Trips Archives

January 30, 2022February 2, 2022

2022 Portland Boat Show

Last weekend, Scott and I attended the 2022 Portland Boat Show for the first time. This was really the first large in-person indoor show we’ve attended since the pandemic began two years ago. Not knowing what to expect, we stayed open minded. Thanks to Trey, with O’Loughlin Trade Shows, for providing us with media passes to the show. We wanted to make a weekend out of it, so we decided to take the Amtrak Train down to Portland.

We reserved coach tickets and we were surprised by how roomy the seats were. There is a “club car” that offers snacks, sandwiches, beverages and cocktails. If you sit on the side of the train looking west, you’ll get a nice water view for most of the trip. We didn’t know that and ended up looking east on the way down.

I love that train stations are so grand and full of history. You certainly won’t find an airport that looks like this!

My advice to anyone attending a show at the Portland Expo, is that you don’t need to stay near the Expo. The train station is downtown Portland and we took an Uber to the Courtyard near Hayden Island. There’s nothing near that area that is walking distance, so in hindsight, we wished we would have stayed near restaurants because we had to Uber to the Expo anyway.

The Portland Boat Show

Unlike the Seattle Boat Show, the Portland Boat Show is only indoors featuring boats under 35′. If you are looking for a runabout, a towboat, a fishing boat or personal watercraft, this show hasyou covered!

One of our favorite features of the show was the classic boat section. They had about twenty classic runabouts, dating back to the 1940’s including Chris Craft and Tollycraft models.

Check out this cool tourist boat! Maybe we check this out next summer?

There were not as many vendors as we expected, but we did run into a few that had some pretty cool things.

The first one was ewinch 2 and they were demoing an electric winch wrench. This wrench is lighter than a hand drill and really easy to use! Be sure to tune into our YouTube episode and see how easy it was for me to handle.

Crabbing and Clamming Made Easy

Scott and I don’t normally stop at too many of the vendor booths, but we stopped at CrabHawk and they were selling two cool things. First was the crab cracker tool called “Crack-n-crab”. Now, if you recall in one our Camano Island blogs, we discussed the two different ways to kill and cook crab. One way, is to boil them immediately before gutting them. Others like to kill them first, gut them and then boil them. The crab cracker tool is used for the latter method. Again, check out our YouTube episode for the demo (link at the bottom of this blog).

They were also selling the “Clam Gun”. Apparently, this “gun” works like a straw and when you shove the gun into the sand, with your thumb over the suction hole, it keeps all of sand and clams in the gun. Then you shoot it out and grab your clam. Who knew?

We arrived to the show at 10am and we were done by 11:30am, so you can do the show pretty quick. Scott and I toured two brand new cruisers from Jeaneau and Cutwater during the show. These were really well laid out and we’ll take you on a tour of both of them next week.

Exploring Portland, OR

Since we had time to kill on Saturday, we headed into Downtown Portland for lunch and to explore a bit. I used to live in Portland in the late 1980’s and hadn’t returned in years. We headed first to Huber’s for lunch, which is the oldest restaurant in Portland. Founded in 1879, Huber’s is a Portland tradition that has been serving up its famous specialty drink, Spanish Coffee, from its second location for 108 years. Huber’s Cafe was first founded as the Bureau Saloon in 1879 at SW 1st Avenue and Morrison Street. It moved to its present location – 411 S.W. Third Ave – in 1910.

After lunch, we decided to visit the Oregon Maritime Museum, which is located on an old river boat on the Willamette River. Scott and I were disappointed to discover it was closed. So we spent the rest of the afternoon, walking along the boardwalk and enjoying the fresh air.

In front of the steamship, was a pile of loose logs. As we looked closer at the garbage field, we started to find all kinds of things, including a boat, a dock, a cooler and then we decided to make game of it. What do you spot?

The boardwalk along the Willamette River is a working dock when they have festivals. In fact, Navy Ships will tie up to the board walk during the Rose Festival. Check out these cleats! To give you some perspective, these are about two and half feet tall!

Well, it was nice to get out and attend an in-person boat show even if it was for a short visit. The Seattle Boat Show starts this Friday and I’ll be working the show every day. If you are in the Union Marine booth, look for me (Ally).

