Come along with Scott & Ally on their boating journey in Florida!
Tag: Boating Blogs
Boating blogs are great resources for information for new and experienced boaters. Before we bought our boat, we followed many sailing, cruising and live-aboard bloggers. Most of them shared their troubles and accomplishments and really gave us insight into what to expect.
But what they didn’t do, is tell the story from the very beginning and that’s how our bloating blog “boatingjourney.com” came to life. We wanted to share how do you find a broker, a boat, moorage and what is the entire process? What things to new boaters need to know and learn before buying a boat? All of these things are very important and part of the process of owning a boat.
We also read a lot of books written by sailors and cruisers. I wanted to document our story using the blog so we would have that at our hands if we decided to write a book too. We hope you enjoy our blog among all of the other boating blogs.
Last week Scott and I took a pontoon cruise down the ICW from Deerfield to Delray Beach. Overnight Boat Rentals gave us a deal on the boat for a few hours. Overnight boat rentals offer daily and weekly boat rentals, so it’s a great option for people who want to boat, but not own one. Scott had never driven a single screw or a pontoon boat, so this was a fun experience.
We picked the boat up at Sullivan Park in Deerfield Beach where they have a few public docks available. Brandon, the owner of Overnight Boat Rentals was waiting for us with the captain.
Godfrey Pontoon
Our pontoon was actually a “tri-toon” as it had three pontoons underneath it. It was 26′ in length and had plenty of room for entertaining. It had a side entrance door along with a stern and bow door for easy access.
The helm offered a very comfortable captain’s chair along with the control panel with all of the necessary electronics from Garmin. It also had a Bluetooth stereo by Fusion.
The pontoon was powered by a single Yamaha 150hp outboard. It also had a super sturdy swim ladder and a “Power-Pole” (see black pole to the right). When engaged it keeps the boat from rotating while on anchor.
There was plenty of storage throughout the boat, to help keep your accessories, like lines, fenders and the anchor tidy.
Heading up the ICW
Scott was back at the helm and happy as a clam as we headed up the ICW. Most of the route was a no wake zone, so we took our time enjoying the view. We had the boat for 3 hours, so we figured we’d head north for an hour and half and then turn around.
We did have to wait for a couple of bridges. The clearance on these was only about 7′ at high tide and with our bimini top, we knew we were too tall.
The sites along the ICW
As we arrived in Boca, we came across a large sandbar. At 12pm, it wasn’t that crowded but when we returned, it was packed!
The view never gets old, that is for sure!
Soon, we left the giant mansions and were surrounded by mangrove trees. We had hoped to see a manatee, but no luck. Perhaps the people below saw one?
I’m digging the names of these two yachts – I see a theme here! My style that’s for sure!
On our way back, it was much busier and far more crowded than when we left.
We had a great time spending the day on the water. Our only disappointment was the rude boaters who didn’t follow the “no wake zone” rules – below is a great example. It was a wash machine in the ICW!
A big thank you to Brandon at Overnight Boat Rentals! Just as the title says, they have overnight and weekly rentals available. I think Scott and I will definitely look at renting one over night and head north to explore more.
As always, thank you for following our blog and journey! Be sure to subscribe to our channel (see link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Scott and I joined the Seakeepers Society last month to celebrate World Ocean Day by volunteering for a Miami Beach clean up hosted by Clean Miami Beach. They only had space for about 125 volunteers and we met at the beach near 22nd and Collins Avenue. The event started at 10am and ran until 12pm. It was so brutally hot and I’m not sure why they didn’t start the event earlier.
Celebrating World Ocean Day
As part of the clean up a variety of educators and artisan vendors were exhibiting their goods. Here we found artists who turn garbage into jewels.
Beach Clean Up
I bought garden gloves for Scott and I to use (they refrain from using anything rubber or disposable). The group also discouraged bringing water bottles, but instead asked everyone to use non-disposable bottles. They did provide buckets (Scott and I shared one) and we each had a garbage stick.
The beach clean up started right at 10am and off we went! The group encouraged everyone to try and pick up the small pieces as that is what the fish and birds digest. In addition,they did have a contest for most garbage and most unique garbage.
It took us two hours to pick up three pounds of garbage. It doesn’t look like much, but we probably picked up 300 tiny pieces of fabric, plastic, plastic ties and cigarette butts. Most of what we picked up was actually felt and we figured out it is probably the felt found on a floaty air mattress that was destroyed by the sea.
