In a town where alcohol has been banned since 1909, a solution on the open water now sails into view. Coming to Ocean City, New Jersey this summer is the Pua Hana floating Tiki Bar, which offers a BYO cruising experience for you and your covid bubble. The boat accommodates up to six sailors, so grab your friends and get ready to brave some waves.
Owners Brian and Jennifer Toner took inspiration from their many years of travel around the Caribbean, Bahamas, and the U.S. before creating Pua Hana. Tiki boat tours are also popular drinking attractions in Miami, and after enjoying several for themselves, the two agreed to try their hand at bringing the tropical barge northbound.
All Aboard the Floating Tiki Bar
Aboard the 26-foot boat is your Coast Guard-certified Tiki Boat Captain, a horseshoe of bar stools, and the rest is decided before you set sail. To help curate your boating experience, the company offers eight unique guest packages that range from rave-like to relaxing. Anyone looking for a bachelor party spot to a new coffee-filled cruise on the water can find a reason to lift anchor. You can even come prepared with a playlist and take over the boat’s speakers.
All Tiki Boat Tours are expected to last for two hours, but some packages like the Sandhopper Tour feature a four-hour excursion for adults and kids alike. A versatile and creative outing for the whole family, packages start at $325. Tours leave at different times throughout the day, corresponding to the theme of the guest package selected. Offering departures from sunrise to midnight, seven days a week, Pua Hana embraces a busy yet bohemian lifestyle.
Your party can choose to have Pua Hana cater, or you can bring your own food and drinks. Alcohol can’t be uncorked until leaving the dock, so keep those champagne flutes safely stored until you hit the sea.
Seizing an Opportunity in a Dry Town
Private Clubs have been dancing around the town’s strict drinking laws for years, so this business isn’t exactly sailing into uncharted waters. Open liquor on open water is a compelling loophole in a town dubbed America’s Great Family Resort.
Just 30 minutes south of New Jersey’s party capital Atlantic City, and a bit north of bustling Wildwood, Pua Hana is dropping anchor where the market is hot. The pandemic has also increased the public’s craving for alcohol, so giving the option to enjoy drinks together in a small group, especially outside, is making the most of these changing times.
Take to the Atlantic Ocean with your covid bubble by visiting their website to book your trip. The small barge sails out each day, rain or shine, so be sure to dress accordingly. Remember, sharks smell blood, not Bloody Marys, so be sure to keep the vodka and tomato juice flowing.
Will you be cruising around on this floating tiki bar in Ocean City, New Jersey this summer? Let us know in the comments below.
Main image courtesy of Pau Hana
