Toddlers And Boating

Are you ready to bring your little one on your boat for the first time? Don't spend too much time stressing over whether he will be safe or not. Bringing a child on a boat is similar to having them in the car. Just use these tips for toddlers and boating and you will be just fine.

First things first, before you even head to the boat with your little one, make a trip with just yourself and a few pieces of safety equipment. You will want to child proof your boat just like you would your home. Stow things away from little hands and make sure that all doors and cabinets are secure. Also, make sure that you have a well-fitting life jacket for your little one waiting for when they step on board.

The next steps are all how you prepare at home for the trip, what you need to bring. First, make sure that you have packed plenty of fluids and the sippy cups to put them in. You will want to make sure that you bring extra cups because you know how kids can be and the next thing you know the cup goes flying over board.

You have the drinks, now what about the snacks. When you are packing your snack bag, make sure to stay away from foods that are too salty or too sweet. Those could upset your little ones stomach being out in the sun all day. If your little one does get nauseous, ginger snap cookies are good to keep on hand to settle their stomachs down.

When you are packing your diaper bag, there really isn't anything out of the ordinary that you would need to bring. Just remember to bring an extra one of everything that you usually keep in the diaper bag. An extra outfit, extra diapers, extra lotion, and lots and lots of sunscreen are some things to keep in mind.

Finally, when packing for your adventure, make sure to bring some water proof toys or crayons and paper. Your baby might not be as interested in the beauty on the water as you are, so you will need to make sure that you will have something to keep your little one entertained.

Just remember, boating is a way to relax. Having your little one on board should be an enjoyable experience. If you are not ready to bring them, don't be pressured by friends and family to do so. If you are ready to introduce your child into the wonderful world of boating, then use this to help make that first day go just a little bit more smoothly.

Just Relax

If you are like the rest of us, you are stressed. There are the stresses of the kids, your job, your spouse, and just finding the time to get it all done. Well I am here to tell you, for the sake of your health, go boating. 

Boating is a way to put all of those different stresses behind you. You can pack up your kids, your spouse, and your dog and make your way over to Greers Ferry Lake for a day of fun on the water. Just the act of boating can help you to relax and let go. There is just something about feeling the wind in your hair standing at the helm of your boat that seems to instantly calm us. 

Once you are out on the water there are many different activities you can choose from in order to de-stress. There is fishing, if you prefer to have a more laid back experience. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, there is wakeboarding. There is even just sun bathing on the deck. So the next time that you are feeling just a bit over worked, under appreciated, or just plain tired of the norm; go boating.

44th Annual Greers Ferry Lake & Little Red River Shoreline Clean-up

It is almost time again for the 44th Annual Greers Ferry Lake & Little Red River Shoreline Clean-up. This annual clean up started back in 1970 after Greers Ferry Lake had been filled for six years. During those six years, millions of people used the lake for boating, fishing, camping and other sightseeing adventures. The people enjoying the lake left unsightly litter all along the shore line. Unfortunately, there was no money in the budget to pay a company to come in and clean up our lake. Resident engineer Carl Gamer came up with a solution.

On a Saturday in September of 1970, Carl Gamer and a group of volunteers joined together to clean up the 300 miles of shoreline on our 40,000 sq mile lake. From that first volunteer clean up, a year round campaign has sprouted to educate the local community to get the community involved in the continuous cleaning of the lake and instill a sense of pride in our lake and the Nations waterways and public lands.

This year, the annual clean up day will happen on Sept 7. You can join us to pick up the shoreline of Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River. After the work is done, this years volunteers will be treated to a picnic lunch and be able to enjoy live entertainment. This years entertainment will be Harding Concert Choir and the group Sister Rock. If you would like to help us in this years clean up, you can learn more here.

Photo Credit: Lawrence G. Miller

 

Your First Launch

Have you recently joined in on the boating lifestyle and bought yourself a new boat? Now you have your boat sitting on a trailer in your driveway and you are ready to take it out on the lake. Do you know what to do?

Before you put your boat in the water, there are things you need to do to prepare your boat, trailer, and you for the launch. The first thing you will need to do in order to have a successful launch is to familiarize yourself with the ramp. Park your boat and truck in the parking lot and walk over to the ramp. Check to see if there are designated lanes for launching and retrieving and walk to find the end of the ramp so you know how far back you can go.

When you get back to your truck, use this time to pack your boat. You don't want to hold everyone up doing this on the ramp. The time has finally come that you are ready to launch. When backing up, make sure that you pick just one lane. Don't go down the middle of two lanes which could hold up traffic.

Have a boat buddy stand outside by the trailer to help you with direction and distance. Roll down your windows, mute your radio, and slowly start to back your boat down the ramp and into the water. Keep your speed low and try and say straight. If you find yourself making an error, it is best to pull yourself back to the top of the ramp and start again.

Once you get your trailer and boat where it needs to be in the water, put your tow vehicle in park with the emergency brake on. Walk back to the boat and disconnect the winch cable from the bow eye. Lower your outdrive/outboard, double check your drain plug is closed and push the boat off the trailer into the water. Have your boat buddy ready to use a tow line to pull the boat over to the dock where you can have everyone else hop on board.

Go park your truck and empty trailer and head over to the boat. Get on board and get going to open water to enjoy your day in the sun.