Successful Beach Clean Up
When we returned to the main tent, they weighed your garbage and then had a team sorting each bucket. It was alarming to see how much garbage we picked up in just two short hours.
Scott and I are looking forward to joining Seakeepers again for another great cause. Help do your part and join your local clean up crew.
As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our channel (see link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. We are heading to the Exumas in two weeks, so we are excited to bring you more boating adventures.
Recently, Scott and I took a quick trip to Sarasota on the west coast of Florida. Scott’s uncle lives just north of Sarasota and we decided to make a weekend trip out of it since we have never been to Sarasota. The drive took us about 4 hours going straight across the state on I-75.
We stayed at the Westin, just overlooking the bay. I picked this hotel because it has a rooftop bar and we would finally be able to see a sunset! Looking at the image below (facing southeast) you can see how FLAT Florida actually is!
Finding a place for dinner
Sarasota has a few very well known areas with great restaurants. One very popular area is St. Armands Circle on Lido Key.
Unfortunately, the traffic to get to Lido Key was nuts, so we decided to walk down to the marina and grab a bit to eat there. Our first attempt was at O’Leary’s Tiki Bar. Sounded cool, however, there’s no table service. You actually stand in line for your food and drinks – no thanks. So we headed back to the other side of the marina and found Marina Jack’s. We had a great view, some live music and the food and service was just okay.
There’s a park along the marina walkway and they have constructed a giant statue of the VE Day moment when a sailor randomly kissed a nurse.
After dinner, we hurried back to the hotel to catch our first sunset since being in Key West last December. It did not disappoint!
Kayaking with the manatees in Sarasota
Since moving to Florida, I have rarely seen any wildlife. I saw one manatee in the Bahamas when we arrived at Atlantis, but that has been it. No dolphins, no whales, no sharks (guess that’s a good thing). We booked our kayak trip with Sea Life Kayak Adventures and they were fantastic! I would highly recommend them! Scott and I took an Uber to the park, because we knew parking was very limited.
Our instructor gave us a brief introduction and then we were off! We had about 15 people in our group.
We left Ted Sperling Park and began to circumnavigate Otter Key in search of manatees.
I am so glad I wore my lightweight water shoes for this trip. They work as tennis shoes and also are water shoes. You can buy them here!
During the trip, our instructor stopped and dove down to bring up sea urchins! He actually handed them to people to hold. What?! I thought they were spiny and dangerous?
The trip was nearly done and we were feeling defeated, but suddenly our guide spots a group of manatees. So we all paddled as fast as we could and before we knew it, about five of them were under our kayaks. It is important to remember that they are still endangered and you can’t touch them or come into contact with them. Watch our video for the footage of our encounter.
The mangroves
As we were heading back, I mentioned “look at those tunnels in the mangroves – I bet you can take a boat back there”. Next thing I know, we were in that tunnel!
I got tangled a few times and then at one point, Scott says, “Oh, wow, they are everywhere”. What are everywhere I wonder!? Then I see them – Mangrove tree crabs. YUCK. They are everywhere – get me out of here! Watch the footage – it’s pretty funny.
The entire trip took about three hours and I would definitely do it again.
When in Sarasota, go to the circus
Let’s be honest – I hate the circus. They treated animals horribly, but their story is pretty fascinating. Scott and I had to go to the Ringling Museum and mansion as that is what founded the city.
The Ringling is the former estate of John and Mable Ringling. It features a museum of art, circus museum, Ca D Zan (the home of john and Mable), the historic Asolo theater and the bayfront gardens.
I recommend spending time in the Tibbals Learning Center. As you enter through the front lobby you are greeted by a giant mural entitled “The Greatest Show on Earth” painted by William Woodward in 1990 which captures the excitement of the ringling Bros and Barnum & bailey experience.
You’ll be transported back in circus history as you stroll through the poster gallery. As you walk thru the museum, you will come upon the Howard Bros Circus Model. It consists of more than 42000 pieces and covers 3800 square feet. The model is a historically accurate rendition of an early twentieth-century circus. The logistical engineering required to move the circus’s entire “tented city” from town to town each day via the railway was nothing short of a miracle.
From there visit the historic circus galleries featuring John and Mable’s magnificent turn-of-the-century private Pullman railcar, the Wisconsin, historic circus wagons of all kinds, an artistic display of painted wagon wheels, and a sideshow bannerline.
The Ringling Mansion
From this museum, we walked through the gardens and toured the first level of the mansion. The photos don’t do it justice, so be sure to watch our video (see link below).
