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There’s No Place Like Florida for Boating

Posted by admin On March - 8 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS

Are you planning a visit to the Sunshine State with the intent to do some boating while you’re there?  If so, you’ll soon realize that boating in Florida is like no other boating you’ll ever do anywhere in the U.S.  With literally dozens and dozens of fantastic boating locations from which to choose, even the most seasoned boater will fall in love with boating all over again when you choose to boat Florida waters.

Perhaps the most difficult decision to make when planning your boat trip to Florida is choosing where to go.  The most well-known destinations, such as boating Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Key West, easily attract hundreds of boaters every year.  However, there are boating treasures throughout the state that are equally spectacular and fun to explore.

Florida BoatingCentral to the state, Orlando is internationally known as the home to Mickey Mouse and his pals, but less acclaimed for its freshwater boating appeal.  When you boat Central Florida, you’ll find beautiful spring-fed lakes and other-worldly river journeys.   Plus, with easy access to other Florida boating spots like Tampa, Port Charlotte, and boating St. Augustine, when you boat Central Florida area waters, you can easily extend your boating experience to include several additional Florida destinations.

A truly phenomenal Florida boating experience is to boat the serene, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico along Florida’s west coast.  The fishing especially is incredible in areas like Bradenton, Sarasota, Sanibel Island, and Naples. The Tampa Bay area is also a much sought after boater’s paradise because of the easy access to both fresh and salt water boating spots.  When you boat New Port Richey, and the lakes and rivers of areas like Spring Hill, Homosassa, every member of your crew is sure to be pleased.  Boaters who also like to cast a line will also be pleased with fishing Clearwater and other areas of the Tampa Bay and west coast.

Florida’s Panhandle area is another boating treat.  With gorgeous blue waters and white sand beaches, boating Panama and Pensacola are truly amazing to experience.

Florida’s east coast is just as full of incredible boating locations as those you find anywhere else when you boat Florida waters.  Referred to as the Treasure Coast, Stuart and St. Lucie are both jewels of southeastern Florida, as are Ponce Inlet to the north and Peanut Island to the south.

Whether you plan boating Miami waters or venturing out to boat Central Florida, Florida’s coasts or Panhandle areas, be assured that when you boat Florida, you’re sure to be thrilled with the experience.

Boating Food
When you’re enjoying a day of boating fun, it’s no fun to think about last minute meals and snacks. It’s easy to plan ahead with these great ideas for the best onboard snacks and meals for day trips.

Prepare ahead of time onboard snack ideas:

  • Cold meat and cheeses, to be served with a variety of crackers and whole grain breads
  • An array of colorful vegetables and dip
  • Fresh fruits with yogurt for dipping or dried fruit
  • Spinach dip in a hollowed out bread bowl
  • Microwavable popcorn
  • Pasta salad or potato salad
    • Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese and salsa or tacos in a bag
  • Pretzels, Doritos, Pringles, or other potato chips
  • Beef jerky
  • A selection of granola bars or power bars
  • Banana bread
  • Shrimp cocktail
  • Bagels and smoked salmon
  • sushi
  • Trail mix, nuts, or party mix
  • Muffaletta sandwich or take-out submarine sandwiches
  • Wraps such as chicken breast, ham, or marinated grilled beef or pork
  • Hummus and pita bread
  • On a cold day, hot chocolate and a treat of cookies, muffins, or pastries

Snacks to prepare while onboard:

  • Buy cherry tomatoes or peppadew peppers and stuff with cream cheese just before serving
  • Put together an antipasto platter with olives, tuna, pickled onions, artichokes, cauliflower, salami, prosciutto, along with a cracker and bread assortment
  • Quick guacamole dip made from avocado, lemon juice, sour cream, to be served with tortilla chips (chopped tomato is optional)
  • Sun-dried snacks of tomatoes, cream cheese, and crackers

Prepare ahead of time meal suggestions for day trips:

  • Pasta salad with the addition of pre-cooked chicken breast slices, to be served with buns
  • Pork tacos and black bean salsa
  • Chicken and asparagus casserole
  • Kalamata pork with pita bread and tomato/mozzarella salad
  • Sliced pork tenderloin served with grilled chilled asparagus
  • Meatloaf, to be served with a salad
  • Chilled grilled salmon with salads
  • Take-out fried chicken or pizza and assorted salads
  • On a cold day, try a chunky gazpacho or hearty chili and an assortment of buns

Meals to prepare while onboard:

  • Hamburgers served with dill pickles and potato chips
  • Barbecued catch of the day
  • Chicken and vegetable soup
  • Anything seafood such as chili lime prawns or scallop linguine
  • Lamb cutlets with a strawberry, bean, and feta cheese salad
  • Easy omelets

Besides the food itself, ensuring food safety for passengers onboard any recreational boat should be a top priority. Evolving around food storage, preparation, and cooking, it’s important to check the temperature of your refrigerator, to clean and properly sanitize surfaces, and to be acutely aware of any food allergies guests onboard may have.

Enjoy some of the best onboard snacks and meals for day trips when you’re boating or even when you’re at home.

A great discussion about boat food can be found at http://www.boatbrevard.com/forum/topics/ideas-for-boat-food

Sources:

TugBoats Online.com

Forums Chef2Chef.net

ChowHound.com

SavannahMagazine

Women and Cruising.com – sun-dried snacks

AllRecipes.com – kalamata pork; pork tacos

About.com Camping – Tacos in a Bag

Yacht and Boat.au – chili lime prawns; scallp linguine

Yacht and Boat.au – Lamb cutlets; easy omelets; chicken and vegetable soup

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