The new layout looks great! I love it!

That is a cool kayak, Don! I would be scared of losing my balance if I caught a big fish! :)

If you guys missed this in the podcast- you have to check out this story! The pictures are great! Let me know what you guys think!

One of the largest liquefied natural gas tankers in the world- now travels in style! Along with our website, The Dream Tanker, has had a makeover. Comedian-turned painter Jimmy Onishi and 40 elementary school students have designed monster-sized psychedelic murals for the ship's spherical tanks. The total area covered by the murals is large enough to cover 100 buses. Talk about getting noticed!

Osaka Gas decided to decorate the tanker with graphics in celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary. The company asked Kansai-area elementary school students to draw pictures, which Jimmy Onishi then incorporated into his giant images of a fish, crab, shrimp and turtle.

Jimmy and the kids didn't have to climb on this 950 foot boat to paint it- Sumitomo 3M Limited used computers to process the images and printed them onto a special adhesive film, which was attached to the tanks.

The total surface area of the images amounts to about one acre! Sumitomo 3M submitted an application to the Guinness Book of World Records to officially establish the work as the world’s largest graphic design on a mode of transportation.

For more images, visit the the official dream tanker website at www.dreamtanker.net or GCaptain's Daily Blog on Ships

www.gcaptain.com

-Alicia

Oh, well, you should read Julie's book on how to be a yacht stewardess or steward. Could be your new career!

Thanks for all of your input, everybody! Did you all like the video? We were making it when I posted this. I hope we portrayed in the video the different meanings of boating!

-Alicia TheBoaters.TV

Your loan application to purchase my dreamboat, Ken? I am sure they'd find you a crew if you got that boat!

Don, thanks- we could always use your expertise here on TheBoaters! Welcome aboard!

-Alicia TheBoaters.TV

Captains' Tim and Andrea Ness....in case you missed it in the podcast....

And finally today, it's time to reveal Alicia's TheBoaters.com Sealebrity Profile Pick of the Day, which IS:

Captains' Tim and Andrea Ness and their 27 foot 2001 Doral 270 SC "Sparty Time."

Tim and Andrea have beautiful pictures- here's one of the couple scuba diving in The Wreak of the India http://theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9742

What a gorgeous view! http://theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9743

Check out "Sparty Time" in the clear waters http://theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9744

Tim and Andrea have great pictures and have mapped plenty of places! Congrats on your Sealebrity status!

-Alicia & TheBoaters.TV

In case you missed it....congrats!!! :)

Captain Peter B. and his 32-foot 1998 3000 SCR, Maxum "Beaver Fever." http://www.theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9468

Pete and his wife Michelle enjoy summers on their boat http://www.theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9485

So does Carmyn- their puppy! http://www.theboaters.com/boats/photo?photoId=9479

Captain Peter has plenty of pictures and has mapped eight places. Well done, Pete!

-Alicia

It's Boat Show season and I'm sure some of you have attended Boat Shows already! If you haven't, here at TheBoaters we have a few tips for you! It's boat show mania - and how to manage it...

Boat shows are popping up left and right!

It's easy to get swept up in the glitz and glamor of a big boat show! And if you are ready to buy, a boat show is a good opportunity to find what you're looking for. Boating writer Janet Groene has some ideas for Making the Most of the Boat Show Experience. First, remember to do your homework! List the must-haves you are looking for in a boat. Such as maximum height, width depth....How many bunks you need and how much weight your vehicle can tow. Know where you'll keep the boat- the garage, a dock? Decide what is gonna work for you. Get to the show early, bring the family, eat hot dogs and have fun! Listen to sales spiels, claims, exaggerations and boasts but don't decide yet...Sleep on it.
Then on the last day when sales people are ready to get serious, go to the show without the kids to do bare-knuckle dealing. If the sales people don't reel you in on a good deal for a new boat- consider buying a floor model- nobody wants to truck floor models home, so they're usually a great buy on the last day of a show. However, you're wrangling not just for the best price, but for the best warranty, extra equipment, trade-in, free delivery ...and pretty much all you can get. Sales-persons might also offer a better loan deal than you can get at your bank or credit union. And remember: Buying the boat is just the beginning. Shop Boat Show Specials too for as much gear as you can afford! For upcoming boat show dates be sure to visit our homepage at www.TheBoaters.com

