“A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say ‘How to Build a Boat.” – Stephen Wright… Ah, boating. Just the thought of a day out on the water – cruising around on any type of boat, discovering new places you can only find while exploring out in the water, enjoying that feeling of the wind in your hair and the sunshine on your face – followed up by a refreshing dip in the lake. There is just not much in life that gets better than a day spent boating with good friends and family.

Discover Boating with Your Family

We don’t have a boat of our own, although it’s a serious goal of ours. I have so many amazing memories that are connected to boating… Being a little girl, out for a day of fishing on the boat with my dad and grandpa. Those crazy-fun weekends out on the water that I used to have with my friends, in our early 20’s. And I can’t wait for the chance to enjoy time out on the lake with my own family… Right now, we have to settle for good times with friends who invite us to join them when they go boating. And don’t get me wrong – I LOVE it. But I can’t wait until we’re able to find the perfect family boat to enjoy on our own. So – to help us along with that goal, I found a great site called DiscoverBoating.com. I love the tools and resources there, and think think that they might be super helpful to you busy mommas too. Let me tell ya a little more about what you’ll find there…

Planning Your Families Perfect Boating Adventure

A boat is a pretty major investment – but it’s the kind of investment that is accessible to just about everyone; with a little bit of research, a little bit of saving, and a lot of passion for the water, anyone can afford to give their family some super fun boating adventures. But – since it IS an investment, you want to make sure you know what to look for, right? And once you have a boat {or if you’re lucky enough to have one already!} you’ll want some great tips on boating, or maybe some super creative ways to preserve those fun memories. So – here are some of the cool tools and resources that I found on DiscoverBoating.com that you might like too:

• Free Advice: Get a totally free “Getting Started in Boating DVD”. Just click the little tab to request it, and they’ll ship you out a free DVD packed with great advice to get your family excited about getting a new boat.
• Just for Kids: Get a ton of super fun stuff to get your kiddos excited for boating, and to help teach them some great boat safety. There are also games and activities too – very cool. {Speaking of fun – Check out the sweet video maker on their Facebook page, to create your own summer fun videos.}
• Marina and Ramp Finder: If you already have a boat, this can help you find some great new local places to enjoy it. And if you’re in the market for a new boat, this will help you ensure that you have enough places to bring it to. You can also research ways to get in the water without buying your own boat, by renting one to try out.
• Boat Loan Calculator and Selector Tool: This can be super helpful – it’ll help you figure out how big of a boat you need, what style would be best for the lakes or oceans you plan to use it in, and give you tips on how to plan for one financially. Very cool.

So – we’re using these tools here to help us plan for next summer, and our first boat. I hope that if you’re in the same boat as we are {hahaha – pun intended, lol} that this great planning resource will help you too. I’d love to hear what type of boat your hoping to get, and your favorite memories out on the water too….

Get some wind in your sails this summer… sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/06/get-so… #ILoveBoating

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 10, 2012

“Twenty years from now you will be more disppointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

{Dislaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Discover Boating and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. Photo Credit: Loowgren, and Phillie Casablanca on Flickr.}