Boat Shows Archives

October 17, 2021October 17, 2021

More favorite yachts from Boats Afloat Show

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

2004 Compass 55 Pilothouse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1983 Tollycraft Pilothouse

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

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

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

The heads had separate showers and lots of counter space.

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

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

More of our favorite yachts

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

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

The staterooms were nicely appointed and offered great storage too.

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

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally

October 3, 2021October 3, 2021

Touring Dream Yachts at the Boats Afloat Show

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

Absolute Navetta 73

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

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

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

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

High end features on the Absolute Navetta 73

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

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

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

How about this view for an office?

Guest accommodations on this dream yacht

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

Check out the fly bridge!

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

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

Meet the Ocean Alexander 27e

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

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

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

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

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

Taking a week off

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally

September 26, 2021September 26, 2021

2021 Boats Afloat Show

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 an in-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!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021

Tour a 2004 Cruisers 405 Yacht

For the past few months, we’ve had a lot of folks tell us to our a Cruisers Yacht and fortunately for Scott and I, our friends just bought one. Cory and Stacy are avid boaters and last summer, they sold their 37′ Larson and upgraded to a 2004 Cruisers 405 Yacht. They have two teenagers and this offers them plenty of space.

Exterior Space

All of the exterior flooring is SeaDek flooring, which we love! The access is fairly easy from the dock, as they do have a large swim platform. Even with the davit system, there is plenty of space to move onto the boat.

One thing Scott and I missed on our last boat, was having space to entertain outside or in the sunshine. This Cruisers 405 yacht has plenty of seating, a small table and a great wet bar! The wet bar has a brand new fridge, cutting boards, storage and a faucet with a sink.

The helm has bench style seating, so the captain and co-captain can sit together. The port side seating offers loungers for relaxation. One interesting thing about this Cruisers 405 yacht, is you don’t use keys to turn on the engines, but instead you use a code. There is a control panel on the starboard side that controls all of the functions. This yacht has bow and stern thrusters which can be operated with a remote control.

Access the engine room through the floor in the main salon. We love that the engines hve good accessibility from either side. The engines on this yacht are twin Yanmar 370hp diesels and this yacht also comes with an oil exchanger system! For all of the specs, be sure to watch the episode below.

Great salon space

The salon is set up nicely with a large comfy couch and ottomans (something we really missed having on our last two boats). This yacht has a large fridge, a two burner stove top, a convection microwave and they bought a portable icemaker.

I love how deep and wide the sink is! You can actually put an entire pan in it! They did add a large flat screen tv to the dinette table (remember, they have teenagers!). It actually fits well and you can watch your favorite movies from the big comfy couch.

The couch also pulls out into a bed offering a third sleeping area.

Forward Guest Space

Going forward, you’ll find the day head on the starboard side (keep in mind, it is winter here in the PNW and they use this boat, so it’s not set up for show pictures.) What’s interesting about the day head, is the shower is a separate room that you access from the stateroom.

We were very impressed by the beautiful woodwork and attention to detail for the finishes.

The island berth has tons of storage and a nice wide bed. It is a bit high, especially for me, since I’m only 5’3″.

Accessories

On your way to the master stateroom, you’ll find the central vac located in the bottom step mid ship. This is a great location, as our last boat you had to lift a large couch cushion to access it.

The electrical panel is located behind a nice wood cabinet as you head into the master stateroom.

Master Stateroom

This Cruisers 405 yacht has an aft master stateroom, which is our favorite layout. This stateroom did not disappoint. With a full walk around bed and tons of storage, you could actually live comfortably on this boat.

Not only does the master have great storage, but it also has a washer dryer combo that is easily accessible.

The master head has plenty of room and the shower is tall enough to allow for a 6′ 3″ person to shower.

Overall impression

This Cruisers 405 Yacht is a great boat for cruising the PNW. It would make for a comfortable liveaboard, but it is definitely compacted into 41′. Ideally, our liveaboard will be at least 50′. A big thank you to Cory and Stacy for allowing us to tour your beautiful yacht and we look forward to being on the water with you soon!

