Unless you work aboard an Alaskan trawler during Pollack season or an icebreaker in the Antarctic, winter likely brings an unwelcome interruption to your family's boating lifestyle. Swimsuits give way to thermals, ski handles to snow shovels, and sun tans to goose bumps. For avid boaters up North, winter seems to last f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

Before you get too depressed and toss this magazine into the fireplace, consider what French author and philosopher Albert Camus said: "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

Pretty cool, huh? In a warm, cozy sort of way. Is it possible, as Camus infers, to keep your family's boating fires burning bright, even when your boat is covered in a blanket of snow
as it sits on the trailer in your driveway? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" Here's how.

PLAN YOUR SUMMER TRIP NOW
Anyone who has planned a trip to a place they've never been before knows that the planning process can be nearly as entertaining as the actual trip. So, although winter may be in full force, you can plan your family's summer boating excursion now, allowing your mind's eye to leave the cold doldrums of winter and travel to the warm and inviting environs of a favored boating destination. Get your children involved, and make this a family activity. You'll find it will not only help the winter pass more quickly, but it'll also be a great learning experience for the children, paying dividends when the time comes to take the trip.

To begin, get an atlas of the United States, and pore over it with your children, searching for several destinations you might like to visit. Good travel atlases are available from DeLorme and Rand McNally (a road atlas provides more details than national and world atlases) and can be purchased at major bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Borders, and many others. Depending on your budget, your trip can be at a place nearby or far away. And it may involve more than one location.

In Southern California, for example, a little research would reveal that a family on a budget could make a circuit of several small lakes including Castaic, which is about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, Pyramid, Piru, Casitas and Cachuma - five lakes within approximately 100 miles end to end. A family could feasibly hit all five lakes in five days. Or, if you wanted to travel farther, your atlas perusal would reveal Central California's Lake Nacimiento - a favorite among Californians - about 220 miles from Los Angeles and larger than the circuitous five previously mentioned. Keep browsing the atlas, and you'll see that a longer (about 550 miles from Los Angeles), more adventurous trip could be made to the beautiful Lake Shasta in Northern California near the Oregon border.

RESEARCH CAN BE FUN
Once you've found a few promising locations, task the children with finding out as much general information as they can. Are overnight accommodations available at the lake? If not, where is the nearest lodging? How does the lake rate in terms of boater friendliness? In other words, does it have a marina, a fuel dock, restaurants or a store? Can you boat at night? Is there a water speed limit? And, of course, how's the fishing? Have the children go to the library and get books, surf the Internet, or go through your stack of Boating World magazines to learn what they can about each potential destination. As the children unlock each destination's secrets, you'll see their excitement grow.

Going back to our California example, research would show that Castaic Lake actually consists of two lakes, a larger one above the dam and a smaller restricted-use lagoon below the dam. You would also find out that Castaic has yielded six of the 25 biggest largemouth bass ever caught - the largest one being a mere 3.5 ounces below the current world record. You would learn that Pyramid Lake, on the other hand, is a deep mountain lake in the Angeles National Forest at a higher elevation that offers several boat-only accessible beaches, but like Castaic Lake, lacks services.

As for Lake Piru, it's located in the Los Padres National Forest next to the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, affording visitors the possibility of seeing one of the largest and rarest birds in North America. Unlike Castaic and Pyramid, it has a marina and several campground sites. Lake Casitas, you would find out, is a pristine lake in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains and is unique among the others in that it features an on-site water park.

Finally, your research would inform you that Lake Cachuma is set amid rolling hills speckled with oak trees and is in proximity to numerous wineries. Likely, you would also learn that Casitas and Cachuma are reservoirs used for drinking water and therefore do not permit bodily contact with the water. Boating and fishing are allowed, but no skiing or swimming. Continued research would reveal that Lake Nacimiento has 165 miles of jagged shoreline, a full-service marina, and offers lakeside lodging and camping. With 365 miles of shoreline, Shasta Lake has the distinction of being the largest manmade reservoir in California. It has many marinas and resorts, and four campgrounds accessible only by boat. As you can see, research is important when planning a trip to unfamiliar bodies of water.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE
Once you've determined the best place for your family's summer vacation, have the children plan your itinerary. It's a good idea to come up with at least one alternate route. Rather than taking the shortest route, take a more roundabout way that includes added attractions. For instance, a trip to Shasta Lake would be more memorable if it included a side trip to nearby Redwood National Forest or other State Parks. If your boat has sleeping quarters, you might even use it as an RV and pull into a campground overnight.

It can also be great fun to plot your float plan ahead of time. A great resource is the website,http://worldwidewaypoints.com/, which now offers free software and charts. When you have your location pinned down, get an actual NOAA chart (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Obtaining this chart now makes the trip more tangible, even though the actual excursion may be months away.

Assign your children the task of programming your route into the GPS. Helping them learn the intricacies of navigation is both educational and entertaining. Once you arrive at the boating destination, they'll take a keener interest in the trip because they already see it in their mind's eye.

Getting the family involved in planning your spring or summer boating adventure won't make all that fluffy white stuff melt any faster, but it'll make the wait much more tolerable. Like Camus, you'll find that internal "invincible summer," even in the throes of winter.