As always, thank you for following our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and channel for future updates on our search for our liveaboard boat. We’ve got some exciting things in the works for 2022, including our BVI bareboat charter in less than four weeks! Be sure to follow us on social too @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers,

Ally and Scott

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022

What an amazing year 2021 was!

Though Scott and I didn’t buy a boat this year, we still had an amazing year in 2021. We figured out how to stay on the water and create some fantastic memories even without a boat of our own. The year started with the virtual Seattle Boat Show and luckily I’m in the boat business, so we still got to tour a few yachts.

In March, we took a ferry up to San Juan Island and stayed at Snug Harbor for a whale watching trip. While we didn’t see any whales, we saw lots of other wild life and cruising the San Juan Islands is always so beautiful.

The following month, we took another ferry ride to Whidbey Island to meet our God Dog, Soleil. We shared our story last April about how boats and dogs brought us together.

Cool & Unusual Boats

Throughout the year, we got up close and personal with some pretty cool boats. We started the year with a tour of the 1909 MV Lotus Edwardian Yacht, which is a historical yacht moored on Lake Union.

Scott and I rode on an electric Nautique GS22E tow boat on Lake Tapps and it was wild as you can’t hear the engine.

Every year, Seattle hosts the classic yacht show and now we are looking forward to next year’s event! So many cool old boats.

How do go boating when you don’t own a boat

As we got into summer, we got pretty creative on how we would stay boating. First we went sailing on Seattle’s Tall Ship on Elliott Bay, where Scott was able to get hands on.

Thanks to my job (Ally), we experienced the PNW debut of Sea Ray’s first 37′ Outboard cruiser on Lake Washington. This is such a cool boat and it has so many fun features!

Then we rented an electric Duffy boat on Lake Union! It was so much fun and affordable!

Maybe for 2022 we’ll rent a hot tub boat? Let us know what you think!

Our BVI Bareboat Charter Trip

In 2019, we booked our first bareboat charter to the British Virgin Islands which was set for March 27, 2020. Unfortunately, our group was the first one to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Originally, we moved the trip to October 2020, but the pandemic was far from over. So we moved it again to February 2021, only to learn that in order to arrive into the BVIs you would need four tests and quarantine for over eight days. This time we moved it to February 2022 and we are still on schedule for this trip! As a result, the four of us decided to keep our flights and visit the USVIs in April 2021 instead.

Scott and I visited all three territories: St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. It was truly an epic trip! We took a catamaran to Buck Island, we rented a dinghy on St John and explored all of the islands.

What’s it like to live on a boat?

Scott and I need the experience of living on a boat, before we buy one. Though we owned a larger yacht, it wasn’t set up well for a liveaboard. Solutions? First, we interviewed a great couple, Scott and Laurie who live full-time on their 50′ Vista on Bainbridge Island. They shared some great info with us! Be sure to check out that video here!

Next we rented a tiny home for four days. That was a great trip and a learning experience. On a boat, you have separate “rooms”, but not in a tiny house. We actually survived and had a great time!

Then a couple of weeks ago, we rented a 50′ Ponderosa for the weekend. Another great experience living aboard. The weather was cold and wet, yet we had an awesome time!

Our New Year’s Resolution

Our resolution this year is to buy a boat! With inventory levels at an all time low, it may be another full year before we can find a boat, but we hope that’s not the case. We may have to buy another boat and keep our condo. We’ll see. Otherwise, we’ll continue our boat tours and figure out cool ways to go boating. If you think about it, we spent a lot of time on the water this year even without a boat.

In the first quarter of 2022, we’re attending the Portland Boat Show and the Seattle Boat Show. After that, we’re finally heading to the British Virgin Island and St. John. Stay tuned for that epic trip! There’s a lot we have to do in order to get into the country, so we will fill you in.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our channel (click on the video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Cheers,

Ally and Scott

December 25, 2021December 25, 2021

Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade

Every year, Gig Harbor has a Christmas Boat Parade in the harbor. Wanting to be a part of the parade, but we didn’t have a boat. Solution? We rented one instead. You can see the tour of the 1985 Ponderosa 42‘ MY in our last blog, which is located at the Gig Harbor Marina. Scott and I have been to Gig Harbor a number of times, both by boat and by land and we love this little town. If you haven’t been yet, put it on your list!

