Month: October 2021

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Tour a 1993 50′ Vista Liveaboard

Last week, we shared our interview with Laurie and Scott who live on their 1993 50′ Vista. This week, we’ll take you on a tour of their 50′ Vista. Scott and I fell in love with this yacht as soon as we boarded it and we know you will too.

It is easy to board from the dock and similar to our Bayliner 4087, it only has a few steps up into the cockpit.

As you enter the cockpit, you will find an expansive area perfect for entertaining. They have a large 6′ table (that can also fold down), a few chairs, a wet bar, fridge, icemaker and storage cupboards.

With a view like this, who wouldn’t want to sit around and enjoy the scenery?

The Flybridge

Scott and Laurie have had up to thirteen people up on the flybridge and we can see why. There’s plenty of seating and another folding table. The visibility from the helm is fantastic! The boat is equipped with all of the latest electronics and they also have a bow thruster.

Notice the bimini top. It’s an acrylic hardtop, instead of canvas. Their canvas was falling apart, so they had this custom built for their 50’Vista. They found a local company (from the back of one of the local boating magazines), HardToTop. They are adding a custom hardtop next year, so it will be fun to see the changes they make.

Another cool thing they have added to their 50′ Vista, are solar panels. These will be moved to the new custom hardtop next year.

The living area

As I mentioned in our interview with Scott and Laurie, we love the fact that their living area resembles a cozy home. In fact, their salon is set up much like our condo, just slightly smaller. The sofa and ottoman also offer tons storage!

Scott does not use the lower helm, but check out this beautiful wheel! Over the top of the station, you look down into the galley. We also love that this yacht has pilothouse doors, allowing air flow during the summer.

This 50′ Vista does have a galley down, but because there is no “ceiling” it feels nice and open. You can easily interact with folks in the salon and the settee can seat up to six people!

Sleeping quarters

This 50′ Vista has two staterooms, a VIP in the forward berth and the master in the aft. The forward stateroom can also be converted into a queen size bed, using an additional board and cushion. The locker in this room is so large and deep that they keep their winter coats in it. (Yes, I forgot to take a photo of it)

The day head was nice a roomy, had a separate shower and I loved the wall coverings. It’s not your standard white fiberglass.

Moving to the aft of the boat, you will find a very spacious master aft cabin. It has a full walk around bed, storage and vanities on both side and access to the master head. One of the vanities could be used as an office if need be.

The master head has plenty of storage. It has fairly large separate shower that also has a bench seat in it.

The engine room access is also from inside the master stateroom. Scott was able to crawl in, but he can’t quite stand up in it. They had plenty of storage in there, including a large tool kit and storage tubs.

This 50′ Vista is equipped with twin Caterpillar V8 Diesel 225hp engines.

We wish it was for sale

Scott and I are so thankful to Laurie and Scott for inviting us into their floating home and giving us a tour of their 50′ Vista. It has everything we want and then some. Unfortunately, it’s not for sale and it’s probably out of price range. Now that we have seen this model, plus the Navigator Sundance 51, we know exactly what we are looking for. So the hunt continues. In the meantime, we’ll continue to also bring you other fun tours and adventures while we search.

As always thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated on our search. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers,

Scott and Ally

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Living aboard a 50′ Vista

Last weekend Scott and I had the pleasure of interviewing a wonderful couple who are living aboard their 50′ Vista. Laurie and Scott have lived on their boat for over nine years and are moored in the Wharfside Marina on Bainbridge Island. In fact, we would have seen their boat during our trek to Bainbridge this past summer, but they were cruising.

If you recall, we interviewed another liveaboard, Jeff on MV Why Knot last year and he lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug. While it’s a dream of ours to liveaboard, we also have a lot of questions about adapting to a home on water. Scott and I really appreciated the time Laurie and Scott spent with us aboard their 50′ Vista, named MV Float Plane.

Living aboard at the Wharfside Marina

There are quite a few liveaboards living at the Winslow Wharf Marina. Just walking distance from the ferry, this is an ideal location. We asked Laurie and Scott if they have always owned a yacht, and the answer was no. They owned a 22′ runabout while raising their kids and they had never been on a boat of this size. When their kids grew up, they wanted to downsize and have waterfront property. Then they got the idea of living on a boat, instead of waterfront property. Next thing you know, they were boat shopping! Scott said a captain spent time with him teaching him how to operate the boat and after a few sessions, he was set.

Since moving aboard, Laurie has always worked a few blocks away. In fact, her current office offers garage parking, storage and shower facilities. How amazing is that?! Scott currently is working remotely, but pre-covid, he did take the ferry to Seattle every day and used van-pool to get to his office.

