Ally, Author at Boating Journey

April 12, 2017November 7, 2017

Catching Up!

Dominican Republic

Gosh, time flies! We vacationed in the Dominican Republic the last week in February. We stayed in Punta Cana on the northeast coast at the all-inclusive resort Bahia Principe Ambar Blue.

We have been to many Caribbean islands and honestly this isn’t one we would go back to. Others love it, but it wasn’t our favorite. Yes, it is tropical and warm, but everyone we encountered was less than friendly. On top of that, they all wanted tips for doing nothing. Normally my blog would be full of photos and stories of the trip, but it just wasn’t that memorable.

However, we did spend some time on the water and their water is definitely Caribbean blue! We snorkeled, played on a sand bar and swam with reef sharks and sting rays. The boat excursions took us to the northern coast of the island.

Along the northeastern Bavaro coast of the island, a HUGE reef runs along the coast. Because of this, all boats travel between shore (very shallow waters) and the reef. I would hate to run into it in the middle of the night. I actually had just finished “Black Wave” on this trip and the reef freaked me out!

We decided to do an catamaran excursion and the first stop was swimming with reef sharks and sting rays. I was saddened to see they were caged up.

But the water was warm, stunning and gorgeous! After swimming with the sharks, they took us to a “natural pool” where you can actually stand chest deep in the water. Each excursion company then brings out cocktails for tourists to enjoy while in the water.

As you can see, I had plenty of reading materials by the pool! My carry on bag must have weighed over 10 pounds with all of the magazines! Cruising World, Multi Hulls and Cruisers Outpost are three of my favorites!

Excursions

We did some other land excursions on this trip and the cave tours were probably the coolest thing. They have many many caves that will take you all under the island and out to the sea. Super cool!

We did take a two plus hour bus ride into Santo Domingo, which is the capital. One thing that is fascinating about this island, is that Christopher Columbus discovered it. He had a ship full of convicts and about a week before they landed, he nearly had a mutiny on board. Thinking about the reefs and the fact that they had no electronics, it’s amazing that he was able to navigate the tall ship.

Christopher Columbus Light House Memorial

After ten days we were ready to come home. Again, the staff at the resort and many of the other people we met were not very friendly and they nickel and dime you for everything.

Boat Shopping

When Scott and I got back from vacation and we met with our boat broker, Eddie from NW Yacht. Finally, we have begun the process of looking for a boat. Yes, after six years it is finally happening! Remember, we are no longer looking for a live-aboard, but rather a smaller older boat we can get comfortable with and get our sea legs (well, get my sea legs back). We are looking at both sedans (motor yacht style) and sport cruisers (better for outdoor activities). Most likely, we will go with a sport cruiser, as a newer model will be more affordable. Some of the most popular sport cruisers around here are Sea Ray, Bayliner, Four Winns and Larson.

One thing about the PNW, is we are the Bayliner capital. While they have a bad rap on the East Coast, they are everywhere here. In fact, I used to own a Bayliner Ciera years ago and it was a great boat. We know that the boat we buy, will not be long term for us – either we will hate it and get rid of it, or we will love it and want to upgrade to a larger boat. So we are not spending too much energy or resources on this boat. We want to make sure any boat we buy has a great engine and is structurally sound. Luckily I have a captain in my family to help us!

Now we are also starting to look for a slip for the boat (that we don’t own yet). We’ve had our eyes on Elliott Bay Marina and have walked their docks to see if we like it. So far, so good.

So stay tuned for the next update! Cheers, Scott and Ally

February 21, 2017October 12, 2017

What I’m Reading in the Caribbean this Week!

Sailing Books to read on our long vacation!

I love to read sailing books about true stories of adventurers around the world. We leave for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic tomorrow and I will be taking a few things to read on the beach. We have never been before and we’re excited to visit the third largest Caribbean Island. This will be one of our longest vacations we have had in a very long time – 9 nights and 10 days. We are staying at a new resort to us, Bahia Principe Ambar Blue on the northeast coast of the island.

