Trips Archives

August 7, 2019September 5, 2019

So Much to Do in Port Orchard!

At the end of July, we took a quick over night trip to Port Orchard with Kurt, his brother Cal and girlfriend Tracey. This has been a very busy boating month for us, as we were just in Kingston the weekend before.

Port Orchard is about 14 nautical miles due west from Seattle.

We estimated it would take us about an hour and a half going 10 knots, and we were right on the mark. The weather was a bit cloudy, but dry and warm when we left. There were a lot of logs along the way that we had to watch out for. Plus we either had a ferry coming up on us or at us. Other than that, it was a non eventful trip (a good thing!).

Going through Rich Passage into Sinclair Inlet, cruisers suggest you enter at slack tide as the current can be almost 2 knots. We entered just before slack tide, and didn’t have any troubles. But you could see how a smaller vessel would struggle a bit.

The Naval Ship Yard is on your starboard side has you enter the channel adjacent to the Bremerton Marina.

Entering the Port Orchard Marina

Reserving dock space at Port Orchard was similar to La Conner. They simply put you on the (east) breakwater dock, with the name of your boat in the spot you are reserved for. I knew by looking at the aerial shot, that the fairways would be wide. That was great, because we would need to turn around to dock starboard. What I didn’t realize, is how narrow the entering fairway is.

Once we got in, we weren’t sure where to go. All of the reserved signs were for other boats and it turns out, we were the closest to land. It’s hard to tell by this photo, but our anchor was inches apart from the guy in front of us. The only negative or “con” I would say about our spot, was we had a tall water spigot right where you get on and off the boat. Definitely not the obstacle you want after a few cocktails!

You also would not want to be in the first slip next to land – it seemed to attract algae and make it look like a rug! LOL

We checked in at the marina office right away (which is located up the hill to your right). They gave us all kinds of cool stuff, including a huge bag for the Farmer’s Market! The market was on the main street and was from 10am – 3pm, so we had plenty of time to check things out!

Since Scott and I have never been to Port Orchard, we didn’t know what to expect. Friends of ours kept teasing us and saying we’ll be bored senseless and that there’s nothing to do in Port Orchard. (That happened to us in Oak Harbor, so I was a little worried before we left.) Turns out they were wrong…..

The Farmer’s Market

We’ve been to the Kingston and Poulsbo Farmer’s Markets. They are small with just a few vendors, so we were not expecting much in Port Orchard. Boy were we surprised! First of all, when we got our goodie bag, we also found out that there is a night time market with music!

The daytime market had lots of vendors, including food, crafts, gifts, olive oil, spirits, homemade ice cream AND wine tasting! Imagine that! Seabeck Cellars opened in 2016 and produce about 300 cases a year. I loved their Rose’ and Cab, so I bought one of each.

Downtown Port Orchard

After we toured the market, we headed to the main drag to check things out. Port Orchard has lots of quaint shops and pubs to check out. Josephine’s Mercantile is a great shop with all kinds of souvenirs, seasonal gifts and nautical items.

Eventually, we made our way to The Brick House Bar and Grill, where we sat outside, enjoyed live music and met a new furry friend!

Just down the street was the Nauti Mermaid bar and we couldn’t resist. It’s pretty much a dive bar and it was a bit empty when we went in. But our group can have fun anywhere we go!

There was also a band playing on the main street! These guys were awesome! Who knew so much was happening in this small town!

Off to Check Out the Night Market

After exploring downtown Port Orchard, we headed to the Night Market to check things out.

This wasn’t as big as the day event, but they did have a wine and beer garden. Hmmm, I see a theme here. Since we were hungry, we all headed back to The Brick House, which was now packed full for dinner. The food and music were great and you must make a stop here next time you are in Port Orchard!

What a fun day we had exploring this fun little town. Everyone had a great time and Our Happy Day got us there without a hitch!

But Wait! There’s More!

What more could be happening in the town on Port Orchard? Well, the next day they had the largest Ford Mustang Car Show in the region. There were over 300 cars and everywhere you turned, there was a Mustang! We couldn’t leave without checking it out.

It was also one of the lowest tides of the season. The ramp was steep and the mussels were out!

The Mustang car show took up all of the parking along the waterfront! If you like car shows, you could spend all day here! This is an annual event, so mark your calendars for next year!

What a Fun & Quick Trip!

All of us were surprised as to how much we did in just 24 hours in this sleepy little town. If anyone tells you (Ben – LOL), that you will be bored, don’t listen to them. The boat trip to Port Orchard is beautiful and we had perfect weather for the way home!

Aside from watching out for logs and ferries, you also need to be on the look out for kayakers!

When we got back to Elliott Bay, we got a great surprise when Sea Wolf an expedition yacht passed right by us! The yacht is currently for sale for $9,900,000 but not for US residents in US waters.

As always, thank you so much for following our blog and journey! We’d love to grow our audience and any shares are really appreciated. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @BoatingJourney. We now have 40 episodes on YouTube, so please subscribe to our channel, share and like our upcoming episodes.

In our next blog, we’re back to boat projects, so stay tuned! Cheers, Scott & Ally

July 30, 2019August 6, 2019

Back to the Port of Kingston Again!

Every year we head over to the Port of Kingston with the same group of friends, but this year we mixed things up a bit. Normally we leave on Saturday morning, but our group decided to make it a two night visit. Kingston is about 12 nautical miles from Elliott Bay Marina and in our previous boat (Bayliner Ciera 3055) the trip would take us about 35 minutes going 20-23 knots. In Our Happy Day the trip required a little more than hour at 9-10 knots.

