Feeling Social

When you can't be on a boat, do you like to connect with other boaters?

Or maybe you are like me - always online, talking to other boaters, even while you are on your boat.

With the launch last week of Fishington - a social media site for boating and fishing enthusiasts run by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) - I wondered where else boaters "socialize" online.

We already know you can join boating groups on MySpace, FaceBook and LinkedIn, or even follow boaters on Twitter.

But, did you know there were social networking sites entirely dedicated to boaters?

Next time we'll look at some of the best. Today we'll look at the rest. They all have pros and cons, so your best bet is to check them all out and see which feels right for you. Here are the first few:

Activeboating.com - Small, but worth checking out. It looks to have only about 200 members, and it is not very intuitive to browse for new friends in the network, but the pages seem to load quickly and it has potential.

SailMonster is run by a friendly couple who sincerely welcomed me when I first joined - this site has potential and is worth checking out. Especially if you prefer your boats powered by the wind, this is the place for you.

Zooors.com - Launched this past February, this social networking site seems to be aimed at higher end yacht owners. Watch out for pitches from charter yacht companies on this site and enjoy the eye candy - the site has tons of great photos.

BoatingPassions.com - A niche dating site for boat owners and people who want to date boat owners. Seriously.

Next post will look at a few more social boating sites. If you're passionate about a social network site for boaters, add yours here.