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National Safe Boating Week is May 18-24 this year, and it’s a timely reminder for every boat owner to check all the safety equipment on your boat to make sure it is in good working order. First and foremost, this annual event reinforces the importance of having comfortable, proper-fitting life jackets on board for yourself and everyone you will take out on the water with you. “The best life jacket is the one you will wear,” said Peg Phillips, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council. “Whether you’re going fishing or just enjoying a ride on the boat, make sure you’re prepared for the adventure by wearing a life jacket and knowing how to use required safety gear.” Now is also a great time to brush up on your boating safety skills, regardless of your experience level. An easy way to do this is to take a boating safety course. Most states offer online courses that allow you to work through them at your own pace. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) provides a handy, state-by-state list of the courses that meet its requirements, many of which are free of charge. Visit www.nasbla.org/education to learn more. While only two states – Alabama and Indiana – require boaters to get an actual operator’s license, many other states mandate boating education certification, particularly for younger boaters. NASBLA also provides an interactive map of the U.S. on its website where you can check your state’s requirements. In many cases, all you have to do to earn certification is to pass a free or low-cost online boating safety course. While an online course will help you to learn or refresh your memory of basic boating safety equipment and practices, rules and regulations, however, nothing truly takes the place of on-the-water training. Some of the larger boat dealerships now offer hands-on classes. The United States Power Squadrons, now renamed America’s Boating Club, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are both great resources for finding on-water boating classes, along with boating safety tips and information. Both organizations also will provide you with a free vessel safety check for your boat on request, to make sure you have the proper gear on board. Another great way to enhance both your boating safety skills is to hire a U.S Coast Guard-licensed captain to train you on your own boat. The captain not only can help you to ensure that you have the right safety gear on board, but he or she also can take you out on the water to review boat-handling and docking maneuvers and teach you invaluable new ones. If your spouse or partner or another family member typically goes boating with you, the captain also can train that person to take over at the helm if needed. A local captain also can point out hazards to avoid in your boating area. Check with your marina to see if its staff can recommend a licensed captain near you. Boating safety education and on-the-water training can help to make you a more confident skipper and ensure that every boating adventure you take will be safer and more fun!

So many boats and yachts all in one place! Shopping for your new boat or yacht at a boat show is a great idea! Here are Newcoast's top tips for enjoying your boat show experience: 1. Become a VIP – Take advantage of a “Prime Time Preview” or a VIP day. You may have to pay little more for your ticket, but with smaller crowds you are more likely to step aboard the yachts of your choice.  2. Plan Your Route – Determine the booth or slip numbers for the brands and dealers that you want to visit. When you arrive, pick up a free map so you know where to go. This will save you hours of wandering around. 3. Dress Comfortably – Wear clothes that will give you the freedom to walk around and climb aboard boats all day long. Wear slip-ons to make taking off your shoes easier. 4. Check Every Detail – Take your time to inspect every detail of the boat you are looking at. Open hatches, reach for the service ports, scan the side of the hull. 5. Take Her For a Spin – Step up to the helm and feel what it would be like to take her for a spin. Test your sightlines forward, aft, and to each side. Lie down in the berths to make sure they fit your frame. 6. Don’t Skip the Details – Many dealers offer incentives during shows. View their social media ahead of time to be aware of any deals that may be available. Keep in mind that demo boats are typically equipped with optional upgrades. Before you sign, make sure that “what you see is what you get”. 7. Have Fun! – With food and drink available, enjoy your time at the show. Explore! Step on board a variety of exciting models that you haven’t seen before. And when you find your dream boat at the show... the Newcoast team will help you through every step of the boat buying process. We offer quick approvals, competitive rates, a simple application process, no-hassle closings, unsurpassed industry knowledge, personalized customer service, and terms up to 20 years.