As always, thank you for following our boating journey. You can follow us on social using @BoatingJourney. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch this week’s episode below. Next week, we share with you why we love the Caribbean and our favorite islands.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

February 21, 2021February 26, 2021

Bayliner 4788 Tour at Fisherman’s Terminal

Scott and I finally toured a 1998 Bayliner 4788 MY last week. Since we have owned two Bayliners many people told us to look into a 4788. This boat is currently moored at Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard and we spent the afternoon exploring the marina as well.

The tour was impromptu and so we didn’t get a chance to take our time taking professional photos. The broker did tell us that the owner has added many upgrades to this Bayliner 4788, including a camera system to help him easily navigate and dock the boat.

Interior Upgrades

One thing you’ll notice immediately upon entering the salon is the upholstery and carpet are new. The two chairs are original to the boat and have not been redone. The salon has the same granite counter our 4087 had, but the wood is much lighter than what we had. This is because the owner also had all of the wood refinished.

The galley has decent counter space, similar to our 4087. It has an upgraded SeaFreeze fridge that is nice and roomy. The shades are all electric and move up and down with a press of a button! How cool is that?! The stovetop / oven is a Princess, the same model we had on our boat. You know how picky we are about the sink and this boat has two sinks, one of which is decent size. At least you can get a pan in it!

Drinks anyone? Check out the “wet bar”. Next to the sink, is a countertop blender! Haven’t see one of those in years.

The Two Helm Stations

A few steps up from the salon area, is the interior bridge. I was shocked by how great the visibility was from this bridge. Normally, we never use the interior helm station, but in this case you would want to. The captain’s chairs (upper and lower) were both recently upgraded and the best part is you can move it around (it’s not anchored to the floor). These chairs are very nice upgrades to the boat.

You can access the upper fly bridge from either the stern (via a ladder) or from the interior bridge. I was disappointed that the upper bridge didn’t have a table or a good area for entertaining. A large portion of the upper deck is used to hold the crane and dinghy.

For us, entertaining outside is important and we definitely want an area that has a table with seating so we can enjoy the outdoors during the summer.

The Sleeping Quarters & Heads

As you move down the hall, you’ll find one stateroom on your port side and the day head on the starboard side. Straight ahead is the master stateroom.

The first stateroom has a great design, as the bed is not on the ground level (like many aft berths). This makes it much easier to get in and out of bed.

The day head had lots of storage space and it did have a separate shower, which we like. I wasn’t too keen on the lip of the day head or shower in it. I would definitely trip on both of them.

As you move down the hall, you’ll find the washer / dryer combo. This is a definite must for a liveaboard boat.

The master stateroom is actually an island berth in the forward cabin. I don’t know what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. I need a full walk around bed, so I was bummed to see that this was the design.

Apparently, the Bayliner 4788 was designed so that you could remove the partition between the master stateroom and the guest room with the bunk beds. That is exactly what this owner did and for privacy he put up a curtain. They use it primarily for extra storage, so this made a lot of sense.

I was also amazed by how much storage the master stateroom offered!

The master head has plenty of room, but we were shocked to see it has a bathtub! Now that’s a liveaboard boat!

Overall Impression

This particular Bayliner 4788 is beautiful and comes with a lot of great upgrades. The owner has taken really good care of this yacht and it shows. Is it what we are looking for? Unfortunately, no.

I really want a FULL walk around bed that I don’t have to hop into every night (remember, we’re living on this boat). While I love the entertainment space on the inside, there really isn’t any outside. The cockpit is too small for a table and chairs and the upper helm only has seating. Those are my two “must haves” for a liveaboard. If you want more information on this Bayliner 4788, please email us and we’ll send you the link. Many people ask us why we don’t include it in our blog or vlog and that’s because the link will become invalid when the boat sells. We don’t want to have any links on our website, that don’t go anywhere 😉

Fisherman’s Terminal

Fisherman’s Terminal opened in 1914. This marina is open to both pleasure craft and commercial vessels. Look for celebrity ships from Deadliest Catch! One caveat about this marina is it is not secured. The docks are open to the public.