Trip to Port Orchard

One thing we did learn about their marina, is they do not offer any services, which means they don’t have a pump-out service. What they do have is a portable pump. About once a week, Scott rolls the pump down the dock, pumps out, then he has to pump out the pump into the city sewer system. He said, it wasn’t a big deal.

The marina also doesn’t have laundry facilities. For a while Laurie was using a local laundromat, but they closed during covid. They always had a washer / dryer combo, but had never used it. Now that’s all they use. Since it’s a combo, you have to do smaller loads.

What they love and don’t love about living aboard

Let’s start with the challenges of living aboard (save the best for last).

Shopping. Parking. Garbage. When you live in a house or condo, you typically park in a garage and go straight into your building. Living on a boat, you park your car in a parking lot. When it comes to shopping, you park, go get a cart, then haul your stuff to the boat and then return the cart. If it’s pouring down rain, all of your goods can get soaked. Keep in mind, when the tides are really low, the ramps will be steep, making it a bit more work. Then there’s garbage. Unlike a home, the dumpster is up at the marina office. Whenever Laurie and Scott leave the boat they always take a bag of garbage with them.

Storage. They have a rule, if you buy something, then something comes off. However, as you will see in the tour next week, this yacht has TONS of storage! Plus they do have off-site storage too.

Freezing Weather. Laurie and Scott get asked all the time about the weather and if living on a boat is cold. Actually, their floating home was very comfortable. The only time weather is an issue, is when there is snow on the docks and when freezing temps force the marina to turn off the water. Because they live full time on the boat (keep it warm), they never have to worry about freezing pipes on the boat.

Hauling Out. Since this is their home, when they haul out they have to find a place to stay. While some boat yards allow you to live aboard, you can’t let the grey water drain out into the yard. So that is a bit of an inconvenience when you want to shower or do dishes.

The pros of living aboard.

Comradery. They have made so many friends in the marina and they are like family. They have happy hour together, enjoy barbecues and even travel together. That is one thing Scott and I really miss about owning a boat. Spending the weekend down at the marina with other friends.

The Views. This marina faces both east and west, so they get to see the sunrise and sunset every day. Scott shared some of his amazing shots with us and we agree this is a major plus.

Simplicity. Life seems easier when you don’t have a lot of stuff. It is a very “freeing” feeling to purge stuff you no longer need. Yet, they are still hanging on to their chain saw; you never know when you might need one!

Stress Reducing. Living on the water, surrounded by water, nature and marine life is good for the soul. There’s nothing better than sitting on the bow with a cocktail and enjoying all that is around you.

What type of boat do they live on?

This liveaboard yacht is a 1993 50′ Vista made by Horizon. They have never seen another one and we have never heard of this model before. Ironically the name of the boat is MV Float Plane. They bought it from a pilot and it turns out that Scott is also a pilot, so they kept the name.

We love the spaciousness of this yacht and next week, we’ll take you on a tour. We want to thank Laurie and Scott for inviting us onto their floating home and taking time to meet with us. Scott and I are very envious of them and we hope some day we can do the same.

As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to tune in and subscribe to our blog and vlog for the full tour next week. We have a few fun adventures coming up, so you don’t want to miss out on those.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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More favorite yachts from Boats Afloat Show

Last month, Scott and I attended the 2021 Boats Afloat Show and this week we want to share more of our favorite yachts from the show. We were pulled in so many directions after not attending a show for nearly two years, that it was hard to pick our favorites. Here we’ll talk about a few, but be sure to check out our YouTube channel for a full tour of a few other favorite yachts (see the episode at the end of this blog.)

2004 Compass 55 Pilothouse

One of my favorite yachts, was a 2004 Compass 55 Pilothouse. This was definitely a liveaboard boat, but unfortunately it was close to $500k, so it is out of our price range.

At the stern of the boat, you access the engine room through a hatch.

There is plenty of outdoor seating for dining, with lots of room to move about.

As you enter the salon, you will find a large lounge area with lots of entertainment space.

The galley has lots of space including, two sinks kiddy corner from each other, a full size fridge and a four burner stove top.

The interior helm station was in great shape with upgraded electronics.

Moving down to the cabins, you can easily see why this is a great liveaboard. Each offer plenty of storage and space. The master stateroom has a walk around bed AND a telephone intercom!

The master head has tons of storage and counter space, plus a separate shower.

What makes a boat a favorite yacht for us? For us (everyone is different), we look to see how similar it is to living in a small condo or home. This Compass 55 had another room that would make a great office! It’s actually a make-up vanity, but it would work!

Overall, this was a very nice layout. For more information, visit Yachtworld here.

1983 Tollycraft Pilothouse

Scott and I have had many people tell us to check out a Tollycraft and luckily there was one in the show this year. This favorite yacht of the show is 61′ long, 38 years old and in great shape. It also, is almost $500k, so way out of our budget.