We have booked four excursions, including a couple sailing trips, swimming with the sharks & stingrays, rum factory, caves and a trip into Santa Domingo. Stay tuned for all of the great photos to come!

With this long of a trip, I have to take a stack of magazines and books to read on the beach and by the pool. Of course magazine favorites will be Cruising World, Passage Maker, Sea…to name a few. But I’m excited about the new books I got this Christmas!

First up, is The Box Wine Sailors: Misadventures of a Broke Young Couple at Sea

This is yet another true story of a young couple from Portland, OR with zero sailing experience, decide to go sail the Pacific Coast for a year. Their journey is comical and also very educational. Especially since it involves the Pacific Northwest. We have some of the most treacherous bodies of water between Seattle and San Francisco. With their annual budget of only $12,000, they set off in a 27′ sail boat from Portland down to Mexico. I just started this book, so I can’t wait to finish it while laying by the pool!

Favorite Author – Wendy Hinman

One of my favorite sailing books I’ve read is Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey.

Wendy and her husband Garth, live right here in the Puget Sound. Years ago, they too, traveled on a 27′ sailing boat around the world! I have run into Wendy each year at the Seattle Boat Show. This year I was thrilled that she has a new book out Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire . This book tells the gripping story of a family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. Sea Trials is a timeless story of struggle in the pursuit of a dream, filled with incredible challenges, glimpses of the fascinating cultures they encounter and enough levity to keep readers of all ages hooked to a suspenseful, satisfying ending.

It’s a BIG book, so we’ll see if I finish it while on vacation!

So stay tuned for our return and report on Dominican Republic! Scott & Ally

January 30, 2017November 7, 2017

It’s a New Year with a Plan…..Finally!

Boat Buying Plan!

We finally have a boat buying plan! As we mentioned in our last blog after our trip to Annapolis in October, our boat plans changed slightly. We basically have always had two plans that we put together years ago:

Live on a catamaran and sail the Caribbean and Pacific when we retire. That plan is still on!
In order to save money, sell our home, our belongings and live on a boat in the PNW – that is now on hold.

We put the liveaboard idea on hold and have decided to make sure that both of us are comfortable spending lots of time on the water together. I have boating experience, but Scott does not. So we have decided to buy a weekend cabin cruiser this spring.

Okay, so now we have somewhat of a plan and off to the Seattle Boat Show we went this weekend. Buying a boat, is very much (in a weird way) like having kids and planning for it. For example, you need to have a spot to moor the boat, even before you buy one. It’s not like buying a house. There are certain steps you have to take, but we are still not sure of the order.

Boat Buying Process

Budget / Loan- well, we have a budget in mind, but if we decide to finance part of the boat, then it’s the bank that will determine what they will lend based on the age and make of the boat. Typically, lenders don’t “pre-approve” you, but instead, you find a boat and then go get the loan. (Odd.)
Moorage – you have to find a marina to store your boat once you buy it. We checked with 5 different marinas at the show and all but 2 of them had a wait list. Luckily, one marina said they would take care of us with no issues and to concentrate on finding the boat, rather the marina. That’s a nice option. Ideally, we want to be in Everett as it is closer to our family’s place on Camano Island. But they have an 8 month wait.
Boat – basically we are looking at two different styles, depending on what we think we will enjoy the most. We’ll look at the two styles later in this blog.
Training. It’s been over 17 years since I owned a boat and Scott has no experience. With that said, we can’t just go buy a boat and start driving it! We met with both the US Coast Guard and the US Power Squadrons yesterday. The USCG will do a training safety seminar in one day, for about $30/pp. But that doesn’t show you how to maneuver your boat, dock it, learn currents/wind, etc. USPS will do a very detailed training, along with a hands on training prior to buying your boat. This will be the route we take.
Timing – of course we want to be on the water come June 1st…..prime boating season. This means there will be no deals on boats and mooring will be at a premium. We’d like to do it sooner, but it won’t make sense based on our upcoming schedule.

