Entertaining Archives

December 25, 2021December 25, 2021

Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade

Every year, Gig Harbor has a Christmas Boat Parade in the harbor. Wanting to be a part of the parade, but we didn’t have a boat. Solution? We rented one instead. You can see the tour of the 1985 Ponderosa 42‘ MY in our last blog, which is located at the Gig Harbor Marina. Scott and I have been to Gig Harbor a number of times, both by boat and by land and we love this little town. If you haven’t been yet, put it on your list!

Our Ponderosa yacht was very cozy and had plenty of room for us to roam and entertain.

Our friends Ben and Maria (our BVI crew members) joined us on the boat so we could talk about provisioning for our upcoming charter in February. Since we checked in late around 4pm, our crew was hungry after we unloaded everything. There are lots of great restaurants in Gig Harbor, but most close up by 8pm (even on the weekends). For our first night, we picked the Brimstone PNW Smokehouse and it was amazing!

Each couple actually shared a combo plate (more food than you know what to do with) and I should have snapped a photo of their amazing barbecue platters. Instead, I got some great shots of dessert, which included a donut and a peppermint lava cake! The donut was the hit.

After dinner, we returned to the boat to relax and get caught up. Maria decided to bring a game and it was a riot! She took twenty lottery tickets and wrapped them in layers with plastic wrap. Then each player had 30 seconds to try and remove one using an oven mit. It was hysterical and Scott came out the big winner!

Staying on the Boat

The boat was very comfortable. It had been windy during the night, but we didn’t feel too much of it. Ben and Maria did experience the bumper hitting the bow a few times throughout the night. My only complaint was it was too hot in our room! LOL I didn’t think to turn off the heater before bed and the heaters work like a charm.

In the morning, we made a simple continental breakfast so we wouldn’t have to use any of the pots and pans. Since the boat is so close to the dumpster, we made a garbage run each time we left the boat, so it wouldn’t pile up.

Exploring Gig Harbor before the Christmas Boat Parade

The four of us headed into the heart of the town to do some exploring after breakfast. Our first stop is one of our favorite stores “For the Love of Spice“. You can read more about it in our previous blogs. They have a fantastic selection of spices, vinegars and oils. In addition, they have some awesome gifts!

One thing I love about Gig Harbor, is everything seems to be a nautical theme, including the kids rides.

Gig Harbor does not lack cute shops. Maria loves to shop and this was right up her alley. We found so many unique and original gifts.

Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade

Our boat was docked in the first slip and we were able to walk to the end of the dock and look out over the harbor. So it was perfect that the Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade would go right by our dock!

After spending the day in town, we headed back to the boat to relax and enjoy some appetizers before the Christmas Boat Parade. Seems this guy had the same idea!

Unfortunately, we are not professional photographers and we don’t have the proper camera to take photos at night of boats in a distance. So these were the best we could capture (the rest were blurry). They had about 20 or so boats in the parade and they made a loop in the harbor.

Our other boating friends, Cory and Stacy came in to join us for dinner at El Pueblito Mexican Restaurant, which was fantastic! As a bonus, they stay open after 8pm!

Anytime you are away, on a boat and with friends, you are going to have a great time! This was another one of those weekends and Gig Harbor never disappoints. The four of us can’t wait for our bare boat charter trip coming up in the BVIs this February!

As always, thank you for following our journey! We hope to find a boat in 2022, so if you know any slips coming available, please message us. Be sure to follow our YouTube channel and subscribe for updates (see below). Find us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Happy Holidays! Scott and Ally

September 19, 2021September 25, 2021

Cruising Seattle on a Duffy Electric Boat

Earlier this month, Scott and I rented a Duffy Electric Boat with our friends, Stacey, Kurt, Ben and Maria. Having never rented one before, we were not sure what to expect. You can find all kinds of boat rentals on Seattle’s Lake Union, including the Donut Boat and the Hot Tub Boat.

Located on the west side of Lake Union, the Electric Boat Company has a nice open dock and waiting area. Check-in was very easy; we filled out our liability waivers on-line and when we arrived, we simply paid and we were set!

Once you check-in, you wait on the dock for your boat to be cleaned and sanitized.

What can you bring on the boat?

Scott and I rented the boat for a two hour cruise (which costs $307 incl tax) and the boat can take up to 10 people. We rented the standard boat, but they do have a luxury boat which is larger. There were only six of us and it was the right amount of people.

You can bring your own food, beverages and music (they have blue tooth speakers), but remember you still have to follow the liquor law rules for driving under the influence. Stacey brought a beautiful Charcuterie board and we all brought our own wine.

I do recommend that you also bring napkins and paper towels as the water in case of spills.

Where can you cruise?

The Electric Boat Company will give you a map showing the areas you can and cannot take the boat. As we left the dock, the winds were kicking up from the north at about 8mph, so instead of fighting the lake swells, we decided to head up the cut towards Ballard.

