May 2019

May 25, 2019June 3, 2019

Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show 2019

Last weekend Scott and I attended the Anacortes Boat & Yacht show, up at Cap Sante Marina. As you know, we have attended this show many times and this year was a bit different since I was also working during part of it.

My boss and I arrived on Wednesday, May 15th to set up the POP materials and I needed to decorate the yachts. Our company (Union Marine) had some trailer boats on land and eight boats on the water. Anacortes is Boston Whaler country and the Pilothouse models were a hit of the show. If you want a safe, reliable, comfortable and fast moving boat for the PNW, Boston Whaler is your boat!

We also brought up our Sea Ray Yachts (the L590, 510 Sundancer, 460 Sundancer and the 350 Coupe). What a lot of people don’t realize, is we moved these boats from Seattle. Our poor crew had really rough conditions earlier in the week getting to Anacortes. But our fleet cruised into Anacortes with no issues!

510 Sundancer

The Anacortes Boat and Yacht show has had a slight makeover from years past. This is the 2nd year that NMTA has ran the show. Prior to that it was a free boat display of used sail and trawler boats. Since we want to live aboard & travel the world some day, we are always looking to see what is out there. Scott and I toured the show as “civilians” and checked out some long range cruisers.

A Must See Yacht!

We looked at a few possible liveaboards, but nothing struck us. So we wandered down to the end of C dock and noticed a brand new 76′ yacht by Offshore Yachts. I had never heard of them before, so we jumped on board. Scott and I were immediately taken away by the details and craftsmanship of this vessel.

These are custom yachts from Taiwan and they take about 18 months to build. The story behind this particular yacht, is the owner fell in love at first sight with another Offshore Yacht and wanted to buy it. That owner said no, so he immediately called Best Day Yacht Sales and had one built!

What I love about this yacht, is the owner included so many traditional, but new maritime pieces throughout. My pictures don’t do it justice, so hopefully the video tour does better.

It has a cruising range of 1800 miles at 10 knots. Check out the bridge! I wouldn’t know what to do with all of those electronics! I took video of the electronic switches above, but failed to get a photo. This yacht also comes with an boat indicator alarm system (not sure if that’s the exact name for it, but it is a really cool feature.)

The Comforts of Home on a Yacht

When you tour larger yachts, you’ll notice a few things right away. Hallways are narrow, staircases are steep & skinny and some just are not practical. As I mentioned, this yacht is meant for long range off-shore cruising. What that means, is this is great for traveling up and down the coast line from Alaska to Mexico (not necessarily for crossing oceans). They designed this yacht with all of the comforts of home in mind. As you will see in the video, it has nice wide hallways and spacious living areas.

The upper deck was awesome too!

With joysticks on both the port and starboard side, this can easily be docked with just two people.

The engine room was big enough to do yoga or a have a cocktail party! LOL It had great crew quarters just off of the shop next to the engine room too.

If we win the lottery, this will be our dream boat of choice! Safe, durable, stylish and comfortable with long range offshore capabilities.

What Else Was Cool At The Show?

I love to find the obscure cool things at boat shows and Anacortes didn’t disappoint. First up was the inflatable amphibious boat by SeaLegs. For a mere $100k you too can have this on your private beach. Be sure to check out the footage in our next episode.

Then check out this davit system. I shared it on social media and folks are asking me who the manufacturer is. I didn’t get that info, as it was just a dinghy included with a boat for sale. Bummer. So if you happen to know who makes this, please let us know.

There was another big yacht on display (sorry, didn’t catch what kind), but if you need a foyer with a large porcelain piece and a fur blanket – I don’t think offshore cruising is for you. LOL

Where to Eat (or not to eat) in Anacortes

It seems every year we eat at the same restaurants (Union Tavern, Brown Lantern, Dad’s Diner), so I vowed to mix it up this year. Scott and I went to the north end of Anacortes and decided to have lunch at the Secret Cove Restaurant. Perhaps it was an off day for them, but let’s just say we won’t be back. While the vistas are cool, so was the food. But while we were waiting (and I mean waiting) for our lunch, a ferry boat arrived to pick up a house! We watched the crew for about 20 minutes and then we needed to head back.