What kind of boat?

So back to the boat. For the past six years we have traveled to boat shows all over including Miami and Annapolis. We have been set on a path looking for a liveaboard, which is not a weekend cabin cruiser. Talk about changing things up! The two styles we are looking at are:

Older Motoryacht 32′-38′ (1990-1999). Here we have a few options to consider. There are plenty of Bayliner MY out there (and yes, the Bayliner haters are going to make comments) and the fact remains that we won’t be crossing any oceans in this vessel and for the money you get a lot of boat that’s comfortable. Carver is another boat we are considering. The nice thing about the motoryacht style, is the salon is cozy and perfect for our dreary weather. It is also upstairs, so you can enjoy the view versus being down below at the water level. We plan on boating even when it’s not nice out. Our plan is to spend as many weekends we can on the boat, even if it’s in the marina, to get a feel for liveaboard life. The boat below is a 1997 Carver 320 Voyager.

The one thing to consider with a boat like this, is there is not a lot of space to sit on the stern for entertainment. There is up on the fly bridge….but you have to haul your “stuff” up there, like your glass of wine, cheese and crackers. 😉

“Weekenders” – these boats are great for enjoying with groups of people and spending most of your time outdoors. The downstairs cabin is simply for sleeping and cooking. These are not necessarily less expensive than a motoryacht. We looked at a 38′ SeaRay and it was over $100k! Below is a 1997 Sea Ray 330 Sundancer.

Lots of outdoor seating for everyone!

As you can see, we have to make a decision as to what type of boat will work best for us. Then go out and find it over the next four months! In the meantime, we’ll get our training done so we are ready!

I will be sure to share with you our step by step process in making this all work, so that other new boaters have a good resource.

Stay tuned……as the next blog, we could be new boat owners! Cheers, Scott & Ally

October 19, 2016October 10, 2017

Annapolis Boat Show & What’s Next?

Annapolis Power Boat Show 2016

Scott and I spent most of the summer looking at different marinas looking for those that take liveaboards. Just about all of them had 1-2 year waiting lists, with the exception of a couple. But that can change at any moment.

All of our friends and family keep asking us if we really want to live on a boat? Well, let’s go back to where this all started. It was about six years ago when we were at the Seattle Boat Show and we fell in love with the Lagoon Catamaran (since then, we have found others we love more). But we came up with the grand idea, of retiring on a catamaran in the Caribbean and sailing around the world. Why not? We don’t have kids, we don’t want a big mortgage and what a better way to retire?

Then came the next two questions. How can we afford a catamaran and what if we don’t like it? I grew up on boats and in my 30’s had a nice cruiser. However, Scott has not spent any long term time on a vessel. I then started reading lots of sailing books, including my first book A Sail of Two Idiots: 100+ Lessons and Laughs from a Non-Sailor Who Quit the Rat Race, Took the Helm, and Sailed to a New Life in the Caribbean , a story about a couple in Arizona that sell their home and buy a catamaran in Florida (sight unseen) with NO SAILING experience at all. If you like to read, this is a must read for sure!

What a great idea! We could sell our house now (instead of 10 years from now), use the money to buy an old power boat in Seattle to live on and cut our living expenses by two thirds. So began the journey of selling our business, selling our extra stuff and planning on the sale of our home. That was until this year, 2016 when we found out marinas are hard to find. Then we wondered……Do you sell your dream home for a boat and marina you don’t have yet? The other issue is we don’t want to give up any of our proceeds for a real estate agent, as we want to use as much of the house equity to buy a boat.

As we sat on our deck this summer enjoying the sunset and cocktails, we came up with another (crazy) idea. We knew our next door neighbor would soon be putting their house on the market, so what if we put a sign out next to it that said “For Sale By Owner”? Well, that day came and sure enough, Scott put the sign out (just two weeks ago). Now what? Sure enough, realtors started calling us every hour and we told them, bring us a buyer and we’ll talk.

