2018 Was Quite a Year to Remember

2018 was a year to remember!

They say time flies as you get older and 2018 flew by for us. Sadly, we started the year, by saying goodbye to Mac on January 18th – the same day my dad died in 2002. We have been through some tragic times and I have to say that this was one of the most difficult things Scott and I have dealt with. Mac really made an impact on so many people.

This was just the start of the changes we would experience in 2018. Next, we began the hunt for an apartment in the city and purging our belongings. It’s one thing to “talk about your plans”, but it’s another thing when it actually happens! As we were selling our house, we were also hauling out our boat for the first time. What an experience that was!

City Folk

Scott and I have been talking for years about downsizing and living on a boat. Finally, 2018 was a our year to make the move! And what a crazy time this was for us. I was interviewing, we were working on the boat and the house and preparing to move, all at the same time! When it finally all came to fruition, it was a bit surreal, but we were ecstatic. We love our new digs!

With all of our activities living in the city and traveling this summer, Scott and I didn’t get a chance to go on as many boating trips as we would have liked. Living in the city, we took advantage of the sights nearby. Soon after we moved in, we took our annual trip to the Anacortes Boat Show with our good friends Nick and Michelle. This is smaller, intimate boat show and a fun getaway.

2018 Boating Season

Scott and I did start boating season on a trip to Poulsbo in June with our good friends Ben & Maria and what a start it was! We had historical record tides and 22 knot winds. Yet, we made it through Agate Pass and at the marina (yet a bit banged up.)

One of the perks of living in our new apartment, is the view of Lake Union – especially on July 4th! Though we owned a boat, we had no desire to join the mayhem of the lake party. Honestly, I can’t imagine being around that many boats at one time! LOL

Where else did we travel to?

As summer was underway, Scott and I planned a couple more trips. Next was Gig Harbor and this time we stayed at Arabella’s Landing. This is such a nice and easy trip from Seattle and there’s so much to do in Gig Harbor!

We squeezed in another trip to Kingston this summer and traveled with some of our great friends, Randy, Cory, Stacy, Ben and Maria! Kingston offers concerts on the lawn at the marina, so it’s always a great time!

Once we returned from Kingston, we put Kokomo up for sale. We had only planned on owning the boat for one summer, as we prep for moving onto our live-aboard. Over Labor Day Weekend, we went through the locks one more time and enjoyed Lake Washington before we said goodbye to Kokomo.

Going under the Montlake Bridge

Of course, this was right after we broke down in our marina! LOL That’s a funny story in itself. Why? Well, because I had just joined Lake Union Sea Ray and I called them to go diagnose the issue. Find out what happened here.

Good Bye to Kokomo, Friends and Elliott Bay Marina

Within a few weeks of listing Kokomo, we got an offer from a really nice couple. Now was time to say goodbye to not only the boat, but all of our friends at Elliott Bay Marina. It’s funny how close you all can become in just a matter of a year. We know we’ll be back soon, but it was still a pretty emotional day for us.

Olympic Mountains

As the year comes to end, Scott and I are thankful for all of the great memories we had on Kokomo. We are continuing to look for our liveaboard and more importantly, a slip that will hold a 50’+ boat. In the meantime, I am loving my new job at Union Marine and gearing up for the Seattle Boat Show in January. Then we are headed to the Caribbean on a 7 day cruise through the Leeward Islands on the tall ship Star Flyer with our good friends Ben and Maria in March! We can’t wait.

Just this week, we learned that our blog has been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 20 Boat Blogs on the web. How cool is that!

https://blog.feedspot.com/boat_blogs/

Keep following us for new updates in the New Year! Thank you for all of your support this year and we look forward to sharing our journey with you. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cheers, Scott and Ally