There is a houseboat community on the west side of Lake Union that you immediately come upon and that was the “Sleepless in Seattle” house.

Be aware of other boaters

One thing to be aware of as you enter the cut towards Ballard, is marine traffic. Leisure craft, fishing vessels, yachts and tourist boats head through the cut to the Ballard Locks frequently. Be sure to follow the rules of the water and yield to the larger vessels.

Scott did a great job captaining the electric boat. He did say that it was like driving on ice and the steering was very lose.

There is plenty to see on the cruise and you really appreciate how much industry is on the cut.

Recently, the owners of “Trek” reached out to us on Instagram for a tour of their old ferry boat. They use the boat now as an event venue and they happen to pass us in the canal!

A day of boating on an electric boat in Seattle

This was such a fun and comfortable boat! It was a great way to unwind, enjoy the scenery and have fun. It also can be fully enclosed and it comes with a heater, so you can use it in the winter time. We will definitely rent an electric boat again if we are without a boat in the future.

As we cruised closer to the Ballard Locks, I texted our friend Jeff from M/V Why Knot, who we featured on the channel last year. Sure enough, he was home and came out to say hello! It’s our most popular episode, so be sure to check it out. Jeff lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug!

After cruising the cut, we headed towards Gas Work’s Park and my office at Union Marine. We only had about 15 minutes left in our cruise, so we ended up heading back to the docks.

It’s funny all of the things you do see out on the lake, including this cruiser with all of his fenders out.

Seattle has a beautiful skyline, so if you are looking for a day to enjoy the water with a great backdrop, this is the place!

We hope you enjoyed this quick “tour” of Lake Union and the Fremont Cut. As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to watch the full episode below and subscribe to our channel. Scott and I have lots of content lining up, so stay tuned. Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

May 9, 2021May 11, 2021

1909 MV Lotus Edwardian Cruising Houseboat

Last month, Scott and I had the pleasure of touring a 1909 Edwardian Cruising Houseboat on Lake Union, the MV Lotus thanks to our tour guide and volunteer Scott. This vessel was originally built by Mosquito Fleet builder (see our blog about the Mosquito fleet here). At 92′ long, MV Lotus was commissioned by wealthy Seattle lawyer Maurice McMicken in 1909. She remained in the McMicken family until shortly after World War II.

During the period leading up to the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, she was used as a floating lodge on Lake Union for visitors. Subsequently, she was again operated as a private yacht by the Gruye family, cruising back and forth to Alaska. She now belongs to a non-profit foundation dedicated to maintaining and sharing her history, and is once again operating as a floating lodge in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. (per MV Lotus organization).

It was the largest private yacht on the West Coast when she was built, and was constructed with all the latest amenities of the time: electric lighting, a state-of-the-art intercom system, and a gas distillate engine. Currently the boat is maintained by the MV Lotus Foundation and is available for overnight stays. It does not currently leave the dock, but it has in recent years.

The Tour Begins

Upon entering the vessel, you are taken back in time and into a lavish salon. The custom fireplace still works and the furnishings are almost all original or similar to the original. The original china for MV Lotus is still kept in the china cabinet, along with many old photographs and books.

The fixtures are all custom made and many are from Tiffany’s.

Maurice McMicken was not only an avid hunter, but he was a bit eccentric when it came to obtaining things he wanted. For example, he had a beautiful custom desk built, featuring a beaver on the lid. This piece of wood, actually came from the HBC Str Beaver 1836 after it wrecked. The Beaver was a steamship originally owned and operated by the Hudson’s Bay Company and served the remote parts of the West Coast and Canada. McMicken also had a painting of the steamship in the salon.

Sleeping quarters

There are three sleeping quarters, including the master stateroom. Each room has a sink that hot water can be poured into. When not in use, it’s tethered to the wall in some rooms.

The guest rooms, have a shared bathroom that has been updated with a shower.

Moving down the hall, you will find the master stateroom. Even for 1909, this room was very large and lavish. Notice the claw foot tub – on a boat!! Can you imagine filling that with hot water?

The MV Lotus was outfitted with an intercom system throughout the vessel. This was very high tech back in 1909.

Upstairs to the bridge and entertainment deck

From the master stateroom, you head upstairs and enter the bridge. Keep in mind, this boat traveled regularly up to Alaska and then through the San Juan Islands and around Puget Sound. Imagine having no electronics or GPS? All they had were paper charts, a compass and wheel.

Outside of the wheelhouse, you can see the original “brand” in the doorway threshold.

Remodeling the Upper Deck

Currently, the MV Lotus is under construction as they make repairs and minor changes to the upper deck. Normally, this is the place to hang out, enjoy the vistas and a cocktail or two.

Notice in the photo below, where the yellow arrow is pointing. This “base” is actually the soffit down the salon, allowing light in. Now that’s pretty creative!

When the MV Lotus is rented, the upper deck is used for dining and outdoor parties.