The Seattle Fisherman’s Memorial memorializes more than 670 local commercial fishermen and women who have been lost at sea since the beginning of the 20th century.

Scott and I love that Fisherman’s Terminal is so close to us. If you recall from our previous blogs, we often buy our seafood from the Wild Salmon Seafood Market, located at Fisherman’s Terminal. There are also three restaurants and a gift shop at the terminal. Be sure to check it out next time you are in Seattle!

As always, thank you for following our journey. Next week, we sit down with you and share our thoughts on what’s happening in regards to our blog and vlog, and our search for a liveaboard boat. Follow us on social @BoatingJourney and please subscribe to our YouTube channel, by clicking on the video below and hitting “subscribe”. Cheers, Scott & Ally

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021

Tour a 2018 Sea Ray L590 Fly Yacht

The Seattle Boat Show was this week and everyone loves to tour the yachts during a show. This week, we take you on a tour of a brand new (executive demo) 2018 Sea Ray L590 Fly yacht.

Sea Ray stopped building boats over 40′ in 2019 and they only made a limited number of Sea Ray L590 Fly yachts. This is the only new L590 on the west coast and a really beautiful yacht. With a full enclosure, it is perfect for cruising in comfort in the Pacific Northwest, especially because every level has heating and air conditioning.

Entertaining in Style

This yacht has plenty of room for entertaining. The cockpit has seating for over 6 people and it comes with a fridge, icemaker and grill! Plus the joy stick controls are located on the port side for easy docking from the stern.

The interior offers a large open salon with plenty of entertaining space. This includes a comfy couch, ottomans, large flat screen tv and a built in bar. Plus the “up galley” allows the chef to mingle with guests while prepping dinner. The settee offers seating for 6 people comfortably too.

More Entertaining Space!

If that’s not enough entertaining space for you, check out the fly bridge. It has seating for 12 plus people (pre-covid of course), a fridge, a grill and sun pads to relax on.

Liveaboard Comfort

When I think about living on a boat, I wonder how we can make the transition from a home to a boat comfortably – especially here in the PNW. Taking a tour of this yacht, I would have no issues! The master stateroom has plenty of headroom, lots of storage, a full walk around bed, a desk/makeup station, a large flat screen tv and a comfy lounge area. The closet even has an icemaker in it! This is nicer than our condo.

What I love about this yacht, is that Sea Ray put so much thought into the design and texture of the interior. It truly reminds me of a luxury home without being “gawdy”. The master head is beautiful and the shower offers plenty of room for a 6′ person!

There are two other staterooms on this yacht, including a double bunk room. This room has plenty of storage space plus the washer and dryer!

The VIP V Berth

It seems like every v berth we see, the bed is about 4′ high and for me (Ally) who is only 5’3″, it’s a chore to “hop into bed”. What I love about this v berth, is the bed is lower and it has two steps on either side, to easily climb into bed. This stateroom offers tons of storage and another big cedar closet!

The day head has access from the hallway and the v berth. It offers the same space and details as the master head.

The Helm Stations

There are two helm stations on this Sea Ray L590 Fly yacht. The interior helm offers two VERY NICE captain’s chairs with a fantastic navigation center. Sea Ray did not skimp here either, offering leather console and storage compartments in the bridge.

The helm station on the fly bridge has great visibility for easy navigation and docking. The Zeus pod joy stick controls help navigate this yacht through tight fairways and makes docking much easier than you would expect. Two large SmartCraft Vessel View display screens feature provide all the information you need for operating this yacht.

This yacht is equipped with triple Zeus Cummins engines. For info on this propulsion, check out this link: https://www.cummins.com/engines/zeus-and-cummins-inboard-joystick.

Cruising in comfort and luxury

Sea Ray is known for their high quality vessels and attention to detail. This Sea Ray L590 Fly yacht is a great example of that. With less than 60 hours and with a full factory warranty, this yacht is ready to cruise the Pacific Northwest. For more information or a tour, visit Union Marine on Lake Union in Seattle.

