After two years on hiatus, the Boats Afloat Show returned last week to Chandler’s Cove on Lake Union. It was certainly great to be at anin-person show, but it looked much different than years past. Due to the lack of inventory, coupled with the pandemic, the crowds and the boats on display were much smaller.
This dock is normally packed with yachts
For me, the show started the week before as I work for Union Marine and we needed to move in. We had six cruiser and yachts in the show, plus six lake boats. Though it had been two years since our last in the water show, it was like riding a bicycle again when it came to move in.
Meeting followers at the Boats Afloat Show 2021
I was working the show on Friday, taking a picture of the dingy display, when a gal came up to me and said “hi Ally, my husband and I follow you on YouTube”. It was so cool meeting her (Jan) and learning that she and her husband have a older Uniflite boat moored near Shilshole. They said they would love to have us aboard for a tour! The following day, two more followers came up to Scott and I (Jeff, Patrick, Steven….hopefully I didn’t forget any names!) to say hello. While our channel is small, it is so humbling when this happens. They truly enjoy our content and that’s why we do this. Trust me, working 40 hours a week and then having to produce a blog and episode, is hard work!
When I work the show, I work on one of our boats (remember, I’m in marketing, not sales). This was my office this year! I worked on a 2008 Sea Ray Sundancer 55 – we’ll have a full tour coming up!
Cool new boats at the Boats Afloat Show 2021
Scott and I toured a few really cool yachts! We’ll share those tours in the next couple of blogs and episodes. The show also had some cool new boats this year! Starting with this model from SeaLegs. These boats normally have inflatable pontoons, but this one was all aluminum! This amphibious vessel is great for remote beaches and cabins that don’t have a boat ramp. It would actually be perfect at our family’s place on Camano Island!
This Absolute Navetta 73 was absolutely gorgeous. We’ll do a tour of this one in our next blog!
If you need to get somewhere fast, these four outboards should do the trick!
Now if you don’t necessarily want speed, but instead size, check out these Mercury 600hp outboards! The photo doesn’t do it justice, as these outboards are about 7′ tall!
Our group had hoped to get a tour of this 64′ Northern Marine Trawler, but it was by appointment only.
More new boats at the Boats Afloat Show 2021
New to the PNW is this unique European day boat from Axopar. They are extremely popular in Europe and are great for day cruising. They do have a head and sleeping quarters too.
It was nice to see some of the larger yachts back at the show. But many of them required a broker to board, so we just enjoyed them from the dock!
Even, the sailboat row was pretty slim. This forward sail boat had literally just arrived, so it didn’t have its’ mast yet.
We then stumbled upon this Beneteau First 18, a great sailing vessel for up to four people. I’m still trying to figure out how you sail this, without getting a ton of water inside the boat?!
Of course, there were still some big sailing yachts and this Beneteau was a beauty. If we were to buy a sailboat, we would want one with plenty of deck space.
This yacht, certainly resembles us! This is what boating is all about. We toured three yachts during the show, including the Sea Ray 55, Absolute Navetta 74 and a Fleming 62. Be sure to tune in to our blog and upcoming episodes for those tours!
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog (link below) and on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Until next time!
Earlier this month, Scott and I rented a Duffy Electric Boat with our friends, Stacey, Kurt, Ben and Maria. Having never rented one before, we were not sure what to expect. You can find all kinds of boat rentals on Seattle’s Lake Union, including the Donut Boat and the Hot Tub Boat.
Located on the west side of Lake Union, the Electric Boat Company has a nice open dock and waiting area. Check-in was very easy; we filled out our liability waivers on-line and when we arrived, we simply paid and we were set!
Once you check-in, you wait on the dock for your boat to be cleaned and sanitized.
What can you bring on the boat?
Scott and I rented the boat for a two hour cruise (which costs $307 incl tax) and the boat can take up to 10 people. We rented the standard boat, but they do have a luxury boat which is larger. There were only six of us and it was the right amount of people.
You can bring your own food, beverages and music (they have blue tooth speakers), but remember you still have to follow the liquor law rules for driving under the influence. Stacey brought a beautiful Charcuterie board and we all brought our own wine.
I do recommend that you also bring napkins and paper towels as the water in case of spills.
Where can you cruise?
The Electric Boat Company will give you a map showing the areas you can and cannot take the boat. As we left the dock, the winds were kicking up from the north at about 8mph, so instead of fighting the lake swells, we decided to head up the cut towards Ballard.
There is a houseboat community on the west side of Lake Union that you immediately come upon and that was the “Sleepless in Seattle” house.
