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!

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.

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.

Snorkeling. Courtesy of Fury Fan Karla McAllister White

By Shayne Benowitz

I certainly don’t know how to explain it. I’m no meteorologist after all, and I don’t pretend to be. Somehow, though, while one of the largest winter storms swept the nation, we experienced the most beautiful weather of the season. Clear skies, sunshine, temperatures pushing to 80 degrees…

Yeah, that’s what I call paradise! This weekend, I actually felt a little bad for everyone freezing in the snow while I was on the Key West parasailing boat sweating in the sun. Our year round beautiful weather is definitely why I love living in Key West!

Parasailing. Courtesy of Fury Fan Alicia Leelee Campitelli.

Last week, while I was updating Fury’s facebook page, my newsfeed was filled with winter weather pictures. And let’s face it, they’re beautiful, and certainly not something we get to see down here in the tropics.

I made a call to action and asked you all to share your snowy pictures with us, and of course, our wonderful Fury fans came through. First, mother of the cutest (and only ) parasail crew couple Kenna and Eli posted a picture of Kenna’s brother in snowy Kansas. Henry D. Pawlus directed us to his page full of snowy pix! Amy Nykiel-Bacon posted a picture of her snowed-in front yard and Chris Shields posted a gorgeous picture of a frozen tree branch.

Ice ice baby in Indiana. Courtesy of Fury Fan Chris Shields.

The pictures are a veritable winter wonderland, and you should really check them out on our facebook page. But then I started to get a little cold and realized that we weren’t doing our beautiful Key West weather justice. So again, the fans came through posting dozens of sunny vacation pix aboard Fury!

Sunsets in paradise. Courtesy of Fury Fan Dorothy Such.

Remember, if you’re freezing your little tush off dreaming of diving into the warm, blue waters in Key West, we’ve got some pretty rockin’ contests on our facebook page right now. Enter a sweepstakes for an all-0expense paid trip to Key West and enter our photo contest. We’re giving out prizes every month. Keep the pix coming and see ya soon!

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.

Parasailing, courtesy of Fury fan Sheridan Kushner.

By Shayne Benowitz

Dear Fury Fans,

We’ve been doing a lot of reflecting in the New Year. We are so fortunate to do what we do every day on the water in the Key West sunshine. And we know that none of this would be possible without YOU! It’s been so fun over the years meeting people from all over the country and around the world aboard our snorkel trips, our parasail boats, and our sunset cruises, not to mention the Ultimate Adventure!

"It doesn't get better than this!" courtesy of Fury Fan Cathy Pauly.

It’s also been great to keep in touch! We’ve received letters and cards from our dearest fans expressing what a memorable time they’ve had with us. And trust me, those cards hang in the Surf Shack for everyone to see! It’s also a thrill when someone hops on board and says, “Hey, you were the parasail mate last year when we were here!”

When we jumped on facebook and twitter a few years ago, everything changed. Now we can have daily conversations, share pictures and memories, and really keep in touch. It’s like you never left the island (well, sort of!)! From a weeklong conversation about Captain Chuck to amazing fan photos of the powerboat races and more, I’ve been thoroughly entertained!

Celebrating 50th birthday aboard the Commotion with Capt. Chuck, courtesy of Fury Fan Kim Lunsford Schadle

We thought it was about time we gave back to our loyal Fury fans because, well, that’s how we roll! If you haven’t visited our facebook fanpage in a while, you’re going to find some great new features. If, for some silly reason, you’re not already apart of our facebook community, simply “like” our page, and you will immediately be entered into our new fans reward program along with the rest of our fans.

Every month starting in February we’ll select a fan at random for an awesome giveaway. You could win a trip with Fury or sweet Fury swag like crew shirts, hats, and other accessories. Click on the “Win A Trip” tab and fill out the quick form to sign up for our eNewsletter (written by yours truly! Come on, you know you want to!) and you’ll immediately be entered in an all-expense paid 3 day, 2 night trip to Key West with luxe accommodations at the Ocean Key House, spa treatments, dinners, and of course, trips galore aboard Fury!

Honeymooning, courtesy of Fury Fan Julie Carty.

For the more creatively inclined, and I know a lot of you are, we’re also starting a Fan Photo Contest. We already receive awesome pictures from you guys, and now we want to reward one fan every month with an Ultimate Adventure for two just for sending your vacation pictures our way. Check out how the contest works on the “Photo Contest” tab of our facebook page, and keep the pictures coming in!

This is just the beginning of how we want to give back to you, so stay tuned for more offers, deals, and contests in 2011. Oh yeah, and don’t be shy about sharing your Fury love with your friends on facebook (and in real life!). The more the merrier!

"Having a blast on the Ultimate Adventure," courtesy of Fury Fan Daron Blake.

Here’s hoping your 2011 is off to a rockin’ start. We’re certainly enjoying ourselves in Key West. And, of course, we hope to see you down here soon! Next time, maybe it’ll even be on us!

XOXO,

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.

The last sunset of 2010.

By Shayne Benowitz

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: New Year’s is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it. It’s a chance to reflect on the year that passed and to set goals for the year to come. Not to mention, the potential to have the best party of the year. It’s a time to celebrate with the ones you love!

At Fury Key West, we have a daily tradition made all the more special on New Year’s Eve, and that, of course, is a Key West sunset cruise. We loaded our catamaran with revelers and party favors to toast the last sunset of 2010. Cory Heydon Band was there to rock the night away, and there was free-flowing margaritas, beer, wine, and of course bottles of bubbly!

The Key West sunset was spectacular and the party on board matched it. By 7pm, we were back on shore and it was time to hit Duval Street. While some crewmembers opted for a quiet night at home anticipating work in the morning, others painted the town red!

Fury boys on the prowl!

Rumor has it some of the Fury boys were out until the wee hours at Rick’s, the Lazy Gecko, and more! It’s a new year, after all! We are anticipating happiness and success in 2011 at Fury Key West and we wish the same to all of you. Make it a great year!

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!

Paradise parasailing.

By Shayne Benowitz

Looking at this week’s forecast, I can’t help but smile. There’s a beautiful pattern developing. Mostly sunny. Highs in the low 80s. Lows in the mid 70s. As the days tick by in October, fall is casting its shadow across the country, and this is what we’ve got in Key West.

The temperature is gloriously comfortable at sea and on land. The sun is warm and laying out a towel on the top deck of the catamaran as you sail south is absolutely sublime. The water temperature at the reef is refreshingly crisp. And, of course, the cocktails that the crew delivers with a smile are the perfect complement to your snorkel trip.

If it’s Key West parasailing that you’re looking for, you’ll absolutely thrill at the boat ride through the harbor without the sweltering summer sun beating down. The ocean breeze is so pleasant! And the view from 300 feet up, breathtaking!

Of course, you haven’t done Key West if you haven’t enjoyed our famous sunset. Join us any night of the week for either the Rum & Reggae snorkel/sunset combo, the live music Commotion on the Ocean, or the classic Champagne Sunset Sail. We’ve got the best seat in the house to watch the sun sink into the western horizon. And this time of year, you might want to pack a light sweatshirt.

On land, the weather is perfect for strolling around Duval Street or riding bikes around side streets. In the evening, sitting outside for dinner is perfection, and you can even get away with wearing jeans without sweating to death. We’re definitely enjoying some perfect fall weather down here, and think that you should be, too!