Last month, we attended the 2023 Miami Boat Show. This is a great show to see every kind of boat or yacht in the industry. As we mentioned in our last blog, they have a number of different displays at the show, so it a show to put on your bucket list.
You can find all of our yacht tours on our YouTube channel. Thank you to all of you who have subscribed and are following us! Wow, has our channel grown and we are truly grateful.
2023 Lekker 44
Our first yacht tour was a 2023 Lekker 44 from the Netherlands. Per their website “When LEKKER’s founder (Meindert Wolfraad) travelled the world, he discovered that the Amsterdam way of living appealed to people everywhere. Moving around on your own terms, taking control – whether it’s on the road, the canals or open sea. The freedom to move your own way. So that even the most free-spirited people don’t get caught up in everyday life.” This was a pretty cool boat that is not only comfortable, but very fast with a top speed of 57 mph.
2023 Privilege Signature 580 Catamaran
You might remember that we chartered a 43′ power catamaran last year during our trip to the British Virgin Islands. While it was a nice cat, the “guest sleeping quarters” were extremely tight and uncomfortable. Our next yacht tour was the Privilege Signature 580 and you have plenty of space on this yacht! (of course this would be a lot more expensive to charter too). This yacht we could live on and cruise the world.
2022 Azimut 72 Fly
If 58′ isn’t big enough for you, check out our next yacht tour on the 72′ Azimut Fly. This yacht has four staterooms, four heads PLUS crew quarters! Powered by twin MAN V12 1400hp diesels, her top cruising speed is 32 knots! Her exterior has been designed for luxury and comfort, as you relax on under the canopy on the bow’s sun pad. Cruising on this yacht through the Bahamas would make a dream vacation.
Cool surprise!
During the show, I passed by Captain Sandy Yawn a number of times. We’ve tweeted back and forth here and there. I had just finished reading her book, “Be the Calm or Be the Storm”. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. Here’s a quick link to the book. When I saw her in the lobby of my hotel, I had to stop and tell her how much I enjoyed her book. She then said, “let’s get a photo”. What a fun surprise!
What’s next for us?
We’re excited for what 2023 has on our plates. This week we’re headed to the Palm Beach International Boat Show and since Ally isn’t working the show, we will be doing the tours together. Why isn’t she working? Tune in and find out what her next adventure is. Next week we leave for Barbados and it’s our first visit there. Barbados is known for their amazing snorkeling and beautiful beaches, so this is a much anticipated trip.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel (link below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Earlier this month, Scott and I attended the Miami International Boat Show for the first time. We did come down here in 2015, but that year we could only find the display on Collins Avenue. That was the last year the show had a display on Collins. I was working the show, so I arrived on Sunday, February 12th to help set up the show. It really is amazing how the show actually comes together. I had a great view from my room at the Marriott of One Herald Plaza and the Venetian Marina.
At the Venetian Marina, we found a Sunreef Power Catamaran. Scott took a tour of it, which you can see on our YouTube channel next week. Apparently, the interior was very interesting, so tune in.
Big Yachts & Huge Displays
I was working in the Sunseeker display and this was the largest display they have had in over 30 years. In addition, we had on display a Sunseeker 90 Ocean and 95 Yacht. Now a days, seeing a large yacht doesn’t seem to phase me.
One thing that is different about Florida boat shows compared to others, like Seattle is the displays include luxury buildings and VIP lounges.
Beyond Yachts
Comparing the Miami Show to the Fort Lauderdale show, I would say the on-the-water show was smaller and more intimidate. They had a large tent with vendors and places to dine (where Fort Lauderdale didn’t have the food court per se). To access the Windward VIP lounge, you had to purchase a VIP ticket.
Scott did a great job showcasing all of the different vendors in our latest episode, to so be sure to watch it.
Miami Beach Convention Center
I had a breakfast later in the week at the Miami Beach Convention Center and then I walked the show. Even though I’m used to an indoor show, everything in this display seemed bigger.
Yachts After Dark
On Friday night, IYBA hosted a “Yachts After Dark” event. Here displays who participated hosted guests with cool lighting, cocktails and appetizers.
