Month: October 2022

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United States Sailboat Show 2022

Scott and I returned to Annapolis to attend the United States Sailboat Show last week. This was the third time we have attended the Sailboat Show. I know, you’re wondering why would we attend the Sailboat Show and not the Power Boat Show? Well, we’ve attended both in Annapolis and honestly the Sailboat Show has a better vibe and we enjoy it more. It was also nice to attend the show as an attendee and not an exhibitor. It’s difficult for me to completely enjoy a boat show, when I’m working it.

Press Passes

Now that our YouTube channel is growing (we have almost 5500 subscribers) and have a legitimate media company, we are able to get press credentials. To us, that’s a pretty cool thing! We’ve worked really hard on this blog and vlog since 2015 and it’s nice to see our hard work paying off.

Scott and I headed to the show first thing Friday morning to get a jump on the crowds. Our plan of attack would be to tour our favorite catamarans on Friday and mon-hulls on Saturday. We definitely found some favorites, so tune in over the next few weeks and we’ll take you on a few tours.

Being from Seattle, we are not used to seeing so many catamarans. At the Boats Afloat Show in Seattle, we were lucky if two catamarans were on display. This weekend, we had our pick of over thirty catamarans to tour.

The weather was absolutely perfect for the show. Blue skies and mid-70’s temperatures. Sometimes I do miss that.

Vendors, Vendors and Vendors

If you are looking for boat parts, clothing, financing, insurance, lessons or vacation charters you will find them here. Scott and I talked to a number of sailing companies that offer lessons in the Caribbean and we are seriously considering getting our ASA101 thru ASA 107, plus ASA 114 Catamaran Cruising next year.

Scott talked to the Annapolis School of Seamanship about getting his 100-ton Captain’s License. They have a great program and it’s too bad they don’t have a satellite office here in Florida.

Meeting Other YouTubers

The highlight of the weekend for us, was meeting the YouTube channels that we support through Patreon. (We also have a Patreon account, but we only have one supporter – LOL – Some day.) During the show, we were able to head over to the YouTube booth and meet three of our channels. As soon as we arrived, we immediately ran into Beau & Brandy from Beau and Brandy Sailing and Gary and Brooke from Sailing One Life. They happen to be friends and ironically, we have had two near misses with Beau and Brandy.

The last two times we have visited St. Thomas, we had planned on meeting up with Beau and Brandy. However, on both occasions, they were flying back to the US! It was so nice to finally hug each other and meet in person, rather than Zoom.

We found Gary & Brooke’s channel thru Beau and Brandy. Gary and Brooke have made it thru the Panama Canal and now are in Mexico. That’s a bucket list for us (the canal that is).

At the end of the YouTube booth we found Lihn, Teal and Emma from Onboard Lifestyle. These guys are from Seattle and they lived on Lake Union right below our first apartment in DT Seattle. Teal is amazing when it comes to boats, so this is a channel you will want to subscribe to and start from the beginning!

A trip to the Annapolis Sail Boat Show wouldn’t be complete without a pain killer from Pussers!

DT Annapolis

This was my second trip to Annapolis this year, as I was there back in April for work. I love Annapolis and I especially love the history and quaintness of downtown. There are tons of cute shops, restaurants and bars.

My Favorites

I couldn’t resist a few of my favorites during our visit too. Every dog we encountered I had to say hi! Isn’t this gal a cutie?

I will also admit, I miss one of my favorite boating brands, Boston Whaler. I couldn’t resist getting a photo!

Patreon Meet-Ups

One benefit of being a Patreon of a channel, is the personal connection with the creators. We have monthly Zoom calls and local meet-ups when they are in town. We’re hoping to connect again with Brooke and Gary when they head to Florida next month.

Our first meet up was with Beau and Brandy at a location walking distance from the show. We didn’t know what to expect and it was so cool to meet everyone we talk to each month on Zoom. Beau and Brandy moved from New York to Florida and had never sailed before. They never took sailing lessons before buying a sailing boat This is a channel you want to start from the beginning!

The following day we had a meetup with the crew of Sailing Parlay Revival. Colin and his crew bought a hurricane damaged Lagoon 450 after Hurricane Irma, repaired it and now they are sailing around the world. Bucket list!

Our last Patreon meet up was with Brooke and Gary of One Life Sailing. I thought the event was 4:30pm to 6:30pm and at 4pm I looked at my calendar and said to Scott “Oh crap! Their event is 3pm to 5pm!” We were so bummed that we missed out on most of the meetup. We did get to spend time with Gary’s parents and get their perspective on their son’s sailing adventure. They are so supportive of their journey and that is so cool to us! Thank you to Brooke and Gary for giving us all t-shirts! What a fun surprise.

All Good Things Must End

What a fun weekend we had and I really needed this. It was awesome to meet everyone and and spend time at the Sail Boat Show. I can’t wait until next year!

If you didn’t notice, we also have new Boating Journey swag and you can also order swag for yourself. Check out our link here!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be showcasing some of our favorite boats, so be sure to tune in and check them out. In addition, we just launched our new store! So if you are interested in getting some Boating Journey swag, check it out here!