When we say we want our liveaboard boat to feel like home, well this Tollycraft is it! Though it’s almost 40 years old, it doesn’t look like it or smell like it. Almost everything was new, so it must have had a remodel recently.

The staterooms had lots of storage and again, the main stateroom had a full walk around bed.

The heads had separate showers and lots of counter space.

The upper flybridge offered fantastic views and great entertainment space, including a wine cooler and fridge!

Scott and I could definitely live on this boat. For more information, visit Yachtworld here.

More of our favorite yachts

We did tour a Fleming Yacht that was very nice. It had some great features, an organ (yep!), a nice fly bridge and oddly enough, a wooden captain’s chair. At over $1 million, you would think it would have a nicer captain’s seat.

This Fleming, only had an interior helm station, but you could see where they left space for an upper helm station. We did like the camera on the stern, which would be great for docking!

The staterooms were nicely appointed and offered great storage too.

Another strange feature of this favorite yacht was the master head had a mirror as the ceiling. So it made the shower look like a glass elevator.

It was great to tour more boats, but we were disappointed that there were not more in our price range (ideally under $200k). Right now the demand for used boats is sky rocketing and brokers just can’t keep them in stock. Our question is, where are these customers keeping these yachts? Marinas are full too.

Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a 58′ Sea Ray that has an awesome design and layout! As always, thank you for following our blog and vlog. You can follow us on social @BoatingJourney and #BoatingJourney. Until next time!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

boats afloat 2021
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Touring Dream Yachts at the Boats Afloat Show

Last month, Scott and I attended the 2021 Boats Afloat Show for the first time in almost two years. We love touring the larger dream yachts (who doesn’t?) and hoping we win the lottery! There were a couple of dream yachts that really stood out to us.

Absolute Navetta 73

Due to the pandemic, the crowds were much smaller this year at the Boats Afloat Show. Getting onto the larger yachts was easy with no wait times. The first one we toured was a brand new Absolute Navetta 73 and this yacht was stunning! Yep, we could live on this one!

Starting on the stern, you’ll find lounge seating, a wet bar and a docking station on the starboard side. The walk arounds are nice and wide with high rails.

Moving into the main salon, there’s enough space to host a large party! The interior features precious natural materials like wood, crystal, leather, the Calacatta marble, Murano glass and high-quality design furniture. The TV pops up out of the counter on the right and you’ll find recessed lighting throughout this yacht.

Between the dining area and galley, is a retractable wall that can be used to close off the galley from the guests.

High end features on the Absolute Navetta 73

In the galley you will find all Miele appliances, including a commercial Miele exhaust hood.

Moving towards the bow of this dream yacht, we will find the inside helm station with two fully integrated electronic screens. For a yacht this size, you would expect the steering wheel to be larger.

From the helm station, you go down below on your port side to find the master stateroom. This stateroom and head are larger than our condo!

How about this view for an office?

Guest accommodations on this dream yacht

Anyone who has boated with us will agree that our “guest accommodations” are just okay. Sure, it’s great to be on a boat, but let’s admit, the beds and the rooms are not that comfortable. But you can’t say that about these guests accommodations!

Check out the fly bridge!

Heading up to the fly bridge, you will find so much entertainment space. The bar is huge, with a fridge, icemaker, a grill and plenty of dining and lounge seating. The visibility from the upper helm station was fantastic.

This dream yacht does come with crew quarters. They were so small, it was hard to take a photo. Through the crew quarters, you will then find the massive engine room with plenty of head space. Powered with twin Volvo 1350 ISP 1000hp engines, this dream yacht will get you to your destination fast.

Meet the Ocean Alexander 27e

For some reason, I didn’t take any photos of this yacht, so all of the pictures below are manufacturer provided. Scott did a great tour of it, so be sure to check out our YouTube video below. At 89′ long and 21′ wide, this yacht is massive (for Seattle waters).

Starting with the salon, you will find a huge sofa lounger, a wet bar and dining towards the galley.

This galley was bigger than our kitchen in our previous home! Featuring marble throughout, it had plenty of counterspace for food prep and entertaining.

Moving up to the fly bridge, you will find an expansive lounge area inside and then a wet bar and hot tub outside! Who doesn’t need a hot tub on a boat. If you are wondering how big the fresh water tank is, it’s 660 gallons. Most likely you would fill part of it from the dock, but not all the way, or you will get water all over the place as you travel.

I don’t know about you, but this looks like a very comfortable and roomy master stateroom! Again, we don’t have this much room in our bedroom in our condo!

Taking a week off

This was absolutely a gorgeous dream yacht and if we won the lottery, I’m not sure which one we would pick! In our next blog, we’ll tour some boats in our price range, so stay tuned. We are going to take next weekend off, as we head off on another adventure! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and channel to stay updated on our journey.

As always, thank you for following us! You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Winslow