Check out the Galley

The volunteers on the boat, do provide some food and beverage service to customers. Typically a small breakfast, coffee and tea are provided to overnight guests. The galley still has the original stovetop plus they have added a newer model. Notice all of the cups are pointed in the same direction inward hanging from the ceiling. We were told that this keeps all of the good luck inside the boat and prevents anything from going overboard.

Best view on the lake

While the MV Lotus no longer cruises, it still offers the best view on Lake Union. As a venue or a weekend getaway, this is the perfect destination. Be sure to check out their website and come down and take a tour. The tours are free, however, the boat is supported by a staff of volunteers and a non-profit organization. Any donations, are surely welcomed.

As always, thank you for following our blog and YouTube channel. See the full tour in the YouTube link below. Be sure to follow us on social @BoatingJourney and use the hashtag #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

November 26, 2020November 26, 2020

Thankful this Season

Though 2020 packed a lot of punches, we’re still thankful this season for everything we experienced this year. While Scott and I are celebrating this Thanksgiving as a party of two, so are many others. When we owned our large house, we hosted Thanksgiving every year for up to 27 people and even after downsizing, we continued to share the holiday with my family. This year is different, thanks to the covid pandemic.

How can we be thankful this year? Well, considering the shutdown, we still had a fantastic year. Yes, our trip to the BVI’s was cancelled, but we were able to spend time on the water with family and friends all year long. Considering we sold the boat in July, we were very fortunate.

During the shutdown, we were still able to take the boat out and anchor for lunch.

Scott and I used the shutdown to get more projects done on the boat and work on the dinghy. While we may not have been able to visit marinas that were shut down, we were thankful to be able to spend quality time with family and friends on the boat at our marina.

Remember, when the gray whale swam down our fairway?

Making the best of it

Once the restrictions started to lift, we managed to visit a lot of places this past year. Though it was obvious things were different with the pandemic in place. Port Orchard was quiet, Camano was distanced and the crowds were few. My motto is, “you have to work with what you have and make it great”.

When we were in Port Orchard, our favorite restaurant has this sign outside of the restrooms. How ironic, right?

The beauty of the PNW

While we were stuck at home for most of the shut down, we also are thankful that we have such a great place to live with an awesome view.

Our last trip on the boat was a trip to Des Moines with my close friend Jen. We headed down for the day simply to get fuel. Not a bad day on the water.

With family and friends on Camano, there was never a shortage of time at the beach or on the water.

Our annual family photo for July 4th certainly had a different feel this year though.

No shortages of dogs either

Scott and I miss our two goldens, Mac and Maggie, everyday. So when I have the chance to love on one, I never miss a chance. This year, we were so lucky to have so many encounters. My favorite one, was getting a visit from Tiller, who I met a few years ago at our company rendezvous. She reminds me of Mac and I sometimes think he’s come back as Tiller.

The Journey is part of the Fun

Scott and I finally met one of our Instagram followers, Jeff from MV Why Knot, who lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug!

Looking for our next liveaboard, we traveled to Anacortes and were finally able to “getaway” for a weekend.

Wanting something longer, we decided to charter a yacht and cruise the San Juan Islands. It certainly wasn’t the trip we were expecting, but then it wouldn’t be a journey otherwise. Plus, we’re thankful we didn’t sink.

At the end of the day, we can honestly say we’re thankful for how everything turned out for us this year. It could have taken many different turns and we’re truly blessed on how the year unfolded. Take a moment this season to give thanks and appreciate what you have. It could be gone tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families and thank you for following our journey. Follow us on social at @BoatingJourney and please subscribe to our YouTube channel (see our latest episode below)

Ally & Scott

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020

We went to Summer Camp!

A few weekends ago, Scott and I spent some time at Camp Grande on Camano Island. Our friends, Ben and Maria had invited us up for a fun weekend of crabbing, playing games and campfires at their cabin.

As many of you know, my family has a home on the southeast end of Camano Island. Camp Grande is located on the northwest end of the island facing Whidbey Island and the Saratoga Passage.

What is Camp Grande?

In 1956, two families bought a 9 acre camp that featured a boat house, 24 cabins and 28 boats. They ran the camp until 1970 and then put it up for sale. It remained vacant until 1976 when a group of friends pooled their money to purchase the property. The original group of 40 shareholders, Pilchuck Association, was excited to look at Camp Grande as a possible investment. It was offered for sale at $213,000 and though it seemed like a lot of money forty+ years ago, it has proven to be a great decision. Unfortunately, the camp had fallen prey to vandalism and destruction while vacant. As a result they had a lot of work to do in order to get it back to a functional camp. Check out the full history of Camp Grande on two blogs: Beaches of Camano Island:Camp Grande and SunnyshoreStudio.

Fast forward to today. Ben’s mom and dad were original investors in the camp and that then allowed them to transfer “shares” to their children. So Ben and Maria are partners with two other families in cabin 17. They were in a different cabin originally and have since moved. Think of this as sort of a time share.