Notice the golden retriever! He was helping his dad supervise the entire time!

Fantastic breakfast!

I had read that Mary Ann’s Kitchen was fantastic for breakfast, so we decided to try it out. The restaurant is actually an old house and Mary Ann is the cook. She cooks each order, one at a time. Give yourself plenty of time, but it’s worth it!! It was definitely the best breakfast Scott and I have had in a very long time. She’s not open on Sundays, so make a note.

I ended up being in Anacortes for five days. Working from my hotel room and walking back and forth to the show, I was exhausted when it was all over. The funny thing about being in the boat business now, is my life is now nothing but boats, boats and boats. I market boats during the day and come home and work on the blog. Now with a new boat, we’re busy doing boat projects. And I love every minute of it!

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and it’s dreary today (Saturday). Scott is busy running new cable for the stereo system and I’m catching up on our blogs and YouTube episodes. Tomorrow is forecasted to be warm and sunny and we’re taking the boat out with family and friends. Since we have to get used to living on a boat, we’ll head down there tonight, make dinner and stay for the weekend. So stay tuned for our next blog as we get new cockpit carpet!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe and also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

May 22, 2019October 5, 2020

Quick Trip to Roche Harbor Resort

Last month I (Ally) took a quick trip to Roche Harbor Resort up in the San Juan Islands for work. It was literally a 24 hour trip, but it was my first time visiting so I took plenty of photos as I toured the entire resort.

How do you get to Roche Harbor?

Great question! You have three choices: by boat, by ferry or by float plane. Guess how we went? Float plane of course. Remember my “quick trip” to Belize and the puddle jumper I took? This was exactly the same! We flew out of South Lake Union (where our apartment overlooks) on Kenmore Air. The weather wasn’t great that day, so it was a bit bumpy. Oh, and by the way, I hate to fly! LOL

We were on the larger “Orca” plane and it quickly ran across Lake Union and was up in the air in seconds! Yes, I will have all of the footage on our next YouTube episode!

The flight takes about 30 minutes once you are up in the air, assuming it doesn’t stop. We stopped at Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez and then at Friday Harbor before landing at Roche. What’s even more remarkable about this flight, is our captain is a one man show! He lands and docks all at the same time!

So much water & islands below

One thing you quickly realize flying over Puget Sound, is how many small islands and inlets we have. Some would be a hazard in the wrong conditions! If you recall, when Scott and I came through Cattle Pass from Deer Harbor a few years ago, we nearly hit a reef going 25 knots!

Check out this small reef causing the ripple!

Living in the San Juan Islands would be a dream! Beautiful homes line the coast line.

Finally, we’ve arrived at Roche Harbor Resort!

After I “white knuckled” it all the way to Roche Harbor, we arrived 50 minutes after leaving Seattle. The resort is huge and consists of: marina, hotel, condos, suites, village homes, restaurants, bar, shopping and much more!

My boss, Mark and I were doing a site inspection for our company rendezvous coming up in July. Roche Harbor Resort is very historic with some fascinating stories. Once you arrive, you walk through the docks to the Hotel de Haro to check-in.

Limestone History

Roche Harbor is rich in limestone, which is used to build roads and manufacture concrete and mortar. In 1886, Tacoma lawyer John S. McMillin and his business partners in the Tacoma Lime Company founded Roche Harbor Lime Company. The lime kilns are still present next to the hotel.

The Quarryman Hall Suites is the newest building of the resort and Mark and I were each upgraded to our own suite! Thank YOU to Roche Harbor Resort!

Trying to take pictures of the resort, doesn’t do it justice. There’s so much to see and do, which makes it such a great destination to visit by boat!

