View from the Helm: what’s so hip about boating?

Look at the sleek ads in the yachting magazines. (Look at ours first and last, of course!) There’s plenty to make you drool.

By Ed & Pam McGrath
Published: August, 2006

Look at the sleek ads in the yachting magazines. (Look at ours first and last, of course!) There’s plenty to make you drool. No matter what your taste, those photos, write-ups and the promise of good times can make your mouth water. In the bounty and beauty of our Bay, Delta and coastal waters, there’s sufficient evidence that life aboard is a happenin’ life.

While there are essentials that every boater must have, there are options and trends that can turn boating into a customized good time.

Boating technology is advancing as fast as in other industries. There is no shortage of bells and whistles for your dream boat.

If you envision yourself relaxing in your custom-made-to-your-tushy captain’s chair while navigating via keyboard and computer screen, your vision could certainly be a reality.

• Skippers now use joystick steering and thrusting while video cameras cover your aft.

• Manufacturers of marine electronics offer the latest and greatest in navigation tools.

• Computer interfaces have charts of the Bay on which you can see the image of your boat moving from point to point, a dotted line remains on the screen allowing you to retrace your route. Beats bread crumbs, eh?

We happen to think that boating in-and-of-itself is hip.

• It’s cool to be your own captain.

• It’s stylish to invite your friends for a cruise to the yacht club for dinner.

• It’s chic to serve the bubbly on the aft deck.

• It’s happenin’ to watch the race up-close and personal.

• It’s trendy to pull up to the dock at Sam’s in Tiburon or Horizon’s in Sausalito to have dinner.

• It’s all the rage to enjoy watersports in the Delta behind a muscle boat.

• It’s smart to… Well, it’s smart to know how to do all of these things in a safe manner.

• It’s smart to be the captain and crew who know how to remain in control in any eventuality.

A client of ours just did the smartest, coolest, hippest thing! She hired an expert to go over every system on her boat and teach her what it is, how it’s used and how to trouble-shoot it. Then she took captain lessons.

• She learned how to read navigational charts.

• She learned the rules of the road.

• Then, she and her boat became one when she learned how to maneuver in tight quarters as well as out in open waters.

Her excitement and pride were hard to contain as she said to me, I don’t just own a boat; I’m a boater!

This lady had no boating experience prior to purchasing her trawler. She had a sense of adventure and a desire to live the boater’s life.

Following her dream then following up on doing it right makes boating better for all of us.

Smart boating is always in vogue.