Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Join us at the Cottage Life Show

Nothing says Spring like the Cottage Life Show.  This show like, no other, allows show goers to be surrounded with exhibits that exude the best that summer in cottage country has to offer. From furnature to food, cottages to boats there are products of all shapes, sizes and price points.


Along with the unique and exciting products on display there are also a number of features and events including seminars, cooking demonstrations and hands on instruction. Don't forget to visit the following feature areas at the show:Cottage Life Main Stage,Cottage Kitchen,RE/MAX Dock Party,Cottage Workshop,Family Activity Centre,Cottage Wildlife Centre,Tree Planting Zone,The Cottage Real Estate Centre,Cottage Life Television.


Most of all....you should come and visit the crew at Buckeye Marine to see what's in store for 2012! We have some great incentives on all of our runabouts, personal watercraft and pontoon boats on display. Remember that with each boat purchase at the show you will be given a chance to win a flat screen TV and a gift certificate to the Keg as well as some awesome boating incentives including: a one year membership to Boater Assist, double rewards points on your Buckeye Family Advantage Card and show only savings. We will also have the great insurance experts from Beyond Boat Insurance on site to answer your marine insurance questions. Ask them about special incentives for Buckeye customers. 


So join us this weekend at the Cottage Life Show. For directions and hours click here 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Cruising the High Seas


You’ve heard it said that there is nothing like cruising the high seas and it certainly is the experience of a lifetime. Multiple destinations, non-stop entertainment and top notch food and service. The best part though…a boat big enough to hold 3000 people, swimming pools, a running track, bars, restaurants, casinos and a theatre. A floating resort taking you to tropical locations of your choosing. Now, that’s living!

Life on the water is like nothing else in the world. Whether on a cruise ship or a little boat there is something exciting, yet tranquil about exploring new destinations by water. Here are some pictures to “wet your whistle” from a recent cruise. Hopefully these boating pictures will help tie all of our boating buds over until the ice is out!











Please share your boating vacation pictures with us here.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Boating on March Break


It's that time of the school year again when most school aged kids in Ontario are enjoying a mid-season hiatus from the books. Many of us endearingly call this “March Break”. As well, many post secondary institutions, both in Canada and in the US either have recently, or are currently experiencing “spring break” or “reading week”. For many people this much deserved break means vacation!

While vacationing is enjoyed in a number of different ways for most people the idealized view of “vacation” is somewhere hot and sunny. And as boaters when we hear “hot and sunny” that means boating and all the sports that go with it.

Whether it be a vacation to a Caribbean all inclusive, visiting snowbirds in Florida or escaping on a tropical cruise boating, kayaking, scuba driving, fishing, wakeboarding and more exciting on-water activities are often available and many times are a way of life for natives.   There is no question that experiencing boating in another place is always exciting! It is always an exciting adventure to see new on-water sites, and often in tropical destinations the water and all of its activities and functions are engrained in their way of life. One thing is for sure though, no matter what the location there is so much more to discover when you can get off the dock.

Exploring on the water when you are on a cruise, enjoying a guided excursion or at an all-inclusive resort is great fun, easy and an exciting way to get your fill of on-water activities. For many people who are spending an extended time in the warm and sunny whether they may choose to rent or even trailer their own boat to their destination. This is a great way to escape and enjoy the less touristy locations. While this is a great adventure it is important to remember that boating in salt-water-is much different than fresh water.

If you are planning on taking your boat south a few things that you will want to keep in mind include: tides & currents, charting and navigation and maintenance. Salt-water is much harder on boats than fresh-water is. We strongly suggest that before you head out you check with our service department and ask them what you need to do to ensure that you boat stays in the best condition possible. We also recommend that you get the name of a reputable dealer in the area of your destination. Because of Buckeye’s industry involvement we are typically able to recommend a dealer in the area you plan on staying that will take good care of your needs and give you the level of service you are accustomed to.

So whether your March break takes you to a golf coast beach, an all-inclusive retreat or cruising the high seas we hope you enjoy the water and send us picture of your experience.



Monday, March 5, 2012

Winter Surfing


Surfs Up! It might be winter but that doesn’t mean that the summer fun has to stop! This post is dedicated to making your off season as bearable as possible by giving you lots of cool resources that you can check out while the lakes are frozen.

DiscoverBoating.ca – Welcome to the Water! While this website has a strong focus on explaining the boating experience to non-boaters it also has a number of great resources for current boaters.  Some highlights include: boating with pets, a marinas and ramps database, green boating tips, a boaters marketplace and more.

SmartBoater.ca – This is a site explains marine safety in plain English. Some of the items that you can grab off this site include: what items you need on your boat, safety boating tips, info on navigation and more.

BoatingSidekicks.com – A great site for kids, this tool lets kids play games and interact with the computer in order to learn about boating safety.  Resources on this site include: colouring pages, puzzles, crosswords, interactive games, downloadable board games and more.

PortsBooks.com – If you have had the chance to peruse a Ports Book before you will understand why this is a great site to visit if you are planning a boat trip. This site shows you online versions of all the recent Ports Books and lets you read through ideas of anchorages, marinas, stores and restaurants along your route.

BoatingWithDawsons.com – This website is a great learning tool for all boaters. Not only can you sign up to receive their informative e-newsletters if you wish, you can also sign up for e-lessons, download e-books and more all on this site.

WaterwaysOntario.com – If you are looking for things to do and places to go on the water in Ontario, this is a great site to help you. You never know what cool things are in your own backyard until you check out sites such as this one.

GoRideOntario.com – This website, powered by Tourism Ontario, helps you to find places to travel, where you can moor, activities and can partake in as well as places where you might rent a boat if you are travelling outside of you part of the province.

SBCWakeboard.com – For all the boarders out there this online version of SBC Wake keeps you up to date on the latest news in the board sports community.

GoFishInOntario.com – produced by Travel Ontario, this government funded site helps people find places to fish, check out local tournaments, show off their catch and scoop some professional fishing tips!

OntarioUnderwaterCouncil.com – this site is the home of “Dive Ontario” a section dedicated to maps of dive sites,  scuba communities,  as well as safety tips, recent news and more.

This is just a sampling of all the many boating sites that are out there…and of course you can always check-out BuckeyeMarine.com. We have a Tips & Tricks section that includes: boating books, more links and much more.

We also recommend that you join the conversations happening on facebook. Become a fan today of Buckeye Marine, Discover Boating Canada, Mastercraft, Chaparral, Regal, Starcraft, Yamaha and Mercury.

If you have a favourite boating resource feel free to share it here.