The view from their cabin is absolutely gorgeous!

Time to go crabbing!

Ben has a 12′ Smoker Craft fishing boat that he can easily trailer and use for crabbing.

We needed to check on the crab pots before low tide, so we quickly headed over to the Maple Grove boat launch about 5 minutes away. There’s no dock, so boaters simply “beach” their boats after they launch.

Scott and Ben hopped in the boat and navigated over to Camp Grande to check on the pots. After they got their haul, Ben simply tied the boat to the tall dock (where it would hopefully stay afloat during low tide).

So many crabs, clams and mussels!

Since we were having a huge seafood dinner the next day, we were thrilled that we caught our limit of ten crabs! Maria was far braver than me – she had no issue picking them up! If you recall from my other crabbing blog, there are two ways to cook/kill crab. Some people put them in the boiling water alive and then clean them; others stab them in half, clean them and then boil them. That’s how Maria prefers to do it.

After a fabulous lunch (thanks to Maria), we headed back down to the beach to get some clams and mussels for our seafood dinner. The tide was really low, so we had plenty of beach to work with. Note that you do need a license to harvest clams and mussels as well.

Beautiful sunset

Since we are accustomed to being on the east side of the island, we never get to enjoy the sunset, so this trip offered a real treat. After dinner, we built a fire and got ready for some serious star gazing! The view was stunning and magical. We had no idea what the following night would have in store for us!

A day at camp

The next day, Scott and Ben headed out to check the crab pots once again and caught three. Afterwards, we had a fantastic lunch, played some lawn games and soaked up some much needed sun. They also gave me an early birthday present – love it!!

There were so many bald eagles everywhere too! They seemed to visit us about every half hour.

After enjoying some sun, Ben and I headed out for the final trip to pull the crab pots. I tried doing the pulling, but it’s not that easy when you don’t have a pot puller. Plus Scott was making me laugh as he was filming me with the drone. Unfortunately, we only caught one crab this time. (again, we didn’t grab a photo, so this is a screenshot from the video.)

Just minutes after we got out of the boat, Ben spotted a spout in the water! A humpback whale was frolicking in the bay! Who would guess that we would get to see eagles and whales all in the same day!

The property was covered in Hydrangea plants and it was so beautiful to walk around.

A fantastic dinner with great friends and scenery!

With clams purging and Champagne ready, we were ready for an amazing feast!

One thing about Maria, is she is a fantastic cook! I pride myself on being an amazing chef, but she has me beat! We had a fine dining experience in epic surroundings. Maria made grilled lobster and shrimp skewers for our first course.

Maria also made a fantastic clam recipe. I’m not a huge clam eater – I like them very small and swimming in garlic. So when we were clamming and she kept digging for the big ones I was getting grossed out. Turns out, she guts each clam and then chops up the meat. From there she seasons them, and grills them in their shells with tomatoes and bacon. Let me tell you – they were delicious!

The irony of the dinner, was we had so many appetizers that we hardly touched the crab! Of course, I failed to get a photo of that too. We had so much left over crab, that Scott and I enjoyed a crab Louie the following night for dinner!

Sunset, stars and the moon

We finished the night with a campfire and s’mores., just as if we were at camp.

There’s something to be said about summer in the Pacific Northwest! The sunsets are pink and vibrant, the skies are filled with stars at night and the moon shines brightly.

Scott and I can’t thank Ben and Maria enough for such a fun and fabulous weekend. It’s during these trying times, that we realize how important friendships are to us. We know the four of us will have an amazing time in the BVI’s on our bareboat charter next February!

We captured some amazing video footage, including drone footage of our weekend. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and see the video below.

As always, thank you for following our story! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter @BoatingJourney and use the hashtag #boatingjourney. Thank you for subscribing to our blog and our YouTube Channel. We’ll see you on water soon!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

June 12, 2020June 12, 2020

Boating these days

These are certainly different times right now and boating these days, isn’t quite the same as it used to be. It was a year ago this week, that we took our first big trip to Dock Street Marina in Tacoma. The weather was horrible and we had three foot seas. At 9 knots, it took us just over three hours. Definitely not my favorite in the books.

Once we got there, we had a blast and that’s what boating is all about. Spending time with fellow boaters on the water and docks. Even though things are starting to open up, we still aren’t there yet and we miss those times.

Adjusting to the new norm

When boating opened up in Washington State on May 4, 2020, many of the marinas were still closed as were the towns they are in. Some boaters chose to head out and anchor, but we like the amenities of a marina (especially since our generator is only a portable one). As a result, we’ve been hanging out at home working on boat projects.

Last weekend, we finally gave in and invited our good friends Ben & Maria down for the night for cocktails and a dinghy ride. We hadn’t seen them since we took off to Port Orchard and we needed to talk about rescheduling our trip to the BVIs.

