Set a Course for Boating
Experience North America’s Rivers, Lakes, Bays & Oceans
Campers are often motivated by seeing sites that no one else has visited. And exploration of our country’s waterways is no different. All you need to set a course for boating is the right boat and a crew of eager passengers. Out on the water, you can sightsee, fish, swim and enjoy a variety of water sports.
Waves of Relaxation
Unless you're competitively sailing in regattas, there is no rush hour on the water. The rat race can be left completely behind unless you chose to bring personal communications devices along for the ride. It can be very quiet on the water too. So there’s nothing to do but talk with your friends, take in the views and commune with an aspect of nature that sailors have been drawn to for centuries.
Many studies have demonstrated that those who spend a lot of time outdoors in natural surroundings live more satisfying lives than their urban counterparts in the so-called concrete jungle. Boats offer a unique way to get out in nature. The benefits can be realized during a two-week stay on a houseboat or an afternoon of fishing from a row boat.
Natural Wonders
Self-fulfillment isn’t the only benefit to being an outdoors enthusiast. Getting close to nature also promotes a level of consciousness that often leads toward a lifetime commitment to green practices. Regular boating and fishing is going to make you acutely aware of water and air pollution issues. And those eco-friendly feelings are put into practice in ways you may not have realized.
For instance, did you know that the fees collected from boating and fishing licenses play an important role in paying for safety campaigns and conservation programs? The fuel taxes on motorboat gas and some specific fishing equipment are used to restock bodies of water with healthy fish.
Boating, sailing and fishing stories abound because there’s so much to see and do on the water. That’s true whether you’re sailing the Great Lakes or jet skiing on a woodlands pond. Some of the continent’s most prized natural wonders can only be reached by water. Eastern Ontario’s aboriginal petroglyphs are just one example. Even land-locked Kentucky has 1,200 miles of river and lake shoreline that is best viewed from a water perspective.