Just as all of this happened, we headed out the door to the US Power Boat Show in Annapolis. We had been to the US Sailing Show there three years ago, so we were looking forward to another fun visit. Our purpose was twofold. Look for types of boats we could live on and also tour the history of Annapolis. We lucked out with beautiful weather! This show is different than others. They have live music, bars on every corner, many floating docks and seminars.

This show ended up being a bit different than we had hoped for. It has lots of runabouts and weekenders. Then it had lots of mega yachts…..not much in between. With that said, we did fall in love with three boats (if we won the lottery!).

A Trawler?

First up was a 49′ trawler from North Pacific Yachts. Here’s the funny thing…..we don’t like trawlers, but we liked this one!!!

How about a Yacht now?

So onto the next yacht, this one was the 58′ Prestige 550 Flybridge….Gorgeous!!

A Power Cat!

Lastly, we fell in love with a power catamaran! The 44′ Aquila (say Tequila….with an “A”). While it was only 44′ it felt larger and roomier than the 60′ power cat we went on from Horizon.

The inside galley, opens up to the outside with this awesome bar.

Lots of storage space in the guest stateroom

Realistically, these boats are just a lottery dream purchase! We did take a water taxi to some used boats that might fit our goals. The journey was fun too!

A salesman had recommended we look at Vikings (not convertibles) for a liveaboard. We haven’t seen many of them in the Seattle area, but luckily there was one at the used dock we could preview. This was was a Viking 44′ 1988 for $130,000. Honestly, this is a great liveaboard – too bad it’s in MD, not Seattle.

This boat was very roomy and updated for a 1988!

The galley was surprisingly big! Even the sink is regular size!

The master stateroom had plenty of storage and features of a standard bedroom. The closet was big enough to hang a ball gown!

The master head had tons of counter space! And more storage space in the spare stateroom.

We did look at a Carver, but we didn’t like the smell of it. LOL. We were in Annapolis for four full days and only did the show for two. They had great booths and vendor tents, including wine/beer tastings.

A tour of Annapolis History

Then we spent the other two days, exploring this very old city. Most of the founders arrived in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. Main street and the side streets still have the same cobblestone roads and homes. We toured William Paca’s house, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. We also toured the Naval Academy and the Maryland State House. If you haven’t toured Annapolis, I highly recommend it for the history lesson.

What’s next for Scott & Ally?

During our trip, we talked at length about where our plan is going. Are we comfortable giving up all of our belongings, our home and the comforts of a home simply to see if we like living on a boat and saving money? What if our home appreciates more and more over the next ten years….would we be better off in the long term keeping it? Then came another idea! What if we buy a used “weekender” boat that we can enjoy with our golden retriever Mac in the Puget Sound and see how Scott enjoys spending the weekends on it? While it may not save us money on a monthly basis short term, it could save us a lot long term. So now begins the hunt for a smaller, used “weekender”. Funny how we got here. 😉

Stay tuned for the January boat show……I’m sure there will be lots to look at then! Cheers,

Scott and Ally

Save

September 15, 2016October 19, 2017

Can you look at boats for sale just as you do cars?

Boat Shopping

Is boat shopping the same as car shopping? When we need a new car, we typically go to the dealer and check out cars that are on their lots. Often, we will test drive a few to get a feel for the car. Most people are just “window shopping” when looking at cars, to figure out what they want to buy. But can you do that with a boat? We wondered the same thing. While most boat brokers don’t have lots, they do have listings of boats. However, those boats can be located anywhere, including other states.

We figured, why not contact a few brokers about boats we would like to see and find out, if they would show it to us. The first one we checked out was a very old boat located at Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard. It was huge, about 68 feet and while it had some new renovations, it also needed some major TLC. That broker was happy to meet us and show us around.

It was listed for $99,000 and it had a huge laundry room, big salon, decent galley and lots of storage. Unfortunately, they had ripped out the ceiling in the master stateroom looking for a leak (did they find it?) and had let the front state rooms and head go….literally. It was a major fixer upper. But anyone that wanted to give it some time and money, would end up with a gorgeous vessel. I wish I would have taken photos of the inside, to show you what it was like.