The Mausoleum

Roche Harbor Resort also has a family mausoleum. In order to get to it, you have to walk through the resort, past the oldest independently owned Catholic Chapel and into the adjacent woods. This includes passing by the cottages that the lime workers lived in (now available for rent).

John McMillin was a member of the Masonic Order and he built the mausoleum recognizing the traditions of the Masonic Order. As you walk through the forest, it reminds you a bit of the movie “Blair Witch Project“. There are some infant & toddler burial sites throughout the forest.

After you walk along the trail for about a quarter mile, you come across a gravel road. Follow that and you’ll come upon the McMillin Mausoleum. To say that it’s a bit creepy, is an understatement. I should note however, that my boss Mark has an awesome podcast, “Chasing Ghosts on Scooters in Bars“. You guessed it, he’s a ghost chaser by night!

There is significant Masonic meaning behind the entire structure, including the steps up to the table and chairs all of which represent the stages of life. Freemasons are very ritual and deliberate about everything the build and encompass. (In fact, my great uncle was a Freemason.)

The McMillin Mausoleum – Afterglow Vista

As we approached “Afterglow Vista”, the final resting place of the McMillin family, there was a stillness in the air. It was as if someone was watching our every move.

The first thing you will notice is huge marble table with six chairs. This represents the dining table that the family gathered around. There is also one chair and one pillar missing. This symbolizes the son that left the family.

Each chair is also the gravestone for key family members and they hold their ashes.

But there’s more! Remember, I’m in the middle of the forest with my boss who’s a ghost chaser. He decides to see if anyone wants to “talk” to us. He has an EMF app on his phone and he laid his phone in the middle of the table.

Immediately there was all kinds of activity. Then Mark said “speak to us”. He said this a few times and I started to get creeped out as I looked around watching for anything to jump out of the trees.

At the same time, I was leaning against one of the grave chairs and resting my hands on the top of one of them.

All of a sudden, a voice came out of Mark’s app that said “Knight”. Notice that I was leaning on the Knight Templar gravestone. Needless to say, I was out of there! LOL So we headed back to the main resort.

The Rest of the Roche Harbor Resort

Yes, there is much more than just the Mausoleum! In fact, when I head back in July, I plan to spend a lot more time exploring the island and the resort if time allows. Walking around the main part of the resort, you really get a sense of the rich history it has to offer.

Of course there are ghost sightings in the restaurant and hotel. We had a wonderful dinner in McMillian’s Restaurant – the food was amazing and you definitely have to have a Pig War Martini! Collect a pig for each martini you drink!

The resort is operated now by the members of the Tarte Family. In 1956, Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company president Paul McMillin, son of John McMillin, sold Roche Harbor to the Reuben J. Tarte family of Bellevue, which developed the town into a boating resort with a marina, a restored Hotel de Haro, an airstrip (on the former site of the farm), and restaurant (in the former McMillin home).

The Tarte family sold Roche Harbor in 1988 to businessmen Verne Howard of King’s Market and Rich Komen of Restaurants Unlimited; Roche Harbor is now owned by Komen and Saltchuk Resources.

Heading Home

We flew out the next morning – so to say it was a quick trip is not exaggerating. We were there less than 24 hours! But it was enough to convince me, that this is an awesome place to visit!

As we waited at the dock for Kenmore Air, we watched a ferry boat bring in a cement truck and other commuters arrive by boat.

Our flight home, was much quicker as we headed straight for Seattle. The weather was sunny with blue skies. As we flew in, we came in over DT Seattle and made a steep dive onto Lake Union. It was definitely scenic, but for me still a bit nerve wracking.

My flight tour is below. Our rendezvous is in July, so I will be sure to share more details about the resort and things to explore on the island.

As always, thanks for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe for future posts. Next blog, we talk about our inverter and the lessons we learned about our circuit breaker on the boat.

