Boat Culture Is Booming in the Fox Cities
Summer has arrived, and that means we’re taking advantage of the weather and spending more time outdoors. Any time outside feels refreshing during this season, but there’s just something about being on the water.
We’re lucky in Northeastern Wisconsin to have multiple rivers and lakes in the area, providing opportunities for leisure activities and wildlife sightings.
Boating on said waterways holds its own kind of allure, a culture that has provided sailing and boating enthusiasts with a closeknit community.
“Boating in Northeastern Wisconsin is truly a way of life,” Sawyer Erickson, Marketing Manager at Lakeside Marina in Oshkosh, says. “It isn’t just a weekend hobby here, it’s part of our community’s identity. There’s a deep appreciation for being on the water and creating an escape. The culture is laid-back, welcoming, and really captures the best of what Wisconsin summers are all about.
“One thing that might be surprising is that Wisconsin actually ranks near the top nationally for registered boats, even though we have a comparatively shorter boating season and aren’t a coastal state,” Erickson says.
“Inherent within the sailing world is a love for the connection of the wind and the water, which is a different dynamic than power boating, but that doesn’t mean there is a lack of intensity,” Allison Willman, Community Relations Director at Neenah-Nodaway Yacht Club (NNYC), adds. “Racing is also a huge component of our sailing community too, and many people race as part of a competitive drive or to build their skills as sailors.”
Within boating culture is the ever-popular naming process. In ancient times, it was popular to name a boat after a god or goddess, helping it to have a long life at sea and to protect it from its powerful ways. Names were said to bring protection and good luck.
“I’ve seen a lot of unique boat names over the years,” Max Sheppard explains. “The maritime community believes in a lot of superstitions and it is known to be bad luck to change the name of your boat without a proper ceremony,” Max Sheppard, a fourth-generation boater and second-generation sailor, explains.
“Most people make it very tailored to their lives, whether it be a joke, what they do for work or a family name,” Erickson adds.
“We have had some fun ones over the years!” Willman says. “‘YB Normal,’ ‘Duck Soup’ (a boat I raced on for 5 years), and ‘Erno’ (‘er-no, eh?).”
With nods to the past, superstitions and quirky twists considered, dive in to discover some of the clever and nostalgic boat names in our local marinas:
“Hurricane Mom”
Tom and Carol Morley
What drew you to the boating world? Tom grew up sailing on Lake Michigan and Carol married into a life long sport! Sailboating is very affordable and not at all like Caddyshack. I spend less per year than my buddy does on golf.
The story behind “Hurricane Mom”: Carol ran a tight ship at home raising three kids, so when we were naming their sailboat, the lyrics of a children’s song “Hurricane Mom” by Madison songwriter Ken Lonnquist quickly made their decision. Hurricane MOM is a Catalina 22 1988 vintage that the Morleys purchased in 2011. We had a great naming ceremony including champagne with some of the club members!
We run a tidy and clean boat having her ready to go for a casual cruise or Tuesday night racing!
“Athena”
Allison Willman
What drew you to the boating world? When I moved to the area in 2017, my friend John Laedke’s father, Steve Laedke, invited me to race on his boat named the Myassis Dragon during a 4th of July fun race. I never stopped after that. I sailed on my friend, Brian Drake’s boat Duck Soup for 5 years after that before I purchased my own boat in 2023.
The story behind “Athena”: The origin of my boat, Athena, came from the previous owner’s wife’s name. She didn’t go out sailing, so he named the boat Athena to still be with her on the water. I am keeping the name because I love the reference to the Greek goddess.
“Seapoodle”
Mark Pedersen and Paige Batten
What drew you to the boating world? A sign in front of Rec Park in Neenah, that said “Sailing Lessons”! We were newcomers to the area, had never sailed before, and signed up on a whim, thinking it would be a fun summer activity. Lucky for us, the members of the Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club took us under their wing and showed us the ropes. We were hooked from the start! Now, we own a boat and are proud to be part of this vibrant sailing community.
The story behind “Seapoodle”: Our boat came with the name Fantasia, but we plan to rename it Caniche de Mer or “Seapoodle.” Why? Well, with boats like Sea Fox and Sea Squirrel already in the harbor, we figured there might as well be a Sea Poodle too!
What should everyone know about boat culture? Take it from us: anyone can learn to sail—and you’ll make new friends along the way. NNYC has given us the chance not only to hone our sailing skills but also to meet and mingle with sailors of all ages and experience levels. Every time we head out on the water, it feels like a mini vacation. You can drift past Jazz Fest, stargaze, relax with your favorite tunes or simply enjoy the beauty of nature—without a lot of hassle. What a treat! Plus, the adventure doesn’t stop there. Each year, the club organizes a sailing trip to someplace amazing. This year, we’re off to explore the Chesapeake Bay!
Sailing is fun, affordable, and healthy—and believe it or not, it’s brainy too! Who knew so many engineers, scientists, and fascinating people would be out there on the water?