Be aware of other boaters
One thing to be aware of as you enter the cut towards Ballard, is marine traffic. Leisure craft, fishing vessels, yachts and tourist boats head through the cut to the Ballard Locks frequently. Be sure to follow the rules of the water and yield to the larger vessels.
Scott did a great job captaining the electric boat. He did say that it was like driving on ice and the steering was very lose.
There is plenty to see on the cruise and you really appreciate how much industry is on the cut.
2014 Nordhavn 120
Recently, the owners of “Trek” reached out to us on Instagram for a tour of their old ferry boat. They use the boat now as an event venue and they happen to pass us in the canal!
A day of boating on an electric boat in Seattle
This was such a fun and comfortable boat! It was a great way to unwind, enjoy the scenery and have fun. It also can be fully enclosed and it comes with a heater, so you can use it in the winter time. We will definitely rent an electric boat again if we are without a boat in the future.
As we cruised closer to the Ballard Locks, I texted our friend Jeff from M/V Why Knot, who we featured on the channel last year. Sure enough, he was home and came out to say hello! It’s our most popular episode, so be sure to check it out. Jeff lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug!
After cruising the cut, we headed towards Gas Work’s Park and my office at Union Marine. We only had about 15 minutes left in our cruise, so we ended up heading back to the docks.
It’s funny all of the things you do see out on the lake, including this cruiser with all of his fenders out.
Seattle has a beautiful skyline, so if you are looking for a day to enjoy the water with a great backdrop, this is the place!
We hope you enjoyed this quick “tour” of Lake Union and the Fremont Cut. As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to watch the full episode below and subscribe to our channel. Scott and I have lots of content lining up, so stay tuned. Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Seattle has had a very warm summer and with no boat, we needed to get out on the water somehow! Last month, we hopped on the Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry and headed to Winslow on Bainbridge Island. This is a quick 20 minute ferry ride that only costs $9/pp!
Though it was almost 80 degrees, it was very cool on the bow of the ferry as we were moving and it felt great! Just to be outside and enjoying the smell of saltwater put a smile on our faces!
Ironically, Scott and I have never been on this ferry or to Winslow for that matter. Once you arrive into the bay, it’s a short distance to the ferry terminal with minimal marine traffic.
Walking around Winslow
Once you step off the ferry, you will follow a “herd” of people to the “city center”. The walk into Winslow takes about 10 minutes.
Immediately, we came upon a brewery and some quaint locally owned shops. After owning our own retail business for over ten years, we know the importance of shopping local. As we approached the downtown core, we realized they were having an art gallery tour this weekend.
Our first stop was the Burgerhaus for a beverage, a pretzel and deep fried mushrooms. Everything was delicious! The burgers looked amazing, but we wanted to leave room for more food later.
Winslow wharf marina and docks
After walking around the heart of Winslow, we headed to the Waterfront Park and City Dock to check things out.
The path walks all through the park and then down to the waterfront, where you can follow a trail towards the Winslow Wharf Marina.
The walking trail is very nice and includes some cool rock sculptures. We also took note of some private sailing charter companies, for another option to get out on the water for a day!
Pub crawl in Winslow
Our first stop along the walking trail was the Harbour Public House. We got a great table next to the window, where we could enjoy the views and the breeze. They had a huge menu, lots of seating and it was a really cool bar! This is when we decided to turn our exploration into a Winslow pub crawl!
Looking out the window, you can see DT Seattle in the distance.
From the Harbour Pub, we headed back along the trail to Doc’s Marina and Grill. They had tons of seating inside, but they also had a lot of tables outside. We ended up grabbing a spot along the fence to enjoy a beverage.
Scott and I still had an hour before our ferry left, so we looked for the next bar and grill in Winslow to visit. We walked back towards the city center to see what we might find.
The internet suggested San Carlos Bar and Grill. It is actually a Mexican restaurant and we were able to grab a table on the back deck. There we met a couple that had lived on Bainbridge for over twenty years and they just sold their condo to move to Colorado. They said they loved it!
Could we live in Winslow and commute?
This was definitely a town we could live in and totally enjoy. The catch is, could I do the commute everyday? Right now, my commute is a fifteen minute drive. There are always sacrifices to get what you want. So if we found the right liveaboard in Winslow, we would definitely consider it! We will also probably come back in the winter to see what it’s like to be on a ferry when it’s cold and dreary.
Watch our YouTube episode below for a full walking tour of Winslow.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. See you next time!