Our Ponderosa yacht was very cozy and had plenty of room for us to roam and entertain.

Our friends Ben and Maria (our BVI crew members) joined us on the boat so we could talk about provisioning for our upcoming charter in February. Since we checked in late around 4pm, our crew was hungry after we unloaded everything. There are lots of great restaurants in Gig Harbor, but most close up by 8pm (even on the weekends). For our first night, we picked the Brimstone PNW Smokehouse and it was amazing!

Each couple actually shared a combo plate (more food than you know what to do with) and I should have snapped a photo of their amazing barbecue platters. Instead, I got some great shots of dessert, which included a donut and a peppermint lava cake! The donut was the hit.

After dinner, we returned to the boat to relax and get caught up. Maria decided to bring a game and it was a riot! She took twenty lottery tickets and wrapped them in layers with plastic wrap. Then each player had 30 seconds to try and remove one using an oven mit. It was hysterical and Scott came out the big winner!

Staying on the Boat

The boat was very comfortable. It had been windy during the night, but we didn’t feel too much of it. Ben and Maria did experience the bumper hitting the bow a few times throughout the night. My only complaint was it was too hot in our room! LOL I didn’t think to turn off the heater before bed and the heaters work like a charm.

In the morning, we made a simple continental breakfast so we wouldn’t have to use any of the pots and pans. Since the boat is so close to the dumpster, we made a garbage run each time we left the boat, so it wouldn’t pile up.

Exploring Gig Harbor before the Christmas Boat Parade

The four of us headed into the heart of the town to do some exploring after breakfast. Our first stop is one of our favorite stores “For the Love of Spice“. You can read more about it in our previous blogs. They have a fantastic selection of spices, vinegars and oils. In addition, they have some awesome gifts!

One thing I love about Gig Harbor, is everything seems to be a nautical theme, including the kids rides.

Gig Harbor does not lack cute shops. Maria loves to shop and this was right up her alley. We found so many unique and original gifts.

Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade

Our boat was docked in the first slip and we were able to walk to the end of the dock and look out over the harbor. So it was perfect that the Gig Harbor Christmas Boat Parade would go right by our dock!

After spending the day in town, we headed back to the boat to relax and enjoy some appetizers before the Christmas Boat Parade. Seems this guy had the same idea!

Unfortunately, we are not professional photographers and we don’t have the proper camera to take photos at night of boats in a distance. So these were the best we could capture (the rest were blurry). They had about 20 or so boats in the parade and they made a loop in the harbor.

Our other boating friends, Cory and Stacy came in to join us for dinner at El Pueblito Mexican Restaurant, which was fantastic! As a bonus, they stay open after 8pm!

Anytime you are away, on a boat and with friends, you are going to have a great time! This was another one of those weekends and Gig Harbor never disappoints. The four of us can’t wait for our bare boat charter trip coming up in the BVIs this February!

As always, thank you for following our journey! We hope to find a boat in 2022, so if you know any slips coming available, please message us. Be sure to follow our YouTube channel and subscribe for updates (see below). Find us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Happy Holidays! Scott and Ally

November 21, 2021November 21, 2021

Exploring Olympia

In our last blog we rented a tiny house and spent the next few days exploring Olympia. Scott and I had no idea there was so much to do in Olympia! The tiny house is located on Henderson Inlet. Here the tides can change up to four to six feet, so you do need to watch the tide schedule.

The “tiny house community” has a club house (per se), where you can use kayaks, paddle boards and a paddle boat. There is a cement ramp, but you want to make sure you use the equipment during high tide or you’ll be stuck in mud. We were able to spend about an hour out on the kayaks.

The water was so calm and we had a harbor seal visitor too. Having this all to ourselves was so relaxing and nice.

Woodward Bay Conservation Area

Just north of the tiny house, is a large state park, Woodward Bay Conservation area. There are two parks in this area and one requires a Washington State Discovery Pass (which we do not have). So we checked out the other park, the Chehalis Western Trail. This trail is a paved trail that follows an old railroad route and is 21 miles long.