In the winter months, when the northern boating meccas are quiet due to gray skies, freezing temperatures, ice and snow, many boaters head south for a relaxing vacation exploring warmer waters. Whether you take your own boat, charter a bareboat, or sit back and let a professional captain do the driving, there are plenty of hotspots to choose from across the U.S. and in the Caribbean. Before you go, however, be sure to familiarize yourself with the local boating (and fishing) regulations. Here are 10 popular winter boating destinations to consider. Trailer your boat: St. John’s River. This 310-mile river, which flows north through Central Florida to Jacksonville and the Atlantic Ocean, is highly popular both for fishing and immersing yourself in nature. Birdwatching is excellent along its banks, and you undoubtedly also will see a large number of alligators. During the winter, manatees are a common sight, especially in areas with warmer waters like Silver Glen Springs in Ocala National Forest, on an offshoot of the river you can reach by boat. There are many boat ramps along St. John’s, along with marinas where you can rent a houseboat to use on the river if you don’t trailer your own boat. Clearwater, Florida. The Gulf Coast of Florida is blessed with calm waters that typically stay in the mid-to upper-60-degree range in the winter months. You can stay and play on Clearwater Beach, enjoying nightly sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico from the beachfront bars, but be sure to take a day to explore the wild barrier islands to the north. Caladesi Island State Park, which has its own marina, is a can’t-miss stop featuring one of the prettiest beaches in the nation. The little, Scots-influenced town of Dunedin, just opposite, offers many shopping and dining options just a short stroll from the docks. Key West, Florida. While it’s a long way to trailer a boat to the Southernmost Point in the U.S., Key West is well worth the trip. The Conch Republic has it all, from paddleboarding and snorkeling coral reefs by day to fine dining and nightclubbing at night. Sunsets are a specialty here, especially in Mallory Square where you can also enjoy the nightly street performers. There are many other famous Key West attractions to check out – all within walking distance of the marinas – including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Sloppy Joe’s Bar, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, the Hemingway Home and Museum, and of course, the Southernmost Point itself. Lake Austin, Texas. A 1,600-acre manmade lake on the Colorado River, Lake Austin is only a half-hour drive from Austin, Texas. Here, boaters can explore miles of scenic shoreline and also find several popular hiking trails that offer scenic views of the lake. A couple of the trails also take you to small waterfalls. Later, enjoy a meal at one of the lakeside eateries specializing in baked goods or barbecue or oysters and other seafood. Anglers love fishing for the big largemouth bass that inhabit these waters. Lake Austin is easily accessed by two concrete boat ramps. Best by large center console, cruiser, or sailboat: Georgia’s Golden Isles. Coastal Georgia is a year-round boating destination with air temperatures averaging in the mid-60-degree range. The Golden Isles region, which encompasses Brunswick on the mainland along with St. Simons, Sea and Jekyll islands, offers serene marsh scenery, broad beaches, and quaint downtown areas lined with boutiques and restaurants featuring lowcountry cuisine. Even if it’s too cold for sunbathing, you will find plenty to do in the area, including kayaking and bicycling. Be sure to visit the Jekyll Island Club and learn about its history during the Gilded Age. St. Augustine, Florida. America’s Oldest City, founded in 1565, offers a wealth of attractions within walking distance of the city’s municipal marina. History buffs can tour Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a fort built of local coquina shell in 1695, or watch a demonstration of old-time blacksmithing in the Colonial Quarter. St. George Street, open only to pedestrians, is lined with shops, restaurants, and live music venues. Anastasia State Park with its beautiful beach is just a short taxi ride away. After dark, if you are brave enough, several companies offer spooky ghost tours of this ancient city. Biloxi, Mississippi. While there are many great ports to visit by boat along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Biloxi has a cluster of attractions right along its beachfront. A mini-Vegas, it is home to a strip of casinos that offer not only gambling but also a wide variety of dining options and live entertainment. You can take a walk along the boardwalk, tour a historic house, or visit the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, commemorating the city’s devastation by the 2005 hurricane and the resilience of its people after the storm. Biloxi also is a world-class sportfishing mecca. South Padre Island, Texas. If you are heading south for a back-to-nature boating vacation, you will enjoy the miles-long barrier island, which is protected by Padre Island National Seashore. In addition to sunbathing, this is a great place for birdwatching, hiking, biking and even riding horses along the beach. Surfing and windsurfing are also popular pastimes here. While this is an ideal spot to reconnect with sand and sea, it also offers full-service marinas located inside the bay.   Charter a bareboat or a skippered yacht: The Abacos, Bahamas. While the southern U.S. offers a break from the ice and snow, if you want to experience true summer temperatures during the winter months, head to The Bahamas. The Abacos chain of cays is highly popular with Florida boaters who own a boat capable of crossing the Gulf Stream, but you also can find bareboat and skippered boats – both power and sail – available to charter here. Largely recovered from the impacts of Hurricane Dorian, which hit the islands in 2019, the Abacos offer a laid-black seven-day itinerary, hopping from cay to cay along the calm, turquoise Sea of Abaco. The British Virgin Islands. The BVI are considered by many to be the pinnacle of winter cruising destinations. This island chain, strung like jewels along Sir Frances Drake Channel, is so popular you probably won’t be able to find a deserted anchorage – but that’s for good reason. Island-hopping, beach bars, Caribbean cuisine, world-class snorkeling and diving – You can find it all in the BVI. Don’t miss the Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke – so named by sailors who anchored in the bay and swam into this iconic beach bar with their wallets in their pockets. The Baths, a jumble of giant boulders that you can wade through on the tip of Virgin Gorda, is another must-see site. The BVI is beloved by sailors for its steady breezes, but you also can charter power catamarans there.    .