How Did You Discover Boating?

We all have our own boating stories to tell. Some are very exciting, some more “The Norm.”  One of my favorite stories to ask of people is how they actually discovered boating. Hearing their tails from childhood, or talking about their buddies in college, or even if they were a late bloomer a friend or a loved one finally got them on a boat. Those stories are the best. They always end in a smile.

One of the most common birth of a boater story is the born and bred tale. We know it, we have heard it, and for most of us, we have lived it. We were born into a family of boaters. Mom and dad or the grandparents had a boat and we would spend our summers and weekends enjoying every second on the water. Once we were old enough, we bought our own boat, had a couple of kids, and carried the tradition on.

Another common discover boating story, which sometimes can be a little more entertaining, is the one night at college story. This one has a little more variation, but the essence is still the same. You meet a lot of new friends during your college years and one of those friends happens to be one of those people we mentioned earlier about being born into boating. They talk to you about it and then you finally agree to go out on the boat. That one trip is all it took; you were a boater for life.

The third most common boating discovery story is the person who doesn't find boating until later in their life. Maybe they have a work colleague who shares with them how they unwind after a long week at work. Maybe it is a friend, neighbor, or even their kids who say that boating is good for the soul. Whoever does the introduction, the ending is always the same, one happy new boater.

Everybody’s stories are different. We all come from different backgrounds, go through different things in our lives, but we all have one thing in common; our love for boating. Now it is your turn, we want to hear your story. Tell us, how did you discover boating?

Our Favorite Lake, Greers Ferry Lake

Our lake, the lake we boat on, the lake we fish on, the lake we play on, Greers Ferry Lake. We all know where it is, but do you know where it came from? The formation of our lake, Greers Ferry Lake, was started in March of 1959 when they started to construct the Greers Ferry Dam. 

While the dam was being constructed, it brought tons of people to the area looking for work. They would pop they tents, plant their camper, and rent any vacant houses. Builders were rushing to complete houses so that all the people coming into Herber Springs would have a place to stay. The retail stores, grocery shops, and farmers all were struggling to meet the demand of the now larger population. The locals of Herber Springs hung on until the completion of the dam in December of 1962. Once completed, the influx of people left, moving on looking for the next job.

There is a lot of great history with our lake, one of my favorite pieces, the city of Higden. Higden was actually located under our lake. That’s right; in the 1800’s Higden was a city of farmers who were constantly troubled with flooding. The land was purchased, the cemeteries were moved, the people left, and the now abandoned city was allowed to flood. Don’t feel so bad for the people of Higden; they reestablished their city up on a nearby hill.

The really fun part about this story of a flooded city; it is said that there are still houses, building, and roads under the lake from the abandoned city. They say that you can follow a road right up to the shore line on one side of the lake and pick the same road back up on the other side. People have taken advantage of this and now are using the pre-existing roads as boat launching ramps. Old West Main St. is an example. What have you seen under the water?

Greers Ferry Lake is made up of two lakes connected by a water filled gorge called The Narrows. With a surface area of 63 square miles, and just over 340 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of fun to be had on the lake. It is often ranked in the top ten cleanest, clearest, and most pristine lakes in all of North America. So what are you waiting for, let’s go boating, or fishing, or swimming, or…

Joining The Boating Lifestyle

Hey you, yeah, you. I have a question for you. Why have you not gotten in on the boating lifestyle yet? Let me tell you, you are missing out. You think that boating is too expensive? Think you will get board after taking the boat on the water after the first couple of times? Not sure if you are boating people? I will take the time to answer these questions for you today, so we can get you over that fence you have been sitting on.

Boating is expensive, it is just a luxury. Friend, I am here to tell you, this is one of the biggest myths about boating. You can finance a boat just like you can finance a car. There are boats in any showroom that range in price so you are bound to find one that you love and that you can afford the payment each month. Now you’re thinking, ok I have the boat, but the maintenance will break my bank account. Again, this is just not true. Most of the maintenance you have to perform, you do yourself. Like washing down your boat after use, or making sure you have it covered when not in use. With the stuff you can’t do (oil changes, engine maintenance), expect to pay what you would for the same service to your car.

Boating is a novelty; the fun will wear off quickly after purchase. This statement is far from the truth. The day you buy a boat, you are buying more than just a piece of machinery, you are buying a way to keep your family entertained every weekend, you are buying a way that you can de-stress after a rough day at the office on a Tuesday, you are buying a place that you can take your significant other and really feel like the only two people on the planet for a date night. It is more than just cruising the water, even though that is great too, there are many different activities to enjoy while boating. Fishing, water tubing, wakeboarding, personal water crafts, swimming, the list can go on and on with different things to do in order to keep your boat outing fresh.

Boating is not for me; I am not a “boat person.” My friend, there is no one type of person that fits into this lifestyle. Everywhere you go, you will find people just like you, and people who are completely different than you.  If you love the water, love relaxing & love boats, then it sounds to me that you are a “boat person.”

When you finally hop off that fence post and join in on the fun, you automatically enter into one of the coolest clubs on the planet. You immediately gain new friends who all enjoy boating too. And most importantly, you get to call yourself a boater. So my question to you now is what are you waiting for?