12 Things Boaters Understand That Other People Do Not

Admit it. If you are a boater, you are a different breed. You march to the tune of a different drum. Most likely, you are more comfortable in shorts and flip flops than you are in slacks and shoes. You plan to spend your weekends on the water rather than working in the yard. You walk through life with a different view of things and it's most likely because there are some things that you understand that most people do not. Here is a list of some of those things:

Winter Sucks

Okay, maybe I listed this one first because it is currently January. Unless you live in a tropical location, you are probably hating life right now because it is cold outside. Cold weather and recreational boating typically do not mix. That’s why winter sucks.

A Bad Day Boating is Still Better Than any Day at the Office

Have you ever run aground while boating? Maybe you had engine trouble and had to be towed back to your dock. It’s happened to me. The fact is at the end of the day, you were still glad that you were on your boat and not at the office. There is something about being on the water that makes it all worthwhile even when some things don’t go quite right. Research shows that being near the water is a great stress reliever. This is just another example of that fact.

Dressing up is Overrated

Yeah, we all know the look. Swim trunks or baggy shorts topped off with a half wrinkled T-shirt and flip flops. Who needs more than that? After all, most of it will come off when its time to jump in the water anyway. Who needs to complicate things with belts and shoes and buttons. Keep in mind that we are talking about boaters and not yacht owners (LOL).

We Always Know the Weather Forecast

Whether it is The Weather Channel, your favorite weather app or the local newscast, we always know the weather forecast. We know what the best boating days are gonna be over the next week and we plan the rest of our lives around that. If you want to know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, ask a boater.

A true boater always knows the weather forecast

We know How to Travel Lightly

Let’s face it. For most of us, our boats don’t have nearly as much space as our homes do. Whether you are spending the whole weekend on your boat or just the day, we know how to bring just the items that we will need and nothing more. We know that the more stuff we bring, the less space there is for us. If you have ever invited a land lubber to your boat for more than just a ride, you know what I mean.

Getting up Early is not that Bad

Do you ever hate getting out of the bed to go to work? I bet you don’t hate it when you get up to go boating. Nuff said.

You Don’t Have to Leave the Dock to Have Fun

How many times have you had an enjoyable day on your boat just relaxing at the dock? If you keep your boat at a marina, you know that you have just as much fun at the dock as you can by firing up the engines and heading out on the water. This is especially true if your dock neighbors are as wonderful as mine are. Try having fun hanging around your car in the driveway at home. It’s just not the same.

You don't always have to leave the dock to have fun.

Boating is a Universal Language

When you are on the water, you will run into all kinds of people from all walks of life. Some have large boats, some have small boats. Some are sail boaters and some are power boaters. It really does not matter because we all have something in common; We like being on the water. Because of that, we develop friendships that we would not otherwise have been able to form. That is something that I find spectacular.

We Have all Considered Living on a Boat

Have you ever thought about just packing it all in, selling everything and living on a boat? I know I have. Truth be told, I am still thinking about it. I also know a few people who have done it. The fact is we all love being on the water so we start wondering if we should just stay there full time. Non-boaters call us crazy for wanting to subject ourselves to living in a space that is less than 15 percent (or less) the size of our land based homes. We know that it is not the size of our home but the experience that it brings that makes the difference. Still, logic says that it is not for everyone. We can still dream though.

Driving a Boat is Easy. Docking it is Not

Anyone can push the throttles forward and steer your boat across the lake. That’s the easy part. Trying to back into a slip with a 7 knot wind and a 3 knot current can be one of the most nerve-wracking things you can do. A person that has never tried that will just not get it. Not to mention, any non-boater that says driving a boat is easy, has never even thought about sailing.

The Boat Wave

This is not something that the water does but something that we do. We are cruising across the lake to one of our favorite swimming holes and another boat passes by heading the opposite direction. What do we do? We wave. No, we don’t necessarily know them. It’s just what we do. If you are one of the few that does not wave back, you my friend are a boathole!

The Boat Wave.  We all know it.

Non-Boaters Don’t Get It

If you are a non-boater, or you have never spent any time around boats, you just don’t get it. Sometimes we feel sorry for you.

I’m sure that you have your own topics that you can add to this list. If so, please do so in the comments section below.

Until next time. . .

Happy Boating

Captain Frank

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