What do you think, which one could be going faster–a reindeer, as in the case of Rudolph, or a speedboat? Yes, Santa sometimes uses a speedboat
instead of reindeer. If you do not believe, I have a picture below to prove it. Hurry, click the link and don’t miss it, it may not work after a while. What do you think, which one could be going faster–a reindeer, as in the case of Rudolph, or a speedboat? Yes, Santa sometimes uses a speedboat instead of reindeer. If you do not believe, I have a picture below to prove it. Hurry, click the link and don’t miss it, it may not work after a while.

For a boater, the offseason in the Mid-Atlantic region is not necessarily all gray days and dark nights. Yes, we packed up our pleasure boats and put them away, but here in the Chesapeake Bay, there are plenty of water activities to keep everyone busy, especially during December. Life on the shore is fun and different.

Holiday Boat Parade events in our region were everywhere all around us, from Baltimore, MD to Hapton, VA, and getting better every year. Baltimore’s Christmas Market, Baltimore Boat Parade, Fells Point Olde Tyme Christmas and Parade of Lighted Boats in Baltimore are a few of the spots that you may have missed this year. Here are a few images for you. Guess what, they all are visible from the shore. Meaning that having a boat was optional, all you had to do was to make a point to be there, on the shore; it is all there and free. Does it get any better than that? In Annapolis, as the Eastport Yacht Club correctly puts it, “It’s a beloved Annapolis tradition. Every year on the second Saturday in December, magic happens on the water of the Annapolis Harbor—boats suddenly appear out of the cold winter night illuminated with thousands of colored lights and crewed by jolly revelers.” Well, I missed it this year, again, but you can watch it here. And here are a few images from the Hampton, VA area.

That is not all, holiday parties of the boating clubs also have been including charitable events such as collecting for Toys for Tots. As America’s Boating Club puts it correctly, boating and boating clubs are “more than your connection to the water. Being a member of United States Power Squadrons is bigger than boating. It’s about friendship, memories that last a lifetime, bettering your community and being the most confident boater you can be.”

Below is my shameless plug

Why do I keep talking about America’s Boating Club during the off-pleasure boating season in the mid-Atlantic region? It’s because this is the best time to become a member of your local chapter and start having comradery and fun with fellow sea lovers and pleasure boaters, indoors. This is also the best time to take some training classes offered by your local chapters, as well as online, to help you get the most out of boating next summer. Remember, it is great to have any kind of water vessel, from kayaks or canoes to any size of a sail or motorboat; however, to join a boating club, you do not have to have a boat. As they say, a smart boater is the person who knows a person who has a boat.

I wish you a great Holiday Season and a happy, prosperous, peaceful, and fun-filled 2019.

1 thing I learned

• Special holiday activities on the water start as early as December 1st.

4 things I recommend

• Activities for pleasure boaters on and off the water are still going on despite the winter season. For advance planning purposes, start searching for Holiday Boat Parade events
• in your area as early as late November. Events start in early December.
• Holiday Boat Parades are a family event. Take kids of all ages, 0 to 100+, with you. It’s fun, and it’s free!
• Become a member of the U.S. Power Squadrons, a.k.a. America’s Boating Club. You may also consider joining the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. If you want to learn more about it, here is the link.

How easy?