They have been following our struggles with getting the dinghy started, so it was a celebration of its’ own. Ironically, I have never taken the dinghy out by myself. After Ben and Scott got back from their tour, Maria and I climbed in for the big adventure. We had a ball cruising the marina, saying hi to fellow boaters and enjoying the sunshine.

What’s next on YouTube?

Before they arrived, we filmed a YouTube episode about our electronics on board (see video below). A few followers asked us how our boat was outfitted and we decided to share in a tour. We have the basic necessities for cruising around Puget Sound and they work great for us. Be sure to watch the video at the end for the full episode.

Our weekend was short with Ben and Maria, but fun. It doesn’t matter if you are at a marina, at anchor or out cruising – if you are on the water with friends, life is more fun. Summer is just two weeks away and normally we’d have big plans for cruising. This pandemic has changed that for all of us, as we are living day to day. Instead of making huge cruising plans in two months (we did that back when….remember how that turned out?), we’re looking short-term at what we can do as the weekends arrive. We love the summer evenings at the marina and we can’t wait for more warm weather.

In the meantime, we’re enjoying being on the boat with friends and family. As I said in our “whale on our stern” video; if you open yourself up to the world, you never know what might be waiting for you. Stay tuned and see what happens for us this summer.

As always, thank you for following us! Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney, so you can see our stories and get current updates on our progress. Also, check out our YouTube channel at @BoatingJourney and subscribe for future episodes. Cheers, Scott & Ally

May 17, 2020June 3, 2020

Boating is finally open!

Scott and I have been spending our weekends cooped up on the boat at the marina during this quarantine. Due to the shelter order, we were not allowed to venture out and go boating. Some boaters did choose to go out and anchor, but some of the them got flack for leaving.

On May 5, 2020 the governor finally opened up recreational boating and allowed fishing to resume! Plus the weather forecast for the following weekend was hot and sunny – we’re talking mid 80’s! Scott and I both took Friday off and planned to get away for the weekend on the boat.

Where do we go?

The photo above was taken up north by Whidbey Island years ago on our old boat. We have been itching to go anchor somewhere and learn the ropes. But we’ve always wanted to have Ben and Maria on board, so we can practice for the BVI’s. By Thursday, I noticed most of the boating channels we follow on Instagram were heading out early Friday.

The more we thought about it, we decided it was not in the best interest for us to leave the first weekend that boating was open. Too much traffic and we would be better off working on the boat (sad face). But wait! It gets better and in fact, everyone who left for the weekend ended up being jealous of us. More on that later.

Weekend of boat projects

When you own a boat, you never run out of projects. Since the weather was warm and sunny, we tackled some serious cleaning projects on the boat. Another item on our to do list, was to replace the spot light that got ripped off last year. How did that happen? Well, our slip neighbor’s boat stuck out into the fairway too far (almost 5′) and their dinghy was hanging up by the davit about 6′. When we pulled out, the spotlight on the bowsprit got caught on their dinghy line and the force pulled it off, leaving the base on. We ended up using white flexi-tape to reattach it until we could get it fixed.

Looking at the photo above, you would assume, that to remove the spotlight, you would simply undo the screws. Nope, of course not. Turns out that when Bayliner produced this boat, they mounted the spot light on the top portion of the bowsprit, THEN connected the bottom portion, so there was no way to access the spot light.

We finally gave up trying to figure it out and called Emerald Harbor Marine to fix it. They ended up having to destroy the old one and mount a new one. Looks great, don’t you think?! A good tip, if you don’t already know this, is be sure to turn your spot light around (if you don’t have a cover) so that debris doesn’t break the glass while underway.

Friday evening happy hour

We invited my brother-in-law, Kurt and his girlfriend, Stacey down on Friday evening for happy hour. Kurt wanted to take another look at the dinghy engine to try and troubleshoot it. He was the chief engineer on the ferries, so he knows his stuff. We’ve all been quarantined for 60+ days, so we felt comfortable having them down. We still kept our distance and “air hugged” each other. That’s probably the hardest part of this social distancing.

If you recall from our last blog, we have had troubles getting the outboard on the dinghy to start. We replaced the fuel, fuel filters, spark plugs and cleaned out the carburetor. At first, the engine would start, but not stay on without the choke. We assumed it was the carburetor, so that’s why Scott took it apart to clean. But after all that, we couldn’t even the get engine to start.

So this time Kurt and Scott took off the outboard cover and sprayed CRC Jump Start into the carburetor as they were starting it. It finally started and Kurt realized that the idle was set too low. Once he adjusted it, it stayed running! Woot!!

This calls for a celebration. Time for happy hour and some food! We use the propane tank housing as a counter all the time. Works great!

You’ll never believe what happened next!!

The four of us were relaxing in the cockpit when we started hearing screaming. We didn’t pay much attention to it, until our neighbor Miguel, shouted over to us that there was a gray whale off our stern in the fairway! Yep, you heard that right. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get this week’s notification, of when we upload the video. It was crazy!