To see the video check out TheBoaters.TV! -Alicia

I covered a story on a new 2008 boat design- it has won my heart for a new dreamboat! :) What do you guys think of the RAM Wing 100 Yacht? To see video of it, check out the Boaters.TV

It's 2008 and we can expect plenty of new boat designs. Here at TheBoaters we found one that really takes your breathe away.

Check it out....is it a catamaran or a monohull or both?! This RAM Wing 100 yacht by Levi Designs is both! The vessel's highly original hull geometry is called a reverse tri-cycle. However, this thing looks nothing the "tri-cycle" we're familiar with!

This giant 328-foot boat will have a submarine, twin hellipads, a motorcycle/car garage and swimming pool onboard. The most remarkable aspect of this design concept is its tremendous speed- 100 knots with a range of 2000 nautical miles. How is that possible? Well this boat flys! The boat skims the waves because of the lift from its catamaran bow and that is how the boat gets its speed.

Levi is not new to designing fast boats- he has designed the Virgin Atlantic Challenger II for Richard Branson. Is this yacht for Branson too?

The yacht is featured in the latest issue of Boat International magazine, which publish design trends for the year to come at the end of the running year.

Check out www.bornrich.org for more information on the RAM Wing 100 yacht.

Happy Monday! -Alicia

Hey everyone! Be sure to check out our new video! It's an ode to our 9,000 plus users that have been so great to us over the past year! Your picture might be featured in the video....

-Alicia and TheBoaters.TV staff

Thanks for the input! Perky and sassy hosts- nice! :) Lookout for a new video we're working on here at TheBoaters.TV!

Welcome and Happy New Year, James! Thanks for offering your help! :)

Baby boat seats....any boaters out there have one for your kids? It was a novel concept to us at TheBoaters.TV. Let me know what you think about the story!

Here at TheBoaters we were surfing the internet and came across the "Power and Motoryacht Blog" about Baby Boat Seats. We agree with the author of the blog, Captain Patrick Sciacca, that the baby boat seat may be the newest safety hit at sea.

Finding more information on this baby boat seat was easy- www.babyboatseat.com takes you right to the manufacturer's site. Kraken, a company based in Sweden, makes the baby boat seat. According to the site, "with “Kraken” your child will sit safe and comfortable during the entire journey while you can relax and devote more time to boating rather than babysitting."

The baby seat has several different holdings making it easy to place around the boat so you can move the chair as you move around the boat. It also fits a variety of boat sizes and can withstand years of wear.

So far it looks like I have to give props to "Kraken" for being the first to come out with the baby boat seat. This should make many boating moms and dads out there happy.

For more information on baby boat seats visit www.babyboatseat.com and be sure to check out Captain Patrick's blog on www.pmyeditors.blogspot.com

-Alicia

Happy 2008 to all you boaters out there! In Monday's podcast I revealed some boating resolutions from www.BoatUs.com. In case you missed it....here they are!

1. Take a boating safety course.
2. If you trailer your boat, get to know your state's trailering laws.
3. Lend a hand to your fellow boater by sharing your knowledge in the forums at BoatUS.com or come by our forums at TheBoaters.com.
4. If you live in the hurricane belt make sure you plan for your boat.
5. Be sure to brush up on your waterway rules of the road.
6. If you are a female boater or angler, consider attending a women-only boating, sailing or fishing seminar in 2008.
7. Learn the key legal differences between on-the-water towing services and salvage operations- it could save you a lot of aggravation and money!
8. Register your Digital Selective Calling VHF radio- this could really help rescuers pinpoint your location.
9. Get informed about how you can help stop the spread of invasive species.
10. Make sure you sign up for the free Boat US National Recall Alert Registry.
11. Yeah, this one is mine, be sure to spruce up your profile on TheBoaters.com so you can be a Sealebrity pick of the day in 2008! On a sidenote- we will also be choosing Sealebrity profile pick based on forum postings/discussions about boating. Talk it up and I might be talking about you! :) Anyone have any good boating New Year resolutions?