Boat shopping a few weeks later…..

A few weeks later, we decided to hang out down at Lake Union and there were a few boats that were listed with local brokers there. It was a Saturday, so “hey, maybe they will give us a tour?”. The first guy, wasn’t too interested and neither was the second one. One broker, said “hey, the boat is open, help yourself”. So we checked out another fairly old boat.

This one was a 1981 Defever 49 foot for $165,000. Still over our price range, but it gave us a good idea of what an older boat would look like. Remember, we would be living on this boat, so we need a boat that will allow both of us to work from home, so we need “office space”. This one seemed perfect at first glance.

It had great seating on the back end that was either covered or uncovered. Enough to sit back and enjoy the view.

We like that this salon had a very “homey” feel to it. And the galley was good size too.

Up on the bridge it had another table area, that could definitely be used for an office and the view isn’t too bad either!!

Even the heads were good size. The master had a half tub in it (but who would take a bath on a boat?).

So did we fall in love with it? Not at all! Why? Well, the stairs (which I should have taken a photo of), were literally only 5″ wide and were spiral. Can you imagine going down the stairs at sea or after a few drinks? It was a death trap for sure. But gorgeous vessel for it’s age.

Okay, that boat is out, what next?

We eventually wandered back towards the parking lot and I mentioned that there was one more I’d like to see. The broker, Mike Manning from Crows Nest just happened to be there and he was so nice! We asked if we could see a boat that was definitely not in our price range for kicks and giggles and he was happy to show us around. This was a 2007 58′ Navigator Pilothouse for just a mere $575,000.

But compared to the older boats, the interior is very modern and updated. It too, had a seating area up on the bridge that could be used as an office.

What we learned from our field trip down to lake union, is there are brokers that are happy to show you boats if they are available. Mike from Crow’s Nest Yachts was so incredibly helpful, that when the time comes, we’ll be sure to reach out to him for assistance.

This weekend, we are going to the Lake Union Boats Alfloat show and I’m sure we’ll see a few more (out of our price range!). But it helps us to figure out features we are looking for (storage, etc). Then next month we are heading back to Annapolis, MD and this time we are going to the US Power Boat Show. We are super excited as we loved the US Sailing Boat Show a few years ago! Stay tuned! Scott & Ally

August 11, 2016November 30, 2017

Live Aboard Marinas

Finding Live Aboard Marinas

Live aboard marinas is a hot topic for boaters and one that a “non-boater” would not think about perhaps. Scott & I attended the Seattle Boat Show earlier this year. We met with numerous marinas in the Puget Sound area, only to find out, they either do not allow liveaboards or there is over a one year wait list!

That’s the same scenario of needing to find daycare before you are pregnant. If our whole plan is to move out of our house and onto a boat, how in the world can you do that immediately when you buy your boat? Answer is you don’t, unless you get on a wait list. And those aren’t free. After meeting with several marinas, we found out that the wait list fees run anywhere fro $25-$150. Again, you don’t even own a boat yet! Crazy. So we figured this past spring of 2016, we would visit a couple marinas and find out what they had to offer.

Foss Harbor Marina

First was the Foss Harbor Marina in Tacoma. We met the manager during the boat show and he was extremely friendly and helpful. In fact, one of his residents was there and couldn’t say enough great things about the marina.

The parking was very limited for guests and we happened to park right in front of the office and “general store”. At the store/marina you can rent kayaks and SUPs. They gave us a key and a quick verbal tour for us to go check out. The store was well stocked, including good WINE and it was priced just like a regular wine shop! (Bonus!) Next to the store was the community center (no you can’t have a wedding here, but it’s perfect to watch t.v.) that had a large t.v., coffee maker, games and books, perfect for a small gathering (i.e. football game).