Our crew left on Friday afternoon, July 19th, around 4:15pm with calm winds and warm sunshine. The one catch about our departure was that this is also the time that the three cruise ships leave the port in Seattle. We had to navigate (not only tons of crab pots), but we were stuck between two cruise ships. The wake from this cruise ship would sink a kayaker!

There was a lot of activity in the bay as we arrived to Kingston. The Coast Guard was out when we arrived and when we left. Again, be sure to watch out for crap pots – they were everywhere in the bay. I had hoped to see some whales, as they were spotted all over Puget Sound the past few days, but no luck. We did see a few harbor seals, who swam by to say hello.

The marina is easy to get in and out of – especially when your friends are already there. Our boat was in slip 19, Cory & his wife Stacy were next to us in 20 and Ben & Maria were in 22. The catch here was, all of the slips were the same size! Ben’s Sea Ray is 28′ and our boat LOA is 49′. Yep, you guessed it…we barely fit. In fact, the harbormaster made us move the boat back as the anchor platform was sticking over the dock. By doing that, our swim platform didn’t really line up with the dock, but we managed. Even more remarkable was how well Scott docked it in a tight spot!

I should have taken a picture, but as you can see by this photo of the Coast Guard, our neighbor’s dinghy is inches from ours. (Our dinghy has the tower, his is the other one)

The Point Casino in Kingston

On the trip with us, was Scott’s brother Jeff, his wife Michele and Randy who comes every year. Jeff and Michele were celebrating their anniversary, so they were staying at The Point Resort and Casino.

After checking in and enjoying a cocktail, it was time to head to the casino. Here’s a tip! If you are staying at the resort, they recommend making reservations for the shuttle,;however, I also called a local cab company days prior and he said it would be much faster if we called them. (No, they don’t have Uber or Lyft). So I called the cab company and not only did they not answer the phone, they texted back saying they were extremely busy. When I said I had 9 people to go to the casino, he replied “no way, you should have made reservations”. ?? Hmmmm, I just talked to you two days ago, why didn’t you tell me that then? Now what?

Good news is that there happened to be a shuttle already there from the casino, so we hopped on and off we went. The last shuttle back to the marina is at 9:30pm, so you want to make sure you don’t miss it!

The First Night in Kingston

Since we were back early from the casino, we all headed to our boat where we shared funny stories and had some great laughs. One thing about traveling with Ben and Maria – there’s never a dull moment. I think every time Maria and I get together, we laugh so hard it hurts the next day!

We recently bought a new SLR camera. I tried to capture some shots in manual mode of the rising moon, but you really need a tri-pod to keep it steady.

What to do in the Port of Kingston?

Okay, so this is our third time there and there’s not much to do at all. But, what we do love about it, is we can all just hang out on the dock, soak up some sun, have a cocktail and then go to the concert in the park.

We started the day at the farmer’s market right at the marina. Unfortunately, it’s not a very big one and they don’t have a lot going on – but it’s fun none the less.

Of course we did try to mix things up a bit and so we headed into “town”. Town is basically a two block stretch.

The Kingston Pub Crawl

We decided to do a mini pub crawl, but with only a few restaurants/bars, that was hard to do. First stop was Kafe’ Neo, where we sat outside and enjoyed Mango Sangrias. Yum, is all I have to say about that!

Next we stopped at the Kingston Ale House and sat outside soaking up the sun! They had fantastic huckleberry mules that were to die for! We also tried their smoked salmon chowder, which was amazing. The clams were great, but they come with A LOT of garlic!

By now it was only 1pm and nothing else really jumped out at us. So we headed back to the boat, to enjoy some sunshine.

Concerts in the Park

Every Saturday during the summer, the Port of Kingston has a free concert in the park. They do have a wine & beer garden (nothing too fancy) and a few few trucks. We always bring our own dinner and beverages. it’s a very casual event, so bring your blankets, chairs and coolers. The concert ran just a few hours, then we headed back to the boat for a few more cocktails.

What Boating Life is All About

Scott and I love the boating life and the friendships we have created as a part of it. There’s something unique about boaters that brings us all together – we always have a great time. Even if we run out of gas on our way to the Port of Kingston – right Ben? LOL (no we did not!)

Squidding at Night – is that a word?

Last year, Ben and Maria were catching squid with their blue lights on their Sea Ray. So now that they are pros, they did it again! This time, they had a better plan to keep the ink out of the boat. Maria unhooked the jig on the dock, to keep the boat clean. Afterwards, Ben, Maria and Randy cleaned the squid (in the dark) on the dock. I wish I had better pictures!

Too bad this photo is blurry, but you can see how black their hands are!!!!

Another Gorgeous Trip Home

Winds were light and variable for our trip home from the Port of Kingston. Mount Rainier was out, sail boats were everywhere and it truly was one of the best days of the year!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @BoatingJourney. We’ll have a new YouTube episode coming soon with our trip! Next week we are headed to Port Orchard for the first time! #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott & Ally

July 18, 2019July 30, 2019

Planning a Caribbean Bareboat Charter

Now that we have taken a sailing cruise in the Caribbean, Scott and I are ready to plan our Caribbean bareboat charter for next Spring. We’ve talked to lots of friends who want to join us and now it’s time to start planning! We are not planning on chartering a sail boat, but instead we want a power catamaran.

Budget

First we have to determine the budget. In talking to numerous companies across boat shows, the cost can vary drastically depending on the size of the boat, location and season. Typically when we have vacationed at Sandals in the Caribbean, we have spent about $5500 per week or $2250/person (all inclusive, but not including airfare).

Using that budget, a four cabin catamaran comes out to over $20,000. I think we can rent one for much less – that’s the goal at least! The one catch about bareboat chartering is the cost doesn’t include fuel or provisions. Most quotes I’ve seen start at about $10,000 for a four cabin catamaran.

