Happy Valentine's Day!

By Shayne Benowitz

Yes, love is in the air, and I mean the salt breeze blowing through your hair on the bow of a Fury Catamaran while sipping bubbly and feeding your sweetie pie chocolate dipped strawberries as the sun sets into the ocean. Now that’s romance! Right? Seriously, if you’re surprising that special someone with a trip to Key West over Valentine’s Day, then watching the sunset on a boat out at sea is the best way to get her swooning.

We’ve got three different Valentine’s Day packages, so you’re sure to find one perfect for you. Join the crowd aboard the Commotion on the Ocean, Key West’s most popular sunset sail and shimmy with your Valentine while the Cory Heydon Band rocks you into the sunset. We’ll be serving margaritas, beer, wine, and of course champagne, as well as a variety of appetizers great for sharing with the one you love.

For a more low key experience, the classic champagne sunset sail has your name on it. Watch the sun sink slowly into the western horizon while the Fury crew makes sure your cup never runs dry.

If you’re looking for an excellent value that includes the sunset and the reef, then you must join us aboard the glass bottom boat eco-tour. We’ll cruise five miles out to the reef where you can gaze through our “windows to the sea” while a knowledgeable guide narrates exactly what you’re looking at. Next, venture to the bow or the observation deck in time for a champagne toast at sunset.

No matter how you celebrate your Valentine’s Day, be sure to be sweet to the ones you love! Fury Girl’s wishing everyone boxes of chocolates and bouquets of roses on this lovely holiday! xo!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crew member and freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

A gorgeous Key West sunset.

By Shayne Benowitz

Anyone who knows me knows that New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. They would also know that I think a Key West sunset is one of the most beautiful sights a person can witness. Celebrating the final sunset of 2011 on New Year’s Eve is a fitting way to get your night of merriment started. At Fury, we now have more ways than ever to enjoy a sunset sail and we’ll be throwing a couple of great parties on the water.

On Saturday night December 31st, choose your cruise. We have many die-hard Cory Heydon Band fans, and they won’t disappoint with a special New Year’s Eve Commotion on the Ocean Sunset Sail. Dance the night away on the bow of our boat while Cory and the band rock! Our crew will be serving up the usual wine, beer, margaritas, and champagne, and we’ll have a great appetizer spread.

If you’d rather enjoy a slightly more mellow or romantic cruise, opt for our classic Champagne Sunset Sail where we’ll also be throwing a festive party complete with beer, wine, and champagne.

With all of the new trips we’ve added to our menu in 2011, we’ll have more boats on the water than ever for the final sunset of 2011. If you’d prefer a little more action or adventure while watching the sun sink into the western horizon, then book the evening Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure, Rum & Reggae, Double Dip Snorkel Trip, Island Adventure, or a cruise on the glass bottom boat.

I know I’m excited to celebrate a new year in Key West! Whether you make it out with us for the final sunset of 2011 or not, make a resolution to join us one of the 365 evenings of 2012. Happy New Year!

by Shayne Benowitz

The Cory Heydon Band is as much a part of Fury Water Adventures as any captain or crew member. Performing their classic cover songs and original hits nightly, they’ve made the Commotion on the Ocean one of the hottest tickets in town for nearly six years. Guests return year after year to hear their favorite songs. I was aboard the Commotion recently when I heard a brand new tune in the playlist.

It had all the qualities I’ve come to expect: Terry’s energetic drumbeat, Tom’s bass melding with Cory’s rockin’ guitar rift, and the soulful bluesy cry of Cory’s harmonica. Then, I listened as Cory belted out the lyrics… “Well I got a little bounce to my step alright/ Cause the sun’s sliding into a Key West night!”

I liked the sound of it immediately. Then the chorus kicked in:

Out on the Fury!

Set that sun!

Out on the Fury

Have some fun!

Out on the Fury

Water’s fine!

Out on the Fury

Have a great time!

All I have to say is, it’s about time they wrote an original song about sailing with Fury in Key West! The song is a real crowd pleaser and encapsulates the fun of being, well, “Out on the Fury!” as the song is titled. The song was written by Terry who is the drummer and backup vocalist for the band.

