Tis' the season to give your family a ... Malibu boat?

Malibu Boats and participating dealers nation-wide seem to think so as they celebrate Christmas 2008 with the Malibu Boats Rockin’ Christmas Event. They are giving huge factory incentives on inventoried boats and throwing in a boatload of water sports gifts, lessons and service.

For more information about saving up to $20,000 on a boat during the Rockin' Christmas Event, visit Malibu Boats.

If you aren't sure what to give the boater in your life, try giving the gift of knowledge. Boating books and magazines make the perfect gifts because they are one gift that keeps on giving - for months, and in some cases, years. Stuff their stocking with one of these boating books or magazines, and see if they don't thank you again and again:

• Coast Guard Navigation Rules

• Chapman Piloting and Seamanship - The boater's bible

• Top 5 Boating Magazines

Not quite sure if a book or magazine will put a sparkle in their eye? Subscribe to my blog and be sure to watch for next week's gift guide for boaters featuring top gadgets for avid boaters.

The Florida Sportsman Fishing & Boat Show starts this weekend in Orlando. On November 15 and 16, 2008 at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, the Florida Sportsman Fishing and Boat Show will host two days of fishing information offered by fishing pros. Boats will be displayed by local dealers and you will have the opportunity to shop the deals at participating vendors.

For more information, visit the Florida Sportsman website.

It's not too late to winterize your boat. In fact, if you thought about skipping this important aspect of boat maintenance, you may want to reconsider. Winterizing your boat each year will prolong the life of the vessel and protect your investment. Most boaters estimate it takes about a day to complete the process - much less than it might cost you in time and frustration if you neglect to do it.

So how do you winterize a boat? First, realize that winterizing a boat means more than changing the oil and adding coolant. For a complete boat winterization plan, you must focus on the exterior, interior and the drive system. To prepare the exterior, follow a gelcoat maintenance plan before storing the boat for the winter. A checklist is handy to gather the materials and to complete all of the steps of winterizing the drive system.

Here are a few articles to help you with the boat winterization process:

• How to Winterize a Boat

• Boat Winterizing Checklist

• Gelcoat Maintenance Plan

Lake Tahoe boats will be required to undergoe inspections and to be decontaminated if inspectors determine the vessels may introduce quagga or zebra mussels into the lake. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's governing board proposed the regulations in response to concern that Lake Tahoe is at risk of invasion from the mussels.

Zebra mussels are small, fingernail-sized mussels believed to have been transported to the Great Lakes via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. Since that time, they have spread rapidly to all of the Great Lakes and waterways in many states, including the Mississippi River. Most recently, they have been found in Nevada, Arizona and Southern California.

Zebra mussels are a nusiance because they reproduce quickly and cover the undersides of docks, boats, and anchors. They can grow so densely that they block pipelines, clogging water intakes of municipal water supplies and hydroelectric companies.

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a new emission control program to reduce hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide emissions from marine spark-ignition engines. Starting in 2010, all personal-watercraft and inboard and outboard marine engines must meet stricter emissions guidelines that will result in a 60 - 70 percent reduction in emissions. By 2030, the EPA estimates that hydrocarbon emissions will be reduced by 600,000 tons.

What does this mean for boaters? The EPA predicts the changes will result in higher prices for marine engines, but it may cost less to actually operate the engines. The new standards may save 190 million gallons of gasoline per year.

For more information visit the EPA website.

Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

I'm a former Coastie and for my job here at About.com, I read the Coast Guard news blog faithfully. Reading about the crew of Air Station Honolulu Barbers Point in Hawaii who lost their lives in a helicopter crash, I am deeply saddened and empathize with their family.

As mariners, let's remember the young men and women of the Coast Guard who have forfeited their lives to save others, and who will brave harsh conditions to rescue any person in danger on the high seas should we need it. And if you see a member of the Coast Guard, say a personal thank you. While I hope you will never need their assistance, if you do, they will be the first to put themselves in harm's way.

If you live in a cold climate and are planning on living aboard your vessel this winter, you will want to heed the U.S. Coast Guard warnings to winter live aboards.

While living aboard your boat during the winter is doable, and often enjoyable, the Coast Guard warns to take these precautions:

• Install a carbon monoxide detector

• Use space heaters carefully

• Be sure fire extinguishers are within easy reach

• File an emergency response plan with the marina and local agencies

If living aboard is not your cup of tea, read more about winterizing your boat.

According to Boat Trader's blog called Boat Trader Insider, boat dealers are ordering fewer 2009 model boats this year. Factors including the economic uncertainty and oil prices are causing dealers to be conservative.

I know at the beginning of this year, I reported high gas prices were keeping some boaters off the water. Throughout the summer, reports varied, but the consensus was that boaters weren't spending less time on their boats, but they were conserving gas by staying dockside or closer to home port. As we roll into winter, typically considered the best time to buy a boat, I am curious what effect the economy is having on boaters. Are you skipping the boat shows? Did you have plans to buy a boat, but are reconsidering? Are you finding it difficult to get the financing you need? Leave a comment and let us know how the economy is or isn't affecting your boating.

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