If you haven’t been to the Miami Boat Show, I definitely recommend it. In fact, Scott was able to meet up with the new owners of our Bayliner 4087, who were attending the show from Seattle. There’s so much to see and the venues are great.
One highlight for me, was meeting Captain Sandy in my hotel. I’m currently reading her book “Be the Calm, or Be the Storm” and it’s a fantastic read.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Next week, Scott will take you on some great yacht tours and we have some cool trips coming up including Trawlerfest in Stuart, FL. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (video below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Last month Scott and I attended the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for the very first time. This is a five day show held at the end of October and while I worked the show, Scott got a chance to tour it.
This show is so large that it’s the largest in-water boat show in the world and includes seven locations. We only visited the Bahia Mar exhibit where I was working. See photo above.
There’s no way I can possibly describe the show in a blog, as it’s just massive and you’ll see I say that over and over in our YouTube episode. The Bahia Mar exhibit included brand new boats and yachts from manufacturers and brokerage yachts and superyachts. Plus, it had huge displays of vendors everywhere you turned. The best part about the electronics tent is they kept it cold as a meat locker. This was a very pleasant treat as it was extremely hot during the show.
Super Yachts Everywhere
They had a super house boat – if that’s what you call it? I wish we would have toured this!
Unlike most shows we have attended, this is a manufacturer show, similar to an auto show. The manufacturers go all out to build massive VIP tents that are actually air conditioned (well, at least Sunseeker was where I was working!).
No matter if you are looking for a center console, a catamaran or a yacht, the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is where you will find your boat. This has been one of the best things about moving to Fort Lauderdale, is the access to so much boating!
Tour the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show on our YouTube Channel
If you plan on attending the show, give yourself at least three days to cover the show and that’s probably just for Bahia Mar. Scott was there two full days and he barely touched the display. I had displays from one end of the show to the other and over five days I walked 42 miles! We want to thank Informa and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for welcoming us as Influencers to the show – it was quite the experience. Until next year!
As always, thank you for following our blog and please be sure to check out our YouTube channel (see video below). Please be sure to subscribe to our channel and follow us on our next adventure. Next week we’ll share more boat tours from the show and later this month we go on our very first cruise! Stay tuned.
Scott and I had the rare opportunity to tour a Westship 103′ Sportfish a few weeks ago. Yes, you heard me right! This yacht is 103′ long and there are only two in the world including this one! We have never been on a sportfish before and this tour totally shocked us. This yacht is absolutely stunning and beautiful!
Exterior Tour
Since we have never been deep sea fishing or spent time on a sportfish, we won’t attempt to use the right lingo in the description or tour. This yacht is for sale by OneWater Yacht Group and there is a full detailed description on the listing here.
Right now, the yacht is docked at the owner’s house just north of Fort Lauderdale. Imagine owning a home on the water with space for a 103′ yacht? What I loved immediately are the steps to access the yacht.
On the stern, you have a large entertainment area plus two very large freezers. Where do they get ice to keep their fish cold you ask? This yacht comes with an ice-maker and an ice crusher!
On the lower deck, you will find all of the space for deep sea fishing, including a custom fishing chair in the center. There is also a live well on the lower level.
The walk arounds are nice and wide, which I love. However, most owners who own a yacht of this size have crew that handle their lines.
On the bow, they are storing a 17′ tender using a heavy duty crane.
Interior Space
You enter the interior, by pressing a button to open the slider doors. The doors open with air pressure and automatically close behind you.
Heading up to the captain’s bridge, you will find a huge helm station with gorgeous captain chairs. The leather of these chairs is as soft as baby skin!
The bridge is also a spot more entertaining. Imagine going fishing, then hanging out up in the bridge watching your favorite football team!
Head back down stairs and you find a beautiful salon and wet bar. This yacht is almost twenty years old, but it doesn’t show it. The soft goods are timeless and this yacht smells great!
If you prefer to dine inside, the dining room has space for six to eight guests. Remember, this is a fishing boat! What fishing boat has a dining room like this? Well, the Westship Sportfish obviously does.
The galley is located next to the dining room and this galley is larger than the one in our apartment!
Sleeping Quarters
Next we head down to the sleeping quarters. Here you will find four staterooms. Two are mirrored with twin beds and forward you will find a VIP stateroom with an island berth.