The restrooms were secured and each offered two showers and sinks, toilets and mirrors. Nothing fancy, but would certainly work great. The docks have a secured entrance, which is great. From there, we walked down to the docks and they are floating docks. So the main plankway can be either very steep or not so much depending on the tide. Most marinas these days offer floating docks, otherwise your dock could be 5′ below your boat! (LOL)

The marina was small and intimidate, which we like. It also has a great view of Mt. Rainier and it’s own fuel dock. The prices at the fuel dock were actually very reasonable.

If you worked in Downtown Tacoma, this would be a great commute!!

The mooring prices were fairly standard for marinas and they had a 3 month wait list and their fee was $25 (I believe)….it was very nominal. Definitely a marina we would consider. The only cons we had, were limited guest parking and not walking distance to restaurants/bars.

Port of Everett Marina

A few weeks later we visited the Port of Everett Marina. If you don’t know about this one, it is the largest public marina on the west coast in the U.S.

Yes, this place was massive. In fact, we ate lunch at one side (the left) and had to drive to the office (the right). Definitely not walking distance. They had plenty of space for 50′-65′ boats and the marina offers not only regular amenities such as showers and parking, but many restaurants and bars within walking distance. It did not have any type of convenience store. It is located at the northern end of Puget Sound, so as you can see by the photo it has great access to our northern islands and is also very well protected.

Here’s our view from lunch on the south side of the marina

The downside, was not only the commute distance (yuck!), but the cost of the mooring. With everything said and done, the cost was about $17 per foot and the docks for the larger boats are quite a bit away from everything – except the large fishing boats that were being worked on. You wouldn’t want to be taking a nap – just sayin. But we did like the proximity to restaurants the sound. They had a 3-8 month wait list and I believe their fee was about $125.

Since we have no idea what in the world we are doing yet, no wait lists or fees now. We have a few more to look at, but our options are very slim. Odd for such a large boating industry in the Puget Sound.

Learn how we finally found our perfect marina slip. Scott & Ally

June 27, 2016August 28, 2017

Where Do We Begin?

Earlier this year, I thought I was moving to Belize and so we started the process of getting rid of “stuff”. In order to move onto a boat, we would have to tackle this necessary evil, so that turned out to be a blessing.

Scott and I looked at each other and said “Where do we begin?”. Of course, the answer was the (wait for it…….) THE GARAGE. Oh my! First, we had to tackle all of the items we had been storing for The Wine Alley, including 10 years worth of accounting stuff.

Luckily, we have a shredding company just at the bottom of the hill, Shred-It which charged us only $70 to shred 7 boxes! Per the IRS, we still have to keep the most recent and other docs from 5-7 years ago.

Then we had to tackle our real stuff – this should be fun. We started listing items on “Letgo and OfferUp” apps. We also listed some books on Ebay and Amazon. But we really need to make room in the garage (it was a pig stye!). So we had our first garage sale.

Unfortunately, we live at the end of an alley way and it’s not that easy to get in and out of our driveway. Plus, the weather turned out not to be nice, but we did pretty good. We got rid of all of the furniture, patio heater, tons of construction items, electronics, etc. We now can get the car in the garage and walk around!

But even after all of that, it’s still overwhelming looking at all of our stuff. Everything that didn’t sell, we gave to NW Center for the Blind and boy did they get a huge haul. Personal and family heirlooms we will give to our nieces and nephews.

We just keep reminding ourselves and when the dream finally arrives, this is how we will need to store our “stuff”.

Yeah, I think we’ll be wearing the same clothes over and over! Cheers!

May 25, 2016August 28, 2017

Setting & Reaching Goals

When I started blogging originally, it was 10 years ago when I was approaching the big “4-0” and it chronicled my journey in trying to have a child. Four years later, we gave up and came up with the dream to sail the world.

Since that time, we have traveled across the US to Annapolis and Miami to attend boat shows, read book after book about sailing and trying to absorb as much information possible before we make the plunge.

