GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN & BOATING: Biscayne National Park is closed until further notice. Most of that park is comprised of water.
Everglades National Park is closed, putting almost all of Florida Bay off limits. Dry Tortugas is closed as well. The closure applies to fishing guides, kayakers and pleasure boaters.

Next weekend (Columbus Day weekend at Elliot Key) is one of the biggest boating parties in the country. However, Elliot Key is closed due to government shutdown. If you go to the park's website it reads, "Because of the federal government shutdown, all national parks are closed and National Park Service webpages are not operating." This will mean limited resources deal with boating emergencies, out of control boaters and not to mention, environmental damage. 

We will update this article when we have more information. 

We are excited to announce the new and improved Florida By Water. Over the summer we have spent many hours ensuring that the award-winning site is ready to meet the demands of our users. During the process we felt it was important to keep the look and feel as close to the original as possible. Most content on the site can be easily located in 3 clicks or less. The following is a list of a few of the major changes.

1. Mobile Detection: If you open the site on your smart phone you will get the mobile version of the site. This will give you access to Destinations, Tropical Drink Recipes, Events, Articles, and even access to the "World of Boating" radio show archives which can be played right on your phone. Just click on the three little bars to the left of the hourglass to access the menu.

If there is one thing most boaters love to do, it is raft up. A formal definition is “the roping together of a number of small vessels to form a raft-like structure; a social gathering based upon such a structure.” However, over the years the term has come to focus much more on the social aspect rather than the roping together of boats. A raft up is about a destination. It could just as easily be called a party spot where boaters congregate. These pristine locations are usually sandbars or small islands that are only accessible by boat. They are perfect for relaxing, people watching, playing in the water and socializing. From time to time there are organized events, but for the most part it’s just the place to be.

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As the days get longer and warmer and the smell of honeysuckle starts to fill the air, my mind start to drift away to the endless boating opportunities that await me this summer. Every year around this time I find myself planning for the perfect boating season. Let’s face it, even though here in Florida we can boat most of the year, many of us tend to take a break during the winter months. (Mostly due to the fact that we think anything under 75 is not suitable for outdoor activities!)

Now that the temperature is rising and the days are getting longer, there are a few things you need to do to ensure that your perfect boating season starts with all of your oars in the water.