By Lynne Porter
IB Lifestyle Editor
We wait, with baited breath it seems, for winter to end and spring to peak with flowers and buds on the trees.
In wintertime, when we’re stuck inside – cabin fever raging – our thoughts often turn to boating. Typically, this is the time when we begin planning our cruising itinerary for the summer boating season.
The excitement builds as we decide what the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries have in store for us. Countless hours are spent compiling waypoints on the GPS, making note of water depths and tidal changes, the availability of slips and fuel, water, electric hookups, cable and the like. And then the real search begins.
Cap Cana, Dominican Republic – The Cap Cana Championship is auctioning a golf getaway package for the upcoming event on the PGA Champions Tour, with the proceeds designated for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
The package features playing slots in the tournament’s two-day pro-am. It also comes with airfare and accommodations for the PGA Champions Tour event March 26-28.
“When we first heard of the devastation in Haiti, we came to the conclusion that the Cap Cana Championship needed to assist our neighbors,” said Efren Garcia-Estrada, tournament director. “Our hope is that through the generosity of all the participating companies and organizations, we can maximize the potential donation to this cause.”
The bidding for the golf package began on eBay at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 and ends at 7 p.m. on Feb. 21. The package, valued at more than $50,000, includes the following:
For many us of this time of year, the sugar plums must make way for visions of salt spray that are dancing in our heads. When it’s Christmas time in the city, it’s time to decorate the boat and head to the Intracoastal.
Boat parades are a great way to conjure up a dose of holiday cheer. These Free Christmas events take place in hundreds of communities across the nation.
Each municipality infuses its Christmas parade with local character. The tradition is believed to have begun in the 1920s, when citizens outfitted their vessels with candles and sang Christmas carols.
In a nod to the holiday season, here are some of our favorites.
Visitors say they’ve seen the light; no one knows how… or why
By Alvin Hayes
Photos Courtesy and Copyright Terry Pepper
Like other destinations along Michigan’s 3,100-mile coastline, Presque Isle offers a wide variety of outdoor amenities, dining and tourist attractions that draw recreational boaters from locations near and far to its pristine shores.
The town features a harbor that’s ideal for recreational boating, with ample options for recreation and entertainment, including fun-filled summer festivals.
But that’s not what sets this destination apart from other locations along the Great Lakes’ shores. Presque Isle is host to a phenomenon that brings weekend tourists and curiosity seekers to this serene northern Michigan harbor town. It’s the place where visitors come to learn about the mystery of the Presque Isle harbor lighthouse caretaker who, according to local legend, beckons travelers into the harbor from the lighthouse he loved, nearly 20 years after his death. more...
By Kai Beasley
Inland Boater Staff
Some of the summer’s hottest days come right before fall. Taking a dip in the cool water at your nearest beach, river or lake is a perfect solution for the heat. But wherever you cool off, it’s important to make sure you do it safely. That’s why educating yourself on water safety is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself against the dangers of the deep (or shallow).
By Kai Beasley
Hispanics are, and have always been, an important part of the U.S. boating community, or have they?
Pura Vida is the Spanish phrase for “pure life.” Life can’t get much more pure than it is on the water. Perhaps that’s why it came in at number five on the BoatU.S. list of the Top 10 most popular boat names of 2005. It was the first time a Spanish name had appeared on the list in 14 years, leading to numerous questions about what this new development means.
By Kai Beasley
If the boating season were measured like days of the week, fall would be Sunday; the last day of fun and freedom before the beginning of a new work week. For many of us, fall signals that the end of the boating season is right around the corner. Or does it?
“Fall here is one of the best times of the year,” says Marcus Asante, founder of the Universal Sailing Club in the Baltimore-Washington area. “Fall is looked forward to by the majority of sailors here. The temperatures are a little lower and the winds tend to pick up quite nicely.”
According to Asante and other sailors in the northern Chesapeake Bay area, fall is the beginning of some of the season’s best sailing weather. The boaters of Baltimore observe a long season compared to other boaters in the mid-Atlantic region and farther north.
By Inland Boater Staff
The first dragon boat festivals took place along the banks of the Yangtze River more than 2,000 years ago, around the same time the Greeks were holding their athletic competitions at Olympia.
Story and Photos by Susan Sterner and Tyrone Turner
Special to Inland Boater
In recent years many things Brazilian have gained fame in the United States — from the refreshing caipirinha, the liquor and lime infused national drink of Brazil, to the Havaiana flip flop, Brazilian style bikini waxings, açai berry, and Brazilian churrasco (barbeque). Visitors to Brazil often come for Carnival and choose to stay in Rio de Janeiro to soak in the richness of Brazil. But new adventures await in Brazil’s Northeast, with cultural treasures little known to foreigners and hugely enjoyable.
By Valerie D. Callender M.D.
Special to Inland Boater Magazine
A weekend on the water can mean fun, relaxation and plenty of sun, but if you’re not careful the sun can wreak havoc on your skin.
Scientific research has established a link between exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, the development of skin cancer, and premature skin aging. While darker skin offers more protection from the sun, the health risks are still there. Protecting your skin while out on the water will help you have a more enjoyable boating experience.