Question for our friends – What is your budget? Are you willing to sleep in the salon?

Location

There are a few key places to charter in the Caribbean. The Bahama Islands are beautiful and on my bucket list – BUT, unless you know the islands well, they can be dangerous. The coral-based archipelago is full of reefs and shallow ones at that.

The most popular location is BVI, British Virgin Islands. There are many charter companies and there is plenty to see and do. On top of that, Scott and I have never been to the BVIs. Unless some other place comes to us, we’re planning on the BVI’s for this trip.

The BVIs are east of Puerto Rico and north of the lesser Antilles Islands (which we have been to many times). The weather is fairly constant and stays about 87 degrees on average.

Activities

Our goal would be to explore the marine life and island life on this trip. Top activities for the BVIs are snorkling, visit beaches, check out the baths, great restaurants & bars and island hikes. Scott and I are open to ideas!

Most people anchor when they charter, as you have more freedom and plus it’s cheaper. Guess we’ll need to learn how to anchor before we go. Based on our preliminary research, most charter companies will give you an itinerary and show you where you can anchor and explore.

Charter Companies & Type of Boat

Since Scott and I don’t know how to sail, we plan on chartering a power catamaran. Why a catamaran? Well, they tend to be roomier and have better water accessibility than a regular 50′ power boat. There are quite a few charter companies in the BVIs and now it’s time to do our research on them. Here’s the list:

The purpose of this blog is two fold.

The first, is to find out who is seriously interested in joining us. We’re looking at dates in April, but not during Spring Break. Comment below or text us (for those who have our numbers) and let us know if you seriously want to join us.

Secondly, we want feedback from other boaters on their experiences (good or bad) with any of these companies (or other companies), types of boats, itineraries, etc. This is all new to us, so the more information we can get, the better!

After we gather some more information, we’ll share that in another blog. Thanks for all of your input and for following us! Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Next we head to Kingston for our annual weekend with friends.

Cheers, Scott & Ally

July 3, 2019July 17, 2019

Dock Street Getaway in Tacoma

Earlier this month, we joined Union Marine at their Dock Street Getaway in Tacoma, WA. After being stuck at our dock doing projects the past few weeks, it was nice to finally get away.

Scott and I have not been to Tacoma by boat before, so this was all new to us. The two trips south we have made were to Gig Harbor and we took the Colvos Passage. This trip, we decided to stay in the sound and stay on the east side of Vashon Island. Tacoma is about 27 nautical miles from Elliott Bay Marina, so we estimated it would take us about 2.5 hours going at about 10 knots. We invited Kurt along for the trip and we set off around 3:30pm on Friday, June 7th.

Leaving Seattle

When we had our old boat, we wouldn’t travel in bad weather as it wasn’t that kind of boat. But it could out run it at 25 knots. I had been looking forward to the trip all week, as it was our first big trip in our new boat, so bad weather wasn’t going to stop us.

As soon as we got out of the marina, Kurt and I started bringing in the fenders. We were immediately tossed around by the rough waters. Scott put the boat in gear and headed south. I stayed in the salon and was immediately freaked out! Waves were crashing over the windshield, we were barely moving and I was slightly terrified (okay, a lot terrified). But here’s why.

I don’t know this boat at all and we don’t know how it will do in rough weather. The way we were tossing around in the bay, it would be a rough rescue if we broke down. All I could do is pray for a safe passage – oh, and text my boss and co-workers the entire time!

The weather was so strange this day. On the eastside, it was sunny. On the southwest & northwest side it was black and stormy. In fact, the northern storm chased us all the way to Tacoma. Winds were coming from the south at about 26mph.

Are we there yet?

We were about 15 minutes underway, when I asked “how much longer” and Kurt said about 2 or more hours. Dear God, help us! Then I went upstairs to the bridge and while it was much smoother, no water on the windshield, we were tossing back and forth a bit. I decided I better take a Bonine motion sickness pill, just to be safe!

The seas calmed down once we reached Vashon Island and we had a fairly enjoyable ride. Then we reached Maury Island and suddenly, huge white caps showed up out of no where. Here we go again! That’s when I looked to my left and saw a Sea Ray 330 Sundancer , flying south. He must be with our group and is in a hurry to get there! Turns out this guy took his boat to Alaska last summer! Can you imagine?

No, that’s not a huge wave. It’s a wrinkle in the Eisenglass. LOL

Hello Tacoma!

We arrived at Commencement Bay around 5:30pm and headed into the Foss Waterway. Dock Street Marina is the last marina on the right side.

The Foss Waterway is pretty easy to navigate. Once we arrived at the dock, I went to check the engine compartment to make sure everything looked ok. That’s when I noticed a pink liquid in the bilge. Yep, we had diesel in it and Kurt jumped in to figure out the source.

The fuel came from the fuel filters, shown above. We think that either the knob got loosened on the way down in rough weather or that it was tightened when it was replaced. We couldn’t clean it up that night, but we cleaned everything when we got home.

Scott, Kurt and I spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the group on the dock swapping funny boating stories. Did someone say they fell asleep with a grilled flank steak on their bed?

The calm after the storm

After unwinding with a few cocktails to calm my nerves, the three of us headed to the Social Bar and Grill for a bite to eat. We sat at the bar and the service was great. It was a great way to end the day, after battling the storm on our way down.

Exploring Tacoma

Since the weather had been so blustery the night before, I waited to put up our Union Marine banners on the railings until the next morning. On my way, I passed two guys and dog and one of them (Mark) stops me and asks “Hey, are you Ally?” I reply, yes. Turns out they follow our YouTube channel and love it! It was so humbling and cool at the same time! (Thank you guys!!) I had hoped to get a photo with them later, but we got too caught up in the day’s activities.

