Boat ownership comes with many joys and many responsibilities.  One task which could be either a joy or "responsibility", depending on your perspective, is one of boat care.  Boats get dirty and they fade in the sun, like all things left outside inevitably do.  Most owners have little difficulty caring for the boat's interior but the exterior presents special challenges.  The exteriors have fiberglass, aluminum, plastic, steel and a variety of other surfaces to maintain.  There are many products from which to choose that are designed for specific uses and the options can be bewildering.  There exist families of products that wash, remove oxidation, moisturize, polish and seal.  None come with elbow grease which we all know is the active ingredient that make them the most effective.  We all know that these products take a bit of time and effort to use and master.  Usually as soon as I find a product that produces considerable success, the next time I go to buy another bottle, it's discontinued or replaced with a "newer" version that doesn't seem to produce the same results.

Don't get me wrong, there's a certain amount of satisfaction owners receive from pride in their boat care, but now that I'm no longer "29", the toll on my hands, knees, fingers and back as well as the encroachment into my "recreation time" is mandating a greater investment in skin and time than I desire.  My favorite saying is that life is about "Time" vs "Money".  We never feel we have enough of either, but we certainly have less of one than the other.  Not that I have a lot of money, but I certainly have less time for the things I "desire" to invest my time in. 

Throughout business I have been advised to do things that only I can do and hire others to do the rest.  That maximizes my value and contributions.  Boat care falls into that category between "wants" and "needs".  It needs to be done but I want it done right. We all think, no one ever does things as well as we think we can do them, but unless we take special joy in doing them, pay someone.

For those who wish to share the "joy" of boat care with others who do this for a living, there are many commercial operators out there, but the real challenge is to find someone you trust who is knowledgeable, dependable, comes with good references and is "affordable".  Owning a boat is a great reward that provides many memories.  Owning several, as I do, provides more memories than I need when it comes to boat care.  Although I personally do the bulk of my own general boat care, I engage the services of professionals several times a year to achieve a healthy balance of care that I can provide and that which requires expertise I either don't possess or care not to exercise; usually the later.

I am very selective when offering unsolicited recommendations, but Wesley Compton has just completed another hull blister and antifoulant job for me.  For over 20 years he is the only person who has touched my hulls and does a work of magic!  He is fair, honest, dependable and very professional to work with.  There are many others on Lake Lanier that do the same work, but for my money, he's a rare find.   

Seems that every season I'm in search of someone new to wash, buff, polish and return the shine to my topsides on a year-round basis. This year I tried On Site Shine Marine which is owned by Mac Stewart.  After my wife and I spent all weekend cleaning and waxing one of our boats, I asked Mac if he could improve the diminishing shine of my pride and joy, "Jamaica Lieu".  The results were phenomenally beyond my anticipations. I also felt his prices were very competitive and fair.

Those are my tips for June, traditionally the first month of summer fun.  Hopefully one of these guys can start your summer fun by handling some of the more unpleasant tasks and free you for things only you can do; relax!

        Wesley Compton  770-535-7088
        Mac Stewart         678-859-6378

 
(Appearance of scheduled entertainers is NOT GUARANTEED as their professional show schedules are subject to
change without notice but every effort will be made to notify guests on any affected cruises if changes occur.)
 

Corporate magician Joe M. Turner (www.turnermagic.com) will entertain us on our June cruise.  Joe’s combination of sleight-of-hand and mental magic has been featured everywhere from Massachusetts to Maui – and has put him in high demand by companies like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pratt & Whitney, and hundreds of others.  Joe’s application of magic to corporate messaging was featured on CNN Headline News.  He performs at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the Dickens Parlour Theatre in Atlantic City, and in his own one-man show, Shenanigans, at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta.

With Joe’s warm, witty personality and world-class sleight-of-hand skills, this will be a cruise to enjoy and remember!
 

Each year we participate in a unique opportunity on Lanier to observe the Fireworks Show conducted by University Yacht club on Lanier.  This is one of our most popular outings. Participants experience the brilliance of the spectacular show from our boats situated in the bay within excellent ear and eye shot.  If you've never experienced a fireworks show while on the water you've missed the best seats possible. The reflection of the explosions light up the waters around you and the percussions of the show echo across the waters. 

Since this annual event occurs the day before July 4th there are no traffic jams or crowds to contend with.

You do not want to "Miss The Boat" for this event.  Make your reservations TODAY!
 

Bill Kahler (www.BillKahler.com) will be returning for his fifth season by popular demand as one of our Sunset Cruise entertainers.

Bill is a singer songwriter who has been compared to Van Morrison, James Taylor, John Hyatt, Kenny Loggins and David Wilcox.  Bill has shared the stage with Branford Marsalis, Joe Sample, Three Dog Night, Paul Reisler, Darrell Scott, and Matthew Kahler, to name a few.

Bill has written several "nautical" songs per my request and they're all quite good! His warm vocals deliver the lyrics of well crafted, earthy, heartfelt songs performed by guitar, sax, mandolin, accordion and piano. 

Bring some cash because you're going to want to take some CDs home with you in memory of the delightful evening.
 

6-9

• Discern names, numbers, and important years from the past
• Intuitively predict mental images, and perceptively discover things about individual personalities
• Show participants how their own intuition can be set ablaze

Milton is NOT a mind reader, but his engaging and light presentation is filled with surprises, bizarre phenomena, and audience participation.  The audience will warm up quickly, and will find out things about each other they never knew. 

Join us as Jesse returns for his third season of educational and entertaining demonstrations of unusual abilities and uncanny understanding of human nature. 

5-8

Not everyone wants entertainers competing with the real treasures nature can provide.  Come enjoy the tranquil and serene waters of Lake Lanier while under sail.

Join us for our 5th annual fun filled evening of ghost stories; some true and some perhaps less so, but perhaps that depends on where you're sitting...

Bring your imagination and your creativity because we've been known to create some stories of our own as we cruise the mysterious waters surrounded by shorelines filled with history and intrigue.

There is absolutely no better way to enjoy the fall change of colors than from our sailboat while leisurely cruising the shores of Lake Lanier.

Below are some links to photos from some of last season's events:

• Ghosts Stories of Lanier

• Joe Turner - Magician

• Bill Kahler- Musician

• Jesse Milton - Mind Reader

• July 3rd Fireworks

• Halloween Cruise

• Cruise Memories

Upcoming Classes
We have several seats available over the next few weeks of classes.  

You can click on the class description below for more information.

Ground School Classes:  (Check the web site for the most CURRENT list of dates and exact times)