The estate is massive and the mansion was beautiful. Everything about it was designed to the finest detail.
The stained glass windows are the original glass and considering these face out onto the water, it’s amazing they are still in tact.
For a kitchen during the 1920’s, this would still be considered a gourmet kitchen today!
Overlooking the bay in Sarasota
The tour finished outside the mansion on the palatial patio overlooking the bay. I can only imagine the parties they hosted here.
There were so many Banyon trees and they were giant! I walked through one that reminded me of a fort. Unfortunately, I was not digging the weird black lizards!
Scott and I finished our tour of the Ringling by walking through the gardens. One museum we did miss was the Art Museum. We’ll have to check it out next time as we hear it’s amazing.
Our impression of Sarasota
We finished our final day in Sarasota enjoying a great dinner at Clasico Italian Chophouse and we wrapped up our weekend with one more amazing sunset.
This was a great trip and we are looking forward to returning to explore more. With it’s abundant things to do on the water, Sarasota is a great destination for boaters and land lovers. We’ll be back!
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (link below) and our boating blog. Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
A few weeks ago, Scott and I rented a dinghy for a few hours to cruise along the New River. We rented the boat for $75/hour (two hours) from Salty Blue Fun Rentals. We found them online and we saw that we could walk to the boat to pick it up.
We walked about a mile and a half to a residential area. Now I was thinking, this is not a good idea. I mean, are we renting it from someone’s house?! Turns out there was a marina in the neighborhood and the owner of Salty Blue Fun actually lives on her boat and she rents her dinghy. She and her partner were very nice and got us set up right away.
Where can we go in two hours?
Scott and I hopped in, got a quick run down and off we went. We headed down the canal towards the New River. Remember, the New River is where we walk and also where we pick up the Water Taxi. I didn’t realize how far we traveled until I pulled this map!
Once you leave the canals and head towards the river, you have to watch for big yachts and lots of traffic.
It was really hot and we were so glad the dinghy came with a bimini top. I forgot to take a photo of the dinghy, so the image of the boat is actually from an old ad from when it was for sale. Looks like it cost around $4995 used.
Going Southwest on the River
We cruised through Downtown Fort Lauderdale, passing lots of traffic and bridges. The last time I did this cruise, I was on the Sunseeker 74′ Sport Yacht returning from the Bahamas.
Is there a current?
One thing you will notice while cruising in a dinghy, is the wind. Going Southwest, we had a very smooth ride, but on the return it was definitely wet and bumpy.
Time to turn around
After an hour, we made it to Safe Harbor Marina and we knew we had to turn around there to make it back in the next hour. Safe Harbor Marina is a large shipyard specializing in mega yacht haul outs.
Look closely at the image above. That mural is on the garage door for their yacht boat house. We also stumbled upon a variety of odd sites along the way.
There must have been a duck event this day?
The ride certainly did not disappoint. It was a great way to explore the river and spend time on the water without breaking the bank. Scott and I were so glad we rented the dinghy to spend a fun day on the river. We will definitely rent the dinghy from Salty Blue Fun again and if you are looking for a great boat rental, check them out.
As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our channel (see video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Tune in next week as we head to Sarasota and kayak with the manatees.
That’s a question Scott and I get all the time on YouTube, “What is your channel about”? For us, it seems pretty simple. It’s about boating, but that’s not how it started really. We started the blog first, so we could document our journey in becoming first time boaters (well, together – I grew up boating). Would we like it and could we actually live on a boat? Well in order to answer all of these questions, we have to go back to the beginning.
The Beginning
Ever since we spent our honeymoon in Antigua 20 years ago and charted both sailing monohull and catamaran boats we’ve been focused on not only someday finding our own dream boat, but to take part in the liveaboard cruising lifestyle. But like for so many, life has thrown us a curveball or two. The important thing is we have not to let them derail us from achieving our goal.
One of those curveballs happened back in 2005 when we lived in Renton, Washington. It was then we decided to convert an old DMV office into a boutique wine and beer shop. Flash forwards a few years to 2010. We attended the Boats Afloat Show and fell in love with sailing catamarans. We actually considered buying one to put into charter in the San Juan Islands, but we were right in the middle of the recession and it was not the right time. Instead, I began reading boating magazines and books about sailing around the world and immersing myself in the dream to escape from it all.