I was very impressed with the hospitality from Dock Street Marina! Not only did they provide our group with cold beers the night before, they had mimosas waiting for us on Saturday! In fact, Nick walked from boat to boat with mimosas. Thank you again! (I’m loving this place!) The facilities & restrooms are very nice – they are in the laundry room next to the marina office. On top of that, they offered dock side pump out, water and garbage removal! Wow.

A bunch of us decided to head into Tacoma for breakfast. From the marina, go towards the Museum of Glass (take the steps), which lead you to the Chihuly Bridge across the railroad tracks to Pacific Avenue.

We stumbled up a restaurant called Savor, which specializes in crepes. I’ve never had a “savory” crepe and these were amazing and very filling! Scott ordered the blue berry & ricotta stuffed French toast, which was fantastic.

Museums everywhere!

Tacoma has a vibrant arts culture and there are museums everywhere. At the waterfront, you have the Museum of Glass and the Washington State History Museum. I had been to both and wanted to see something new. So we took the trolly (which is free by the way) up to the Tacoma Dome station and we walked up to the LeMay Car Museum.

You have no idea how big this place is, until you get inside. There are five stories underground, lined with cars! In fact, there are so many cars that after a couple of hours, we called it a day. If you haven’t been there before, I highly recommend it.

It’s an easy 15 minute walk back to Dock Street Marina from the museum.

A beautiful warm night at dock

When we got back from our exploration trip, we hung out with folks on the dock and soaked up some much needed sun. Union Marine hosted a cocktail party at the Social Bar and Grill that evening. It was a great night mingling with other boaters and enjoying great food.

Dock Street Marina made sure our beer cooler was stocked and set up corn hole for us to play. One thing about boaters is we always have a great time hanging out on the dock. With good company and cocktails, how can you not have fun?

The trip home

Our trip back to Seattle was much different than our way down. The sun was out, it was about 75 degrees and calm. We decided to take the Colvos Passage on our way home and take in the scenery. The winds were at about 4 mph from the north and the ride was smooth all the way home.

Considering it was our first trip in the boat, all went great. She handled the rough seas well and was very comfortable. Before we left, we put some Dawn dish soap in the bilge and then when we got back, we cleaned up the diesel with zorbs and it cleaned right up.

I would highly recommend a weekend trip to Dock Street. The marina is fantastic, the staff is friendly and there’s plenty to see and do in Tacoma. Thanks to Union Marine for hosting such a great weekend!

Stay tuned for our next blog – we’ll tackle more boat projects & Scott’s parents join us for the first time! As always, thank you so much for following our blog! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

We’ve also updated our Patreon page and published new memberships! check it out! Become a member for only $2. https://www.patreon.com/BoatingJourney

June 8, 2019June 17, 2019

Cocktail Hour Cruise in Port Madison

A few weeks ago, we invited Kurt, Cal and Tracey for a cocktail cruise to Port Madison. Since Scott and I have only taken the new boat out about three times, we need to get as much experience as we can driving and docking it. We have also made a decision to stay every single weekend on the boat, no matter the weather or our activities. This is so we can get used to living aboard.

We’ve been to Port Madison a few times. It’s a great day trip from Seattle. The weather was stunning and Elliott Bay was as calm as can be! Port Madison is NW of Elliott Bay Marina and takes about 30 minutes at 10 knots. We took it nice and slow, as it’s more relaxing for us.

nautical route seattle bainbridge cocktail cruise

Port Madison’s waterway goes quite a way, but it’s very narrow and shallow.

What is happening here?

When we arrived to the entrance of Port Madison, there were two things happening at the same time. First, there was some kind of sailing boat clinic going on.

Then some guy was pulling a creosote covered log. All was fine, until he headed towards the group in shallow water. Next thing you know, the log up-righted itself and got stuck in the mud. LOL

Scott wanted to take us on a tour into the inlet, but it was low tide. Our draft is 4′, but what we don’t know is if that includes the propellers. See our boat is different than most, as the propellers are below the hull.

As we approached the opening of the inlet, we were suddenly in 7′ of water. It was freaking me out and we didn’t NEED to be in there, so I had Scott turn around.

mooring balls pnw bainbridge island cocktail hour cruise — Port Madison

We ended up idling out in the bay, enjoying cocktails and some snacks. It was a gorgeous night and really the perfect setting.

Cruising back to Seattle

After about an hour, we left Port Madison and headed back to Seattle. It was dusk and I didn’t want to do our first “night docking” since we barely know this boat in the daylight. Scott put the boat in full throttle (which it needed anyways) and we cruised back at about 16 knots. What was interesting was how much our wake changed from 10 knots to 16 knots.

Diesel engines need to burn off their carbon every few trips, so this was not only a great night to be out on the water, but the engines needed it too.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful night for a cocktail cruise! This is one of the best things about being a cruiser in the PNW – no matter where you go, you are always surrounded by the beauty of the PNW.

As we came into Elliott Bay, we passed by this freighter!

If you zoom in, you will see all of the vehicles AND BOATS on top of it!!!! Very strange and it seems a bit unsafe. LOL Certainly added some fun to our cocktail cruise.

We wrapped up the evening with wine, great stories and a beautiful view! What more could we ask for!

Stay tuned for our next blog – Memorial Day Weekend! We have drone footage of the boat, we took off the bimini – and much more!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Please subscribe for future posts. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott & Ally

June 4, 2019June 10, 2019

Opening Day of Boating Season 2019

Opening day of boating season in Seattle is a weekend full of activities, mainly in Portage Bay for UW crew events. Originally, we planned on spending the day on a wine cruise with Upsidedown Winery and our friends Ben & Maria (who we went to the Caribbean with this year).

