Boat Activities
Showing 70 boat activities logged during our motorhome cross-country adventures.
Rowboat in Lake at Tishimingo
Very pretty lake in Tishimingo State Park.
Lake Powell
Rent ski boat from State Line Marina near Wahweap and tour the lower portion of the lake--Lone Rock, Glen Canyon Dam, Navajo Canyon, etc. Waterski and wakeboard around Lone Rock and through Navajo Canyon.
Western Bay
Launch blow-up boat with 6 hp motor from campground and explore the waters and islands of Western Bay on the west side of Mt. Desert Island.
Paddle Boats in Spirity Lake
Paddle boating around the mountain lake in the Spirity Pond KOA
Lake Powell
Launch blow-up boat with 6 hp motor and explore Halls Creek Bay
Lake Mead
Rent ski boat from Echo Bay Marina and tour the Overton Arm, waterskiing and wakeboarding along the way.
Lagoons leading to Chesapeake
The "Scottland"
Cruise along the Chesapeake in the Bleakley's 45-foot Carver
Lake Tashmoo
Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown through Herring Creek Channel into Lake Tashmoo
Menemsha Pond
Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown along the northern shore of the island into Menemsha Pond
Cape Poge Bay
Cruise in our 20' Grady White from the marina in Edgartown through "The Gut" into Cape Poge Bay
Katama Bay and Edgartown Harbor
Cruise in our 20' Grady White from Town Launch on Edgartown Bay Road from Katama Bay out to Edgartown Harbor and the Lighthouse and then through "The Gut" into Cape Poge Bay
Wizard Island
5-hour boat tour, which includes a cruise around Crater Lake with an interpretive ranger from the National Park Service explaining its geological history, and a 3-hour drop-off on Wizard Island to explore on your own. The tour leaves twice a day (9:30 and 12:30) and costs $45 for an adult.
Lake Siskiyou
Launch boat and cruise around the perimeter of the lake, photographing and fishing
Sandy Hook Bay
25-mile cruise from Keyport to Sandy Hook Bay and back
Boulder Basin
Short evening cruise on our first night from the marina across Boulder Basin to get an unobstructed view of sunset on the colorful cliffs
Indian Canyon Cove
24-mile (RT) boat cruise to Indian Canyon Cove to spend the afternoon swimming and floating on our yellow raft
The Narrows and Sidewinder Cove
23-mile boat cruise from the marina, through the Narrows to the entrance to Virgin Basin, and back to Sidewinder Cove to camp for the night
Narrows and Cathedral Cove
19-mile boat cruise from Sidewinder Cove out through Narrows and north on Overton Arm to Cathedral Cove to spend the day swimming, floating on our yellow raft, and hiking into the slot canyon
Back to the Marina
36-mile boat cruise from Cathedral Cove back through the Narrows and Boulder Basin to the marina
Mekong River to Laos
Longtail boat ride across the Mekong River to the small island of Don Sao in Laos.
Gunsight Canyon
17-mile cruise up the lake from Stateline Boat Ramp in Page
Chuckwalla Spring
45 miles along the main channel (Colorado River) from Gunsight Canyon to Chuckwalla Springs.
Halls Creek Inlet
63 miles from Chuckwalla Springs to Halls Creek Inlet with side trips to Hole-in-the Wall and Lagorce Arch (along the Escalante Arm)
Forgotten Canyon
Cruise north on lake to Forgotten Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to the Defiance House Ruins
San Juan Arm
50 miles from Halls Creek Inlet south to a cove a few miles up the San Juan Arm
Forbidding Canyon
Cruise 8 miles south to Forbidding Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to Rainbow Natural Bridge
Stateline Boat Ramp
Cruise 48 miles back to Wahweap and take boat out at the Stateline Boat Ramp
Kuyima Eco Tours
3-hour boat ride on a 6-passenger panga (small fishing boat) to see the gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio. During our 90 minutes in the Reserve area where they hang out, we got to see dozens of whales up close, spouting, breaching, and spyhopping. Unbelievable experience. Boat tour is $50 U.S. per person and camping is $7.
