New Year. New You. New Boat?

Happy 2017! The start of a new year can mean many new changes. With the onset of the New Year, you may be tempted to plunge into boating to satisfy your resolutions. Maybe you want to spend more quality time with family on the water. Maybe you’ll start paddleboarding or kayaking to stay in shape. Or maybe 2017 is the year to achieve ultimate happiness by purchasing your dream boat.

If 2017 is the year you do take the plunge into buying your dream boat here are some questions you need to consider.

Type

What does your perfect day on the water look like? It may be heading off shore for some fishing. Maybe you dream of completing the Great Loop. Perhaps you’re keen on exploring the Caribbean. Maybe it’s enough to sit in the sun with some good friends on the ICW. Different strokes, different folks, different types of boats.

Size

Did you know that according to the NMMA, 95% of U.S. boats on the water are 26 feet or less? Think about space, size, and specifications. What are your needs and budget? How many staterooms, if any? Heads? Galley or will an on-deck grill suffice? How much space will you need for supplies like fuel or food?

Make and Model

This is the fun part! There are so many different makes and models on the market depending on your needs. Southern Boating has reviews of boats of all sizes. From inflatables to motor yachts, you can browse a wide variety of makes, models, and brands on our site.

New or used?

The best part about buying a new boat is that it can be customized to your exact specifications—truly a dream boat. Also, most new boats come with a warranty…just in case anything should happen.

But just like cars, buying a used boat can knock a big chunk of change of the original price. Boats depreciate the most during their first season of use, so buying used can greatly ease the strain on your wallet.

The Bottom Line

Buying your dream boat in 2017 can easily become a reality. Will you be making the plunge this year? If so, our team of experts will be here to help!

St. Croix Boat Parade

Lighted boat parades happen throughout the Caribbean in December. One of the most exciting is the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade held in the U.S.V.I. on December 10^th.

You won’t want to miss this Caribbean boat parade.
Live-aboards, visiting cruisers, charterers, and locals on powerboats, sailing yachts or water toys—even stand-up paddleboards—are all invited to enter for free. The parade starts at 6PM, and over 30 watercraft launch on a route that twice circles the safe, protected waters of Christiansted Harbor. If you’re on board, get ready to see a cheering crowd lining the Christiansted Boardwalk as well as at Protestant Cay. If you’re on shore, these two locations are the best spots for viewing. The parade is so popular it’s even been showcased on the Travel Channel. It’s no wonder, since tropical twists have included Santas in green and red boardshorts, fire dancers and local reggae artists singing the territory’s customary carols. A huge fireworks display after the parade is followed by live music, vendors lining the town’s streets and shops open late for holiday shopping. christmasparadestcroix.com

Everyone on St. Croix dresses up for the Christmas parade…even paddleboarders! Photo credit: Ellen Sanpere

Ring out the old year in the B.V.I.
Rub shoulders with celebrities and bid farewell to the Old Year on December 31^st on Jost Van Dyke in the B.V.I. Here, seventh-generation native and calypsonian, Sir Philicianno “Foxy” Callwood, who was knighted by the Queen of England in 2009 for his contributions to tourism and the environment, puts on a party of global fame at his Foxy’s Tamarind Bar in Great Harbour. In fact, the New York Times listed Foxy’s as one of the best places to ring in the millennium back in 1999. Yet Great Harbour, on this 3.5-square-mile island, is a world away from other favorite New Year’s destinations like New York City’s Times Square. Access is by boat only, whether you bring your own, charter or take the ferry. Attire is barefoot and bathing suits, and sleeping on the beach until sunup is the norm. This year, the party starts on Friday, December 30^th and lasts until Sunday, January 1^st, with live bands, a pig roast and more. Admission is free. The only costs are food and drinks at Foxy’s or one of the other half dozen open-air bars that line the harbor. If you’re serious about partying with the rich and famous, book a table at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar’s Upper Crust restaurant on the second floor. Here, the VIP party includes a multi-course dinner, champagne, hats, noisemakers, and terrific views for $500 per person. foxysbar.com/old-years-celebration; bvitourism.com/jost-van-dyke.

New Year’s potluck in Trinidad
The Seven Seas Cruising Association’s (SSCA) first event of 2017 is on January 1^st. This “gam,” or what the SSCA calls a “friendly interchange, especially between sailors or seafarers,” is a potluck held at the Trinidad & Tobago Yachting Association’s headquarters in Chaguaramas. SSCA Cruising Station host Jesse James and his wife Sharon, who operate Members Only Maxi Taxi Service, offer a free shuttle from local marinas to the gam. It’s a great event and an excellent opportunity for sailors new to the Caribbean to tap into the collected wealth of attendees’ cruising experiences in the region. ssca.org; membersonlymaxitaxi.com

By Carol Bareuther, Southern Boating Magazine December 2016

Catch an air show from the comfort of your own boat.

Deep in the heart of winter on the Gulf Coast, boaters already begin to plan their upcoming on-the-water adventures. New destinations are plotted on charts; that wooden boat festival that was missed last year due to work is scribbled onto the calendar, and family friendly boating events are searched out on the Internet. Here’s one boaters must included on their cruising calendars: an air show from the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

The legendary, precision flying squadron’s home is smack in the middle of the Florida panhandle at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola. The Blue Angels have been thrilling hordes of people for more than 50 years with their razor-thin precision and spectacular aerial stunts. Throughout the year an estimated 11 million people view the incredible aerial dynamics of these pilots as they fly in close formation and perform amazing feats of sky gymnastics in their F/A-18 fighter jets, which can reach speeds of 1,400 mph!

Eleven million people can be quite a crowd, but luckily, many of the air shows that the Blue Angels visit are accessible to boaters in many parts of the country. What better way to entertain than to run your boat just off shore on the Gulf of Mexico, a bay or lake and drop anchor for the best seats in town. Raft up with your boat-owning friends and make it an annual event. Pack a lunch or fire up that stern grill, marvel at the aeronautics and feel the power of the Blue Angels as these extreme aircrafts spring through the air. Many of the venues, especially in beach towns such as Pensacola and Key West, have the fighter jets screaming just along the shorelines and possibly directly over your vessel. It’s quite the memorable experience. Air shows held throughout the country in 2016 can be found on their website blueangels.navy.mil. Search for the event nearest you and discover whether the pilots will be flying directly over or within viewing distance of your favorite waterway. The energy and thrill of watching these fighter pilots from the comfort of your own boat is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and should absolutely be scheduled into your boating plans for this New Year.

Now go back to dreaming of warmer weather and untying those dock lines—spring is right around the corner.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating Magazine January 2016