Just a week before, we got notice that the cruise was cancelled! So instead, we invited Ben and Maria to come join us on our boat for a “maiden voyage”. At this point, we have only taken the boat out twice on our own, so this was “maiden” to us!

A gorgeous warm day!

If you know much about Opening Day of Boating season in Seattle, you know that it typically always rains! Surprisingly, this day was perfect. I made some appetizers and had wine chilling in the fridge. The four of us, set out about 2:30pm for a quick cruise around Elliott Bay.

Scott and I have traveled with Ben and Maria to Gig Harbor, Poulsbo and Kingston, but sometimes it nice to just do a simple cruise and relax back at the dock. It was fun to be able to to cruise with them on our new boat.

Entertaining on this boat

I have talked lately about how different it is to entertain on this boat. When Scott and I searched for our first boat, we decided we wanted one that was fun for day cruising and socializing in the sun. This boat is more of a destination cruiser and liveaboard. While it has three separate “gathering” areas (the fly bridge, cockpit and salon), it’s doesn’t have super great spaces for entertaining.

The fly bridge has great views at high tide, but no table. The salon is too warm and only really seats four people. So the cockpit will have to do. Over the past few weeks, we’ve configured a few different ways to entertain on it. Since it was just the four of us, we put the food on our locker and simply gathered around.

I will say one thing about this couple – we never have a dull moment! We laugh so hard every time we get together and isn’t that what boating is all about? Fun and friendship?

Our first night entertaining on the boat was a success and it ended with a perfect sunset!

Next time, we’ll take a quick trip over to Port Madison!

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe for future posts and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

May 25, 2019June 3, 2019

Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show 2019

Last weekend Scott and I attended the Anacortes Boat & Yacht show, up at Cap Sante Marina. As you know, we have attended this show many times and this year was a bit different since I was also working during part of it.

My boss and I arrived on Wednesday, May 15th to set up the POP materials and I needed to decorate the yachts. Our company (Union Marine) had some trailer boats on land and eight boats on the water. Anacortes is Boston Whaler country and the Pilothouse models were a hit of the show. If you want a safe, reliable, comfortable and fast moving boat for the PNW, Boston Whaler is your boat!

We also brought up our Sea Ray Yachts (the L590, 510 Sundancer, 460 Sundancer and the 350 Coupe). What a lot of people don’t realize, is we moved these boats from Seattle. Our poor crew had really rough conditions earlier in the week getting to Anacortes. But our fleet cruised into Anacortes with no issues!

510 Sundancer

The Anacortes Boat and Yacht show has had a slight makeover from years past. This is the 2nd year that NMTA has ran the show. Prior to that it was a free boat display of used sail and trawler boats. Since we want to live aboard & travel the world some day, we are always looking to see what is out there. Scott and I toured the show as “civilians” and checked out some long range cruisers.

A Must See Yacht!

We looked at a few possible liveaboards, but nothing struck us. So we wandered down to the end of C dock and noticed a brand new 76′ yacht by Offshore Yachts. I had never heard of them before, so we jumped on board. Scott and I were immediately taken away by the details and craftsmanship of this vessel.

These are custom yachts from Taiwan and they take about 18 months to build. The story behind this particular yacht, is the owner fell in love at first sight with another Offshore Yacht and wanted to buy it. That owner said no, so he immediately called Best Day Yacht Sales and had one built!

What I love about this yacht, is the owner included so many traditional, but new maritime pieces throughout. My pictures don’t do it justice, so hopefully the video tour does better.

It has a cruising range of 1800 miles at 10 knots. Check out the bridge! I wouldn’t know what to do with all of those electronics! I took video of the electronic switches above, but failed to get a photo. This yacht also comes with an boat indicator alarm system (not sure if that’s the exact name for it, but it is a really cool feature.)

The Comforts of Home on a Yacht

When you tour larger yachts, you’ll notice a few things right away. Hallways are narrow, staircases are steep & skinny and some just are not practical. As I mentioned, this yacht is meant for long range off-shore cruising. What that means, is this is great for traveling up and down the coast line from Alaska to Mexico (not necessarily for crossing oceans). They designed this yacht with all of the comforts of home in mind. As you will see in the video, it has nice wide hallways and spacious living areas.

The upper deck was awesome too!

With joysticks on both the port and starboard side, this can easily be docked with just two people.

The engine room was big enough to do yoga or a have a cocktail party! LOL It had great crew quarters just off of the shop next to the engine room too.

If we win the lottery, this will be our dream boat of choice! Safe, durable, stylish and comfortable with long range offshore capabilities.

What Else Was Cool At The Show?

I love to find the obscure cool things at boat shows and Anacortes didn’t disappoint. First up was the inflatable amphibious boat by SeaLegs. For a mere $100k you too can have this on your private beach. Be sure to check out the footage in our next episode.

Then check out this davit system. I shared it on social media and folks are asking me who the manufacturer is. I didn’t get that info, as it was just a dinghy included with a boat for sale. Bummer. So if you happen to know who makes this, please let us know.

There was another big yacht on display (sorry, didn’t catch what kind), but if you need a foyer with a large porcelain piece and a fur blanket – I don’t think offshore cruising is for you. LOL

Where to Eat (or not to eat) in Anacortes

It seems every year we eat at the same restaurants (Union Tavern, Brown Lantern, Dad’s Diner), so I vowed to mix it up this year. Scott and I went to the north end of Anacortes and decided to have lunch at the Secret Cove Restaurant. Perhaps it was an off day for them, but let’s just say we won’t be back. While the vistas are cool, so was the food. But while we were waiting (and I mean waiting) for our lunch, a ferry boat arrived to pick up a house! We watched the crew for about 20 minutes and then we needed to head back.

