A romantic picnic aboard, on the water is just the thing to help you celebrate your love this Valentine’s Day. It’s fun, adventurous and gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your date. All you have to do is pick your perfect anchoring spot, rock up with a picnic basket filled with your favourite goodies, bring a stylish , an outdoor love rug and settle in for a sensational sunset.
We have compiled the following ideas and boating tips to help you create the perfect romantic boating picnic.
Plan your route
Are you staying on the water all day, berthing at any marinas, heading to a popular anchorage or sidling up to some sandbanks? The course you set for your trip should inform what you plan to bring aboard. Storing food takes up space, so be sure to prioritise what you must bring from the start versus what you can pick up along the way. Take into consideration what you can prep beforehand, such as marinating or pre-slicing fruits and vegetables. Storing food with cooler packs makes it easy for transporting, and many boats have refrigeration and pantry storage for longer trips. Be sure to also pre-pack any basics you will need to dine aboard (galley-safe drinkware, cutlery, salt and pepper etc.). And don’t forget the rubbish bags for after the meal.
Afternoon Picnic
Make plans to take a day off work when you know that your partner will be able to take the afternoon off. The idea is to not let him or her know what you are up to. Picnic food ideas for this lunch might be a loaf of crusty bread, fresh butter, a sharp cheddar cheese and a soft brie, strawberries, a container of whipped cream, and a bottle of wine.
Pack everything into an esky, including cloth napkins, cutlery and two wine glasses. If you plan to go ashore bring a blanket or towel to sit on. Head for the nearest bay, anchor up and unpack the delicious picnic surprise. Go for swim before heading back.
Fishing Picnic
Enjoy for a few hours of quiet time on the water. Easy picnic ideas include an old-time favourite cold fried or baked chicken and potato salad. To keep the food from spoiling, pack a cooler with lots of ice and make sure the chicken and potato salad are cold when you put them in the cooler. Preparing the food the day before and refrigerating over night ensures the cold temperature. Take along a bunch of grapes and chocolate brownies for an afternoon snack. Bottled water or soda kept cold in the cooler keeps you both hydrated. Take wipes for cleaning hands before and after eating. The sound of the waves lapping the boat, the taste of cold chicken and potato salad is a treat that will likely not be repeated often.
Sunset Evening Picnic
Extend your afternoon picnic into a picnic under the stars and the stage is set. Start with a prawn pasta salad. Prepare individual servings in plastic containers with lids. Mix honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon balls in another container. Refrigerate each item until it is time to headout. Slip two soft, yeasty buttered dinner rolls into a plastic bag. Place the picnic food along with a bottle of your favorite wine into a cooler bag or esky. Grab your love rug so that you can both lie on the deck, on the beach or cuddle under while gazing up at the stars. Take along soft music to play while gazing at the amazing canopy overhead.
Nibble, talk, dream, and share intimacies under the velvety night.
Romantic picnic drinks
Sparkling wines are synonymous with romance. Add fruit for a refreshing flavor twist. Out on the water its important to stay hydrated. Infuse water with strawberries cucumber and mint.
Heart-shaped treats
Chocolate goes hand in hand with romance. Bring along a selection of hand-crafted heart-shaped chocolates to share. And, if you want to bake a romantic treat try out these Aussie heart-shaped lamingtons.
Add dinner too
Turn your picinic into Valentine’s dinner date afloat. No matter what size or type your vessel you can have a great dinner date aboard at great boating destinations.
Essential Valentine’s Day Boating Tips
Weather check
Check local weather reports before heading out. Refresh your knowledge of the boating rules. Check that you have the required State safety equipment onboard.
Timing
Be mindful of tide levels at your boating location for the duration of the trip. If you are heading out on a jetski, you need to return before sunset. Remember to factor in fuel requirements for the trip, set up and time to get to your picnic destination.
Things to bring
Boating maps, swimmers, towels, boatshoes, extra clothing , non- breakable plates and class ware napkins utensils, blanket, jacket, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera, paper hand towels hand sanitizer and hand wipes.
Enjoy your romantic picinic as an eco-friendly boater :
- Launch and retrieve from designated boat ramps.
- Watch effects of your wake and wash on shorelines, riverbanks, lake edges and other water users.
- Wipe cooking utensils and plates clean with a paper towel before washing.
- Avoid loosing fishing line over the side.
- Do not anchor over seagrass areas.
- Take care not to disturb wildlife and vegetation in sensitive areas and consider damage a prop can do in shallow water.
- Collect all your rubbish onboard, secure it and dispose of it properly ashore.
- Remove your boat/trailer from the water and clean it in a place ashore on grass where debris can be captured and disposed of properly. Avoid cleaning your boat in a driveway where the runoff flows into stormwater drains.