The summer is officially over, kids are back in school, and the winter holidays are quickly approaching. If you are a boater like me, you also think in terms of “it’s only 8 more months until boating season” or “it’s only 4 more months until the boat goes back in the water.”

It’s time to think about winterizing your favorite toy, with no options until Spring. Or, maybe not?

How Do You Cope?
If you have a genuine love for boating and the water, what do you do in the cold months of the year for entertainment? Here are some suggestions for activities to keep the boater in you in check.

Boat Shows
There are boat shows all over the country during the fall and winter months. By attending these shows, you can see all of the new technology, climb aboard and check out the space, push buttons and flip levers to your heart’s content. You can even imagine yourself and your family as you captain this craft on the high seas (or the lake) and imagine the thrills that await you.

Cruising the Tropics
There are many people who wait until the fall and winter months to take a cruise to the tropics or subtropics. That way they can have the best of both worlds: warm and sunny days at home in the summer months, and warm and sunny days in the tropics while the rest of the country hunkers down for a long, cold winter.

Winter Cruising
Other people plan winter cruises to other parts of the country or the world. They are able to travel to places in the fall and winter months that would otherwise be crowded with tourists in the warmer months, but have smaller crowds in the off-season. The landscape seems different under these conditions, perhaps because the pace is slower and one can appreciate more. Choose a place where there are places to go and things to do off the boat, so that when you dock your boat you will have other activities to enjoy.

Personal Water Safety
It is important to note here, that while personal water safety is always important, the risks of exposure and hypothermia significantly increase in the winter months if you are still boating. Extra caution must be exercised during the colder months of the year. Winter months are also a good time for boaters (new and seasoned) to take boating safety courses like those offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Have I convinced you yet? Do you realize you don’t have to hibernate or go into withdrawal during the fall and winter? How about a boat show? Or a cruise? What are you waiting for?

Written by Jane Warren