3 Boat Buying Tips for Successful Entertaining Aboard
In the U.S., “entertaining” ranks second on most owners’ list of reasons for having a boat. Reason #1 is usually the primary mission of the boat: fishing, skiing, cruising, or whatever. In some countries, however, entertaining is the primary mission of the vessel. Italy is a prime example of a country where boat owners typically rank entertaining as the boat’s #1 mission. Whether your boat’s primary or secondary mission is entertaining, chances are that at some point in its life it will be called upon to be an entertainment platform. But many boats are not designed for entertaining. How can you tell the difference? Here are 3 things you should look for...
Successful entertaining does not just happen -- it takes planning and forethought. Here are three important tips. |
Entertaining Aboard
A boat can be a wonderful entertainment platform. Even the smallest boat can become a fantastic gathering spot for an afternoon of fun and sun, and people who would not take time to visit your home will often jump at the chance to visit aboard your boat. You are only limited by the available space and your imagination.
The Larson in its Cabrio 330DC has turned what is normally a "V"-berth into a cozy dining area for two couples (or, even better, one couple) because this boat is used primarily for entertaining during the day and early evening. Note the wine chiller at left. |
When entertaining aboard your boat, don't be self-conscious about the size of your vessel or your accommodations. It is the ambiance and hospitality that counts, the magical quality of being afloat on the water will take care of the rest.
Size of Entertaining Area
Bigger is not necessarily better. Stay open to the size of the boat that will work for all your needs, which includes the boat’s primary mission. As you read further, you will develop a size range from the smallest boat that could fill all of your firm entertainment requirements to the largest boat that you will be able to handle, practically and financially, the size above which you should not be tempted to even look, no matter how great the 'deal.'
Your friends can be successfully entertained on everything from a sportboat to a megayacht, but no matter what size boat you decide to buy, if you want to use it for entertaining you will need a few basics—
On this flying bridge there is plenty of seating plus a side table large enough for a great selection of finger food. |
#1 Plenty of Comfortable Seating
First is comfortable seating. And that means comfortable for both men and women. For example, some men think that socializing in the cockpit of a convertible or sedan is natural since there is seating all around on the gunwale. But while that might be fine for men, women, particularly those in dresses, won't feel comfortable there. Purpose-built small boats, such as a bass boat, often only have a couple of seats and are not designed for entertaining.
From 1954 to '75 Aristotle Onassis's yacht Christina popularized the concept of entertaining on a yacht. |
Another example is the center console. In the beginning, these boats were designed strictly for fishing and many have only a leaning post behind the helm and nothing else but the gunwale to sit on. However, more recently, center console builders have been putting in “U”-shaped seating in the bow with an optional table and a dodger. This turns the fishing machine into a fishing machine that can also do some entertaining.
Aft decks are a great place for al fresco dining and evening cocktails. Do you have enough seating there for your guests? |
Ask yourself how many people you will usually want to entertain. Just one other couple, or perhaps groups of six to ten? If it is ten, then you should figure out before you buy where everyone is going to be able to sit. For example, some larger boats have places to sit on the foredeck, but that is not a particularly good place to be if the boat is moving.
Flying bridges on large boats often seat six or more people but will everyone want to go up there? In your climate, will everyone want to be outside or inside? Our experience is that men usually like congregating on the flying bridge, while women prefer the cabin or the cockpit if there are seats there.
The bridge seating on this Sea Ray 580 Sundancer can be adjusted to match the occasion and focus of attention -- slide the seats facing forward, aft or off to the side, or separate them for dinner. |
#2 Be Prepared For Weather
Second, make sure that your boat is prepared for a broad range of weather conditions. If it is likely to be windy, make sure you have a dodger or windbreak of some sort, if not a cabin. While no one likes to go boating in the rain, occasionally a summer shower will come through. Does your new boat have provision for keeping everyone dry? On a small boat a Bimini, a large dodger, and some cruising canvas can work quite well and eliminate any angst for you and your guests.