After about three miles of flat pavement walking, Scott and I got a little bit bored and turned around. We knew there was another trailhead in the parking lot, so we decided to check that one out. Who knew there was so much exploring to do in Olympia?

The Overlook Trail was an actual gravel trail and deep into the forest. There were lots of birds and plenty of sounds!

The trail itself is only about three miles and ends at an overlook at Henderson Inlet.

Exploring Swantown Marina

The following morning we decided to head back into Olympia for some lunch and for a walk along a trail through Swantown Marina. We had reservations for Swantown last year, but cancelled them due to the pandemic. This is an awesome marina!

The guest dock is a long linear dock (and there may be another next door) and they had great facilities throughout the grounds.

I love that they have recycling and garbage stations set up, along with a recycle drop off for motor oil.

The marina has beautiful grounds with descriptions of the plants throughout.

Exploring More in Olympia

After lunch, we did a little more research and found Priest Point Park just across the water from the marina. This park is over 314 acres offering four miles of trails.

There are two “sides” to Priest Point Park. We started on the west side and followed the one way road. Turns out this park allows overnight camping and this was a regular campground with shelters. The hike was pretty short and took us to a lookout on the point. Wanting to experience more of a hike, Scott and I crossed the bridge and headed to the east side of the park.

More of Priest Point Park

With a map in hand, we entered the trailhead to continuing exploring Olympia. The trail was dry and easy to follow. The scenery was fantastic and it was really so cool to be in a such a beautiful place just a few miles from the Capital.

Ellis Cove Trail

Be sure to check out our video episode below for a full tour. The photos don’t do it justice! Exploring this cool park in Olympia for about an hour, we wanted more! After completing the loop, we crossed the road again and this time entered the Ellis Cove Trailhead.

This particular trail is fairly steep with lots of steps, so be prepared! Looking at the aerial shot below, you will see the trails we took in order. Ironically, both the first and the third trail will bring you out to the cove and the sand bar.

The scenery is beautiful as you walk along the water, but be sure to keep an eye out for poison ivy!

I was impressed by all of the signage the park installed along the trail. This really made it interactive and educational.

Scott and I only walked to Priest Point and then turned back around. By this time, we had been hiking for three hours and we had experienced enough. We also found a short cut to the road, that didn’t require us to take 100 steps back to the trailhead. But the trail, does continue far beyond Priest Point.

After a long day of exploring Olympia and its parks, it was time to head back to the tiny house. Originally, we had planned on taking an Uber into town for dinner. But then when we realized we were so far off of the road, they would never find us. So we hunkered down, enjoyed our seafood fest from Olympia Seafood Co and had a wonderful night. It was truly a beautiful weekend.

This is a trip I would certainly do again and recommend to others. It offered relaxation, exploration and an opportunity to simply unplug and unwind. Next week is Thanksgiving, so we are taking the weekend off. We hope you and your families have a fantastic holiday.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Please subscribe to our blog and vlog (link below) for future stories. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

November 14, 2021November 17, 2021

Tiny House Living

Moving aboard a boat is similar to tiny house living, so Scott and I decided to rent a tiny house for four days to test our survival. We found the tiny house on AirBnB, which is located on Henderson Inlet down by Olympia, WA.

Exploring Olympia

Scott and I arrived a few hours before check-in, so we spent part of the day exploring Olympia, including the Capital and the Port of Olympia.

From the capital, we headed over to Percival Landing to check out a seafood shop and the restaurants along the pier. The Olympia Seafood Co reminded us of Wild Salmon Seafood at Fisherman’s Terminal and they have a wonderful selection of fresh seafood!

Tiny House

The tiny house is just off of Slater-Keeney Road and you follow a long gravel driveway down to the property. The place was very serene and peaceful, which we desperately needed. In addition, this tiny house comes with a large hot tub! We estimate this tiny house was about 150sq feet!

It also came with three cats and Scott is allergic to cats. They belonged to the neighbor, but they were at our door the entire weekend.