Now it’s 10 years later, so that means I’m approaching the big “5-0” this year. Time to set a new goal. I must be crazy because I decided to sign up for the Lake Union 10k run (6.2 miles) in August and I started training this month. I’m not a runner, nor have I ever ran a 10k. Luckily, Scott has decided to also run it with me.

The motivation, is not just about accomplishing the feat, but rather getting back into shape. Many people don’t realize how important it is to be physically fit to operate a boat – especially a sail boat. You need to have the strength and endurance in order to safely enjoy boating and sailing. Now, this is not typically how you sail (see below).

How do we begin training? Well, a few weeks ago I had the brainy idea to just go to the track and start running! I made it around the first lap (1/4 mile) and was completely out of breath. I stopped for a few seconds and made it another round. Repeat. By the fourth lap, I was down to running, walking and all with the help and motivation of Scott, who was by my side.

So guess what happened the following day? Yep, I could barely walk as my legs were so sore. The pain lasted at least 4 days. A week later, we decided to run in our neighborhood, a mile at a time and walking in between for a total of 3.5 miles. Next day, couldn’t walk again. LOL This is not going well and I only have 12 weeks left to train. However, I never give up on anything I start, so this will happen. Thanks to technology and smart phones, I came up with a much better plan. I downloaded “10k Runner” training app and I love it! You run about every other day and the first day of training, you run for 1 minute then walk and repeat for 30 minutes. The next day I felt awesome! We are only in our first week of training with the app, so we will keep you posted! Cheers!

May 13, 2016August 5, 2017

All Things Dogs, Boats & Sun

As most of you know, we sold our business last Fall. I am currently pursuing job opportunities in the sales & marketing field, but if you know me, I just can’t sit around and not be busy.

So what does someone like me do then? I start a couple of side businesses related to everything I love, Dogs, Boats and Sun!

First up, is our T-shirt and Gift line. We had the logo custom designed for us:

The items are sold at Cafe Press under AllysBoatingTshirts. You can get different styles and colors, along with some great items perfect for your boat!

We do get a commission from each item, so we really appreciate everyone’s support and share of the site!

Of course, I couldn’t stop there. As you know, I read lots of real life sailing stories. Almost everyone of them had a difficult purchase experience. They found a boat, took time off, traveled to another state to view it, only to find out it was NOT what it was described as. The photos were not current and the boats smelled horrible.

I decided, that the yacht industry needs an unbiased independent “concierge” to help yacht buyers. So I created a new business called “Yacht Buyer’s Concierge” and my rates & info are on my website posted here..http://www.yachtbuyerconcierge.strikingly.com

For a nominal fee, I will come out and take 40 photos and a video of the interior and give the buyers an unbiased report of the vessel. This will save them time and money, if, in fact it doesn’t look like it does on the broker’s side.

Feel free to share my concierge site as well. If I go back to work full-time, I will continue this service as this gives me a great opportunity to view vessels and help us figure out the right one when the time comes. Cheers! Ally

April 13, 2016April 18, 2018

Quick trip to the Caribbean!

Belize Tour in 48 hours

Last month, I literally went to the Caribbean for 3 days…..yes only 3 days! It really was a whirlwind trip and I’m so glad I was able to check it out. I was considering moving to Placencia, Belize on the Caribbean side to help open a resort. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite come to terms and we went our different ways. With that said, I still loved the resort and what they are building, which is why I want to share this great place with you.

Placencia is a peninsula on the Caribbean side of Belize, which is a country just south of the Yucatan Peninsula and north of Guatemala. It is a very quiet and laid back community with very friendly people. Let’s start with my journey getting there!

I left Seattle at 5am and arrived in Dallas, only to find out that my next flight was delayed by over an hour. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal, but I still had to catch a flight from Belize City to Placencia via an island hopper (Cesna). That flight was scheduled for 4:25pm and I was now due in at 4:10p. Yikes! That would mean I would have to get through customs, security and on another plane in 15 minutes. Sure enough, we land at 4:15p and I was panicked. Belize City airport is not a big airport, in fact, you step onto the tarmac, then into customs and turn left and you are through security to the next airline. I flew threw customs and security in about 3 minutes. As I approached Maya Island Air, they were so friendly and assured me I still had plenty of time! Whew. My airplane held about 12 people. Never have I flown on one of these, so I took lots of photos.