As always, thanks for following our blog! For a full tour of this yacht, please watch our YouTube episode below and please subscribe for future episodes. Be sure to follow us on social @BoatingJourney. Stay tuned for next week, as we take you on a tour of a Boston Whaler 325 Conquest Pilothouse. Cheers, Ally & Scott

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021

Seattle Virtual Boat Show 2021

Scott and I have attended the Seattle Boat Show for the past 20 years. This year the show will be a virtual boat show and quite different thanks to the pandemic. The organizers of the show NMTA, have launched a fantastic website at www.seattleboatshow.com. Here you can buy different ticket levels, which gain you access to many features, including four days of virtual seminars (83 to choose from) January 28 – 31.

This will be the largest virtual boat show in the country and already they have sold tickets in over 40 states. There are over 600 boats featured on the website ranging from $1400 to $3.6million.

Going from 35,000 sq ft

As many of you know, I am head of marketing for Union Marine and the annual boat show is one of my biggest tasks each year. Normally the show takes up over 200,000 sq feet at the convention center at Century Link and my company normally has over 35,000 sq ft of that space.

Like many boat dealers, we are not only doing a virtual boat show, but we’re also hosting an open house at two of our locations in Seattle and Fife. To try and squeeze in a show of this size into two local showrooms is definitely a challenge, but I feel good about our accomplishment.

Hosting a Virtual Boat Show

No other organization has ever put together a show of this size and honestly, none of us know what to expect. One very cool feature of the show, is many dealers chose to do a 3D virtual walk-thru tour of their showrooms. You can see the two virtual boat show displays for Union Marine on our website. These tours are real life videos of our actual show rooms. You can click on specific targets and get information about a brand, including a brand video, build a boat or see our inventory.

The question still remains, how many people will shop virtually versus in-person? Guess we will have to wait and see. Just like a car, everyone loves to touch and see a boat up close and in person. Scott and I put a quick video together to give you an inside peek of the show both in-person and virtually – so check it out below.

This year, we hope to get to the Annapolis and/or Fort Lauderdale shows, so be sure to subscribe to our channel for upcoming episodes.

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to follow us on social media @BoatingJourney too. Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a brand new Sea Ray L590 Fly Motor Yacht.
Cheers, Scott and Ally

January 10, 2021January 10, 2021

Check out this 2000 Silverton 392 MY

This Silverton 392 motor yacht has an awesome layout and really could make for a great live aboard. Scott and I toured this yacht at Union Marine back in November and we were very surprised to see how much space it has.

The owners have put in some custom cutting boards in the cockpit above the refrigerator, which allows for great entertaining on the stern. We love how much open space there is in the cockpit for relaxing.

The Fly Bridge

The fly bridge on this Silverton 392 offers great visibility. One thing I noticed right away (and I think it’s a great idea), is the owner put labels everywhere to help who ever is operating the boat.

We also noticed that on the bridge, there were switches for engine fire extinguishers. How cool is that?!

The Silverton 392 Motor Yacht, with its innovative “SideWalk” flybridge steps, offers much improvement in safety, space utilization, and mobility. Never before has going forward been so easy and so safe.

The Interior

Compared to our Bayliner 4087, the salon offered much more space for entertaining. You could easily seat 6 or 8 people around the settee. For relaxing at night, the couch was directly across of the tv and it also has a reversible ottoman.

There is tons of storage space under the couch cushions, plus plenty more in the built-in cabinet under the tv.

With the galley just steps away from the salon, you can easily cook and entertain at the same time. There is a lot of storage space and I love that the stove top and oven are electric. Be sure to watch our YouTube episode, for a closeup tour (link at the end of this blog). For some reason, I hate propane ovens/stoves. I know they are the most practical for cruising, but if you are at the dock with shore power, I’ll take electric any day.

Two staterooms

Unlike our Bayliner 4087 that had three staterooms, this Silverton 392 only has two staterooms. However, someone could sleep on the couch, but that wouldn’t offer any privacy. The forward cabin has a double size bed and has plenty of drawers for storage.

There are two heads on this yacht and each has a VacuFlush toilet. The guest head does have a separate shower stall, which is a major plus. On our Bayliner, you had to use a shower curtain in the bathroom when you showered and things still got wet.