This summer, Scott and I participated with the debut of the brand new 2022 Sea Ray Sundancer 370 OB in the Pacific Northwest. I work forUnion Marine and this event was hosted at our Lake Union showroom.
photo courtesy of Sea Ray Boats
We have toured a number of Sea Ray models, including an L590, 55, 550 and a 350. What makes this brand new Sundancer unique, is it comes with three Mercury 300hp outboard motors. There are a lot of advantages to having outboards, including maintenance, fuel cost, more storage, and access to shallow waters to name a few. It’s certainly much easier to change the oil on these outboards, than it is climbing down into a tight engine room.
Cruising through the Montlake Cut to Lake Washington
The weather was warm and sunny, so that meant there were boaters everywhere and the Montlake cut was like a whirlpool when we went through it.
Once we got out onto Lake Washington, we had a chase boat following us to take some footage of the boat. This photographer did a fantastic job on this photo shoot!
photo courtesy of Sea Ray Boatsphoto courtesy of Sea Ray Boats
Offering the latest in intelligent command, the helm is equipped with a Digital Dash™ featuring standard dual 12″ Simrad® GO12 touchscreen displays.
At the end of the day, our crew took another cruise to unwind and enjoy the evening. It was so nice spending the day back on the water.
The Sundancer 370 Outboard is propelled by standard triple Mercury® 300 Verado® outboard engines with Joystick Piloting and optional Dynamic Running Surface. As we cruised Lake Washington, our top speed 41kph. Our crew circled around Mercer Island and then passed by Andrews Bay. I couldn’t believe how crowed it was!
Great entertaining space on deck
We had nine people on our cruise and still had plenty of room to move around. The bow offers comfy seats for a prime view and to access the bow, you simply walk thru on the port side (verses climbing over the dashboard!)
At the stern, you will find two tables with seating. The cockpit is equipped with a grill, sink, fridge, trash compartment and a flat screen tv. This Sea Ray Sundancer 370 also comes with heat and air conditioning and we were loving the a/c on this hot day!
photo courtesy of Sea Rayphoto courtesy of Sea Ray
Salon of the 2022 Sea Ray Sundancer 370 OB
The interior on this Sea Ray Sundancer 370 OB is very nicely appointed . I loved the amount of head room; in fact, Scott who is 6’1″ still had plenty of room standing in the galley. The main sleeping berth, is a hydraulic bed that converts into a seating area. There is no table down below, which allows for plenty of seating.
photo courtesy of Sea Rayphoto courtesy of Sea Rayphoto courtesy of Sea Ray
The head has a separate shower, which we love.
photo courtesy of Sea Ray
There is an aft berth, can be converted from a bed to another sitting area. Both sleeping quarters have a flat screen tv. In fact, in the aft berth, it pops up, keeping the counter clean.
photo courtesy of Sea Rayphoto courtesy of Sea Ray
Scott and I had such a great day cruising on Lake Washington with my team. It was so nice to be out on the water and other boaters were definitely noticing the “stealth” looking boat! Since our boats have always been moored on salt water, we have not spent much time on Lake Washington or Lake Union, so it was fun to see all of the activity.
Watch our YouTube episode below and we’ll also take you on a full tour in a few weeks.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. See you next time!
Brand new to Seattle, Scott and I sailed on Seattle’s Tall Ship, “Lady Bay” a few weekends ago. We left Bell Harbor Marina around 1p and set out for a two hour cruise towards Bainbridge Island.
Yes, they have a typo on their sign – do you see it?
About “Bay Lady” Tall Ship
This tall ship, is a schooner and at 85′ long , it is the largest public sailing vessel on Puget Sound. “Bay Lady” was built in 1989 and has a 87′ mast with over 2500 sq ft of sailing area. It was built as a charter boat on the east coast and then was transported by truck to the Bay Area of Northern California. When their lease expired for their slip, they eventually found one at Bell Harbor Marina and moved her up here this summer. This is a much different sailing experience from Sailing Seattle. On that boat, you stay seated where you are and don’t move about the boat. On “Bay Lady”, there is seating in the center, but you can not only walk around, but they encourage you to help with the lines.
There is a forward cabin that has two heads, storage lockers and prep area for food.
What does this Sailing Tall Ship Offer?
Not having a boat and wanting to get back on the water, I checked out a number of different cocktail cruise tours. Some were pretty pricey at $125/pp for a few hours and that didn’t include alcohol. Seattle Sailing Ship offers a number of different sailing times, including a sunset cruise. We chose the afternoon cruise, which was only $40/pp. They have a chest with ice and you can bring your own snacks and beverages (including cocktails and wine). What a great way to get out on the water for a few hours! The captain (so sorry we forgot his name!), was super friendly and very knowledgeable.