The master stateroom on this Westship Sportfish has more storage than our apartment too!
Engine Room
There are crew quarters and if you watch the video (see below), Scott will take you on a tour. You access the engine room through the crew quarters. This yacht is powered by twin MAN MTU 16V2000M91 diesel engines with 2000HP. Scott is over 6′ tall and he was able to stand in the engine room!
We hope you liked this tour. For more details, be sure to watch the full YouTube video tour.
As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe to our vlog on YouTube and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Next week we head to FLIBS (Fort Lauderdale Int’l Boat show) for our first time ever, so tune in next week.
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.
I had only been in Fort Lauderdale two weeks, when I had to work at the 2022 Palm Beach International Boat Show. The show ran from May 24th thru May 27th. As you know, I’ve worked many shows in the Pacific Northwest, plus Scott and I have been to the Miami and Annapolis boat shows. The Palm Beach International Boat Show was unlike any other show I have attended. The show is located in downtown Palm Beach along Flagler Drive and it features over $1.2 billion dollars worth of yachts and accessories. Here I saw hundreds of boats on the water including 8’ inflatables to Superyachts up to 300 feet in length. There was also a huge display on land, including boats, accessories and food vendors.
OneWater Yacht Group Display
While I’m used to working a very large space with over a 100 boats which are mostly runabouts, this was a very different experience. OneWater Yacht Group had fifteen yachts on display and we had a large tent with an open bar for guests to relax in.
Chris Craft had a very cool design center at the show, which was a show stopper.
The Sunseeker Predator 65 made its’ global debut during the show and it was awesome to be a part of such a media frenzy. We had magazines lined up to do a feature of this beautiful yacht.
So many yachts at the Palm Beach International Boat Show
Everywhere I turned, there were huge displays and gorgeous yachts. I did have the opportunity to tour one of our superyachts on display, a 2005 Palmer Johnson 123. You can say we are not in Kansas anymore! You can find a link to the yacht here.
The superyacht marina was massive. One yacht was so big it had a helicopter and submarine on board. I took a stroll over to the super yacht display to meet a mutual friend.
I was stunned by not only the size of the vessels, but also the level of luxury each manufacturer put into their displays.
The Palm Beach International Boat Show also features smaller boats
From the super yacht marina, I headed over to the smaller boat display. Here they had runabouts, towboats, inflatables, center consoles plus cigarette boats and some very unique vessels. It was obvious that speed is a necessity here, with so many boats having four or more outboards.
One crazy thing I saw was a swarm of bees on a rocket launcher. The following day, that swarm must have been swatted at, because they were flying thru the show and it was crazy!
One irony of working the show, was that the Sea Ray display was right across the water from our tent. If you have been following me over the years, you know that I spent a lot of time marketing the Sea Ray L590 Fly that we (former company) had in stock for a long time. Soon after, we brought in the Sundancer 320 and 370 Outboard, which I spent months marketing. Here these three models were staring at me the entire time during the show!
Vendors at the Palm Beach International Boat Show
The vendor tents had a ton of vendors on display featuring everything from shirts, fishing equipment, boat accessories to food and beverage. I wish I would have spent more time checking out the vendors, but I was working the show and didn’t have time to wander.
Working the Palm Beach International Boat Show was a great experience and I can’t wait for Scott to be able to experience it next year. If you have not attended this show before, I highly recommend it.
As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our vlog (video link below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Tune in next week as we start our five day road trip moving from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale. Cheers, Ally
After a two year hiatus, the Seattle Boat Show 2022 happened last week. As you know, I work for Union Marine, who is the largest exhibitor in the show, with almost 40,000 sq feet of space.
This is one of the longest boat shows in the US, spanning nine days and two weekends. Why you ask? Well, a ways back, Seattle had a major snow storm during the boat show and sales were a bust. After that, they voted to span the show over two weekends to make up for any loss traffic due to weather.
With the pandemic still in place, we had no idea what the traffic would be like. In order to enter Lumen Field, you needed to either be vaccinated or get a covid test within the last 72 hours. Surprisingly, traffic was busy with serious buyers. At the same time, dealers are experiencing an all time low with inventory. So what would the show look like? As you can see, it looked like any other normal year.