Notice the golden retriever! He was helping his dad supervise the entire time!

Fantastic breakfast!

I had read that Mary Ann’s Kitchen was fantastic for breakfast, so we decided to try it out. The restaurant is actually an old house and Mary Ann is the cook. She cooks each order, one at a time. Give yourself plenty of time, but it’s worth it!! It was definitely the best breakfast Scott and I have had in a very long time. She’s not open on Sundays, so make a note.

I ended up being in Anacortes for five days. Working from my hotel room and walking back and forth to the show, I was exhausted when it was all over. The funny thing about being in the boat business now, is my life is now nothing but boats, boats and boats. I market boats during the day and come home and work on the blog. Now with a new boat, we’re busy doing boat projects. And I love every minute of it!

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and it’s dreary today (Saturday). Scott is busy running new cable for the stereo system and I’m catching up on our blogs and YouTube episodes. Tomorrow is forecasted to be warm and sunny and we’re taking the boat out with family and friends. Since we have to get used to living on a boat, we’ll head down there tonight, make dinner and stay for the weekend. So stay tuned for our next blog as we get new cockpit carpet!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe and also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

May 22, 2019October 5, 2020

Quick Trip to Roche Harbor Resort

Last month I (Ally) took a quick trip to Roche Harbor Resort up in the San Juan Islands for work. It was literally a 24 hour trip, but it was my first time visiting so I took plenty of photos as I toured the entire resort.

How do you get to Roche Harbor?

Great question! You have three choices: by boat, by ferry or by float plane. Guess how we went? Float plane of course. Remember my “quick trip” to Belize and the puddle jumper I took? This was exactly the same! We flew out of South Lake Union (where our apartment overlooks) on Kenmore Air. The weather wasn’t great that day, so it was a bit bumpy. Oh, and by the way, I hate to fly! LOL

We were on the larger “Orca” plane and it quickly ran across Lake Union and was up in the air in seconds! Yes, I will have all of the footage on our next YouTube episode!

The flight takes about 30 minutes once you are up in the air, assuming it doesn’t stop. We stopped at Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez and then at Friday Harbor before landing at Roche. What’s even more remarkable about this flight, is our captain is a one man show! He lands and docks all at the same time!

So much water & islands below

One thing you quickly realize flying over Puget Sound, is how many small islands and inlets we have. Some would be a hazard in the wrong conditions! If you recall, when Scott and I came through Cattle Pass from Deer Harbor a few years ago, we nearly hit a reef going 25 knots!

Check out this small reef causing the ripple!

Living in the San Juan Islands would be a dream! Beautiful homes line the coast line.

Finally, we’ve arrived at Roche Harbor Resort!

After I “white knuckled” it all the way to Roche Harbor, we arrived 50 minutes after leaving Seattle. The resort is huge and consists of: marina, hotel, condos, suites, village homes, restaurants, bar, shopping and much more!

My boss, Mark and I were doing a site inspection for our company rendezvous coming up in July. Roche Harbor Resort is very historic with some fascinating stories. Once you arrive, you walk through the docks to the Hotel de Haro to check-in.

Limestone History

Roche Harbor is rich in limestone, which is used to build roads and manufacture concrete and mortar. In 1886, Tacoma lawyer John S. McMillin and his business partners in the Tacoma Lime Company founded Roche Harbor Lime Company. The lime kilns are still present next to the hotel.

The Quarryman Hall Suites is the newest building of the resort and Mark and I were each upgraded to our own suite! Thank YOU to Roche Harbor Resort!

Trying to take pictures of the resort, doesn’t do it justice. There’s so much to see and do, which makes it such a great destination to visit by boat!

The Mausoleum

Roche Harbor Resort also has a family mausoleum. In order to get to it, you have to walk through the resort, past the oldest independently owned Catholic Chapel and into the adjacent woods. This includes passing by the cottages that the lime workers lived in (now available for rent).

John McMillin was a member of the Masonic Order and he built the mausoleum recognizing the traditions of the Masonic Order. As you walk through the forest, it reminds you a bit of the movie “Blair Witch Project“. There are some infant & toddler burial sites throughout the forest.

After you walk along the trail for about a quarter mile, you come across a gravel road. Follow that and you’ll come upon the McMillin Mausoleum. To say that it’s a bit creepy, is an understatement. I should note however, that my boss Mark has an awesome podcast, “Chasing Ghosts on Scooters in Bars“. You guessed it, he’s a ghost chaser by night!

There is significant Masonic meaning behind the entire structure, including the steps up to the table and chairs all of which represent the stages of life. Freemasons are very ritual and deliberate about everything the build and encompass. (In fact, my great uncle was a Freemason.)

The McMillin Mausoleum – Afterglow Vista

As we approached “Afterglow Vista”, the final resting place of the McMillin family, there was a stillness in the air. It was as if someone was watching our every move.

The first thing you will notice is huge marble table with six chairs. This represents the dining table that the family gathered around. There is also one chair and one pillar missing. This symbolizes the son that left the family.

Each chair is also the gravestone for key family members and they hold their ashes.

But there’s more! Remember, I’m in the middle of the forest with my boss who’s a ghost chaser. He decides to see if anyone wants to “talk” to us. He has an EMF app on his phone and he laid his phone in the middle of the table.

Immediately there was all kinds of activity. Then Mark said “speak to us”. He said this a few times and I started to get creeped out as I looked around watching for anything to jump out of the trees.

At the same time, I was leaning against one of the grave chairs and resting my hands on the top of one of them.

All of a sudden, a voice came out of Mark’s app that said “Knight”. Notice that I was leaning on the Knight Templar gravestone. Needless to say, I was out of there! LOL So we headed back to the main resort.