The views were amazing from every angle. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much wind and the water was like glass!
Elliott Bay on Seattle’s Sailing Tall Ship
When we moored our boats at Elliott Bay Marina, we always ran into a patch of area between the marina and Alki that had algae and lots of logs. Today was no different.
Aside from a little algae, the water was beautiful, the sun was warm and Scott and I really enjoyed ourselves.
Scott and I are planning to go back on the ship again before the end of summer and hoping we get to sail this time. This is a really cool vessel and a great way to enjoy Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
As always, thank you for following our blog and vlog. Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (video below) to find out what’s next for us! You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Last month (before covid went rampant again), Scott surprised me with a quick trip to Fort Lauderdale. Other than passing through on our way to the Keys, I had never been to Fort Lauderdale, so I was excited to see what it was all about.
Fort Lauderdale is referred to as the “Venice” of Florida. After our visit, I can see why. All of the blue you see below is water!!
We’re definitely in a different boat world
Scott and I stayed at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina, located right on a canal. We arrived in the evening and after grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to walk around and check things out. Immediately, it was obvious that we were in a different type of “boating world” compared to the Pacific Northwest. Across from the hotel was a business center and most of the businesses were yacht groups and brokerages.
As we walked down the street, we stumbled upon the big guys!
Check out this open air indoor Ferretti Group showroom that is under construction! This is absolutely beautiful!
A few blocks down, we came upon an indoor boat launch under construction. Turns out this is a luxury indoor storage facility with access directly on the water. Check out F3 Marina for more information. This is such a cool project!
Scott and I proceeded to walk down a random street to see what the neighborhood looked like. Boat life is very different in Fort Lauderdale compared to the Pacific Northwest. Granted, we have some very large yachts on Lake Washington and a few marinas, but there were huge yachts in Fort Lauderdale everywhere you went.
Exploring Fort Lauderdale
With only a few days to check things out, we did our best to try a few nice restaurants and go visit the recommended spots. Most of the time, we found ourselves on another canal. Their canals are basically like our roads.
The only difference is these water “roads” have some serious luxury yachts parked along side them.
Looking at this dock, it appears they also can have accidents along their water roadways – yikes!
The following morning, we found a quirky diner, called Joe’s Diner in the middle of a shopping center, about four blocks from the hotel. The food was good and the service was great!
Looking for a public marina to walk around
Since we have public marinas here in Seattle that you can walk around and check out boats, we wanted to know where those were in Fort Lauderdale. I texted a broker I know and he said to go to Bahia Mar or Harbour Towne. Since he was showing his boat at Harbour Towne, we decided to go their first.
Bobby had a gorgeous Manhattan at the dock that he was showing. We could have gotten a quick tour, but he had a full day and we didn’t want to intrude on him.
Hoping to find a boat we might be able to board, we walked up and down a few docks, but unfortunately there wasn’t much to see.
Ironically, Charles & Jess from Folsom Ocean Views had just had their catamaran worked on in Harbour Towne on this dock and we missed them by just a few weeks.
As we were waiting for our Uber, I was excited to see this Intrepid 47 that had just arrived. You can do some serious fishing on this beauty!
Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale
Since this is Fort Lauderdale, there has to be a huge public marina we can walk around. Right? Well, taking Bobby’s advice, Scott and I headed to Bahia Mar Marina. This marina is home to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show held every October. The Uber driver dropped us off at the hotel and we decided to first grab a drink and a snack at Bo’s Beach Bar.
From Bo’s, we walked back towards the Double Tree hotel, hoping to find some boats we could check out. Looking at where we walked, we managed to miss the brokerage docks. However, we did get to see some mega yachts, up close!
Even the Restaurants are Boat Themed
That evening, we walked across the street and grabbed dinner at the Boatyard. We had tried making reservations online, but they were full. Luckily, we walked right on in!
The food was fantastic! This is a definite stop if you are in Fort Lauderdale.
Touring a 1980 Hatteras 53 in Fort Lauderdale
The following morning we met with a local broker (she is also the owner of Luxury Yachts Int’l), to tour a 1980 Hatteras 53 liveaboard. The oldest yacht we have toured (for purchase) would be a 1995, so we were curious to see this particular boat. It was located on a canal and was a current liveaboard. She stated that the owners of the dock were willing to negotiate another liveaboard contract if we were interested in making an offer.