Next time you’re in town, we certainly hope you’ll join us “Out on the Fury!” for the Commotion on the Ocean. We promise it to be an entertaining night complete with a gorgeous sunset at sea, along with margarita, beer, wine, and a delicious appetizer spread. In the meantime, check out the new Band Page app on our Facebook page where you can sample a couple of Cory Heydon Band classics while you’re scrolling through all the awesome fan pix on our wall!

By Shayne Benowitz

Jeff Haynes, winner of this month’s Fury Facebook Fan Photo Contest, should be an honorary member of the Conch Republic. I’m not sure who grants that distinction, but I’d be happy to welcome him into the honorary Fury Family! Jeff and his family have made regular sojourns down to Key West from central Florida and have definitely embraced our island paradise.

On a recent vacation, they spent two whole weeks in a rental on Eaton Street and explored the island on bicycles, catching the sunset at Mallory Square almost every night. They loved the bars, the live music, and the street performers, as well as touring sites like the Key West Cemetery (in search of “Sloppy” Joe Russell’s grave), the Hemingway House, and exploring the island for Jimmy Buffett points of interest. They were in town during Mel Fisher Days and rocked a performance by the one and only Howard Livingston!

The winning photo!

While in Key West, they also made a handful of trips with us at Fury including the Rum & Reggae and the Sunset Cruise. That’s where Jeff snapped the beautiful picture of the rainbow parrotfish swimming over a healthy outcropping of coral. Needless to say, I absolutely loved the shot! Parrotfish are my favorite! Jeff already has a trip to Key West scheduled during Fantasy Fest and another one in mind for 2012. I love his devotion to our little island!

Jeff’s a paramedic, and he explained that a getaway to Key West is the perfect remedy for the stress of his day to day work. I certainly admire anyone working in the medical field–absolute angels. Jeff mentioned that his daughter would like to work for Fury someday. That’s how it all starts! My first experience with Fury was a snorkel trip with my family when I was 15, and that thought stayed in the back of my head for almost ten years before I made it a reality! It’s a beautiful life here and we absolutely love sharing it with our guests from near and far.

Congratulations Jeff on winning the photo contest and we look forward to your next visit in October!

Shayne Benowitz is a freelance writer and Fury crew member. For more follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

Fury Girl on the slide at Adventure Island.

By Shayne Benowitz

Sweet, sweet summertime. The days of summer are waning as Labor Day Weekend, the last hurrah, is approaching. It’s been an incredible season at Fury in Key West. The weather’s been gorgeous, our guests have enjoyed a host of brand new trips and boats, and we’ve been busy! It’s also been an incredible time on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We’ve hit the 6,000 mark for “likes” on Facebook and every day there’s a ton of interaction with our fans as they post vacation pictures and talk about their trip. It’s almost as good as the real thing day in and day out on the docks at the Westin, the Ocean Key House, and the Historic Seaport.

Parasailing is part of the Ultimate Adventure package.

As usual, we anticipate a busy Labor Day Weekend, so we’re doubling up on the Ultimate Adventure during our two busiest days, Saturday and Sunday September 3-4. In addition to our daily 10am departure, you can rock the Ultimate as an afternoon adventure that includes a sunset sail. Book your 2pm departure and enjoy snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, as well as sea kayaking and all the toys at the inflatable water park. Enjoy snacks, an early picnic dinner, as well as all you can drink beer, wine, and champagne. The trip will conclude with viewing the famous Key West sunset before we return to port.

A school of blue tang can often be found snorkeling at the reef!

If you’ve been out with us before, you already know why this action-packed trip is amongst our most popular! It’s also a great value considering two meals are included, as well as a sampling of all the water activities that we offer. Whether you join us on Labor Day Weekend in the morning or afternoon for the Ultimate Adventure or anytime of the year, we’re thrilled to share our love of Key West and it’s beautiful waters with you. Here’s to summer!

Shayne Benowitz is a freelance writer and Fury crew member. For more follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz

Bo Bice of American Idol fame aboard the Commotion. Photo courtesy of Fury (& Bo Bice!) Fan Reba Witwer.

By Shayne Benowitz

The stars were out in Key West this weekend with the annual Songwriters Festival and the biggest and brightest shone aboard Fury’s Commotion on the Ocean. American Idol runner up Bo Bice and finalist Kristy Lee Cook’s star power sizzled out at sea. Other names might not dazzle marquees, but they’re the songwriters behind some of the biggest hits in the music industry.

