Only mad dogs, Englishmen and old men with new convertibles go out in the midday sun. Â The wise among us wait until the best weather of the year — autumn — to rent a boat on Lake Lanier to while away the hours with friends, food and giant bass.
What? Â You don’t have your own boat? Â What a pity. Â You’re not paying to store it all winter? Â After you pay to winterize it. Â You’re not hauling it to the lake in your expensive truck? Â How sad. Â You’re not the 537th boat in line to take it out of the water with storms on the horizon? Â Tsk-tsk.
There’s a better way. Â For less than you probably pay to insure a boat that you only end up putting in the water a couple of times a year — rent a snazzy boat for a day or a weekend on Lake Lanier.
As long as you don’t get it all muddy or lose the motor (it happens) or throw the seats overboard, it’s a great deal. Â Yes, I’ve owned a boat. Â Yes, I prefer to rent boats now.
Want a giant boat that somebody else navigates for a few hours or a day?  No problem.  Want a nifty houseboat that you can putter to a semi-mysterious island and hang out for a weekend?  Not a problem.  How about a pontoon boat for the family?  They’re fantastic for a sunset cruise, fishing or choosing which lakeside house you’ll buy when you win the lottery.
If you drive and you’ve had too much to drink, you’ll go to jail.  If you decide to ram a bridge, you’ll pay for repairs.  Apart from that, you’re pretty much golden … as you make memories you’ll remember forever when you rent a boat on Lake Lanier.