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe and also subscribe to our channel on YouTube (see video below). You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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1996 Hatteras 52′ Tour

Scott and I toured a 1996 Hatteras 52′ Yacht this week that is for sale by Denison Yachting. This yacht is a fantastic liveaboard and it comes with a liveaboard slip. It is moored in the Loggerhead Marina in Hollywood, FL which is about 40 minutes south of us.

Since this yacht is 26 years old, I was expecting it to be run down and stinky. To my surprise, this yacht is in fantastic condition and has no smell at all! Wow, that has to be a first for us. It was nice to tour a Hatteras and see how it should look like. Remember last summer, when we flew to Fort Lauderdale and toured a Hatteras? I still can’t believe that yacht was for sale!

Tour this Hatteras 52′

Normally in my blog, I write about our latest YouTube episode. This time, I decided to keep it short and have you watch the tour on YouTube. Pictures just don’t do it justice. What I loved about this yacht, is that the owner made it very homey. It has couches that you would find in your home, he created an office space and the salon even has a fireplace. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.

You are probably wondering if we are interested in it for ourselves? It’s almost in our budget and comes with a liveaboard slip, so why are we not jumping at the bit you ask? Well, tune in to our channel in the coming weeks, as we will talk about boating in Florida. Insurance, financing and the costs of slips are much different than Seattle and that’s because we are in Hurricane territory. We won’t be buying a boat until at least next Spring after we do our research and figure out what we can afford. Plus our lease isn’t up until April and our plan is not to have a condo and a boat.

If you are interested in this yacht, contact Paul Denton at Denison Yachting. You can find his information and the listing here.

As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our channel and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Tune in next week, as we head to the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Exploring Key West & Duck Key

Last month, Scott and I headed back to The Keys and stayed at Duck Key for our friend Jared’s 40th birthday. We met Jared and his family in Seattle when we owned The Wine Alley and became good friends. Our group rented houses in Duck Key near Marathon in The Keys. The trip to Duck Key took us about two and half hours, as we did not run into any traffic this time.

Since our VRBO wasn’t ready when we arrived, we decided to take our friends to Robbie’s for lunch. If you haven’t been to Robbie’s before, it’s a must see, as it is very eclectic and they have great food.

Scott and I were at Robbie’s in February 2015 when we owned The Wine Alley. There are dollar bills pinned everywhere, so back in 2015 we pinned one up. I searched and searched for our bill, but I couldn’t find it. Let us know if you find it some day!

We just got new stickers, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add ours.

In addition, Robbie’s is known for feeding the Tarpon. Be sure to watch our YouTube episode – this scene is hilarious. You do have to watch out for the pelican when you are handling fish.

Staying in Duck Key

Duck Key is an island on the east side of US 1 and is built much like Fort Lauderdale, with numerous canals.

The townhome that Scott and I rented was part of a large HOA on the island. We had an end unit with a southern view that was fantastic! Surprisingly, the rates were fairly affordable considering it was Labor Day Weekend.

Our backyard was also home to plenty of friendly iguanas.

That evening, our group of thirty headed to the Lazy Days restaurant for dinner. Here we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Having had a sunset view for the past twenty years, we really do miss seeing this every night.

Exploring Key West

The last time Scott and I were in Key West (February 2015), we got a surprising warning on my phone. The weather channel had just issued a freeze warning – their first ever! Great, all we brought with us was shorts, flipflops and tank tops. We barely spent any time in Key West, because we were so cold.

Our group parked in the garage next to the Opal Key resort (where we will be staying in December) and explored the city by foot.

Key West is a very walkable city with lots to see. You can also take a trolly through the city if you didn’t want to walk. If you love museums, shopping, restaurants, bars and live music, this is your place. There is plenty to choose from.

The other cool part about this city is that they have kept all of the historical buildings (and trees) in great condition.

When we return in December, we are planning on doing this ghost tour! If you have done this tour, let us know your thoughts. Also, if there is something we should definitely check out in Key West, let us know that too.

End of US 1

Turns out our group wasn’t that interested in the museums, so we decided to check out a few bars and restaurants. First stop was the Green Parrot.

After enjoying some amazing cocktails at the Green Parrot, it was time for lunch and we headed to the infamous Sloppy Joe’s Restaurant. They have music and yep, the original Slobby Joe is on the menu!

Key West Sights

Everywhere we walked, we came across one cool sight after another. Key West is not short on things to see. Check out his Banyan Tree below!

Key West even has a clothing optional bar and no, we did not visit this one!

We spent about five hours in Key West and then headed back to Duck Key to relax before dinner. The drive from Key West to Duck Key is just over an hour, depending on traffic.

Snorkeling in Duck Key

Our group originally had reserved a 22′ Hurricane bowrider boat, but the rental company screwed up and was overbooked. Time for plan B, and luckily I found Sole’ Watersports at Hawks Cay across from our VRBO. They offer daily snorkeling trips to the reef at Coffins Patch and Grassy Key Sandbar, located about five miles southeast of Duck Key.

