Celebrity Boaters

Boating is fun for everyone, and you never know who you’ll see at the marina or rafting on a favorite sandbar. It could be your neighbor, or someone you’ve seen on TV.

Jake Owen

Musician

Chart-topping country artist Jake Owen is best known for his energetic stage shows, but he’s known to his family and friends as a passionate wakeboarder and fisherman.

Growing up in Vero Beach, Fla., Jake and twin brother Jarrod spent countless hours on the water fishing out of the family’s bowrider. Today, he’s often seen riding up and down the Indian River lagoon in Florida, or visiting an area known as The Cut with childhood friends. When he’s at his home in Nashville, Jake spends as much time as possible on Center Hill Lake.

Mike Schmidt

Baseball Player

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman and hall of famer Mike Schmidt is a life-long boater, who first developed an affinity for the water during family vacations in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Watching the boats come and go from the local marina gave Schmidt the goal of one day owning a boat of his own, and parking it behind his house. His father gave him a toy boat that he would play with in the family swimming pool, further fueling his ambition to one day purchase a boat of his own.

Dividing his time between Florida and Rhode Island, Schmidt spends much of his time exploring Narragansett Bay, which he describes as his favorite boating destination.

Roy Halladay

Baseball Player

Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All Star pitcher Roy Halladay grew up boating and waterskiing with his father, and fishing with his grandfather. So he comes by his love of boating honestly.

Today, Halladay spends as much time on the water with his family as he can, often on Florida’s Tampa Bay or the Intracoastal Waterway. Overnight trips camping on distant islands with the kids, or summer days enjoying the cool ocean breeze while parked on a sandbar for a swim, are some of his happiest times.

Kevin Van Dam

Professional Angler

You would expect a guy who makes his living by fishing bass tournaments to have a love of boats. For Kevin van Dam, boating remains an escape and his favorite form of recreation – so much so that when he’s not in a boat fishing for a living, he’s in his boat just having fun.

Van Dam learned to fish from his father, which led to countless enjoyable hours together in boats. His grandparents lived on the water, providing further opportunities to fish and waterski.

As a traveling tournament angler, Van Dam enjoys exploring new waters – and so it is with his recreational boating, whether it’s taking a house boat trip or exploring Michigan’s north country – Grand Traverse Bay in particular.

Jason Taylor

Football Player and ESPN Football Analyst

Football legend and six-time Pro Bowler Jason Taylor loves nothing more than boating with his wife and three children. After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1997, Taylor quickly discovered a passion for getting out on the water as often as possible.

To this day, his enthusiasm for boating remains high, whether it’s fishing with friends or cruising with his wife and three children. The family has enjoyed extended trips to Exuma, St. Barts, the Florida Keys, Bimini and  New York. He says the Bahamas are likely their favorite destination overall.