This yacht has a beautiful profile, one that will never go out of style. As we boarded, she had warned us that it was not tidy and man, she was not kidding! As a clean freak AND a marketer in the marine business, I had a hard time looking past the mess. Then Scott reminded me that is all cosmetic and to look at the architecture of the boat.
The Interior
The salon offered the comforts of home and the covered aft deck offered plenty of entertaining space. From the salon, we headed down to see the galley and staterooms. The galley was a bit tight and I was shocked to find a dishwasher under the stovetop!
The front V berth offered bunk bends and is currently being used for storage and as a work shop. It had a large hanging locker too.
Walking down the hall, you’ll find engine access on both sides, allowing you to easily work on them. This yacht is equipped with twin Detroit diesel 871-TI engines and each engine has 2500 hours.
Moving down the hall, you’ll find another guest stateroom with twin beds. There was also a washer and dryer located in the hallway.
The guest bath had plenty of counter space, storage and a separate shower.
This Hatteras has a nice large master aft cabin with plenty of storage, a makeup vanity and a hanging locker that is larger than some apartments!
In the galley, there was a hatch for battery and tank access.
Since we couldn’t do an official tour with proper photos (because the broker and her assistant were with us), I ended up not going up to the fly bridge. However, Scott did a full tour in the YouTube episode, so be sure to watch the complete tour below.
Overall, this was a great layout and could be an awesome project boat. However, we live in Seattle – not Florida, so this was not an option for us today. We certainly appreciated Linda for taking time to meet with us and let us tour the boat. It was an interesting three days in Fort Lauderdale and surely not to be our last. We had planned on attending the Tampa Boat Show in September, but due to the fact that the virus is now rampant again in Florida, we’ve decided to cancel and figure out a different adventure – so stay tuned.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated on our search. In the meantime, we’ll continue to bring you adventures on the water. Check out our social pages @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Scott and I are always on the hunt for our liveaboard boat and we were able to tour a 1994 Bayliner 4587 Aft Cabin moored at Shilshole last month. I was very curious to see how similar it would be to our 4087 Aft Cabin. The owner is a single mom and the ad was on Craigslist. As a result we didn’t do an “official” Boating Journey tour on camera, as she was with us the entire time.
Right away, I had a small panic attack, wondering how I was going to get onto the boat. To board it, I used the blue steps on the dock, but I’m really short. The distance from the top step to the side deck of the boat was pretty far, so I was worried I couldn’t make the stretch (but I managed to). Luckily, there is also access from the stern swim step like our 4087 and that’s how I disembarked!
The Cockpit
Scott and I both loved the cockpit and the entertainment space. This Bayliner 4587 has a built in bar and plenty of seating / room to entertain quite a few people.
Just like our 4087, you walk up a few steps from the cockpit to the fly bridge. There was plenty of seating and lots of storage under each of the seats. The Eisenglass and canvas was in great shape too.
The helm of the Bayliner 4587, had all original instruments with a few added electronics.
The owner actually lived on the boat for a few years. She was a sailor, but was looking for a liveaboard boat. At the time she bought it, she was also able to sublet a liveaboard spot at Shilshole. Those are since long gone. Unfortunately, because she single handedly operated the boat, she didn’t take it out much for cruising. Equipped with twin Hino 250hp engines, they only had a few hours added to them from the time she purchased it.
We seriously considered putting an offer on the boat, but without a guarantee that we can find a slip for it, we didn’t move forward. Scott and I didn’t feel like investing $2000 in a sea trial and mechanical inspection with that risk existing.
Bayliner 4587 Salon & Galley
As with our other Bayliner, you step down a few steps from the cockpit, into the salon. The salon was nicely decorated and everything was in great condition. The couch was big enough to allow for sleeping and the coffee table was a large storage unit.
This Bayliner 4587 also has the interior helm station, though Scott and I have never used ours in the past.
The galley had good space to move around in and plenty of storage! Just like our 4087 (are you getting the idea they are very much the same?) it had a Princess stovetop and the same fridge.
It also had a trash compactor and a HUGE microwave!
The settee was across from the galley and you could easily seat five people (two on each side and one at the end). The settee also turns into another bed.
The 4587 Living Space
Heading forward, you will find one day head on your port side and the guest suite in the V-berth. There was good storage under the bed, including good size lockers for your clothes. The day head is a wet head, meaning there is not a separate shower.
The aft cabin had a walk around bed (a must!) and so much storage. I don’t think we have that much storage at home with our dresser drawers!
The master head has lots of storage and it also has a nice walk in shower.
