially on busy holiday weekends. But she insisted and soon found out for herself that I was actually right (imagine that) and we've now got a camper parked in back yard that's not been used for 2 yrs. I'd never even consider giving up a whole summer's worth of fun, enjoyment, and relaxation for a weekend or short cruise. If your co-worker should choose wisely and pick the right platform (boat) it's not really that expensive of a hobby. If I stay out of the throttle and behave myself I can run several weekends on a 30 gal. tank of fuel. It's the ultimate way to spend quality time with friends and family and aquantences IMO.
 

Doc

Liquid Addiction
Staff member
It's the ultimate way to spend quality time with friends and family and acquaintances IMO.

I agree with your whole post, but especially the last sentence is so true. There is truly nothing better. :thumb: :beer: :D
 
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