From then on, Scott and I attended as many boat shows as we could traveling coast to coast including the Miami, Annapolis and the various shows throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Owning our business started to take a toll on our personal lives as we were working 6 days a week. We knew we wouldn’t be able to enjoy a boat with our work schedule. We also had the dream of selling our home and buying a liveaboard boat. So in October 2015 we sold the wine shop and started to take our dream more seriously.
Our First Boat
As we started looking for a boat, we had to decide if we wanted a cruiser or a trawler style. We looked at quite a few and weighed our options. Did we want more outdoor space or indoor space? One Saturday, we headed out shopping with our broker and we looked at two totally different boats, both in the same yard. The first boat was much older and needed a lot of work, but it had tons of interior space.
Then our broker suggested we walk across the lot and look at a cruiser.
It was your typical cruiser. My first boat was a Bayliner 2655 and this was very similar. I wasn’t sure that I wanted another cruiser though.
The following weekend, we attended the Anacortes boat show and while we were there, we kept coming back to the cruiser. So we called our broker and made an offer that night. We bought our first boat, a 2001 Bayliner 3055 in April 2017 with the goal of spending as much time on it as possible.
Taking Possession
Our initial experience was wild. We picked up the boat in the Des Moines Marina from our broker on a Friday night. He gave Scott a 15 minute lesson on how to operate it and how to dock it. The following day, we hopped onboard to move the boat from Des Moines, Washington about 20 miles south of Seattle to the Elliott Bay Marina in DT Seattle.
We didn’t even know how to get out of the marina. Both of our hearts were racing as we made the trek north. When we arrived to our marina, we suddenly realized that the dock we selected was only accessible after making an S turn past 3 yachts (versus going straight down the fairway). But Scott did an amazing job docking it considering he had never docked a boat before. That summer we spent every weekend on it and made our first cruise to the San Juan Islands.
After spending every weekend on our Bayliner, we were hooked and we knew we could definitely live on a boat. Our first step was to sell our home and downsize to a small apartment. Then we sold the Bayliner, to save up for our liveaboard boat in the Fall of 2018.
Our Next Boat
After a few months of being “boatless” we really missed spending time on the water and at the marina. That’s when we saw an ad for a 2002 Bayliner 4087 and we decided to check her out. Scott and I were not expecting to like the boat at all, but we instantly loved it and put an offer on it, in the middle of a snow storm. In February, we hauled out for the survey and mechanical. It was a very chilly day!
We took possession of Our Happy Day in March 2019 and spent almost every weekend on her. Only have owned her for 18 months, we traveled throughout Puget Sound from Tacoma to Port Orchard to Bremerton to Port Madison to Kingston, spending almost every weekend on the boat.
Then Covid Hit
And then, as we all know, the world changed in 2020. If you have followed our story, you know that we sold Our Happy Day in July of 2020, because Ally had accepted a job in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. What we didn’t know is that covid would delay our move. In the end, we never moved. So we were boatless and still living in Seattle. But we were not defeated. We were more determined to move to a warmer climate with more boating options.
For the next year and a half, I looked for job opportunities in the yachting industry in South Florida. While a few came my way, I eventually selected one that would finally bring us to South Florida. For the past 15 months we have enjoyed becoming Floridians and settling in. I’ve since switched yachting companies and couldn’t be happier.
What Happens Now?
So where does this leave us? What is our channel and blog all about? Well, at this time, it’s all about what can you do to enjoy all things boating when you don’t actually own a boat. Over the past four years, we’ve visited the Caribbean and we have spent as much time on the water as possible.
We’ve taken a sailing cruise through the Lesser Antilles; we have chartered a yacht in the San Juan Islands and we’ve chartered a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. And here in Florida we have experienced an air boat in the everglades, Ally has cruised to the Bahamas on a 74’ yacht, we’ve kayaked with the manatees, we’ve snorkeled in the Keys and in Fort Lauderdale we spend time on the New River as much as possible.
But now what? When are we buying the next boat? The honest answer is we don’t know. As we mentioned in a previous episode (see link below), slips and insurance are twice as expensive than what we paid in Seattle and overall, the availability of a liveaboard slip is next to none. Our best chance is to find a private dock and that is going to take some time and creativity. In the meantime, we are saving our money and exploring all that South Florida and the Caribbean has to offer.
