Adventure. Friendships. Paddling. Fun
Joy Boat. Say it five times fast. You’re smiling, right? That’s the whole idea behind Joy Boat. The more we smile, the richer our lives. Joy Boat is the brainchild of John and Linda Dyer. They are passionate about both Travel and Dragon Boating. When the two are combined, Friendships and Adventure are the natural by-products.
The Joy Boat Travel Team will schedule up to two exciting trips per year. All will be to fantastic travel destinations. All will feature participation in a top-notch Dragon Boat Festival or famous paddling event. Each trip will include exciting optional extension opportunities such as sightseeing, hiking or bicycle tours.
John and Linda are highly experienced coaches and paddlers. They founded Dragonheart Vermont in 2004. The organization grew to more than 200 members and supports ten competitive crews. Over the past three racing cycles, Dragonheart Vermont crews have won fifteen U.S. National Championships and six medals at the IDBF Club Crew World Championships. More than twenty Dragonhearters have earned a position on Team USA. John and Linda have also served as Team USA Coaches in the Sr. C Division. They help manage and coach Jim Farintosh’s annual Space Coast/Bow Wave Training Camp in Melbourne, FL, where up to 500 passionate paddlers come to train each year.
Join in the fun. All are welcome. The Joy Boat travel team family of paddlers will share some exciting times and wonderful memories in the years to come. The travel crews will be comprised of paddlers from all over North America. Depending on who signs up, we could race as a mixed, women’s, or BCS crew—or all three. The only prerequisite is a positive attitude.
Here are the trips on the horizon:
| May 2023 | Barcelona, Spain | |
| September 2023 | Vienna, Austria |
If you are interested in joining the Joy Boat Crew please complete the team application here. After submitting your application, don’t forget to pay your team dues here.
UPCOMING TRIPS
JOY BOAT GALLERY
TRAVELER’S TESTIMONIALS
One of my favorite memories from our wonderful Amsterdam trip- paddling through the canals. What an awesome way to see Amsterdam. 11 miles & almost 5 hrs of sightseeing!
On personal note, this was a very special trip for me. The last 2 years have been tough to say the least. The Amsterdam trip, was the right trip at the right time. Traveling with a really nice group of (existing) friends, meeting new friends with a common bond & taking an activity-based trip as a new single, all worked for me. You are on to
something!
-Chris
Thank you so much for an amazing experience! I asked everyone at my table at dinner tonight, what was their highlight? All 8 of us picked something different, how cool is that! I chose the first day of practice. I had never paddled with a composite team before and wasnt sure where my ability would be in comparison. But I immediately felt comfortable with everyone.
I thought the practice facility was amazing! Here we were, first day in another country and we are on some lake, in a truly beautiful but remote area, doing what we all love to do!
I just wanted to thank you for having the passion for this sport to dream up and create the Joy Boat and then allow me to be a part of it.
Thank you and safe travels!
-Meg
I have been telling everyone who asks how great our Joy Boat trip was!! (Even those who may forget to ask!). Thank you so much for planning such a memorable trip. It was great to meet the other dragon boaters, too. We are a fun-loving, generous-spirited set of people. Hard to imagine a better experience. My very favorite part was the dragon boating in the canals. I can’t tell why I liked it so much, but from singing ‘Ole Susanna,’ to spotting the elephant and giraffe in the zoo, to a lunch of Dutch Apple pie with whip cream, to making the loud sounds beneath the bridges and waving at the passers by…it was all so much fun!
-Kristi