Isn’t it a delight to find an opportunity where so many boaters can enjoy the sand and the water at the same time!

These shots were taken while it was still cold up north but quite warm along South Florida’s western coast. This sand bar is just inside an inlet to the Gulf of Mexico. A great weekend boating adventure was had by all. It’s a run-whatever-you-have outing, as so many fine days of using the boat with family and friends turn out to be. Boats, friends, and fun-in-the-sun!

Yes it can. This is what we do most of the time. Do water sports for an hour or so and then swim for a few hours after everybody gets on the water.

I'm jealous.

That's exactly how we spend most of our summer. We have a favorite sandbar and after a quick ride to wave at the other folks and campers we head straight there.

seabuddy - giving us hints on your next boat?

Agree on the above, we spend many an hour hanging at the sandbar.

Familyman, where do you have a sandbar in your area? I looked at trip to Tennessee/Kentucky, and was under the impression that sand was pretty scarce in those lakes. Help a brother out!

Um, my answer is no.

Unless you inherited your boat and you don't drive it and don't bother to maintain it.

We end up at the 'sand bar' every week end too. Kids go tubing for less than an hour and want to go back. The area is only 2-6' deep so its great for kids, and adults to just hang out....saving on the gas doesn't hurt either.

Not really. We burn up about 2 or 3 gallons an hour running the boat. So a ½-day trip is $50 for gas in the boat and another $25 for diesel getting to the lake and then another $20 to launch plus food and drinks. All of a sudden it's a Benjamin. A weekend is clearly much more.

CB, I live in a small town about 20 minutes north of Nashville. We generally run between Cheatham Lake and Old Hickory on the Cumberland river. Most of the sand bars are technically islands (with trees and all) but some of them have sand flats on the downstream side for about three or four hundred feet. I see if I can dig up some pics. There are a few sand bars on Percy Priest lake as well. Again most folks call them islands. The most popular on Old Hickory is 2 foot island.

OK, if i don't count the moorage fee ($190/month), annual license fee ($430), and insurance ($700/year), a weekend on the water normally costs us:

Food/snacks/beverages...$30-$40
Gas..............................$50

I can't think of a hotel resort where I can swim, rest, drink, rest, eat, rest, fish, read, rest, and GW can fish, for less than a Benjamin for the weekend. And hotels don't offer the same kind of 'room service' that GW does!

$50.00 for gas? You got a hybrid?