Hey everybody! I hope you all had a nice holiday!
I am working on a little project here at TheBoaters.TV and I could use some boating input here! I am looking for different opinions to capture "the essence of boating." I am going to toss up some questions for ya-

Why do you have a boat? What do you like about fishing? Fill me in on why you like to sail, go boating, jet-skiing etc... Why do you like being a member of TheBoaters?
What does TheBoaters.com bring to you that myspace doesn't?

I thought it would be nice if you all could share your thoughts with me. It would help me get a better perspective when I write this script I am working on. Thank you and I look forward to your postings! :)

-Alicia

That is an amazing picture! I think I would freak out if I was on that boat when it was dropping into the ocean! That's always been my boating fear- sinking!

Ken, you don't need chat rooms- these forums seem to do the job! I got the 411 on the chat rooms and they will be here in two months. :) I hope everyone here at TheBoaters had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year to you all!

-Alicia & TheBoaters Staff

Actually, my story isn't so different. I had a similar run-in as Julie described except my guy lost more than his eyesight!

Thanks!!!!!!!! :)

[IMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/alicia2121/friday8ik.gif[/IMG]

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a fun weekend!!!!!!

-Alicia

Gordon Bowker (opened the first Starbucks) like the name "Pequod" the ship in the novel. His creative partner Terry Heckler responded, "No one's going to drink a cup of Pee-quod!" Heckler suggested "Starbo." Brainstorming with these two ideas resulted in the company being named for the Pequod's first mate, Starbuck.[20]

This information is from Wikipedia! Hope that clears up any confusion!

-Alicia

Jason, You discovered our secret! We are both mermaids! When we aren't working we are busy saving lives of drowning boaters! :)

-Alicia

Thanks for posting my headshot! Also a rule in headshots is NO jewelry :) I thought the Starbucks trivia was interesting, Ken!

Wow you guys were having way too much fun with this discussion! I'm working with the boaters now to help Julie with TheBoaters.TV This week I will be anchoring segments so you can look out for that. My background is media and acting. I have worked and interned at news stations, hence, where the demo reel is from. Happy Monday everyone! :)

Hey guys! Has anyone ever noticed that there's a mermaid in the Starbucks coffee logo?

Starbucks mermaid symbol represents nautical implications in the name of the franchise, drawn from the famous Starbuck character in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

Just thought I would share that interesting fact we found here at TBTV! I drink Starbucks often and never paid attention to the logo! :)

Have a good weekend and be sure to watch Monday's podcast! It's the first podcast I contributed to!

-Alicia

I would have to vote on Margaritaville as my favorite! I am sure that makes a lot of people's favorite Jimmy Buffet song list!

-Alicia

Jason, I am going to be anchoring some shows and writing!
Happy Friday! -Alicia

Be sure to post pics of Ranger all decorated up! Ya never know...I may have to feature them on an episode of TBTV! :)

-Alicia

Hey Brett! I like the name "Outsourced" goes along the idea of naming it after your job, but not really, ya know? :)

Hi everybody! I'm Alicia, the latest addition to The Boaters TV! I am going to be helping Julie out with TBTV. I have been boating for ten years and would love to own a boat of my own one day. I have a background in media and acting. You can learn more about me on my profile- feel free to add me as a friend! If you guys have any ideas for Boaters TV shoot me a message. I'm new on here so come talk to me! :)