Holding a special event at the end of boating season is a great way to put a punctuation mark on the year’s fun.

Although no one like to see their boating season come to an end, it’s less painful if there a memorable ritual that ends the season with a bang rather than a whimper. Here are some good ways to end your boating season on a high note.

Hold a Halloween Party Raft-up

Because Halloween happens on October 31 every year, this coincides with the time most people are putting their boats away for the year up north. What better way to sign off the boating season than with an on-the-water nautical-themed costume party. Scheduling it on the weekend before Halloween might be preferable to avoid conflicts on the actual holiday or with work. 

Take a Leaf-Peeping Regatta

In many parts of the country, the boating season ends when the leaves are changing colors. A great send-off would be to invite your boating friends to go on a leaf-peeping regatta. Because you’ll be going slowly to savor the beautiful colors it is conducive to socializing and indulging in some great food and creative fall beverages. If your home lake isn’t particularly scenic, schedule it at a nearby leaf spotting venue.

Go On One Last Overnight Camping Trip

Boat camping in the fall can be the season’s best because the hordes of people are gone as are the bugs. If it is available in your area, primitive boat camping adds to the alure but requires a bit more planning since your basic needs must be accounted for.

Have a Hawaiian Luau Beach Party Blowout

If there is a suitable beach in your area, set up camp and roast a whole pig, Hawaiian style. If this isn’t feasible, bring along pulled pork and ribs from your favorite BBQ joint and add Polynesian side dishes to complete the menu. Dressing in South Pacific attire adds to the festivity and the irony of holding it when summer is over.

Hold A Winterization Party

If your boating crowd does their own winterization, doing it together makes it more of a party than a chore. By winterizing as a group, the more experienced boaters can help new boaters accomplish this important step to getting your boat ready for hibernation. You might be able to hire someone who is skilled at shrink-wrapping boats to give you a group rate.

Invent a Family Tradition That’s All Your Own

Bring along seasonally-appropriate food and drinks, head out on the water and take turns telling about your favorite moments during the preceding boat season. Then to help everyone look forward to the upcoming boating season, talk about things you’d like to do next year and places you’d like to go. During the off-season, spend time researching the new bucket list items and the downtime will pass more quickly.

Ending the boating season on a high note will add to the memories you’ve accumulated during the year and takes some of the sting out of parking your boat for the winter.