Cool features at the Seattle Boat Show 2022
Just like the Portland Boat Show, the Seattle Boat Show 2022 had a classic boat section. This wasn’t nearly as big as Portland, but they did showcase some cool things.
The show also featured this futuristic boat, called a Waterbug peddle boat. It was so weird and I can’t imagine being on rough water in it.
There were only a few large yachts at the show, including this 44′ Fontaine Pajot catamaran. Scott did tour it, so tune in to our YouTube channel next week for a tour.
New features of the boat show
Axopar made their debut at the show, including this cool teal green model. Axopar is very popular in Scandinavia and are taking off here in the PNW.
Thursday night was “Dogs on Deck” and the show was wall to wall with cute dogs everywhere!
The vendor section was very light, but those that attended, had fairly large booths.
This was definitely a brief summary of the Seattle Boat Show 2022. I guess after attending this show for 20+ years, there’s not much to add about it. During this show, some exciting things transpired for Scott and I, so stay tuned as we have some big news we can’t wait to share with everyone.
In the meantime, we leave for the British Virgin Islands next week for our bare boat charter (finally, after three years of planning!). So be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated on our journey.
As always, thank you for following us and be sure to follow us on social too @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Last weekend, Scott and I attended the 2022 Portland Boat Show for the first time. This was really the first large in-person indoor show we’ve attended since the pandemic began two years ago. Not knowing what to expect, we stayed open minded. Thanks to Trey, with O’Loughlin Trade Shows, for providing us with media passes to the show. We wanted to make a weekend out of it, so we decided to take the Amtrak Train down to Portland.
We reserved coach tickets and we were surprised by how roomy the seats were. There is a “club car” that offers snacks, sandwiches, beverages and cocktails. If you sit on the side of the train looking west, you’ll get a nice water view for most of the trip. We didn’t know that and ended up looking east on the way down.
I love that train stations are so grand and full of history. You certainly won’t find an airport that looks like this!
My advice to anyone attending a show at the Portland Expo, is that you don’t need to stay near the Expo. The train station is downtown Portland and we took an Uber to the Courtyard near Hayden Island. There’s nothing near that area that is walking distance, so in hindsight, we wished we would have stayed near restaurants because we had to Uber to the Expo anyway.
The Portland Boat Show
Unlike the Seattle Boat Show, the Portland Boat Show is only indoors featuring boats under 35′. If you are looking for a runabout, a towboat, a fishing boat or personal watercraft, this show hasyou covered!
One of our favorite features of the show was the classic boat section. They had about twenty classic runabouts, dating back to the 1940’s including Chris Craft and Tollycraft models.
Check out this cool tourist boat! Maybe we check this out next summer?
There were not as many vendors as we expected, but we did run into a few that had some pretty cool things.
The first one was ewinch 2 and they were demoing an electric winch wrench. This wrench is lighter than a hand drill and really easy to use! Be sure to tune into our YouTube episode and see how easy it was for me to handle.
Crabbing and Clamming Made Easy
Scott and I don’t normally stop at too many of the vendor booths, but we stopped at CrabHawk and they were selling two cool things. First was the crab cracker tool called “Crack-n-crab”. Now, if you recall in one our Camano Island blogs, we discussed the two different ways to kill and cook crab. One way, is to boil them immediately before gutting them. Others like to kill them first, gut them and then boil them. The crab cracker tool is used for the latter method. Again, check out our YouTube episode for the demo (link at the bottom of this blog).
They were also selling the “Clam Gun”. Apparently, this “gun” works like a straw and when you shove the gun into the sand, with your thumb over the suction hole, it keeps all of sand and clams in the gun. Then you shoot it out and grab your clam. Who knew?
We arrived to the show at 10am and we were done by 11:30am, so you can do the show pretty quick. Scott and I toured two brand new cruisers from Jeaneau and Cutwater during the show. These were really well laid out and we’ll take you on a tour of both of them next week.