So we hope that answered many of your questions. Please leave your comments below. We read them all. And if you find yourself in South Florida, let us know. We’d love to meet you. As always, thank you for following our journey. If you haven’t subscribed to our blog and vlog (see video below), please take a moment to do so. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Back in March, Scott and I headed down to Barbados for a much needed vacation and this was our first time visiting this Caribbean island. This was a very last minute trip, as I had just given notice at OneWater Yacht Group and I wanted to take a break before starting my new job (CMO at 26 North).
If you recall, Scott and I spent our honeymoon in Antigua at Sandals Resort and have since stayed at numerous Sandals location. Since this was a last minute booking, we decided to once again stay at Sandals since we know the resorts well.
One of the great things about living in Florida, is that we can easily travel to the Caribbean without having to fly 12-14 hours from Washington State. We arrived in Barbados around 1pm after a two hour flight. The resort is located about 15 minutes from the airport and is at the southwest end of the island.
When we arrived to our room, we were pleasantly surprised by our welcome gift. We had a great room that overlooked the pool and the ocean.
There are two Sandals resorts in Barbados, each located next door to each other. We stayed at the Sandals Barbados resort. You can easily walk throughout the entire property to access the restaurants and pools for each resort.
The Beach
The winds stayed consistent at about 25mph during our entire stay. The resort’s beach is located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. There is a reef just off-shore from the beach, but honestly the seas were way too rough to do any kind of water sports during our stay. In addition, Barbados was also dealing with the dreaded seaweed called Sargassum. Unfortunately, the Sargassum is killing fish and other marine life as it is suffocating everything. The resort did a great job cleaning up the seaweed every day to make the beach pristine.
Dining & Amenties
The resort had a couple of cute gift shops and between the two resorts they have 21 restaurants to choose from. It’s a great option, if you want to stay at your resort and not worry about having to walk or take a taxi to dinner.
From our room, we had a great view of the moon overlooking the beach each night. Too bad I didn’t bring our professional camera, as the shot would have been epic.
Snorkeling a Shipwreck in Barbados
We couldn’t go to Barbados without taking a sailing & snorkeling excursion. We picked up our catamaran at the city dock in Bridgetown. The snorkeling company actually runs two identical cats that hold about thirty people each.
We left the dock and headed south to Carlisle Bay to snorkel with the turtles.
Unfortunately, we only saw one turtle and it was a bit murky as the wind was really kicking up. After 15 minutes (yes 15!), the captain called us all in as we were heading to our next location. I assumed we were sailing for a bit to our next spot, but instead he simply moved the boat about 150′ to the shipwreck. By this time, I had dried off and reapplied my sunscreen so I didn’t bother to jump back in. Scott decided he would jump in and check out the shipwreck. Berwyn (a tugboat) was sunk by its crew in 1919. In late 1918, the crew of this 60-foot vessel didn’t want to leave the island when the war ended. A French military ship came into the harbor during World War I. The captain allegedly replied, “over my dead body and a sunken ship.” Consequently, his rebellious crew sank the ship, and – as our tour guide said – “they sunk the ship and went back to the island for more rum!”.” Be sure to check out our YouTube video for the footage of the shipwreck.
After snorkeling for about twenty minutes, we left Carlisle Bay and sailed to another beach where we spent the morning swimming and enjoying the Caribbean sun.
Our excursion ended after four hours and soon it was time to head back to the dock.
One thing Scott and I miss about living in Fort Lauderdale are the sunsets. Sandals Barbados had a cool rooftop terrace overlooking the ocean and the sunset.
Land base tour of Barbados
The following morning we hired a taxi driver to drive us around the island to explore. We’ve done this on many of our past trips including Antigua and St John. For $175 he drove us around for three hours. Scott and I told him what we wanted to see and do, and he got some of it right. In any case, it was really cool to see the island for the first time.
The residents of Barbados love horse racing and in the middle of the track, you will find a giant Barbados flag. This is where the people of Barbados celebrated their independence from Britain in this very spot.
The national flag of Barbados is comprised of three equal vertical panels – the center panel of gold and the outer panels of ultramarine. A broken trident in black is located in the center of the flag. Blue represents the sea and sky of Barbados, while gold represents the sand of the island’s beaches. The symbol at the center of the flag represents the Trident of the mythical sea god, Neptune – the shaft of the trident is broken symbolizing Barbados’ break from Britain.
As you drive through Bridgetown, you will come across many government buildings. Some of these are now museums and some are vacant. We had the chance to see the house that George Washington stayed in for a number of months while trying to bring his brother back to health. Unfortunately, he had TB and never recovered.