All of our boat neighbors who left for the weekend, were so bummed they missed out! It was about 30′ long and he just casually swam away. That was definitely a first for us and I think Elliott Bay Marina too.

Next day – time to test out the dinghy!

Keep in mind, that we’ve only used the dinghy twice since we bought the boat. We took one trip around the marina last summer and then we tried to go for a ride last Fall and it died on us just feet away from the boat. Since the weather was hot and we were home bound, might as well get some kind of boat ride in.

We grabbed the oars and pushed off, as our neighbor Miguel wished us luck.

Time for Ally to learn to fly the drone

Since it was a beautiful sunny day on Sunday, we decided to have me learn how to fly the drone. I get a bit freaked out when the drone heads out over the water, but that’s why we bought a drone. Scott did a great job explaining how things work. Now I just need practice. We’ll have the footage on our YouTube channel in upcoming episodes – so be sure subscribe!

Now was the extent of our first hot and sunny weekend. Let us know what you think? Should we be out boating now? Is it too soon? We’d love to hear from you. If you thought the whale sighting was awesome, be sure to check out our next blog and episode for more awesome encounters! Next Blog

April 14, 2020April 23, 2020

Dinghy issues & learning to dock a yacht

The weather was great last week, so why not check out our dinghy issues and learn how to dock a yacht? Like everyone, we’re going stir crazy during this COVID-19 quarantine. It doesn’t help that the weather turned nice and this is when we should be out boating. On top of that, I (Ally) was temporarily laid off at the end of March and I’m not one to sit around the house.

After a week and half in the condo, we needed a change of scenery. So many of our fellow boaters are venturing out to secluded anchorages and we want to head out too. But first, we have a few projects to tackle, including getting the dinghy engine working.

Engine troubles

The last time we used the dinghy was last Fall, when we went out for a marina cruise and the engine died just five feet from the boat. You can see the footage of that scene in our Bloopers Video that we just posted. We assumed that the issue was our battery, as it hadn’t been charged.

After charging the battery for a few days, Scott climbed in to start the dinghy. Unfortunately, the engine wouldn’t turn over. After sharing our story on Instagram, a number of people recommended we check our fuel.

The following weekend, we drained all of the fuel and filled the tank with brand new fuel. It was great that you can drop off your hazardous materials at the marina office for disposal.

Unfortunately, swapping out the fuel didn’t work. Scott then changed the in-line fuel filter – turns out we do have another fuel filter attached to the engine. We didn’t change that one, because Scott doesn’t think it has anything to do with the issue. Still wouldn’t start.

Could it be spark plugs?

The next option was to change the spark plugs. While we were able to buy the spark plugs at West Marine, we couldn’t swap them out until we bought a special wrench for these specific spark plugs (18mm thin wall). Scott eventually found one on Ebay, so we had to wait for that to arrive.

The following weekend, he replaced all of the spark plugs AND sprayed Sea Foam (fuel cleaner) into the fuel tank. Once again, we waited with anticipation to see if it would start.

The good news is, it finally starts. The bad news is, it won’t stay running without the choke being engaged. We did talk to Monkey Fist Marine and a few other people, who all believe it’s the carburetor. This could be a very expensive job (at $150/hour to rebuild one) or to just buy one and have it installed. The catch? We have three carburetors on this dinghy engine. Ouch!

Our next plan of attack is to move the dinghy over to the dock and remove the manifold. From there, Scott can try cleaning out the jets, replace the gaskets and add a carburetor and choke cleaner. Fingers crossed.

Next project…..cleaning the lazarette

Ever since we bought the boat a year ago, I have been wanting to clean the lazarette. While it is used to store stuff, who wants to see a grimy storage unit every time it’s opened up? I figured this would be a fairly easy job and allow me to spend some time enjoying the sun. Boy was I wrong! This thing was filthy and had years of grime and green algae gunked on.

First, I attempted to sweep the gunk out. That didn’t work well, as I really needed a hand broom for the nooks and crannies.

Instead, I filled up a tub with Dawn liquid soap, grab a sponge and went to town. This was a back breaking project – I don’t know how boat mechanics do it. The spaces are tight and I was careful not to step on anything important (our water maker and diesel heater are down there). Eventually, the lazarette was spotless!

After finishing up our projects, we got ready for a cruise on the bay for the evening. While it was a short cruise, it was nice to be out on the water and enjoy the scenery.

Time to practice docking

The weather was nice and calm Saturday morning, so we decided to head over to N Dock so that I could practice docking the boat. I only docked our previous boat once and that was a twin screw stern drive engines.

They (whoever “they” are) say, never have your spouse try to teach you how to dock a boat. We don’t speak the same language when it comes to stressful tasks. In this case, Scott likes to use “no no no” or “eh eh!” which tends to stress me out. Finally, I told him the best way to communicate with me is to simply say what I should be doing (i.e. port side reverse, starboard forward, neutral). That seemed to do the trick. Still, trying to dock a 24,000 pound yacht for the first time is not a task I take lightly.