Bo Bice & band performing aboard the Commotion.

Friday night’s line up featured the likes of Steve Bogard who once toured extensively with Jerry Lee Lewis. He’s the current president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. If you’re a country music fan, his resume is legendary. He’s written eight #1 country songs among 18 ASCAP- and BMI-award winners.

Get a load of this playlist of hits he’s penned:

• George Strait’s “Carried Away” and “Carrying Your Love With Me”
• Rascal Flatt’s “Prayin’ For Daylight” (career maker!)
• Jack Ingram’s “Wherever You Are”
• Dierks Bentley’s “Every Mile a Memory”—2007 Grammy nominee for Country Song of the Year
• Clay Walker’s “If You Ever Feel Like Lovin’ Me Again”
• Black Hawk’s “There You Have It”
• Tanya Tucker’s “Hangin’ In”
• Steve Wariner’s “A Woman Loves”
• Patty Loveless’ “Jealous Bone”
• Eddy Raven’s “Til You Cry”
• Reba McEntire’s “New Fool At An Old Game”
• Lee Greenwood’s “Mornin’ Ride”

The song titles alone get me going! And talk about country music royalty! It’s a really unique experience to hear these songs performed by the actual songwriter. They usually make great storytellers, too. You learn some backstory on their process and the songs’ genesis, and sometimes a little about the singer who it was written for.

We had some amazing rising stars on board over the weekend, such as Dean Alexander, Tyler Farr, and Karla Davis alongside standard setters like Bogard, Marty Dodson, and Adam James.

The Songwriters Festival is a truly unique musical experience, and at Fury we’re proud to be a part of it!

Shayne Benowitz is a freelance writer and Fury crewmember. Follow her on Twitter @ShayneBenowitz.

The winning sunset photo.

By Shayne Benowitz

Have you been to our facebook page lately? Well, if you have, I’m sure you’ve noticed our new profile pic winner Fury Fan Nicole Nash! It’s a glowing Key West sunset in all reds and oranges that looks like fire in the sky setting behind a cloud near an outcropping of mangroves. If there are two things to marvel over in Key West, the crystal clear water is one and the stunning sunset is definitely the other.

Every night as the sun dips into the western horizon, it paints the sky myriad different colors. After living in Key West nearly five years, it’s something that still takes my breath away. Nicole captured this beautifully in her snapshot taken from Mallory Square after a day spent with us on the Ultimate Adventure with her boyfriend Todd.

Nicole and her boyfriend Todd aboard the Ultimate Adventure.

Their trip to Key West was part of a special Valentine’s Day getaway that Todd planned after their first trip to Florida back in November. After some time at Disney World, they made their way to Key West and onto our Ultimate Adventure. Nicole said that she absolutely loved parasailing and took a ton of pictures flying high while the crew took pictures from the boat. Todd loved the snorkeling, and the highlight of their day was going Key West jet skiing when two dolphins swam up right next to them!

“Key West is a perfect little piece of paradise and we plan on making it a stop each year,” Nicole said.

Their next trip down is in June, and we’re treating them to the Commotion on the Ocean where they can experience the gorgeous sunset, live music, appetizers, and margaritas aboard the beautiful Caribbean Fury. She plans to bring her little brother and her nephew for the trip so they can make some memories to last a lifetime.

I love Nicole’s picture and her Key West story. For your chance to be the fan photo of the month and win the grand prize at the end of the year, head to our facebook page for rules and instructions!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. Find her at web.me.com/shaynebeth, follow her at twitter.com/ShayneBenowitz, or email her at Shayne@furykeywest.com.

Romance on a Fury sunset sail.

By Shayne Benowitz

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I have to admit, I’m a sucker for this holiday. Call me an optimist or a hopeless romantic, but I just love the idea of a day dedicated to love! Over the years, whether I’ve been single or coupled up on February 14, I always strive to make the day special, and remind the wonderful people in my life just how important they are to me.

After all, a little romance goes a long way… Tonight, for instance, Fury’s dedicating its sunset sail to Valentine’s Day. Take your sweetie out on the warm, tropic waters of Key West Harbor, sip on champagne, and feed each other strawberries while the sun sinks into the ocean and the sky lights up in an amazing color show.