Downtown Bridgetown
The Parliament buildings are located in downtown Bridgetown and were built between 1870 and 1874. They are located across the street from the Constitution River where we picked up our snorkeling catamaran.
From the Parliament buildings, we drove about 5 minutes to Rhianna’s home where she grew up in. We also drove by her coastal mansion (see video for that).
Beautiful Coastline
As Scott and I traveled north along the Caribbean side, our driver made it a point to stop so we could enjoy the amazing waters and beaches. Since our resort is at the southern tip of the island where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean sea, we did not have these gorgeous waters.
Barbados symbolizes the Caribbean lifestyle in so many ways, including the vibrant colored homes.
Just up the beach, we made another stop at the Cubana Monument. This memorial was designed by Virgil Broodhagen who was the son of Barbados’ well-known sculptor, Karl Broodhagen. This monument is a memorial commemorates the victims of the Cubana de Aviación Flight 455 bombing that occurred in 1976 in route from Barbados to Cuba.
St James Cathedral
Our next stop was St. James Cathedral, the oldest church on Barbados. What amazes us every time we visit these island churches is not only their age, but the fact that they have survived hurricanes. This church was absolutely beautiful. Another interesting fact is that many famous people have visited the church, including President Ronal Reagan and his wife Nancy.
Orange Fort
Further north is a quaint town called Speightstown. The town was named after William Speight, a wealthy and influential merchant who owned the land on which the town grew. In 1639, William Speight became a member of Barbados’ very first parliament under Governor Henry Hawley. Speightstown became a bustling port town during the early years of British colonization in Barbados. It played a crucial role in the island’s sugar industry, serving as a shipping point for sugar, molasses, and other goods produced on the island’s plantations.
Unfortunately, like other parts of Barbados, Speightstown played a role in the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved Africans were brought to the island and sold in Speightstown before being transported to plantations to work on sugar and tobacco fields. Speightstown was protected by numerous forts, including Orange Fort. Today, Speightstown remains an important part of Barbados’ heritage. Its historic charm, colonial architecture, and rich cultural heritage attract visitors who appreciate the town’s historical significance.
The coastline of this quaint town is absolutely stunning and we were impressed by the brand new dock they installed for boaters.
The water here is vibrant turquois color and completely clear.
In search of the Abbey
We told our driver that we wanted to stop by St. Nicholas Abbey, which is a historic plantation house located in St. Peter Parish, Barbados. It is one of the island’s most well-known and cherished landmarks. It is believed to have been built between 1650 and 1660. Unfortunately, he took us towards the Abbey, but not to it. Instead we landed at a popular viewpoint for tourists (oh, and saw a monkey!).
Overall, it was still a great tour and we highly recommend hiring a driver to take you on a personal tour when you are visiting a new island. Check with your concierge or front desk, as they have drivers on hand to show you around.
St. Lawrence Gap
St. Lawrence Gap is where the resort is located and home to lots of restaurants and bars. Scott and I took a quick stroll on our last day to check things out. Unfortunately, most were not open yet as it was too early. There are some quaint shops along the way and definitely worth the stop.
Overall Impression of Barbados
Like most of the Caribbean Islands we have visited, we loved all of the people we met in Barbados. This is a vibrant town with friendly residents and there is so much to do. We will definitely be back to visit again. Next time, we will look at staying on the west side of the island where the water is calmer and crystal clear.
As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (link below) and follow us on social @boatingjourney #boatingjourney.
This year, Scott and I were able to attend the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show together. Last year, he was still in Seattle and for the past year, I’m always working a show. In March I left OneWater Yacht Group to join 26 North Yachts as their CMO, so I had time off to attend the show with Scott.
Just like last year, the weather was hot and unforgiving. We arrived to the show when they opened and walked the super yachts first.
This is a very upscale show and here you can find not only your next yacht, but your Bentley too.
Vendor Tents at 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show
As you can see by the map below, there are a few vendor tents at the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show, but not nearly the size as the ones at the Fort Lauderdale or Miami International Boat Shows.
Check out this cool “bar set” from Docktails. Next boat we get, we are installing this!
So many cool things at the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show
From vintage yachts, to slick cruisers to fast boats; you will find everything at the Palm Beach Show. Since the layout is not nearly the size (Thank God) as Fort Lauderdale, you can cover the entire show in one day easily.
Since the layout is not nearly the size (Thank God) as Fort Lauderdale, you can cover the entire show in one day easily. That was especially nice, since it was so hot the day we attended.