The Rest of the Roche Harbor Resort

Yes, there is much more than just the Mausoleum! In fact, when I head back in July, I plan to spend a lot more time exploring the island and the resort if time allows. Walking around the main part of the resort, you really get a sense of the rich history it has to offer.

Of course there are ghost sightings in the restaurant and hotel. We had a wonderful dinner in McMillian’s Restaurant – the food was amazing and you definitely have to have a Pig War Martini! Collect a pig for each martini you drink!

The resort is operated now by the members of the Tarte Family. In 1956, Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company president Paul McMillin, son of John McMillin, sold Roche Harbor to the Reuben J. Tarte family of Bellevue, which developed the town into a boating resort with a marina, a restored Hotel de Haro, an airstrip (on the former site of the farm), and restaurant (in the former McMillin home).

The Tarte family sold Roche Harbor in 1988 to businessmen Verne Howard of King’s Market and Rich Komen of Restaurants Unlimited; Roche Harbor is now owned by Komen and Saltchuk Resources.

Heading Home

We flew out the next morning – so to say it was a quick trip is not exaggerating. We were there less than 24 hours! But it was enough to convince me, that this is an awesome place to visit!

As we waited at the dock for Kenmore Air, we watched a ferry boat bring in a cement truck and other commuters arrive by boat.

Our flight home, was much quicker as we headed straight for Seattle. The weather was sunny with blue skies. As we flew in, we came in over DT Seattle and made a steep dive onto Lake Union. It was definitely scenic, but for me still a bit nerve wracking.

My flight tour is below. Our rendezvous is in July, so I will be sure to share more details about the resort and things to explore on the island.

As always, thanks for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe for future posts. Next blog, we talk about our inverter and the lessons we learned about our circuit breaker on the boat.

Cheers, Ally

May 3, 2019May 22, 2019

Learning About Our New Boat

Learning all about our new boat

Scott and I got back from our Caribbean sailing cruise on March 16th and we took possession of our new boat the following day. This boat is a 2002 Bayliner 4087 Aft Cabin MY. Our broker, Steve Thoreson from Union Marine (formerly Lake Union Sea Ray), gave us a tour of the boat and reviewed the electrical panel. I was smart enough to video tape it–that would come in handy a few weeks later. Learning about our boat will take some time.

It was really windy that day with winds coming out of the north at 10 knots. Yet Steve felt Scott could practice backing out the boat and docking it. He backed out, turned around in our fairway and headed out. Then we turned around and Scott docked it perfectly!

Practice Docking

The following weekend, we took our supplies from Kokomo and went down to try to organize the boat.

My brother-in-law Kurt and his brother Cal came down to check it out too. Since it was a nice day with calm winds, we decided to take advantage of our “crew” and head to the fuel dock. Let’s just say, it was far easier having thrusters than with our old stern drives.

Quick note about fuel. In the state of Washington, you can get a refund for the road tax you pay when you fuel up a boat. EXCEPT, if it is diesel.

After we got fuel, we decided to take the boat over to N Dock so I could practice docking. I made a couple of runs and yes, it was easier. Mainly because our (handles) move smoothly. On Kokomo, they were stiff and stuck all of the time. See video from before below:

Since the new boat is much taller, it is also easier to see what you are doing.

Yes, we will have the footage of me docking on our next YouTube episode.

Once we got back to the dock, it was time to see if the dinghy ran. So Scott and Cal started it up and off they went! We were thinking about selling it, but we’ve decided to keep it for a year and have fun with it.

Taking the Boat Into Service & Back Through the Locks

Based on our survey, we decided we should address some of the recommendations:

Replace all of the batteries
Change the oil & filters
Change the transmission fluid
Replace the heat exchanger zinc
Replace the twin Raccers with compliant heat shield
Clean and inspect the starboard intake valve
Replace the belts
Replace the fuel lines

I work for Union Marine (formerly Lake Union Sea Ray) and we took the boat to our service center to have work done. We scheduled the appointment for the following week and since we had to go thru the Ballard Locks, we enlisted Kurt’s help for the trip. The entire trip took us about an hour.

We lucked out on the weather, once again! It took us about 30 minutes to get to the locks and we immediately got shuttled into the small locks. (Thank God!) we were the only boat in the locks, but we it was a bit nerve wracking tying up to the wall. I was worried Scott would crash into it and I also had troubles hooking the knob (or whatever it is called. All went smoothly and we made it through the Fremont Cut in about 20 minutes.

Our First Night on the Boat!

It took about three weeks to do all of the work. We scheduled to pick the boat up on Friday afternoon, April 12th and had more help on the return trip. Kurt, Cal and Tracey joined us for a beautiful sunny trip from Lake Union back to Elliott Bay Marina.

That evening, Scott and I stayed on the boat. We went out to dinner and when we came back we had a scary, but funny moment! Our new dock is fairly dark and just as we approached our boat, a dark huge figure appeared and stood up. Turns out it was a sleeping seal and we scared him, he stood up and barked and we screamed. Then the three of us froze – we weren’t sure if he was going to charge us, but he ended up jumping in the water. LOL

While I will say our bed is much more comfortable than the last one, it was a bit of a restless night. We sleep in the aft-cabin and the cockpit is above us, so any noise in the cockpit is annoying. That’s especially true if you forget to secure the snaps on your canvas and a blustery storm moves in around 3am in the morning!

Needless to say, we left the boat as soon as we woke up. During this entire time, we have also been packing up our current apartment as we were moving at the end of the month. Nothing like moving out of an apartment and into a new one AND onto a boat at the same time!

