August 2020

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

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020

Whaler Life on a 170 Montauk at Camano Island

Last month, I sat down with my nephew Jake who owns a 2006 Boston Whaler 170 Montauk, to talk about beach life and how he likes his Whaler. Jake has owned the boat for three years and is the second owner of the boat. Tyee Beach is located on the east side of Camano Island facing Port Susan.

It is a private beach that is made up of mostly vacation homes. However, many people live there all-year round, including my aunt and uncle.

Crabbing, shrimping & fishing

During the summer months, everyone at the beach spends their time out on their boats crabbing, fishing and shrimping – when it’s open that is. In Washington state, we have a very limited crabbing season and shrimp season is only open about two days.

Jake uses 27″ diameter crab pots that weigh about 20lbs. As you can see in the video above, you need a boat that can handle not only the load, but the dirty work. The great thing about the Montauk line is that it is designed to handle rugged activities like fishing and crabbing.

It’s rugged enough to beach it on rocky surfaces and you don’t have to worry about the boat getting messy. Once you’re done for the day, simply hose down the deck and you’re good to go!

At the same time, the 170 Montauk offers comforts to everyone – its easy to stand in, plenty of seating with comfortable cushions, tons of storage and optional fishing packages. It also has all of the navigation you need, including fish finder and GPS. Jake also added a crab pot puller and it makes life so much easier – trust me, I know first hand.

Great Family Boat

When Jake is not out fishing, he loves to take his family out for a cruise. With a young daughter and nephews, safety is his top priority – he loves that the Whaler is unsinkable!

Jake’s 170 Montauk is outfitted with a Mercury 90 HP motor, which gets him to where he needs to be quickly! He has even taken the Montauk over to Langley on Whidbey Island, about 8 nautical miles away. At 17′ long, you feel like you are in a much bigger boat than it actually is.

The perfect boat for the Pacific Northwest

I asked Jake when he thought he might buy a different boat. He said he has no plans to buy one as of now since Whalers can last a life-time. Their durability and easy to tow feature, makes them a great boat for the Pacific Northwest.

One funny and ironic story about Jake’s Montauk is from awhile back. My family had been teasing me about not trusting their mooring ball for our own boat (Bayliner 4087). It hadn’t been tested and we didn’t know if it could hold 23,000 lbs.

Scott and I were up at the beach on a stormy night and the Montauk was tied to the mooring ball. Winds started howling around midnight and got up to 30 knots. The next morning, my aunt woke me up at 5am to an emergency! The neighbor’s Bayliner 3988 had broken from its mooring line and the Montauk not only caught it, but it held it during the wind storm! It only suffered a couple of scrapes too. That’s impressive!

Scott and I are truly blessed to be able to enjoy time up on Camano Island and the fact that we can still go boating, makes it that much better! Thank you to Jake for taking us out crabbing and getting to spend a fun day on the water. The PNW is a beautiful place to live and we’ll never take for granted the beauty we get to experience here. Be sure to check out our interview with Jake 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

August 2, 2020August 2, 2020

Could a Navigator yacht be our next live-aboard?

A few weeks ago, Scott and I headed up north to view two Navigator yachts as a possible live-aboard. The weather forecast was sunny and warm, so why not take a road trip and spend the day near the water and boats? A few years ago, I commented in our blog about liking Navigator yachts after we toured one at the Boats Afloat Show. However, that was also four years ago, so perhaps what we liked then is different than today.

First stop, Navigator on the hard

Scott and I headed up to Blaine, WA to view a 53′ Navigator that was on the hard. The price was very low compared to the other similar year and models. We could see by the photos that it was missing some of the salon furniture and we wondered why. This is a 1999 Navigator 5300 and the asking price is $199,999.

The salesperson was very friendly and let us tour the boat on our own. As soon as we got on the boat, she asked us if we “knew the story?” We told her we had not talked to anyone, other than a few emails back and forth about viewing it. While were were admiring the size of the cockpit, she began to tell us the story.

Turns out the boat sank at the Anacortes Marina a year ago ! (great). Wish we would have known that before we drove all the way up to the border. Luckily, we had another viewing the following day in Anacortes, so it wasn’t a big deal.