Overall Impression of the Bayliner 4587
Scott and I are so glad we finally toured this motor yacht! It was a great lay out and it checked all of our lists. We simply did not (and still do not) have a solid place to moor it, which is too risky of an investment right now. The owner did mention she would offer a sublet through her for regular moorage, but that’s not our objective. We don’t want to pay rent, plus a boat and moorage.
In the meantime, we’ll keep looking and doing our tours. Perhaps we tour a boat we’ve never considered and fall in love. We’re still pretty hooked on the Navigator Sundance 51. Next week, we’ll take you on a unique trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL! Stay tuned.
As always, thanks for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel (watch the video below). Follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Cheers, Scott and Ally
Last month Scott and I attended the Classic Yacht Show at Bell Harbor Marina. There were about twenty yachts on display, which was hosted by the Classic Yacht Association. This association was organized in 1969 to promote and encourage the preservation of fine old power driven crafts. At the end of your tour, they asked us to vote for our favorite classic yacht. Let’s see who we select.
Yes, that is a Bayliner 4588 on display – guess you could say it’s a classic yacht! (not really). I think they simply were visiting the show. By the way, next week we tour a Bayliner 4588, so be sure to tune in. This was my second in-person show for the year and Scott’s first. While it was small, it was great to be out. The show did request that you sign in for contact tracing due to covid.
Touring the Classic Yachts
We weren’t sure what to expect as we started walking down the docks. Turns out some boats were not open for tours, but we still got to view them from the dock.
As we came upon classic yacht MY Comrade, the owner welcomed us aboard. Once we saw his golden retriever, we couldn’t resist!
This classic yacht has a really cool story. Turns out, he and his wife were NOT boaters. She had spent time on boats as a kid, but they have never owned a boat before. This classic yacht was originally custom built in 1930 by Franck & McCrary on Seattle’s Lake Union. The owner, HW Davis was actually the great grandfather of the current owner’s wife. Her mother was a pack rat and had tons of photos of the boat and she knew who the third owners were. She called them up and asked if they wanted the photos and they told her they were thinking about selling it. Immediately, she called her daughter and said “You have to buy this yacht” and so they did!
Many of these yachts were built around the 1940’s and it was awesome to see how they were designed on the interior. To think that they are all wooden and still look so great, is amazing!
Classic and Timeless
Chris Craft has done a fabulous job recently, of bringing back a retro look of their brand new boats. There’s something about a Chris Craft that is simply classy and timeless.
Everything on this classic yacht was wooden, including the kayaks and dinghy up on top!
MY Dearleap 1929
Next on the tour, was MY Deerleap, a gorgeous 1929 85′ yacht built by Hoffar-Beeching. The current owners have had it for quite a long time (33 years) and they live on the Olympic Peninsula. They did try it out as a charter for one year, but it was too much work. Now they simply cruise and enjoy it themselves with friends and family.
They have done a fantastic job replicating how it originally looked in the 1930’s.
The galley was very large with plenty of room to prep.
They did have the lower level blocked off, but you will see on our next tour, what it possibly looks like.
Classic Yacht MY Linmar
After walking around the show, our last stop was MY Linmar. This 78′ yacht was built in 1932 by New York Yacht, Launch & Engine Co. in New York. The current owners recently purchased this boat after an extensive remodel due to an electrical fire. The work they have done on this yacht to bring it back to life is remarkable.
We were able to go down below and check out the guest staterooms. The current owners rent the yacht out as an air b & b – click here for rental info.
The dining room was one area that was spared from the fire.
When they did the restoration, they purposely left a bit of the char on the wall as a remembrance of the fire. Ironically, they store the fire extinguisher right next to it.
If you want more information on all of the classic yachts we saw, be sure to visit their website athttps://classicyacht.org/search/node. Who did we vote for? Watch our video to find out – link at the bottom.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Please subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated as we search for our liveaboard. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney and #BoatingJourney. Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a Bayliner 4587! See you next time!
Finally after a few years touring boats, Scott and I toured our first 490 Meridian Pilothouse. I had been told it was in pristine condition and I was still surprised how great it looked. I only took a few photos for this week’s blog, so be sure to check out our YouTube episode (link at the bottom of this blog) for an up close tour.
This is a consignment listing at Union Marine and though it is out of our budget, we still wanted to check it out. Remember, that the larger Bayliner yachts actually became Meridian. In fact, our 2002 Bayliner 4087 was the last year that model was a Bayliner. In 2003 it became the Meridian 411. Same happened with the Bayliner 4788, which became the Meridian 490. With that said, it was remarkable how similar the two yachts are. Check out our 4788 tour from a few months ago.