Placencia, Belize

One thing you will notice immediately is the warm sun and humidity. Good thing I have naturally curly hair! The resort (called Naia) will be a destination spa resort which is located in the Coco Plum Development. This is a master planned community and they are selling gorgeous beach front lots and lagoon front lots. This is the place to retire, especially if you have a boat! Then they are building Naia within the community, which will feature 30 beach front units, along with a pool, two restaurants, a bar and a first class spa. The spa has a gorgeous yoga studio, 6 individual day treatment rooms, activity center, fitness center and spa cafe. This is where you will want to spend your day! The resort is scheduled to open officially sometime in October/November.

If you are interested in touring the property to purchase a lot, ask for Stewart and be sure to tell him I referred you.

I stayed in one of the “Tree Top Villas” that are on the property of CocoPlum. This was a really cool setup, with one unit downstairs, kitchen/living in the middle and the second unit at the very top.

I was able to get a full property tour with the management team. Trying to dress for this trip was certainly a challenge, as I was touring a construction sight in 85 degree weather with a team I had not met in person yet. But it all worked out just fine!

This is one of the two bedroom beach houses that is part of the Coco Plum Community.

Notice the amazing woodwork in the ceiling and continue to watch for this in my upcoming photos. The wood in Belize is absolutely beautiful!

The Fitness Room & Yoga Studio of Naia Resort

Now we are headed to the fitness room and yoga studio. Imagine doing yoga here with a lush lawn, palm trees swaying over head with a slight breeze. Heavenly is the perfect word!

From the yoga studio, you’ll take a bridge over to the spa center, treatment rooms and cafe’.

This is the view as you are getting your pedicure!

This is the spa cafe’ overlooking the lagoon.

Beach front villas

I got a quick sneak peak at the beach front units for the resort. They are not finished yet, but these photos give you an idea of the tranquility they will offer. Also, every unit has an outdoor shower – super cool!

Naia Resort & Restaurants under construction

From here we checked out the hotel and restaurants. It’s so amazing how their construction is so different than what we see here in the states. Notice the roof on the hotel and how gorgeous it is already!

Now we are upstairs in the restaurant overlooking the Caribbean and the pool. I’m already relaxed, how about you?

One thing I will tell you about Placencia is the food is amazing and probably some of the best food I have ever had. My first night, they took me to RumFish y Vino and I had the Yucatan Chicken. Wow! I’m still trying to recreate the dish! They make everything from scratch.

The second day we went to lunch at Mango’s and we had the best view for lunch! Another must eat at spot in Placencia!

Looking for a place to live

While I was there I looked at a condo for rent at an adjacent property (also called Coco Plum) and took a walk along the beach to get there. Can’t beat this commute everyday!

Of course, I can’t travel half way around the world and not find a cute fur friend!

Ironically, I didn’t take the job, so I didn’t move, BUT my condo ended up being featured on House Hunter’s International. The broker is Boris Mansfield and he was very helpful during my process.

Can you smell the ocean air and feel the breeze?

On my last night, they took us to a fabulous restaurant called Maya Beach Hotel Bistro. The food was amazing and they have a jaw dropping wine cellar! Ellen the owner, took me back to show me their collection and it was far better than some of our high end restaurants here in Seattle. Be sure to check this place out or you’ll be sorry. I had the pecan crusted fish, but many had the pork chop – this is a serious meal. Their desserts are all made by the owner and are to die for.

In the end, I’m grateful I had the opportunity to see such a great project from it’s beginning. It will definitely draw world class attention from travelers throughout the world and I can’t wait to see the finished product!

Maybe our BoatingJourney will take us to Belize some day!