Or… grab your girls, put on something sexy and red, and hit the town celebrating your friendship. Sip champagne and feed each other strawberries. Why not!? Okay, only kidding about the strawberries part (sort of!). But, seriously I’ve had some of my most romantic Valentine’s celebrating with platonic friends. And you never know what the night may hold. There could always be a handsome stranger sitting across the bar… (I’ve always had an active imagination!)

A Valentine's dinner.

And gentleman, why not amp up the romance? If there’s a special lady in your life—your wife, your girlfriend, your mom, your sister, your best friend—why not surprise her with a little special something? It’s not hard! A box of chocolates, a love poem, an old school homemade Valentine, a bottle of champagne… And, as my man Stephen Reddy says, flowers go a long way. I second that! Any girl would love a bouquet of red roses or just a single carnation. It truly is the thought that counts!

I put a little something together for all of my Valentines’ this year. We will see what the day holds… Lots of love and romance to the fabulous Fury fans! See you on the Key West sunset sail tonight!

XO, Fury Girl

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. For more travel stories visit her at web.me.com/shaynebeth and follow her at twitter.com/ShayneBenowitz.

Cory Heydon Band & Friends.

By Shayne Benowitz

Earlier this fall, the Cory Heydon Band reached a monumental milestone- 1,000 Commotion on the Ocean performances and still going strong! We couldn’t let this occasion slip away without notice! In typical Fury fashion, we threw Cory a rockin’ shindig aboard the Caribbean Fury.

Ever the hard worker, Cory was the entertainment for his own party, along with longtime bandmates Tom & Terry. He also roped in some special guest musicians for the task: John Solinski, Chris Thomas, Jeep Couillett, Chris Cooke, and Eric Holt.

1,000 Commotions Celebration Party!

The party was strictly invite only, and the Caribbean set sail right before sunset with a boatload of Fury Key West VIP. The band performed Cory’s greatest hits including Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s “Southern Cross,” Sawyer Brown’s “Mission Temple Fireworks Stand,” and they even learned the Golden Girl’s Theme “Thank You For Being a Friend” for the special occasion.

It was a raucous party with Captain Chuck’s constant commentary from the helm and Cory’s colorful cast of characters performing for everyone. Scott Saunders even got in on the action with the tambourine, and his mother Helen didn’t disappoint when the request for “More cowbell!” came in.

It was truly a celebratory night, not unlike the Commotion on the Ocean every night of the week. If you’ve never experienced the Cory Heydon Band aboard the Fury, there’s really no excuse. It’s one of the best parties in town!

If you have, we’d love to hear your memories and see your pix! Check out our facebook and twitter pages. Also, we’ve got lots of Commotion videos up on our youtube channel. For exclusive videos from the 1,000 Party, just search “Cory Heydon’s 1000th Commotion” and at least 3 videos will pop up. Hope to see you out with us soon!

Shayne Benowitz is a Fury crewmember and freelance writer. For more travel stories and a daily dose of what’s cool around the globe visit her Wanderlust Website at http://web.me.com/shaynebeth.

Fingers Taylor & KD Moore perform on the Commotion. Photo Courtesy of kdmoorejr.com.

by Shayne Benowitz

The Parrotheads landed! As if Key West wasn’t already a year round haven for Jimmy Buffett die-hards, the annual Meeting of the Minds week was a time to come together and live the dream!

As always, Fury Key West had the Parrotheads covered with our annual Meeting of the Minds Commotion on the Ocean sunset sail. This year we rocked out two whole nights. Friday singer/songwriter and perennial favorite Scott Kirby played his beach-folky storyteller-style songs as he picked his fingerstyle guitar to a sold out crowd.

On Saturday, living legends KD Moore and “Fingers” Taylor performed with other Coral Reefer alumni, Amy Lee and Rob Mehl. The boat definitely rocked when they performed crowd-pleasing Jimmy Buffett classics.

The wind was strong in the sails aboard the Caribbean Fury, and moving to the music kept everyone warm when the sun sank into the ocean. The crew served up pitchers of our delicious margaritas. When in Margaritaville, you’ve gotta have a few margaritas! Ice-cold beer, wine, wine spritzers, and champagne flowed freely, as usual. For our hungry Parrotheads, the bar was full of tasty appetizers like chicken wings, meatballs, and fresh veggies.

The Commotion sets sail every night with our beloved Cory Heydon Band, so don’t miss out on the fun the next time you’re in town!