We’re here, might as well tour it

As the story goes, the boat sank at the marina after a thru hull plug failed and it sank up to about a foot into the salon. Well, that can’t be good! They did get life it out immediately. Surprisingly, we didn’t notice too much damage on the woodwork except for a few spots, but the interior did smell musty. Older boats smell as it is, and it didn’t help that this one had been in the water. They did replace the carpet and that was about it. They said they “Neutra-salted” the engine (yet the listing said they rebuilt the engines) and didn’t replace any of the electronics or wiring. Yikes. She did say, they have put the boat back in the water since and everything runs fine. Could be a fun project for someone, but when it comes to sinking and electrical – I’ll pass.

Since we’re here, might as well take a tour. The galley is one of my favorite things about the Navigator. It has plenty of counter space, a huge sink and a nice big fridge. Check out the pantry in the floor board!

The interior bridge offered plenty of space for an office.

As we toured down below, it was difficult to see, as they didn’t turn on the power, so everything was in the dark. In the main stateroom, they did have a washer and dryer. However, it was right next to the bed and I don’t know how you would get your laundry out. We also wondered how you would service the washer?

The forward VIP berth had tons of storage including closet space.

Question for other boaters: Have you ever bought a really stinky boat and made it work? We watch YouTube videos of folks buying derelict boats and we wonder if they ever get the smell out? Please let us know.

When we got to the upper fly bridge, it was obvious this boat needs some work. It did have a huge u-shaped seat, but with no table, it seemed like strange set up. Then the bridge panel was missing an instrument indicator, the instrument panel was starting to show signs of wear & salt corrosion, plus it had a serious off shore freezer that took up a huge chunk of the bridge.

If someone wanted to invest at least $50,000 to $80,000, this could be a really cool boat. Scott and I are not looking for a serious fixer upper. We did love the bottom paint – this made the boat very stylish and stunning. In the end, this was not our thing and so we moved on to the next one.

Who doesn’t love a surprise?

While we were cruising the docks of the Blaine Marina, we stumbled across this cool old tug boat. We talked to the captain and found out they use this tug boat to shuttle people from the marina to the Semiahmoo marina.

This tug was built in 1944 and was used to carry cannery workers back and forth across the channel between Blaine and the former APA salmon cannery on Semiahmoo Spit. The ferry was restored by volunteers from the Whatcom Maritime Historical Society, The Friends of the Plover, (now known as Drayton Harbor Maritime) and The Plover Beach Gang. For more information, be sure to check out the Drayton Harbor webpage here.

My surprise for the day, was finding out that our friends were just across the bay and they have a golden retriever named Tiller. I first met Tiller at the Union Marine Rendezvous last summer and I fell in love with her. She is so much like our old golden Mac, that I swear he is channeling through her. So Lauren and Marshall, made the trek across the bay from Semiahmoo and we got to visit with them for a bit before we headed to Anacortes. What a fun surprise!

A beautiful day at Cap Sante Marina

This was our first trip overnight since the covid-19 pandemic and I was a bit anxious about staying in a hotel. Scott and I have stayed at the Sunrise Inn for the past few years and this year, they didn’t disappoint. Our room was fantastic and very clean. We brought our own pillows and didn’t use any of their shower amenities – just to be safe.

We grabbed a quick appetizer at the beach cafe at Anthony’s while we enjoyed the view and the sunshine. It was the perfect setting for a Saturday afternoon.

We decided to walk the docks and enjoy the scenery. The marina had plenty of signage reminding folks to keep their social distancing. As we walked down the guests docks, it was fun to see a couple of Elliott Bay Marina yachts there and we stopped to chat with them for a bit.

A sneak peak before our tour

Scott and I had a scheduled tour for the following day to see the other Navigator, a 1995 Sundance 5300, but as we walked the docks we stumbled upon it. Low and behold, someone was on it and he invited us up. It was the canvas company (working on the boat) and he gave us the full story and tour. One thing to note, is the Sundance model is set up differently than the classic 5300 (the first boat we toured). The main stateroom entrance is located mid salon. (See below in the tour.)