2017 Hatteras 75′ Tour
Scott and I were able to tour so many awesome yachts and we were thrilled to get a tour of this 2017 Hatteras M75 yacht featured by 26 North Yachts. As you know, we’ve toured two other Hatteras yachts – one was a hoarder home and the other was an older 52′ Hatteras. This yacht at the show, was absolutely stunning and we could definitely live on this boat. For a full tour, be sure to check out our YouTube episode posted this week (see video at the end of this blog).
The 2017 Hatteras M75 Yacht offers a sleek and contemporary design, spacious living areas, and exquisite finishes. With its four beautifully appointed staterooms, expansive flybridge, and advanced navigation systems, the M75 delivers an unforgettable yachting experience. Discover the epitome of elegance and comfort on the water with the 2017 Hatteras M75 Yacht.
After leaving OneWater Yacht Group, I took some time off before joining 26 North Yachts. Scott and I took a last minute vacation to Barbados, so be sure to tune in to follow us on that adventure.
As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel for future tours and adventures. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Back in March, Scott and I attendedTrawlerfestin Stuart, FL. Trawlerfest is a big event in the PNW and we have never been before, so we thought this would give us a great opportunity to tour some trawlers. Recreational trawler boats are typically designed for long-distance cruising at a slower pace, with a focus on fuel efficiency, comfort, and safety. They are often equipped with a displacement hull, which allows them to travel at low speeds while using less fuel. As a result, they are very slow and their cruising speed is less than 10 knots, which is why we haven’t been interested in buying one.
We decided to head to Stuart, FL to check out the town and see what Trawlerfest had to offer. Stuart is less than 2 hours north of Fort Lauderdale. Trawlerfest was held on Hutchison Island, west of the city at a very small marina. Scott and I stayed at the Marriott Hutchison Island Golf Resort, so we could walk to the boat show.
Trawlerfest in Florida
When we arrived to the show, it was not what we were expecting. Remember, for the past year we have been attending major large shows likeFort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach.
They had a simple check-in tent with a few surrounding vendors in the hotel’s parking lot. (not sure why the first few photos have a strange filter on them, making them look like they are from the 1960’s?)
The actual boat show, was only on the first dock (this photo is actually pretty old, as the other dock was ruined by a storm).
Touring the boats
Overall, there were about twelve boats to tour at the show. There were a couple of Nordic Tugs (see our most viewed video here, where Jeff lives on a 32′ tug). In addition, there was an old Californian, a new Fleming, Greenline and a Ranger Tug.
The first boat we toured was a Ranger Tug. Having never been on one, we were actually pleasantly surprised by its features. The galley offered plenty of space, a large fridge and freezer and lots of daylight.
Under the settee, you will find a pantry and the washer/dryer!
1989 48′ Californian
Next we decided to tour a 1989 Californian. This boat really reminded us of the Ponderosa we stayed on in Gig Harbor, WA back in December 2021. For 48′ this yacht had the space and feel of a 60′ yacht.
Though this was a 1989, she was in very good condition. In fact, the owners actually live aboard this yacht and it shows the love they have given her.
The salon was nice and roomy, the galley had tons of space and the master stateroom had a full walk around bed.
2016 Fleming 65′
When Scott and I first moved into our slip at Elliott Bay Marina, we became friends with our neighbors Doug and Jules who owned a 75′ Custom Delta. Jules was an avid yachter and always told us to buy a Fleming (she doesn’t know our budget! LOL). This yacht is for sale for $3,800,00. Finally, we had the opportunity to tour one and it did not disappoint.
The galley was bigger than our kitchen in our apartment! Imagine the spread you could put on this counter?
This yacht had an 11′ center console tender on the flybridge, yet there was still plenty of room up top.
2003 Nordic Tug 42/44
I have a friend who lives near Jupiter, so I texted her to see if she would be at the show (because she is in the marine business) and she replied that she was not going, but that her dad had his 42′ Nordic Tug in the show. Scott and I were talking as we walked towards the dock and I said “we need to find Sea Gypsy, that’s Katie’s dad’s boat”. Suddenly, the man in front of us, turned around and said “I’m Katie’s dad”. LOL! He and his wife are from the PNW and recently finished cruising the Great Loop. Now they are heading home and selling their tug.
For only 32′ this tug has tons of big boat space! It’s perfect for just two people.
If it had been closer to Fort Lauderdale and had a slip, we would definitely consider buying her!