How did I do? Well, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for notifications for our next video. We’ll have the entire drone footage included.

Enjoying the weekend at the marina

Though we can’t socialize and mingle on the dock like normal, it was still nice to enjoy the beauty and calmness of the marina. There was a super low tide (-1.66) on Saturday and it was crazy to see how far it was out. The rock formation you see, is normally under water.

Normally on a warm sunny day folks are enjoying outdoor dining outside of Maggie Bluffs, but due to the shelter order they can only offer curbside service. So we ordered lunch and a bottle of wine in support of our local marina restaurant. They also have a limited Palisade menu, which we’ll order from next weekend.

That evening, we made a nice dinner on the boat (Asian marinated pork chops with stir fried veggies) and watched the sunset fade over the Olympic Mountains. There’s truly no better place to be than on your boat, especially during these stressful times.

We all still have three more weeks of isolation. We’re heading back to the marina this weekend to keep working on the dinghy. Scott and I might even take the boat out to anchor one night – we’ll see. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon and we can begin enjoying life on the water again. Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Cheers, Ally & Scott

January 23, 2020January 23, 2020

Cozy winter night during wind storm

Scott and I have been planning to stay on the boat during a wind storm for a while now. The forecast was showing 30-40mph winds for last Friday night, so finally we decided to spend the night during the storm. Why you ask? Well, primarily to see if we could stand it, if we were full-time liveaboards. In addition, it was bitter cold in Seattle at about 38 degrees.

I tried to film walking along the dock, but the rain was going sideways and it was pitch dark. The last thing we needed was to fall into the water during a wind storm – better to watch where we are going, than have footage! (yes, I could have had my GoPro head mount on, but I would have really looked ridiculous!).

We have two Caframo True North heaters on the boat – one in each stateroom. But with it being just above freezing, it was still pretty chilly when we first got on the boat.

boat heater — Sorry for all of the dust! LOL

Time to make dinner

What do you make on a cold winter’s night? Chili and cornbread of course! This time, we made our favorite vegetarian chili. As some of you know, the LPG (liquid propane gas) system freaks me out. Guess that’s why there are three switches plus the knob to turn the gas on!

But first things first! Time to try a new rose’ in a can – we love canned wine, as it’s perfect for the boat. This one is from Outspoken Wine Co in California. The strange thing is, I can’t find anything online about the actual wine co. But it was very tasty!

I got used to lighting the stove top, but it’s the oven that I don’t like! Scott has to light it with a lighter and it was taking forever. Would love to swap out our system with an electric stove and have a microwave / convection oven.

While I worked on the chili, Scott made the cornbread. During this time the boat was rocking a little, but not too bad. The oven worked perfect and the cornbread came out great!

Planning our BVI charter

Scott and I brought all of our documents for our upcoming BVI bareboat charter in April, to discuss and outline our questions. We’re having a charter meeting with our friends Ben and Maria in February and we’ll want to nail down a few things including:

Provisioning
Itineraries (need more than one in case the weather changes)
Charts
Activities

Scott printed out pdf charts from NOAA and the big question for other cruisers is, will this be enough, or do we need to buy full paper charts to take with us? I’ve reached out to The Moorings to see if they provide charts – I have to imagine they do! Again, any advice other cruisers have – please tell us!

When the “boat’s a rocking”

Time for wine, candles and a movie! We ended up watching “Late Night” which was pretty funny. As usual, we finished the night watching some of our favorite YouTube channels, including a local Seattle family (Teal, Linh, Emma and Compass) from S/V Basik – “On Board Lifestyle“. Great channel and we have learned so much from them.

How did we sleep?

Actually we slept surprisingly good through out the wind storm! There were just a few times that the boat rocked badly. Compared to our sailing trip on the Star Clipper where our cabin was moving about 10′ up and down, this was nothing.

It got very chilly and flannel pajamas were a must! At the same time, I love how chilly our stateroom is during the summer. Remember, our aft cabin is almost in the water, which is a constant 50 degrees in the Puget Sound.

Next day errands and project

One of our boating resolutions was to do some remodeling and that includes finding a new sink and faucet. Our first stop was to Morgan’s Kitchen and Bath in Ballard. I had bought a tiny sink from them before, so hopefully they could help us. Turns out they would need some time to look through their catalogs and will get back to us. The challenge is our sink is 22″ x 14″ x 6″. Odd size.

We also checked out their faucets, but these were super high end and really for homes (which is what we already have on the boat!). Then we went to Home Depot – that was a huge BUST. Everything was way to big. Both Scott and I have remodeled our own kitchens in the past and who would know this would be this difficult?

I suggested we stop by Fisheries Supply in Seattle – maybe they have faucets? Sure enough, they have one that will work perfect! We want a faucet that is tall enough to get a pan under it, but not so tall it takes over the galley. Hey, maybe they have a sink too? Turns out you have to look online to see their inventory. We haven’t done that yet.