Now that we’re moved, we’re looking forward to getting out on the boat with friends and family. Stay tuned for my next blog, as I take you on a flight to Roche Harbor Resort and Marina!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Check out Episode #34 Taking Possession of Our Happy Day

In our next blog, Ally takes a quick trip to Roche Harbor!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney

April 9, 2019April 15, 2019

Caribbean Cruise on Star Flyer – Part 3

Wrapping up our Caribbean Cruise on the tall ship Star Flyer

Scott and I were excited to be heading to Antigua after our stop in Guadeloupe. We honeymooned there in 2003 and that’s when we decided we wanted to retire in the Caribbean. This was our fourth trip back to the island and we knew exactly where to take our friends, Ben and Maria.

Our ship anchored in Falmouth Harbor, which is just west of English Harbor. Here you will find luxury yachts anchored in the harbor.

We had signed up for the “Swim with the Sting Rays” excursion on Antigua, which wasn’t scheduled until 1:30p. Since we had time to kill, we decided to take Ben and Maria on a quick tour of the island.

Quick Tour of Antigua

A few years ago, Scott and I took an island tour by taxi and we loved it! So we knew this was the best way to quickly show Ben and Maria our favorite Caribbean island. We only had about two hours for a quick tour. Our driver was Willie and super friendly! His first stop was the Blockhouse lookout. The lookout view is spectacular and includes Eric Clapton’s compound.

We then headed to Shirley Heights for a quick look out overlooking English Harbor and Nelson’s Dockyard. Captain Nelson built the Blockhouse, Shirley Heights Fort and Nelson’s Dockyard. He wanted to have a 360 degree view of intruders. It’s amazing to think about the fact that they built these forts high up on hills without machinery.

From Shirley Heights, Willie headed north, taking us to a few beautiful beaches on the western side of the island.

365 Beaches on Antigua

Antigua has a beach for every day of the year! As Willie drove us north, we stopped at a few beaches, including Jacqui O’s – the beach of romance!

After visiting a few beaches, we had about 40 minutes to get to St. John (the capital) for a quick tour. Driving around the island, really gives you a good sense of how the residents live every day.

St. John

We literally had about 10 minutes to spare when we arrived. To really enjoy all of Antigua, you need more than 2 hours! St. John offers lots of shopping and this is where the cruise ships come into port. There is a main shopping market for tourist with hundreds of vendors in the city center.

For some reason, Scott, Ben and Maria had a hankering for donuts! LOL We’ll laugh about this photo for years! Who knew Ben loved donuts so much! 😉

After a quick two hour tour, it was time to head to Pigeon Beach for lunch (hosted by the Star Flyer) and catch our bus to Sting Ray City.

Sting Ray City

Scott and I swam with the sting rays during our last trip to Antigua. I didn’t enjoy it much, as I was neck deep in the water and I was a bit freaked out with slimy fish rubbing by my legs! This experience was completely different and we loved it! We were waist deep and the trainers were amazing. Be sure to watch our YouTube episode (#32) to see Lola kissing me!

An Antiguan Sunset

We finished our day in Falmouth Harbor watching sail boats race in the harbor, drinking rum punch and saying goodbye to our favorite sunset.

After dinner, the ship had a fantastic steel drum band perform for us. It was the perfect ending of a great day!

St. Barths – here we come!

We sailed all night from Antigua to St. Barths. As I was walking around the deck, I noticed in the distance whale spouts. Be sure to see that footage on our YouTube episode.

Our last day of the trip was in St. Barth’s (St. Bartholomew). We had been told that the town was a mini Beverly Hills and drinks were $50 each. Since we hadn’t had any time to relax and lay in the sun, we all took a day off. It was the perfect day, enjoying the Caribbean breezes and warm sunshine.

One thing you will notice about St. Barth’s harbor, is the opulence! Anchored in the distance was Eclipse. Eclipse is the second largest yacht in the world at almost 535 feet. It has two helicopter pads, a mini submarine and three tenders!

All day long we watched expensive tenders drive! It really was quite the sight to see. Be sure to check out our footage on our YouTube channel (check back here) of all of the activity in the harbor.

St. Barth’s Sundowner

We had an amazing sunset on our last night. All of us hung out on the deck, for as long as we could before we said goodbye to the sun!

Traveling with Ben and Maria was great (hopefully they feel the same- LOL). We really had such a fun week and they were a big part of that.

The Star Flyer Events – Last Night

The ship had a nice dinner planned and a mini celebration from the crew. We then finished the evening watching a movie on deck, Around Cape Horn, which was filmed in 1929. It’s amazing that they got this footage – considering how long ago this was!

After the movie, the ship raised the sails with yet, another celebration. They had sparkling wine, music and colored sails.

Returning Home

We sailed all night from St. Barth’s to Sint Maarten. The ship has you place your luggage outside your room at 4:30am and you keep just your carry-on bag. Breakfast was served from 8am – 10am and customs/immigration were on board first thing in the morning

In order to leave the ship, you check-in with Sint Maarten customs/immigration and then they return your passports to you. We left the ship around 9am, but our flight was not until 1:30pm. So Scott and I took a taxi back to Holland House and got a day pass for our luggage. There we enjoyed a few local Carib beers and squeezed in some last minute shopping. There are lots of shops at the cruise terminal, but they don’t open until after 10am.

Though the airport is small, there are quite a few tourists shops there too, for any last minute shopping needs you have. The airport doesn’t have “restaurants / bars” per se, but they do have take-out for sandwiches and beers to go.

Bye Caribbean!

Scott and I are always sad to leave the Caribbean, but we can’t wait to return. How did we like the trip? Well, tune into our YouTube Channel for a full review and feedback about the trip.

Now that the trip is over, we’re anxious to get our new boat into service and ready for boating this summer. Stay tuned for that next adventure!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe and check out our YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Watch the full tour here on YouTube:

Cheers, Scott and Ally