Exploring Portland, OR
Since we had time to kill on Saturday, we headed into Downtown Portland for lunch and to explore a bit. I used to live in Portland in the late 1980’s and hadn’t returned in years. We headed first to Huber’s for lunch, which is the oldest restaurant in Portland. Founded in 1879, Huber’s is a Portland tradition that has been serving up its famous specialty drink, Spanish Coffee, from its second location for 108 years. Huber’s Cafe was first founded as the Bureau Saloon in 1879 at SW 1st Avenue and Morrison Street. It moved to its present location – 411 S.W. Third Ave – in 1910.
After lunch, we decided to visit the Oregon Maritime Museum, which is located on an old river boat on the Willamette River. Scott and I were disappointed to discover it was closed. So we spent the rest of the afternoon, walking along the boardwalk and enjoying the fresh air.
In front of the steamship, was a pile of loose logs. As we looked closer at the garbage field, we started to find all kinds of things, including a boat, a dock, a cooler and then we decided to make game of it. What do you spot?
The boardwalk along the Willamette River is a working dock when they have festivals. In fact, Navy Ships will tie up to the board walk during the Rose Festival. Check out these cleats! To give you some perspective, these are about two and half feet tall!
Well, it was nice to get out and attend an in-person boat show even if it was for a short visit. The Seattle Boat Show starts this Friday and I’ll be working the show every day. If you are in the Union Marine booth, look for me (Ally).
As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and channel for future updates on our search for our liveaboard boat. We’ve got some exciting things in the works for 2022, including our BVI bareboat charter in less than four weeks! Be sure to follow us on social too @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.
Though Scott and I didn’t buy a boat this year, we still had an amazing year in 2021. We figured out how to stay on the water and create some fantastic memories even without a boat of our own. The year started with the virtual Seattle Boat Show and luckily I’m in the boat business, so we still got to tour a few yachts.
In March, we took a ferry up to San Juan Island and stayed at Snug Harbor for a whale watching trip. While we didn’t see any whales, we saw lots of other wild life and cruising the San Juan Islands is always so beautiful.
The following month, we took another ferry ride to Whidbey Island to meet our God Dog, Soleil. We shared our story last April about how boats and dogs brought us together.
Cool & Unusual Boats
Throughout the year, we got up close and personal with some pretty cool boats. We started the year with a tour of the 1909 MV Lotus Edwardian Yacht, which is a historical yacht moored on Lake Union.
Scott and I rode on an electric Nautique GS22E tow boat on Lake Tapps and it was wild as you can’t hear the engine.
Every year, Seattle hosts the classic yacht show and now we are looking forward to next year’s event! So many cool old boats.
How do go boating when you don’t own a boat
As we got into summer, we got pretty creative on how we would stay boating. First we went sailing on Seattle’s Tall Ship on Elliott Bay, where Scott was able to get hands on.
Thanks to my job (Ally), we experienced the PNW debut of Sea Ray’s first 37′ Outboard cruiser on Lake Washington. This is such a cool boat and it has so many fun features!
Then we rented an electric Duffy boat on Lake Union! It was so much fun and affordable!
Maybe for 2022 we’ll rent a hot tub boat? Let us know what you think!
Our BVI Bareboat Charter Trip
In 2019, we booked our first bareboat charter to the British Virgin Islands which was set for March 27, 2020. Unfortunately, our group was the first one to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Originally, we moved the trip to October 2020, but the pandemic was far from over. So we moved it again to February 2021, only to learn that in order to arrive into the BVIs you would need four tests and quarantine for over eight days. This time we moved it to February 2022 and we are still on schedule for this trip! As a result, the four of us decided to keep our flights and visit the USVIs in April 2021 instead.
Scott and I visited all three territories: St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. It was truly an epic trip! We took a catamaran to Buck Island, we rented a dinghy on St John and explored all of the islands.
What’s it like to live on a boat?
Scott and I need the experience of living on a boat, before we buy one. Though we owned a larger yacht, it wasn’t set up well for a liveaboard. Solutions? First, we interviewed a great couple, Scott and Laurie who live full-time on their 50′ Vista on Bainbridge Island. They shared some great info with us! Be sure to check out that video here!
Next we rented a tiny home for four days. That was a great trip and a learning experience. On a boat, you have separate “rooms”, but not in a tiny house. We actually survived and had a great time!
