barb hansen

The holidays give us a rush. It's up to us to ensure that it's a good rush.

I cannot think of any time that has more built in quality than the time you can spend with a child on a boat cruise.

Etiquette, I believe, is our first line of defense against an uncivil society. To disregard a rule of boating etiquette is a sign that a person does not respect any rule of boating, etiquette or otherwise.

For our silver anniversary in 2009, Vic and I thought it would be a good idea if we came up with a slogan that could—hopefully—become our slogo. Shucks, if it’s good enough for Arby’s and Macy’s, why not Southwest Florida Yachts?

Barb takes some notes on Heaven and how after a loss, we are often inspired to be better. Boaters have always taken care of boaters, so here's the thing, be better.

So this is my prescription for our nation’s malaise. Go down to the waterfront and breathe in the sunshine and salt air. If you need a stronger medication, try to get on the water.

I’ve always tilted toward presidents who, in my mind’s eye, are in a boat. George Washington crossing the frigid Delaware with his soldiers in the dead of night makes him a star forever in my imagination. Teddy Roosevelt paddling a canoe down racing rivers is a boating hero, too.

Boats should have a “gadget-free zone” at least while underway, unless they are being used as a navigational aid. Instead of looking down at your phone, look up and around at the beauty that surrounds you.

So if you agree we have a problem with what I call the head-down syndrome, what can we do? The answer is simple: Go Boating!

I have no plans to lobby in Washington, but I would like to share a health reform idea with our elected representatives and the inside-the-beltway crowd. What I will tell you has been pretty much boating's secret but it's time we told the rest of the world. Are you sitting down?

In the world of the Kardashian-crazed, 24-hour broadcast we are often left with no escape from the constant crashing of news coverage from the world of the relevant and irrelevant alike. But there is a cure, and its been around longer than the TV has.