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Popular Boating Adventures

Mar. 18 2021 Lifestyle By Collins Marine

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Owning a boat grants you access to all sorts of fun and rewarding adventures. But what if you’re new to boating and you’re looking for ways to entertain yourself and your passengers?

Collins Marine in Tonawanda is proud to have been your New York boat dealer for over three decades. Below, you’ll find some great recommendations for a few different boat adventures you can try out with family and friends.

1. Geocaching

The proliferation of GPS units has made it so that anyone can locate an exact coordinate anywhere on the planet. Use your GPS to geocache, which involves taking coordinates from a website and inputting them into your GPS, then traveling to that place to check out the goods that have been hidden at those coordinates. 

Sometimes, there are simple rubber stamps that you can stamp into a journal; other times, there may be a small gift or item exchange, where you take what’s there and replace it with an item of your own for the next geocacher.

Look on geocaching websites for coordinates that you have to boat to and take the whole family along on a fun adventure.

2. Person Overboard Drill

This is a good way to tutor children in the proper protocols for rescuing a person who’s gone overboard. Even adults can learn a lot from a surprise drill. Toss a life preserver or other floating item overboard and tell everyone that it represents you. Ask what needs to be done to rescue you. The steps to take include:

  • The oldest child or adult closest to the wheel will take the helm.
  • Another person watches the person overboard and monitors their location in the water.
  • A third person tosses the throwable personal flotation device into the water.
  • The person at the helm begins to turn around the boat and shifts into neutral when near the person overboard.
  • Passengers then pull the person overboard back onto the boat.

You can time this rescue to see how long it takes and offer to provide a treat to everyone for meeting a new record time, such as getting ice cream at the dock.

3. Explore a New Place

The Great Lakes are a vast system of waterways and you’re bound to find a cove, harbor or inlet on a map that you’ve never explored before. Choose a place and take your boating party to a new area to see what’s out there. You can opt to toss your anchor over the side and explore a vacant beach or give the kids binoculars so they can tell you what types of animals and birds they see on shore as you float past. Kids can also study the map and help you to navigate the new waterway.

When you’re ready to check out some boats, visit our dealership in Tonawanda, NY, to view our wide array of new and used boats for sale. Collins Marine serves the greater Buffalo metropolitan area and all our New York customers who boat on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.