This yacht has plenty of space at the stern to hang out or go fishing. It also had lots of extra storage and two large lazarettes.
Meticulous Care
It is obvious when you walk into the salon how well maintained the boat has been kept. Not only did it look fantastic, but it smelled great too! That’s not normal for a 17 year old boat!
The galley was nice and spacious with plenty of counter space and storage. Not only did it come with a HUGE microwave, but it also came with a trash compactor! It has the same Princess stovetop/oven and fridge we had on the 4087.
Ready for Entertaining
This yacht is ready to cruise and entertain guests. The owners have decorated it beautifully and the salon has plenty of entertainment space.
Heading up to the inside helm station, there’s more space to invite your guests to enjoy the cruise. The captain’s chair looks brand new and VERY expensive! We loved how easily you can see everything from the dash to the bow with plenty of visibility.
Meridian 490 Outdoor Space
There are two pilothouse doors in the helm station that lead out to a large walk around. The railings are high and very sturdy; allowing for paddle board storage.
Up on the fly bridge, they had canvas covers for all of the seats, dinghy and grill. The canvas on this Meridian 490 looks brand new too. Our only caveat for any boat we buy, is we do want a full enclosure for the fly bridge. You could easily add Eisenglass to this canvas though.
Could We Live in the Staterooms?
As I mentioned earlier, the Meridian 490 is basically the Bayliner 4788 and this model comes with an island berth in the forward cabin. With me only being 5’3″, it’s difficult for me (and my bad back!) to climb into this bed on a daily basis.
However, the master stateroom came with an enormous amount of storage! You could easily store all of your clothes and then some on this yacht. This yacht also has the bath tub in the master head, which I would never use. In fact, I worry that I would kill myself climbing in and out of the shower! LOL
This Meridian 490 does have two other staterooms, including bunks and a double size bed.
Plus it comes with a washer and dryer, which is located in the hall way. That’s a great feature, compared to some that have them tucked away in the corner of the master stateroom and a must for any liveaboard for us.
This Meridian 490 is equipped with two 330hp Cummins diesel engines with only 650 hours! Wow! The engine room was spotless and the cleanest engine room we have ever seen.
Be sure to watch the full tour below on our YouTube channel. This boat is ready for cruising and fantastic for the Pacific Northwest. We’re glad we toured it, but we’re still holding out for an aft cabin. As always, thank you for following our journey! Follow us on social on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @BoatingJourney.
Next week we head to the Classic Yacht Show, so come along. Cheers, Scott and Ally
With only one day left of our epic USVI tour, Scott and I hired a taxi to tour the island and explore the ruins of St. John. This is a great way to see the sites, without having to join a tour . What we weren’t expecting was an open air safari bus for this tour!
Our tour guide was very friendly and knew just about everyone on the island. He wanted to make sure we stopped and saw everything and he almost literally did. We scheduled him for four hours @$75/hour and he was worth it. Since the truck is open air, you want to make sure you hang on tight!
First stop the Bethany Moravian Mission Church
Tony took us to the Bethany Moravian Church and his parents are actually laid to rest in the cemetery there. The first Moravians came to St. John in 1741. This building was erected in 1919 and the sanctuary was restored after the storms of 2017. It is still an active church today and it has a beautiful view.
Neptune’s Lookout
Our next stop was the Susannaberg sugar mill at Neptune’s Lookout which was built in the 1700’s. The windmill tower of Estate Susannaberg was erected between 1780 and 1800 and is the second oldest windmill on the island of St. John. The estate is owned by the Neptune Richards family since they purchased it in the 1950s and they still live in the house which is on the grounds. The estate is now used for weddings, special events and camping.
The views are amazing from every vantage point, which look down at Caneel Bay (where we were the day before). At the top of the hill, there is The Windmill Bar, which was currently closed due to covid.
We also got a peak a view site of country singer Kenney Chesney‘s home at the top of the hill. Sadly, his home was nearly destroyed by hurricane Irma and he’s now rebuilding.
Catherineberg Sugar Mill Ruins
Heading northeast, we entered the Virgin Islands National Park to check out the Catherineberg Sugar Mill Ruins. The ruins are an example of an 18th-century sugar and rumfactory. The “most impressive” ruin is that of an unusual windmill tower and the very large cistern. It was amazing to see how intact the ruins still are.
One very interesting thing we discovered was the sugar mills were constructed using coral! Could you imagine?! We can’t even step on coral, let alone dig it up for building materials.
Along the way, we saw wild donkeys and all kinds of fruit trees.