The main stateroom is an aft cabin, much like our Bayliner 4087. I feel this cabin is slightly smaller, but Scott disagrees with me. What do you think? I think that our bed was longer than the Silverton making the room bigger?

About our second boat — Main stateroom on our Bayliner 4087

The main head was a little smaller that I expected, but still offered everything you would need.

The Engine Room

This Silverton 392 MY comes with twin Caterpillar 3116 diesel engines which have a combined 740hp and they only have 150 hours of use! Access to the engine room is in the main salon.

This boat comes with a Kohler Generator and also has an oil change extractor! Super cool, especially if you have ever pumped out your oil manually.

Upgrades also include a WalVac system (a must!!), Inverter and an AB dinghy with a Honda 15hp outboard motor.

Overall Impression

Scott and I were pleasantly surprised by this yacht. It has a great layout, it’s comfortable and comes with many upgrades. While we loved our Bayliner 4087, had we looked at both boats at the same time, chances are we would have picked the Silverton.

Would it make a good liveaboard? Any boat can be a good liveaboard – check out our episode about living on a 32′ Nordic Tug. But in the end, we’re looking for a boat that’s a bit bigger with more storage. If you are looking for a great cruiser for the Northwest, be sure to check out this yacht. You will be impressed.

As always, thank you for following our journey! 2021 has a lot in store for us, including our (hopefully) upcoming bare boat charter on a power catamaran in the British Virgin Islands in April. If we can’t find the perfect liveaboard (or slip to go with it), we may decide to buy a smaller boat just to be able to get back on the water this year. Stay tuned! In the meantime, we hope you all have a fantastic New Year and we hope to see you on the water! See the full tour in the YouTube episode below.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

December 26, 2020December 26, 2020

Tour a 2006 Navigator 5100

This past summer, while touring a Viking Sport Yacht, broker offered to show us a 2006 Navigator 5100. She had overheard us talking about our love for Navigator yachts and she had one on the other dock. Unfortunately at $449,000 it’s out of our price range, but we were thrilled to be able to take a quick tour.

Almost identical to the 5300

If you have been following us this summer, you’ll remember that we toured a Navigator 5300 up in Bellingham. The big difference between this yacht and that one is, this one has furniture in the salon (because the 5300 had sank at the dock). Though two feet shorter, none of the layout appears to be tighter or smaller.

The cockpit is nice a roomy, perfect for a day out fishing. You enter through the heavy duty sliding glass door into the main salon, which is very spacious and comfortable. The salon and galley of the Navigator reminds me very much of a “home”.

The television is hidden in the cabinet until you’re ready to watch it.

One of my biggest issues with the our Bayiner 4087, was we couldn’t relax on a couch and watch tv comfortably. We had to sit in the settee to watch tv. This salon offers a great area to unwind and relax.

Large Upgraded Galley

For anyone who knows me well, you know I love to cook – even on a boat. But small kitchens and galleys, drive me crazy. Even in our big huge house that we sold, we had pretty limited counter space for prep. The Navigator galleys offer tons of prep space, plus a full pantry under the floor in the galley.

Up behind the galley, is the interior bridge. There’s a large settee behind the captain’s chair, which could be used for an office as well.

The bridge had great visibility and all upgraded electronics.

Expansive living quarters

Just like the Navigator 5300, the 5100 offers a large master stateroom with a washer and dryer.

The master stateroom had tons of storage, perfect for a liveaboard. The master head was enclosed and it has a separate shower to the right of the Vacuflush toilet.

I was also shocked about how much storage the cedar closets offered. Plus they smell great!

Room for the entire family!

Down the hall from the master, you’ll find a double bunk stateroom and a VIP v-berth stateroom. The amount of storage that is included in each stateroom was amazing!

The guest head has plenty of space & storage and the shower is a stand alone shower stall here too.

Up to the bridge

To access the fly bridge, you enter through the interior helm area. One thing I really like about the exterior of the Navigator 5100 is the height of the railings. Since I’m short and usually the one putting the fenders out, I feel safer with a taller railing.