Then a couple of weeks ago, we rented a 50′ Ponderosa for the weekend. Another great experience living aboard. The weather was cold and wet, yet we had an awesome time!
Our New Year’s Resolution
Our resolution this year is to buy a boat! With inventory levels at an all time low, it may be another full year before we can find a boat, but we hope that’s not the case. We may have to buy another boat and keep our condo. We’ll see. Otherwise, we’ll continue our boat tours and figure out cool ways to go boating. If you think about it, we spent a lot of time on the water this year even without a boat.
In the first quarter of 2022, we’re attending the Portland Boat Show and the Seattle Boat Show. After that, we’re finally heading to the British Virgin Island and St. John. Stay tuned for that epic trip! There’s a lot we have to do in order to get into the country, so we will fill you in.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our channel (click on the video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney.
Scott and I had the opportunity to tour a very unique Sea Ray 55 Sundancer yacht. Unlike the other Sundancer models we have featured, the layout on this yacht was very different.
This Sea Ray 55 Sundancer is actually 58′ long and in 2010, Sea Ray changed the model name to 580 Sundancer. For that reason, the current owner had a custom 580 made for the side of the boat.
Check out the stern of this 55 Sundancer yacht
This yacht is equipped with a large hydraulic swim platform that a Boston Whaler 110 SS dinghy sits on.
Scott and I could totally live on this yacht (if it were in our price range), but we don’t want a boat that has enclosed in canvas. It was pouring down rain during our tour and the canvas really darkens the cockpit area.
Huge cockpit for entertaining
The cockpit was so big, you could easily entertain up to twenty people! On the stern, they had a lounge area for up to eight people and a coffee table. In the middle of the cockpit was the settee and the seats rotate on a track. This allows you the option of setting up a dining experience or to swing around and hang out with those on the stern.
While the grill was located in the aft of the boat, you can’t use it, unless the canvas is completely off.
The cockpit had a full wet bar with fridge and an icemaker. Watch your favorite sports team on the flat screen tv.
The visibility from the helm station was fantastic! This Sea Ray 55 Sundancer yacht has heating and air conditioning. On the day of our tour the heat was blasting it was toasty warm! All of the controls are at the helm station and throughout the yacht. This yacht is equipped with bow & stern thrusters and the electronics are the dual screen Raymarine E-120 with Night Vision included.
Incredible salon
Walking into the salon, I wasn’t not prepared for what we saw. I was expecting a typical cruising salon, but with a 15′ beam this yacht was so spacious!
Sea Ray thought of everything when they designed this yacht. For starters, the galley is huge with tons of storage. Equipped with two freezers and two refrigerators, you could easily live on this yacht! The microwave and washer/dryer combo are hidden in cabinets. The pantry is a pullout cabinet – so cool!
Relaxing in style
The salon has a oversized sofa with two flat screens, plus surround sound throughout the entire boat. In addition, this Sea Ray 55 Sundancer has a 5 terabyte HD DSS TV system.
Two private staterooms
The VIP guest stateroom is located forward, where you will find a queen size bed. This stateroom has tons of storage and access to the day head. The day head has a separate shower, which is a must for us.
The master stateroom has a large queen size walk around bed and tons of storage as well. It also has a small desk area that you can use as an office. Imagine the water views you would have!
As we mentioned earlier, this Sea Ray 55 Sundancer is equipped with surround sound and you’ll notice in the master stateroom, it even has three speakers over the flat screen!
This cedar locker was one of the largest we’ve seen on a boat of this size.
The master head was nicely appointed, had plenty of storage and counter space. Plus the windows were frosted, so you didn’t have to worry about privacy.
Propulsion
This Sea Ray 55 Sundancer is equipped with twin MAN 900 CRM diesel engines that only have 178 hours! The access to the engine room is under the coffee table in the aft cockpit.
Overall, this was one of the coolest yachts we’ve toured. For more information, check out Union Marine’s website (remember, it may have sold by the time you are reading this).
As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to check out the complete tour on YouTube by watching the video below. Please subscribe to our blog and channel for updates on new posts.
Cheers, Scott and Ally
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