Cheers, Ally

May 3, 2019May 22, 2019

Learning About Our New Boat

Learning all about our new boat

Scott and I got back from our Caribbean sailing cruise on March 16th and we took possession of our new boat the following day. This boat is a 2002 Bayliner 4087 Aft Cabin MY. Our broker, Steve Thoreson from Union Marine (formerly Lake Union Sea Ray), gave us a tour of the boat and reviewed the electrical panel. I was smart enough to video tape it–that would come in handy a few weeks later. Learning about our boat will take some time.

It was really windy that day with winds coming out of the north at 10 knots. Yet Steve felt Scott could practice backing out the boat and docking it. He backed out, turned around in our fairway and headed out. Then we turned around and Scott docked it perfectly!

Practice Docking

The following weekend, we took our supplies from Kokomo and went down to try to organize the boat.

My brother-in-law Kurt and his brother Cal came down to check it out too. Since it was a nice day with calm winds, we decided to take advantage of our “crew” and head to the fuel dock. Let’s just say, it was far easier having thrusters than with our old stern drives.

Quick note about fuel. In the state of Washington, you can get a refund for the road tax you pay when you fuel up a boat. EXCEPT, if it is diesel.

After we got fuel, we decided to take the boat over to N Dock so I could practice docking. I made a couple of runs and yes, it was easier. Mainly because our (handles) move smoothly. On Kokomo, they were stiff and stuck all of the time. See video from before below:

Since the new boat is much taller, it is also easier to see what you are doing.

Yes, we will have the footage of me docking on our next YouTube episode.

Once we got back to the dock, it was time to see if the dinghy ran. So Scott and Cal started it up and off they went! We were thinking about selling it, but we’ve decided to keep it for a year and have fun with it.

Taking the Boat Into Service & Back Through the Locks

Based on our survey, we decided we should address some of the recommendations:

Replace all of the batteries
Change the oil & filters
Change the transmission fluid
Replace the heat exchanger zinc
Replace the twin Raccers with compliant heat shield
Clean and inspect the starboard intake valve
Replace the belts
Replace the fuel lines

I work for Union Marine (formerly Lake Union Sea Ray) and we took the boat to our service center to have work done. We scheduled the appointment for the following week and since we had to go thru the Ballard Locks, we enlisted Kurt’s help for the trip. The entire trip took us about an hour.

We lucked out on the weather, once again! It took us about 30 minutes to get to the locks and we immediately got shuttled into the small locks. (Thank God!) we were the only boat in the locks, but we it was a bit nerve wracking tying up to the wall. I was worried Scott would crash into it and I also had troubles hooking the knob (or whatever it is called. All went smoothly and we made it through the Fremont Cut in about 20 minutes.

Our First Night on the Boat!

It took about three weeks to do all of the work. We scheduled to pick the boat up on Friday afternoon, April 12th and had more help on the return trip. Kurt, Cal and Tracey joined us for a beautiful sunny trip from Lake Union back to Elliott Bay Marina.

That evening, Scott and I stayed on the boat. We went out to dinner and when we came back we had a scary, but funny moment! Our new dock is fairly dark and just as we approached our boat, a dark huge figure appeared and stood up. Turns out it was a sleeping seal and we scared him, he stood up and barked and we screamed. Then the three of us froze – we weren’t sure if he was going to charge us, but he ended up jumping in the water. LOL

While I will say our bed is much more comfortable than the last one, it was a bit of a restless night. We sleep in the aft-cabin and the cockpit is above us, so any noise in the cockpit is annoying. That’s especially true if you forget to secure the snaps on your canvas and a blustery storm moves in around 3am in the morning!

Needless to say, we left the boat as soon as we woke up. During this entire time, we have also been packing up our current apartment as we were moving at the end of the month. Nothing like moving out of an apartment and into a new one AND onto a boat at the same time!

Now that we’re moved, we’re looking forward to getting out on the boat with friends and family. Stay tuned for my next blog, as I take you on a flight to Roche Harbor Resort and Marina!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Check out Episode #34 Taking Possession of Our Happy Day

In our next blog, Ally takes a quick trip to Roche Harbor!

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