“Sexy J”
Bradley Bingham
What drew you to the boating world? When I was living on the Delmarva Peninsula I used to see the sailboats lined up at the docks and watch them sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. I would dream of one day being out there sailing. When I moved to Neenah I took sailing classes through the Fox Valley Sailing School.
The story behind “Sexy J”: While going to college in Utah and saw a 10ft Sun Fish sitting in the weeds next to my friends trailer. I bought her and I and a friend of mine fixed her up. I caller her “Sexy J.” When my now wife and I were both working at a fishing resort in Utah called Flaming Gorge we attempted to put “Sexy J” in the water on our first date. At the end of the summer she and I were engaged and later married in February in Green Bay then returning to college in Utah. After college we moved to Wisconsin I and I had to my Sun Fish “Sexy J.”
How would you describe “boat culture” in Northeastern Wisconsin? Exciting and exhilarating when racing in high winds with three and four foot rollers with your boat healed over at 30 degrees. (It’s also) relaxing sailing at night using the lights atop the buildings in Neenah and Menasha as a light house.
“SISU Mesabi Range”
Thom Carpenter // Cristi Burrill
How would you describe “boat culture” in Northeastern Wisconsin? Hardcore! These sailors are out racing rain or shine, extreme winds or calm waters. A sailboat requires a lot of upkeep (that’s an understatement) and dedication. That said, there’s no feeling like enjoying a beer at the end of a race!
The story behind “SISU Mesabi Range”: My (Thom’s) fiancée and boat co-owner, Lilja Amundson, is half-Finnish. Sisu is the word for the Finnish “national spirit.” It has no direct translation into English, but Wikipedia offers “stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness” as definitions. You’ll notice it on bumper stickers and at gift shops in certain parts of Minnesota and the UP. A perfect name for a racing boat!
As for “Mesabi Range,” it’s our “homeport.” It is customary to list a homeport below the name that may be where the boat resides in the summer, the owner’s hometown, or anywhere else the owners might have a home or call home (purely for display, this carries no legal bearing). When I was in college, the “hot” racing boat in the area listed the “Isles of Shoals” as its homeport. This is a rocky chain of islands off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine where I assume the owner had a house, and I always thought it was the coolest thing to list the homeport as a geographic feature rather than a city or town.
Lilja’s family owns a cabin built by her great-grandparents deep in Minnesota iron country, where her Finnish ancestors immigrated to work in the mines. The proper name for the geographic formation that contains iron ore is the Mesabi Range, so I went with that as our homeport.
What drew you to the boating world? Friends of mine had a sailboat and invited me to sail a few times. I took an interest in how complex it seemed to sail a boat and asked how they could possibly have learned so much! They recommended the NNYC and getting involved as a crew member for the racing series. I remember them saying “there’s no better way to learn!” and they sure were right. I submitted an application and here I am three years later still learning!
“Sea Fox”
Maxwell Sheppard
How would you describe “boat culture” in Northeastern Wisconsin? We are very fortunate to have a vast network of lakes and rivers in Northeast Wisconsin, which allow for boating of all types. The boating culture here seems to be all inclusive from fishing to cruising to canoeing and sailing in this area. Everyone is willing to help in an emergency on the water, and everyone is willing to wave as you sail by.
The story behind “Sea Fox”: I have had the same sailboat for over 20 years and have never changed its name. “Sea Fox” has had the same name since 1961, and has created a fleet of “sea” animals! I kept its name and spirit alive and continue to add its name to the trophies in the yacht… I found the boat in a farm field and completely restored the boat in 2013. After this, I raced for many years, teaching lots of people to sail, and then helping them find sailboats of their own under one condition: they must name the boat an animal name with the word “Sea” in front of it.”
“Emily Rose”
The Knapps
How would you describe “boat culture” in Northeastern Wisconsin? The boat culture is very much alive and well. It feels very ingrained in our culture where it seems the question isn’t “Do you have a boat?” It’s “What kind of boat do you have?”
What drew you to the boating world? I grew up in it as my grandpa would take me sailing starting at a very young age. I didn’t even realize that the Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club (NNYC) has been in existence since 1864 making it one of the oldest in the country.
The story behind “Emily Rose”: My grandpa, Art Klemp, named the boat “Emily Rose” in 1985 after his first granddaughter was born (my sister). The boat itself is unique as it’s a Cape Dory Handy Cat 14 built in 1972 in Bridgewater Massachusetts, near Cape Cod. The hull is fiberglass with teak rails and seats, and the spars (mast, boom, gaff) are knotless sitka spruce which is a unique feature.
“Okoboji”
Doug Hatch
The story behind “Okoboji”: I had to take a second run at naming our sailboat. You don’t get that chance with kids, and I wanted a unique name that fit the boat and our family. The first name, Second Wind, was doomed the moment my wife and I saw another boat on Winnebago with that name. And then another. Then we found out through BoatUS that Second Wind was the second most common name for a sailboat! So we rechristened her Okoboji, after my hometown and the lake I grew up on in Iowa.