We came upon tons of soursop trees too. With an aroma similar to pineapple, the flavor of the fruit has been described as a combination of strawberries and apple with sour citrus flavor notes, contrasting with an underlying thick creamy texture reminiscent of banana.
As we drove down the windy narrow highway, Tony took time to pull over and share the views with us.
At this viewpoint is was awesome to see how close Tortola & Jost Van Dyke of the BVI were to us.
Francis Bay
Our next stop was the Francis Bay walking trail and home of George Francis.
In 1863, the Annaberg Plantation was purchased by Thomas Letsom Lloyd of Tortola from the James Murphy heirs (one of the original owners). For a time, Lloyd struggled to keep the estate in operation, but in 1867 a violent hurricane, followed by a series of devastating earthquakes, finally put an end to sugar production at Annaberg.
With his factory in ruin, in the spring of 1871 Thomas Lloyd sold Annaberg to his property overseer, George Francis, and returned to Tortola. George Francis was born enslaved on the Annaberg plantation. His name first appears in the earliest existing census for the property compiled in 1835, in which he was recorded as a thirteen-year-old field laborer.
Over the course of his life, George Francis encountered opportunities that in his youth must have seemed wholly unimaginable. By 1860, he had gained the position of estate overseer, and two years later he received outright title to a 2-acre parcel of land on the Annaberg property from the will of his former owner, Hans H. Berg.
In 1871, George Francis acquirred the entire Annaberg estate from Thomas Lloyd and immediately set out to renew sugar production on the property. At the time of his death in 1875, Francis had recently completed the construction of a new sugar-boiling house and horse mill on the isthmus between Mary’s Creek and Francis Bay. It was the last facility ever to produce sugar on the Annaberg property. [credit US Parks Online].
Once again, you’ll notice all of the coral used to construct the buildings!
From Francis Bay, we headed to the Annaberg Ruins passing by Mary Creek. The water was amazing, but the sewer smell was horrid!
Annaberg Plantation Ruins
As with looking at churches in Europe, this was now our third sugar mill ruin we visited in two hours. Had it been our first one of the day, we might have spent more time exploring the ruins. Annaberg Plantation, as of 1780, was one of 25 active sugar producing factories on St. John. Other products produced at Annaberg were molasses and rum. Annaberg was named after William Gottschalk’s daughter and translates to Anna’s Hill. Gottschalk was the plantation owner.
The windmill at the Annaberg ruins, one of focal points of the site, was built possibly between 1810 and 1830, and was one of the largest in the islands.
When the windmill wouldn’t churn due to lack of winds, they then used horses and mules instead.
Today the plantation ruins are protected by the Virgin Islands National Park and are open to the public. Trees have reclaimed the hillsides around Annaberg.
In the 17th to 19th centuries, boiling rooms were used to convert sugarcane juice into raw sugar.
What was super cool to see from the plantation was how close we were to Tortola and the BVI. I’m literally pointing at Road Town, where we will pick up our bare boat charter next February!
Heading back to Cruz Bay
After three hours, it was time to head back to Cruz Bay. It was interesting to pass by Maho Beach, Caneel Beach and Honeymoon Beach by car this time. Both Maho and Honeymoon were packed and cars were parked everywhere along the street.
Tony was fantastic and we’re so glad that the concierge at Gallows Point Resort booked him for us!
Since Tony dropped us off at the market, we decided to do a little shopping and support the locals.
After a full day of walking and exploring, we were hungry and thirsty! We stopped at The Taproom for a quick snack and cocktail.
Right across the street is the dinghy dock! How convenient.
On our walk back, we noticed another boat rental company at Cruz Bay called Ocean Runner and you can rent Boston Whalers!
We finished our amazing day, enjoying the sunset and a beautiful dinner at Ocean 3-6-2 at our hotel. This was a highly recommended restaurant and we were very happy we spent our last night there.
Goodbye St John – Until we meet again
Scott and I had a wonderful time in St. John and we can’t wait to return and explore more. Out of the three US Virgin Islands, St. John was our favorite. As we were enjoying our last morning, we had a new visitor who tried to come into the condo. He (she?) was a very friendly and curious peacock.
Of course our neighborly iguana had to come say goodbye too.
We headed to the ferry terminal around 1pm and enjoyed another quick boat ride across the bay.
As soon as the plane started down the runway, it began to rain again. We timed it perfectly. Until we meet again US Virgin Islands – see you next February, when we fly in for our bareboat charter in the BVI.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel. You can follow us on social @BoatingJourney on FB, IG, TW and TikTok!
Cheers, Scott and Ally
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