The boat was a tourist style pontoon boat and it had a cover for protection from the sun.

The ride was smooth, but by the time we arrived to the reef bad weather was on its’ way. Our group still jumped in to snorkel. Though we saw plenty of fish, the 3′ swells did make it a bit uncomfortable, especially for the kids. In addition, our visibility was pretty limited due to the chop in the water.

Grassy Key Sandbar

We spent about an hour snorkeling and then we headed to Grassy Key Sandbar. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I have only been to a couple of sandbars. Let’s just say, it ended up being an epic day. The kids played, the adults imbibed and we soaked up some much needed sun.

The excursion left at 9am and we returned back to Duck Key around 1pm. We grabbed a quick lunch at Hawks Cay before getting ready for Jared’s 40th birthday party.

Visiting Duck Key

This was such a fun weekend and one we will not forget. We miss our friends and it was awesome seeing everyone. We wrapped up the three day weekend with a wonderful bbq dinner and celebration. Duck Key, we will certainly be back again!

As always, thank you for following our blog. Be sure to subscribe to our Boating Vlog on YouTube (see video below). You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a 1996 Hatteras 52′, so tune in.

Cheers, Scott & Ally

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Reflecting after Hurricane Ian

This has certainly been a heart breaking week in the wake of Hurricane Ian. When Scott and I moved to Florida, we knew that one of the biggest threats would be hurricanes. It wasn’t a matter of “if,” but rather “when” one hits. I have the NOAA hurricane app on my phone and I watch it regularly. On Friday, September 23rd Hurricane Ian was still only a tropical depression.

Preparing for Hurricane Ian

The following morning, Scott and I walked to the beach to watch the sunrise at 5:45am. It was a gorgeous morning and it was hard to believe that such a destructive storm was just a few hundred miles away. As you can see by the image above, we were not sure where it would hit.

We live on the 12th floor and our unit is surrounded by cement buildings. Scott and I were confident, that if a hurricane did hit us, we would actually be pretty safe here. Chances were we would lose power and be stuck on the 12th floor for a few days.

In Seattle, we worried about earthquakes and we had an “earthquake kit”. So when hurricane season arrived, we collected the items we thought we needed. This included plenty of drinking water, breakfast bars, canned protein, nuts, batteries, flashlights, straws that purify water, fans, crackers, jerky and fruit. Hurricane season is not over until mid November, so we still have about seven weeks to go. If we don’t end up using it, we’ll donate the food to the local food bank.

Watching the storm become Hurricane Ian

I drove to work on Monday, September 26th and it was raining a bit, but nothing too major. The weather forecasters did warn us of tropical storms approaching.

By Tuesday, September 27th we knew the west coast of Florida would get hit. My co-workers in Tampa were scrambling to evacuate or secure their homes, as they were going to get a direct hit. In the meantime, Fort Lauderdale started to get doused with torrential rains, thunder and lightening. It was pretty spectacular and frightening at the same time.

Not knowing how large Hurricane Ian would be, our offices decided to close on Wednesday, September 28th, the day it would make landfall. I woke up that morning wondering what we would experience. We had a lot of rain and winds were about 25mph. Living in Seattle, we were used to big wind storms – that was one of our biggest weather threats.

Somber realization

I kept the Weather Channel on throughout the day and as I watched the storm progress, my heart sank for everyone getting a direct hit. No longer was the hurricane heading directly to Tampa , but rather Naples and Fort Myers were now the direct target. My college roommate lives in Naples and I texted her right away. She texted back, with a photo of water streaming down her street and it was still rising. A few hours later, I checked in with her again and sadly, she had a foot of water on her entire first floor. Within just a few hours Fort Myers, Sanibel Island and Naples were destroyed by the storm surge. In many cases, the storm surge from Hurricane Ian was over 12 feet! Everything in its path was destroyed.

photo credit: Bloomberg

What’s hard to fathom is that half of our state is living life as they normally would, grocery shopping, boating, playing at the beach; while the other side is homeless, no power, no food and in many places they have no access to get out. It will take years to recover from this deadly storm and without actually seeing it in person, we have no concept of what they are going through. It is another reminder to never take what you have for granted. If you grumble every day you go to work, be grateful you have a job. If you grumble about traffic, be grateful you have roads and a car to drive in. This storm could have hit us too and while we would have been okay, our community would not have been.

This is truly a biblical event that we will never forget. I pray that hurricane season is over and that these communities can begin the recovery process soon.

Supporting the community after Hurricane Ian

There are many ways people can help in the wake of Hurricane Ian. I work for OneWater Yacht Group and I was extremely proud to learn that our parent company OneWater Marine was providing RVs for those employees who lost their homes. In addition, they launched a relief fund www. hurricanereliefnow.com.

Two other amazing organizations are the Red Cross & Florida Disaster Fund. They both could use your cash donations. While many of us want to drive supplies to the affected areas, we have found out that the area is still inaccessible.

As these communities begin to rebuild, give them your support. When they are ready for us, visit their hotels, restaurants and shops. They will need it.

Thank you for following our blog and journey.

Scott and Ally