It’s that time of year again.

Fall is here and football season is in full swing, so fire up your grill, throw on that lucky jersey and hop into your boat, because it’s time to do some ‘Sail-gating’ (or ‘Boat-gating’ – depending on what part of the country you are from). Fans of football teams from various waterside Universities and NFL Arenas have seen a huge increase in the popularity of the practice in recent years.

University of Washington fans have been tailgating on their boats since the 1920s! On a typical fall Saturday you can find the waters outside of Husky Stadium speckled with watercraft packed full of joyous fans preparing to cheer on their beloved Huskies. From luxury yachts to rowboats, as many as 12,000 fans traverse by boat and occupy “Husky Harbor” on game days.  Boats often arrive the night before, Sailgate up to game time, and then take a shuttle ashore to catch the game.  The stadium itself is conveniently located on the shore of Lake Washington with views of the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west; mixed with the stadium backdrop, the scene is incomparable.

UW may have set the trend, but more and more arenas are offering the same shuttles and services for Sailgaters. Check your local area to find out how to take advantage of this great idea! If you’re a college or NFL football fan or just a boating enthusiast in general , this is truly an unique boating experience not to be missed.