Shasta Lake
Cruise along the love channels and coves of the Sacramento River, McCloud River, and Pit River arms
Gunsight Canyon
24-mile cruise up the lake from Stateline Boat Ramp in Page through the Narrows of Antelope Island to Gunsight Canyon
San Juan Arm
52 miles from Gunsight Canyon north to a cove a few miles up the San Juan Arm
Reflection Canyon and up to Register Rock
48-mile cruise, up the San Juan Arm and back, into Reflection Canyon, and north on the main channel to Register Rock
Halls Creek Inlet
48 miles from Register Rock to Halls Creek Bay
Forgotten Canyon
Cruise north on lake to Forgotten Canyon, at the end of which is the trail to the Defiance House Ruins
North Seymour Island landing
Panga ride to a beach on North Seymour Island
Genovesa (Tower) Island
Panga ride to a beach on Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island
Puerto Egas
After breakfast, we hopped aboard the pangas for a wet landing on Puerto Egas where there was a lovely sand lava beach.
Playa Espumilla
A golden sandy beach where every year female sea turtles come in early March to nest.
Buccaneer Cove
Our last activity of the day was a panga ride along the steep cliffs near Buccaneer Cove, with dolphins accompanying us much of the way. Buccaneer Cove was a haven for pirates and whalers in the 17th and 18th century, as a source of freshwater, wood, and tortoises.
The volcanic cliffs were beautiful, with layers of eroded tuff volcanic rocks forming amazing shapes. They were a stunning red in the late afternoon light.
Punta Vicente Roca
Panga ride exploring Punta Vicente Roca, a marine-only visitor site (no landings permitted). The scenery around the Point was stunning - spectacular cliffs formed out of tuff (volcanic ash) from the remains of two ancient volcanoes.
We continued into a sea cave, whose purple and yellow walls flickered like flames in the morning light. It was surreal.
After cruising back out of the cave, we continued along the cliff walls mesmerized by the early morning activity of a very interesting and diverse group of wildlife - marine iguanas clinging to the vertical walls as if they had suction cups on their feet, a flightless cormorant plucking a large piece of seaweed from the surf, and valiantly hopping (because he can’t fly) 20 feet up a rocky cliff to build a nest, a Galapagos penguin peering out to sea
Fernandina- Punta Espinosa
Dry landing on a high tide only dock
Tagus Cove
Panga ride to a dry landing on Tagus Cove to hike to Darwin Lake
Elizabeth Bay
Panga ride to Elizabeth Bay, a mangrove inlet with lots of green sea turtles and stingrays. There are no landing sites here, so we stayed in the pangas, exploring a beautiful secluded cove, lined with large red mangrove trees.
Urbana Bay
Panga ride to a wet landing in Urbina Bay to hopefully see Galapagos Giant Tortoises.
Point Moreno
Later that afternoon, we went for a panga ride to Punta Moreno and entered a grove of mangroves, where we saw Cow-Nosed rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, pelicans, blue herons, penguins, and flightless cormorants
Punta Cormorant
We began our day with an early morning wet landing on Punta Cormorant, a beautiful olivine green beach on the north side of Floreana Island.
Post Office Bay
After lunch and a brief siesta, we went back out in the pangas for a wet landing at Post Office Bay, the closest thing to civilization we had seen in over a week. It’s one of the most historically famous island locations in the archipelago. Its origin dates back to 1793, when whalers began the practice of leaving mail in a barrel for homeward-bound ships to collect and deliver.
Mirador de la Baronesa (Baroness’s Lookout)
We took a panga cruise to an area called the Mirador de la Baronesa (Baroness’s Lookout), a rocky shoreline, where there is a sea lion colony.
Puerto Ayora
Bright and early (as usual) we got on the pangas and cruised over to Puerto Ayora, an actual city with people in it, on Santa Cruz Island.
Punta Suarez
We started our day with a 6:00 a.m. dry landing on Punta Suarez, on the western tip of Española, where we were greeted by sea lions
Gardner Bay
Wet landing on a lovely crescent beach with a Sea Lion colony
Punta Pitt
We began our day with an early morning wet landing on Punta Pitt, a volcanic tuff formation that serves as a nesting site for many sea birds - all three types of boobies, both types of frigatebirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and storm petrels.