When we toured this Navigator 5100, they had taken all of the cushions off, to keep them protected from the elements. One disappointing fact about this Navigator 5100 is that it does not have an enclosed fly bridge, which is a must for us.

As you can see, there’s tons of storage under the seats. Below is what the bridge looks like with the cusions.

There’s so much room up on the bridge! We do wish there was some kind of table, but so far, none of the Navigators we have looked at, have had one on the bridge.

Again, the upper fly bridge offers great visibility for ease of docking.

Is the Navigator our next liveaboard?

Scott and I admit, that after touring three different Navigators, that this is what we are looking for in a liveaboard. We especially like the Sundance model with the main stateroom located mid ship.

So we will continue to search for Navigators and hope that one will come with a liveaboard slip. If you know of anyone wanting to sell their 50′ – 55′ Navigator with a liveaboard slip, please DM us. Be sure to watch the full tour on our channel, video below.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and like most of you, we’re celebrating at home by ourselves thanks to covid-19. Thank you for following our journey and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social @BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020

Tour a 2005 Sea Ray 55 Sedan Bridge

In this week’s blog, we take you on a tour of a 2005 Sea Ray 55 Sedan Bridge, located at Union Marine on Lake Union. This 55′ motor yacht has a fantastic layout and is in impeccable shape. During our video, you’ll also find out why this is also one of our worst boat tours to date.

Worst Tour? Why?

Well, as you will see even in our photo, image quality was too dark. We have since corrected that issue, so be sure to scroll to the bottom to find out what we have done to correct that. One of the reasons it was so dark, is this Sea Ray 55 is stored in an inside floating showroom or boat house on Lake Union. This provides ample protection for the yacht during bad weather, but boat houses can be dark and loud.

The Interior Tour

Immediately, you move from a very large cockpit (which is great for fishing or relaxing) and into an expansive salon. The heavy duty glass sliding doors work great in the rough PNW weather while cruising.

This yacht has a 16′ beam, offering an expansive interior salon and entertaining space. There is extra storage everywhere from the ottomans to the couch settees.

Galley Up Entertaining

One great feature about the Sea Ray 55 MY is the entertaining space. Guests can relax in the salon, while you prep dinner in the galley up. Everything is so open, that you never feel cramped.

Could we live on this boat?

If Scott and I could afford this yacht, for sure! The asking price for this Sea Ray 55 is $500k, so it’s out of our price range. But it does offer all of the amenities we are looking for in a liveaboard. It has a washer/dryer in the hallway, large staterooms and heads. It also has really great storage for long passages or liveaboard needs.

There are three staterooms on this Sea Ray 55 Sedan Bridge. The double bunks, the VIP V Berth and the master stateroom.

How big is the master stateroom?

The master stateroom was very large with plenty of walk around space around the bed. That’s a must for any live aboard for me. (Oh, and I need to be able to stand up! LOL – see our Meridian tour). With plenty of storage space this is a boat we could easily live on.

Let’s check out the Fly Bridge

One thing I will say about this motor yacht, is the steps leading to the fly bridge were not as steep as we have seen on most Sea Ray yachts.

Once up on the fly bridge, there is a ton of entertaining space and the enclosure is awesome. This yacht is definitely geared for the PNW weather.

This yacht comes with twin Mercury MAN Diesel 765 horsepower V8 inboards, which is a higher fuel capacity than most yachts in its category.

Full confession

I should also confess that while I’m writing this blog, I had septoplasty surgery three days ago. While we thought it was going to be fairly minor, I ended up with some complications. Three days later, I’m starting to be on the mend, but unfortunately this probably wasn’t the best blog I’ve written either.

We were shocked when we watched the video, we were disappointed to see how poor the quality was of the videos. Scott did some research and ended up buying a LED light and a wireless microphone – see our affiliate links below.

Scott and I are looking forward to trying our new camera equipment and seeing how well they improve our videos. Our next tour is another Navigator from this past summer. It’s a beautiful yacht, so be sure to tune in!

As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel (link at the end of this blog). You can follow us on social media @BoatingJourney.