Thursday, February 14, 2008

2008 Boat Ratings by JD Powers

As I predicted a few weeks ago, the latest JD Power ratings for boats were released this week.

Check out their site to see how your boat (or the boat you are thinking about buying) is rated!

On the web: http://www.jdpower.com/boats

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day from Miami

It's that time of year again. If you love boats, why not spend Valentine's weekend at the Miami Boat Show, which runs from February 14-18, 2008.

The show spans three locations:

MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

SEA ISLE MARINA & YACHTING CENTER

MIAMARINA AT BAYSIDE (Strictly Sail Miami - for you sailboaters)

It looks like Maxum will be signing people up at the show for a contest in which they are giving away a boat in May.

There are also a couple of contests at the show involving fishing with fishing celebrities in Key West. Check these offers out here.

All in all, given the ice storm I'm facing in New England right now, I'd rather be in Miami.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Boat Lovers: Feel free to comment

the DailyBoater is Open For Comments (for now).

Up until today, the "comments" section has been turned off on DailyBoater.com, but as this blog is a blog, it should give visitors the ability to make comments.

Feel free to click the 'comments' link on any post and provide feedback for the world to see

Monday, February 11, 2008

Roy Scheider and Bigger Boats

On Monday, both CBS and NBC evening news showed the famous scene from Jaws where Brody - played by Roy Scheider - gets a glimpse of how enourmous Jaws is, and tells Quint, "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

A legendary quote, and one that has been abused by boaters now for over 30 years.

Here's a longer clip with that scene - courtesy of YouTube - in memory of Mr. Scheider.

Friday, February 08, 2008

BoatUS Releases Best-Selling Boat Names

Today's post on the BoatNameBlog shares what BoatUS considers to be the top boat names from 2007. Read on:

It's that time of year again. BoatUS, which is well known for its marine equipment stores (in cahoots with West Marine), as well as AAA-like memberships and regular boat insurance, just came out with their list of top boat names in the United States for 2007.

It's interesting to see the influence of a Disney movie rise above old standards like Liberty (which has been especially popular every year since 9/11), Second Wind (popular with sailors and people my age and older), Aquaholic (read: pull me over and give me a breathalizer test), and Carpe Diem.

Here is the full list of top boat names from 2007:

Black Pearl
Liberty
Second Wind
Amazing Grace
Aquaholic
Knot On-Call
Second Chance
Wanderlust
The Dog House
Carpe Diem or Seas the Day

For the previous years boat names, visit FirstBoat's comprehensive boat name site.

If you want to see what any of these popular boat names would look like on the back of your boat, visit CustomBoatNames.com now to preview any boat name in different fonts and colors.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

East Coast Boat Shows This Weekend

If you can't wait for (or don't have the time to go) to the Miami Boat Show, there are a plethora of shows that might pique your interest - some starting as early as this Wednesday.

First, there's the Atlantic City International Power Boat Show, February 6 through February 10 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Web: acboatshow.com

Go to the AC boat show early, then drive down to Florida for the weekend for a couple of concurrently running shows that are not too far from each other.

The 21st Daytona Beach Boat Show is Feb 8 - 10 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach Florida.

The 61st Annual Jacksonville Boat Show is Feb 8 - 10 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Don't get confused with the Jacksonville "International" Boat Show held in April. Feb show on the web: thejacksonvilleboatshow.com

Seriously, look at the map - it's not that bad of a drive if you're looking for a roadtrip to round out the week and soak up some warmer weather -


View Larger Map