Cerro Brujo
Panga ride to Cerro Brujo, a beautiful white coral sand beach and lagoon, with stunning views of Kicker Rock, one of the Galapagos’s most iconic landmarks. Afterwards we cruised through Cueva del Brujo, an arch through which there is a great view of Kicker Rock and then into an inlet that ended with cliffs hundreds of feet high surrounding us on three sides.
.
Mosquera Island
Wet landing on a long, narrow sand spit with a large population of sea lions, plus some marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoots.
Lee's Ferry to Hot Na Na Wash
The first 17 miles of our 226-mile journey. The first 62 miles from Lee's Ferry are actually in Marble Canyon rather than the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Badger Creek (7) and Soap Creek (5)
Hot Na Na to Buck Farm Canyon
24 more miles downriver through Marble Canyon. Rapids run today: House Rock (8), the Roaring Twenties (a series of rapids every mile from ratings of 6 to 8), and Georgie (8)
Buck Farm Canyon to Nankoweap Canyon
Just a short 12-mile day continuing downriver through Marble Canyon. Rapids run today: President Harding Rapid (4)
Nankoweap Canyon to Carbon Canyon
Another short day on the river covering only 12 miles, but with a long, wonderful stop at the Little Colorado River. Herb and I paddled in the paddle boat today. Rapids run today: Kwagunt (a 6)
Carbon Creek to just shy of Zoroaster Rapid
21-mile day continuing downriver through what was not the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Hance (10), Sockdolager (8), and Grapevine (8)
Zoroaster Rapid to just past Hermit Rapid
Short 11-mile day (stopping for the "exchange" at Phantom Ranch), continuing through the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Horn Creek (a Grand Canyon 9), Granite (a 9+) and Hermit (another 9).
Hermit Rapid to Mile 119 Rapid
25-mile day, continuing through the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon. Rapids run today: Crystal (10), Agate (3), Sapphire (7), Turquoise (6), Emerald (5), Ruby (6), and Serpentine (7). and Waltenberg (8)
Mile 119 Rapid to Thunder River Camp
15-mile run down the river with a wonderful stop at Blacktail Canyon for a musical concert from our group. Rapids run today: Bedrock (8) and Deubendorff Rapid (9)
Thunder River Camp to Olo Camp
12 miles with a lovely stop to hike up Deer Creek to the Deer Creek Waterfalls. No major rapids run today
Olo Canyon to Tuckup Canyon
A short 9-mile day on the river day with a long stop at Havasu Creek, to swim and frolic in its blue-green waters. Rapids run today: Upset Rapid (8)
Tucker Camp to Mile 190 Camp
A longer 25-mile day on the river. Rapids run today: Lava Falls (10)
Mile 190 Camp to Mile 216 Camp
Another 25-mile day on the river bringing us within 10 miles of our pull-out at Diamond Creek. Rapids run today: 205 Mile Rapid (a 7) and 209 Mile Rapid (another 7)
Mile 216 Camp to Diamond Creek
Last 10 miles to get to Diamond Creek, our take-out point. Rapids run today: Mile 217 rapid (6)
Cruise Milford "Boutique" Small Boat Cruise
We chose this cruise because they limit the number of passengers on it to make for a less crowded and intimate experience. There were only 40 passengers on our cruise.
The hour and 45 minute cruise took us up along the western shoreline first, providing us close-up views of the very impressive Mitre Peak. It then proceeded up the entire length of the Sound to the mouth, where it opens into the Tasman Sea. From there, we turned around and went along the eastern shoreline. A true highlight of the cruise was our up close encounter with Stirling Falls, which plunges 495 feet down a steep cliff face. The falls cascade from a "hanging valley," which is a valley carved by glaciers that ends abruptly high on a mountainside, creating a dramatic effect.
Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tours
An hour-long morning boat cruise from Hahei Beach into the heart of the Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve. Highlights included cruising along the 9 miles of volcanic coastline as well as out to several islands, and entering the Orua Sea Cave, the second largest sea cave in New Zealand, where we gazed up at the blowhole 80 feet above us. Along the way, our knowledgeable captain gave us a history of the significance of these waters to the Ngāti Hei people.
