Why We Love to Boat
Tale From The Locker by Cynthia Lamb
(adapted for the web)
Why We Love to Boat
I’ll just come right out with it: I love my boat. There’s no shame in it. My boat makes me happy — genuinely, deeply happy — and it’s worth every penny my husband and I pour into it.
Whenever we get the chance, we head for the water. And every trip feels like opening a new present. Dolphins? Still thrilling. Bald eagle? I’ll point it out like it’s the first time. Roseate spoonbills, turtles, alligators? — bring them on.
I even spotted a determined little mink powering across the Hampton River recently. That tiny thing swam like it was late for work. Loved it.
Why Water Never Gets Old
We all know that being near water makes us calmer. Science backs it up. In "Blue Mind", Wallace J. Nichols explains that water can literally change our brain chemistry — lowering cortisol, boosting serotonin, and basically turning us into happier humans.
But Nichols also answers one question I’ve always wondered: Why doesn’t boating the same stretch of river ever get boring?
According to Nichols, nature gives us a peaceful backdrop… and then sprinkles in surprises. A splash where there wasn’t one before. A flash of color. A shadow. Something darting across the bank. Our brains go, “Ooh! Something new!” and suddenly we’re hooked again.
Honestly? That’s me to a T. I’m always scanning for the unexpected — shadows, new patterns — and those tiny surprises make every outing a fresh adventure.
Life Gets Busy… and We Get Cranky
Lately, life has been one long to-do list: commitments, travel, appointments. We’d only made it on the water twice since Thanksgiving — a tragic statistic by our standards.
Then came the infamous St. Simons traffic jam. Nothing destroys inner peace faster than that. But just when our moods hit rock bottom, a song came on the radio and saved us: “Buy Me a Boat” by Chris Janson.
Does Chris Janson understand the neuroscience of water-induced happiness? Probably not. Does he care? Definitely not. Does he understand that a boat is basically a shortcut to joy? Oh, he gets it.
Back on the Water
Once our calendar finally cleared, we headed back out on the river — and just like that, the world felt right again.
Life is busy. Life is stressful. But out there on the water? Life is good.
And yes — I still love my boat.