The 45' Doral Alegria has a standard hardtop covering the bridge deck and part of the cockpit. The addition of cruising canvas will button up this social setting for almost any weather. |
Discover if the boat is wet or dry in breezy conditions. It is no fun being in the cockpit of boats at a mooring with the wind blowing 15 to 18 knots and been covered with spray because of the design of the bow. If it is blowing that hard and there is nothing to get behind, then it can be chilly and uncomfortable.
Safe sun is important. If you are planning on having guests aboard, be sure that there is shade available. For many people, avoiding direct sunlight is an absolute necessity for health and safety reasons and no amount of SPF50 sunscreen will do.
Enjoy the best of both worlds with this Premier 250 Intrigue with cruising canvas. Many pontoon boats come with optional fully-enclosing tops and isinglass. |
#3 Entertaining Accessories
Third, make sure your new boat has the accessories necessary for proper entertaining. Some boat builders have given the subject of entertaining some thought and have designed-in cup holders, stereo systems, either reefers or places for your ice chest and maybe even a sink in a wet bar arrangement. Other builders, particularly ones with purpose-built boats such as fishing boats or ski boats, have sometimes given the subject of entertaining very little thought.
An unusual entertaining accessory can be seen on this Four Winns V435 bow. Note that the loungers have raised backs and the sun shade makes this boat better than being on the beach. Guests will love it. |
If you want to entertain, you must mentally “dry run” your party to make sure the boat works for you. For example, is there a table or some sort of side board for your food? In smaller boats, don't be too proud to use what is at hand to make a small serving table, but be sure the boat has provision for something before you buy. Otherwise you may find yourself having to improvise something that is less than handy or practical.
Many people like to grill up a meal when having friends aboard. There is nothing easier to cook on, or easier to clean after you have cooked on it, than a bottled gas grill. Is one built into your boat? If not, can you add one as an option, but is there a place for a portable grill? Is there a handy place to store the portable grill? When grilling, will the greasy smoke go up to an overhead or an overhang, or is the grill out in the open?
While this teak beach is on a Ferretti 830, more and more smaller boats are building in variations on this theme and they make a great entertaining venue in the process. |
Ice is a very important commodity on a boat. Small boats don’t usually have icemakers, and the small ice trays in a little U-Line reefer won’t go very far. When entertaining a crowd, you’d better have a place for an ice chest just for ice, and a place for a cooler with your beverages that is also full of ice.
In larger boats, perhaps two icemakers are in order, depending on the layout of the boat.
Boating Italian Style
The thing that most Italians like doing on boats more than anything else is entertaining. No matter what kind of boat they have, how large or how small, they use their boats primarily for entertaining. Typically, their boats there are Med moored so the orientation of the whole boat is toward the stern and toward entertaining comfortably. They like to see the people strolling along the quay and they like to be seen, as well.
The Ferretti Altura 840 shows the builder's latest thinking in bow design, creating an ideal venue for a cocktail party, sunbathing, sightseeing, or al fresco dining. Watch for this concept to creep down into smaller boats. |
For this reason, the aft deck or the cockpit of an Italian boat receives a lot of attention from the designer and builder. Generally these areas on Italian boats are set up more for entertaining than for any other purpose. Even on larger Italian designs, the interiors are designed more for day trips than for overnight cruising or sleepovers.
Some builders of American express cruisers have picked up on this theme and are creating two venues for entertaining – one on deck and one below. In this way, no matter what the weather there is an appropriate place on the boat for entertaining four to eight people, or more, depending on the size of the vessel.
Those are the three basics you will need on any boat for happy entertaining; they just get more elaborate and complex as you go up in size. Remember, when entertaining -- it is the good camaraderie that counts.
As we said, the Italians know how to build a boat for entertaining. This is the Sessa C 44 and it would be hard to top this style and class in any size yacht. |
A Caveat
It is not cool to be boozing while underway. Just as when ashore, if you are planning on drinking alcohol and then returning by water to your marina make sure you have a designated, experienced boat driver available who has not been drinking alcohol. If you are the only one qualified to drive the boat and you plan to drink, then hire a dedicated driver, or party in your slip in the marina. Boating accident statistics prove that alcohol is involved in a high percent of boating accidents. Moreover, local prosecutors and judges are cracking down hard on DUI boaters these days.