That’s a wrap!
The entire show took us about an hour to tour. Since it was a smaller show, the boats tended to get pretty crowded and we didn’t feel like fighting the crowds on all of them.
Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center
After the boat show, we walked about a mile to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. This is a 57-acre marine life nature center. When we arrived, they were feeding sting rays and we got to feed them by hand!
We then walked the nature trail to the ocean. The walk took about 15 minutes and was pretty cool. However, be sure to wear your bug spray!
There is lots of information when you reach the beach and you can continue to walk down the beach. We chose to turn around and go back.
Back at the nature center, you can walk all around the turtle sanctuary.
If you haven’t been to Stuart Florida, I will tell you it’s a very sleepy town. There’s not much to do, especially on Hutchison Island. Your only option for dining on the island is the restaurant at the Marriott or another cafe’ which was only open for lunch. It did look like a great place to play golf and just unwind. I don’t think we’ll be heading to Stuart anytime soon.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Please subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel (link below). Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Soon, we’ll be heading to the Palm Beach Boat Show and then Barbados! So tune in.
Since our last post, a lot has happened and we wanted to give you a quick update. Right after the Miami Boat Show, I (Ally) spent three days in Miami on a photo shoot for Sunseeker. Then in March, Scott and I attended Trawlerfest in Stuart, FL and the Palm Beach International Boat Show. In the upcoming episodes and blogs, we’ll go into details and take you on some great tours.
In addition, I accepted a new position as Chief Marketing Officer with 26 North Yachts here in Fort Lauderdale. Since it will be a while before I can take any vacations, we took a week off and headed to Barbados (more on that later).
Boat Tours and Trips
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you lots of great boat tours, including a Sunreef 68 Catamaran, Riviera 64 Sports Motor Yacht, Fontaine Pajot 67, Leopard 53 Catamaran and much more. We’ll also take you on a quick tour of both boat shows and bring you along on trip to Barbados.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our channel (link below) and blog to stay updated. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Last month, we attended the 2023 Miami Boat Show. This is a great show to see every kind of boat or yacht in the industry. As we mentioned in our last blog, they have a number of different displays at the show, so it a show to put on your bucket list.
You can find all of our yacht tours on our YouTube channel. Thank you to all of you who have subscribed and are following us! Wow, has our channel grown and we are truly grateful.
2023 Lekker 44
Our first yacht tour was a 2023 Lekker 44 from the Netherlands. Per their website “When LEKKER’s founder (Meindert Wolfraad) travelled the world, he discovered that the Amsterdam way of living appealed to people everywhere. Moving around on your own terms, taking control – whether it’s on the road, the canals or open sea. The freedom to move your own way. So that even the most free-spirited people don’t get caught up in everyday life.” This was a pretty cool boat that is not only comfortable, but very fast with a top speed of 57 mph.
2023 Privilege Signature 580 Catamaran
You might remember that we chartered a 43′ power catamaran last year during our trip to the British Virgin Islands. While it was a nice cat, the “guest sleeping quarters” were extremely tight and uncomfortable. Our next yacht tour was the Privilege Signature 580 and you have plenty of space on this yacht! (of course this would be a lot more expensive to charter too). This yacht we could live on and cruise the world.
2022 Azimut 72 Fly
If 58′ isn’t big enough for you, check out our next yacht tour on the 72′ Azimut Fly. This yacht has four staterooms, four heads PLUS crew quarters! Powered by twin MAN V12 1400hp diesels, her top cruising speed is 32 knots! Her exterior has been designed for luxury and comfort, as you relax on under the canopy on the bow’s sun pad. Cruising on this yacht through the Bahamas would make a dream vacation.
Cool surprise!
During the show, I passed by Captain Sandy Yawn a number of times. We’ve tweeted back and forth here and there. I had just finished reading her book, “Be the Calm or Be the Storm”. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. Here’s a quick link to the book. When I saw her in the lobby of my hotel, I had to stop and tell her how much I enjoyed her book. She then said, “let’s get a photo”. What a fun surprise!
What’s next for us?
We’re excited for what 2023 has on our plates. This week we’re headed to the Palm Beach International Boat Show and since Ally isn’t working the show, we will be doing the tours together. Why isn’t she working? Tune in and find out what her next adventure is. Next week we leave for Barbados and it’s our first visit there. Barbados is known for their amazing snorkeling and beautiful beaches, so this is a much anticipated trip.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel (link below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Cheers, Scott and Ally
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