Boating season extended

Labor Day is upon us once again. We fill the days of this long weekend with picnics, parties, mini-vacations and best of all - boat trips - enjoying the last breaths of summer before it seemingly slips away... especially in places like New England, Michigan, New York and Minnesota where fall approaches quickly.

Now is the time that boaters also think about putting the boat away for the winter. Well this year is different. First of all, boaters in many locations with typically short boating seasons have experienced terrible summers, with rain in the northeast, for example, at historic levels. But we also recognize that we reach a global audience across DailyBoater and FirstBoat and know that in many parts of the world people aren't thinking about shrink wrapping and dry docking - places like Sydney, Miami, Santorini and Seal Beach.

So, in an effort to try to salvage the season for those of us with short boating seasons, and to celebrate those who don't have to worry about winter, FirstBoat is officially declaring that boating season has been extended for everybody.

You ask "how long? Until when?", and the answer is up to you. Ask yourself: How late into the fall can you really use your boat? Aren't you willing to throw on a sweatshirt and spend weekends on the water, even as the days get shorter and the air gets a little brisk?

Isn't a cool day boating with the family better than a day spent raking leaves? So go ahead, and stretch out the season. You deserve it. There will be plenty of time to put the boat away, but we suggest you put it off for now and make up for a rough summer - at least through September if you can, and maybe even into October.