Our plan is to tackle the faucet and hopefully sink over the next few weeks. Since Ally has to work the Seattle Boat Show for the next 10 days, we won’t be doing any kind of major projects on the boat until after the show is over. Stay tuned for our next blog covering the show. This year we plan on meeting with supply vendors that came help us upgrade the boat and also new marinas we can visit this summer!

As always, thank you for following us! Find us on social media on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney. We finally tested out our new drone, so look for our maiden voyage posts. Be sure to also check out our YouTube channel at @BoatingJourney and subscribe for future episodes.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

November 9, 2019November 13, 2019

Our Glamorous Boating Lifestyle

Okay, do you really think we have a glamorous boating lifestyle? If you have been boating with us on any weekend, you know we’re basically camping on a boat. That means sweats, no showers, no make-up and bad hair. LOL!

That’s especially true when we spend the weekend on the boat at Elliott Bay Marina. Since we are trying to embrace what it would be like to live aboard a boat, we spend as much time as possible on it. This past summer, we were lucky to have good weather to visit a lot of places including Tacoma, Port Orchard, Kingston, Bremerton and around Blake Island. The rest of the time, we basically hung out at the marina and did boat projects.

What’s a typical weekend in the marina like?

Our glamorous boating weekend at the marina starts by packing up the car Friday evening and stopping at Whole Foods to grab dinner on our way. Scott and I then load up the red wagon and haul our groceries an other supplies (linens, etc) down to the boat. We do keep extra clothes and toiletries on the boat, so we don’t have to pack each weekend.

As you can see, we are fancy drinkers! LOL The galley is small, so it fills up fast when we unload everything.

During the summer, we tried to use the grill as much as possible, since I’m not a huge fan of using our stove top or oven. I admit it – the LPG system (liquid propane gas) freaks me out. However, when the weather is cold and rainy, we don’t have much of a choice.

Spending time on the boat is much the same as our condo

Whether Scott and I are at home at our condo or on the boat, we’re probably doing the same thing on a Friday night (unless we’re entertaining friends). That means, dinner and tv or a movie – glamorous isn’t it? One thing I’m trying to get used to, is that our boat isn’t that comfortable for relaxing and watching tv. We don’t really have a couch (except in the hallway).

The other option, is to sit at the settee and watch tv there. Scott also has set up another tv in the forward stateroom, where we can stretch our legs on the bed. But honestly, I’m not much of a “in bed tv watcher”. LOL

When we are just staying on the boat at Elliott Bay Marina, we typically use Saturdays for boat projects and catching up on chores. It’s much more fun to work on projects with a view like this. Plus you get to see your neighbors, say hi and catch up.

After we’re done with our projects, we’ll enjoy cocktails either at an event at the marina or with friends on the boat.

Funny story to share – you never know who you will run into

When I flew up to Roche Harbor last April with my boss, another passenger on the plane started talking to us. He got off at Friday Harbor, but we ran into him again at Roche Harbor later that day. Turns out (Ken is his name) works for another broker. We then go to breakfast and he’s right behind us in line. We get on the plane and sure enough, he’s on the plane with us.

Later that day, we were moving the boat from Union Marine through the locks. After we tied up to the wall, I looked at the boat in front of us and low and behold, there he was again! Too funny.

After that day, we seemed to run into each other at different events and shows. It became comical really. One Friday evening, Scott and I were relaxing at Maggie Bluff’s and this really cute dog walked by. I couldn’t resist, so asked the owner if I could pet him and she said yes.

What ended up being the funny part of the story, is the dog belonged to Ken! He came walking down the sidewalk and we couldn’t stop laughing. Yes, you had to be there. But the point of the story, is that the boating world (life) is small and one way or another, you’ll run into someone you know (maybe multiple times!)

The views never get old

One of the best things about mooring our boat at Elliott Bay Marina, is the views never disappoint. The only bummer right now, is our dock faces the breakwater wall. For us to enjoy the view at low tide, we either have to be on the fly bridge or up the walkway.

Entertaining on the boat

We love having friends and family come down and enjoy a day on the boat. Whether we cruise over to Port Madison or around Elliott Bay, it’s always a good time when you’re on the water. On top of that, Seattle offers some of the best views in the country and we’re five minutes away. That’s pretty glamorous to me!

Even on a blustery Fall afternoon, we can have fun watching college football on the boat with friends.

So we might not have a glamorous boating lifestyle, but it sure is fun. As they say, “Life is better on the water”. How can you get out and join us? Check out our Patreon page! With your support to produce better quality and informational videos, we in turn want to take you out boating. Join Here.

As always, thanks for following us on our journey! Please subscribe to our social channels too, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (@BoatingJourney). Not only do we want to share our story & experience with you, we also want to hear from you too. We’re learning everyday.

Cheers, Scott and Ally
#BoatingJourney