He was in the process of installing a BRAND NEW waterproof Sunbrella enclosure for the flybridge. It was awesome and we were envious. Turns out the owners live in California and they were just not using the boat that much, so they decided to sell it. They were the second owners and have put the boat in charter for one year. However, they use a boutique small charter company, so it only got chartered about twice a year.

It was great getting some insight on the boat, before our appointment the next day. Plus who wouldn’t want that brand new canvas enclosure?! Wow, amazing work. He did tell us that they only work in Anacortes. So if you need canvas work done, call Canvas Outfitters in Anacortes.

The full tour of the Navigator Sundance 5300

Scott and I met the broker first thing in the morning and he was super helpful. Of course, we didn’t tell him we had been on the boat the night before. The owner of the boat has taken impeccable care and it really showed. For a 25 year old boat, this boat looked new. It did have a very expensive lounge chair in the salon (a Thomas Payne) – which I would get rid of and instead, add a coffee table. In addition, there is tons of storage throughout the salon.

While the galley was dated with white cupboards, it actually looked great. The dining table was huge and you could easily use that for entertaining and a buffet. There was just as much storage in this galley as we have in our current condo.

Unlike the previous Navigator, the galley table is the only option for an office – but it’s big enough for four people! The bridge was a bit tight looking at the seat and the wheel, that was our biggest disappointment. Even a skinny person couldn’t fit in there.

Sleeping arrangements

The main stateroom and head are accessed by a staircase, mid salon. It was actually pretty cool and this offered a full beam stateroom, as it’s located under the salon.

With huge closets and plenty of drawers, this main stateroom easily offered the comforts of home. Plus you can easily walk around all sides of the bed!!

Moving through the galley and flybridge, you enter another staircase down to the guest spaces. I like that they are separate from the owner’s section. Down below they had a room with bunk beds and a large VIP forward berth with a shared head.

The washer and dryer were easily accessible and located in the room with the bunk beds.

Cavernous Engine Room

Scott originally wasn’t going to check out the engine room, but the salesman convinced him to go check it out. Once down there, he kept awing and saying “Wow, this place is cavernous! It goes on and on and on.”. While it’s hard to tell the size by the photos, you can see how many large tubs are stored down there. Be sure to watch the YouTube video for the full tour.

While we do contract out some of our engine maintenance on our boats, we also do a lot of it ourselves. The biggest challenge Scott has had, is being able to easily access the engine. On this boat, he felt he had plenty of room to maneuver around.

Where’s the dinghy?

I thought it was odd that the boat didn’t have a dinghy. That was until we got upstairs (yes, I didn’t notice it the day before), that we found the dinghy up on the flybridge. The flybridge also has a barbecue and wet bar. With the dinghy stored up top, it does get pretty tight. You would want to be careful moving around.

Curious about what type of dinghy it was, I took off the cover and was happy to see it was a center console 12′ Caribe with a 40hp engine! Wow! The flybridge has a crane davit for the dinghy, which would be new to us to use.

What a great live-aboard! Did we make an offer?

As we were sharing our story on Instagram and Facebook during the tour, everyone kept asking us if we made an offer? We also found more information on the boat, also called “Simbalaut”, that he has traveled to Alaska and there’s a great blog out there about that trip! How cool is that?!

Back to the question – did we make an offer? Scott and I talked it over on our way home. We know this is a perfect live-aboard and within our price range. The issue still remains – we have no where to put it. The broker did offer temporary moorage for it, but that’s not our solution. We don’t want to pay for a 60′ slip AND our condo that we live in. The whole purpose for downsizing and living aboard, is to get rid of our condo. Back to square one.

Scott and I have no regrets on taking the trip and spending time on both Navigators. We feel this is probably the model we are looking for, but we are still open to other types (trawler, yachts, etc). We’ll continue looking at different types of boats and hope when February comes along, that we’ll find something. Our best bet is probably to find a boat that comes with a live-aboard slip already. We are on the wait list for Shilshole and Delin, but without a boat, we won’t be able to take it if our name comes up.

In the meantime, we’ll keep searching and stay positive that all of our efforts to make this happen will come to fruition. Stay tuned.

As always, thank you for following our story! Next week, we share a “Whaler Story” and life on a Boston Whaler 170 Montauk.

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 (See the full tour below)