The host has appointed this tiny home with everything you might need, from spices, pots and pans to robes and slippers! We even received a welcome basket with a bottle of bubbly.

Everything in the tiny house didn’t seem tiny. The bathroom was full size, along with the refrigerator and oven.

The living area was cozy with a comfy couch and an electric fireplace. For the best tour, be sure to check out the video below.

Best Part of the Tiny House

Above the bathroom, there is a loft that you access with a ladder. Thank God, that is not where you sleep. Instead, the bedroom is located at the end of the tiny house on the main floor.

The bedroom also had a very large closet, which is where we stored our suitcase.

Enjoying the evening

We put all of our food away and relaxed on the deck with a bottle of bubbly. The view is amazing and birds flock to the inlet. It was a very relaxing and peaceful afternoon.

Just around the corner from the tiny house is another airbnb in the form of a trailer!

That evening, we cooked up my homemade spaghetti sauce and enjoyed dinner with a great bottle of wine.

Tune in next week, as we kayak on Henderson Inlet, explore local trails and check out Swantown Marina. As always, thank you for following our journey! Please subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated with our search for a liveaboard boat. You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Until next time!

Cheers, Ally & Scott

September 19, 2021September 25, 2021

Cruising Seattle on a Duffy Electric Boat

Earlier this month, Scott and I rented a Duffy Electric Boat with our friends, Stacey, Kurt, Ben and Maria. Having never rented one before, we were not sure what to expect. You can find all kinds of boat rentals on Seattle’s Lake Union, including the Donut Boat and the Hot Tub Boat.

Located on the west side of Lake Union, the Electric Boat Company has a nice open dock and waiting area. Check-in was very easy; we filled out our liability waivers on-line and when we arrived, we simply paid and we were set!

Once you check-in, you wait on the dock for your boat to be cleaned and sanitized.

What can you bring on the boat?

Scott and I rented the boat for a two hour cruise (which costs $307 incl tax) and the boat can take up to 10 people. We rented the standard boat, but they do have a luxury boat which is larger. There were only six of us and it was the right amount of people.

You can bring your own food, beverages and music (they have blue tooth speakers), but remember you still have to follow the liquor law rules for driving under the influence. Stacey brought a beautiful Charcuterie board and we all brought our own wine.

I do recommend that you also bring napkins and paper towels as the water in case of spills.

Where can you cruise?

The Electric Boat Company will give you a map showing the areas you can and cannot take the boat. As we left the dock, the winds were kicking up from the north at about 8mph, so instead of fighting the lake swells, we decided to head up the cut towards Ballard.

There is a houseboat community on the west side of Lake Union that you immediately come upon and that was the “Sleepless in Seattle” house.

Be aware of other boaters

One thing to be aware of as you enter the cut towards Ballard, is marine traffic. Leisure craft, fishing vessels, yachts and tourist boats head through the cut to the Ballard Locks frequently. Be sure to follow the rules of the water and yield to the larger vessels.

Scott did a great job captaining the electric boat. He did say that it was like driving on ice and the steering was very lose.

There is plenty to see on the cruise and you really appreciate how much industry is on the cut.

Recently, the owners of “Trek” reached out to us on Instagram for a tour of their old ferry boat. They use the boat now as an event venue and they happen to pass us in the canal!

A day of boating on an electric boat in Seattle

This was such a fun and comfortable boat! It was a great way to unwind, enjoy the scenery and have fun. It also can be fully enclosed and it comes with a heater, so you can use it in the winter time. We will definitely rent an electric boat again if we are without a boat in the future.

As we cruised closer to the Ballard Locks, I texted our friend Jeff from M/V Why Knot, who we featured on the channel last year. Sure enough, he was home and came out to say hello! It’s our most popular episode, so be sure to check it out. Jeff lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug!

After cruising the cut, we headed towards Gas Work’s Park and my office at Union Marine. We only had about 15 minutes left in our cruise, so we ended up heading back to the docks.

It’s funny all of the things you do see out on the lake, including this cruiser with all of his fenders out.

Seattle has a beautiful skyline, so if you are looking for a day to enjoy the water with a great backdrop, this is the place!

We hope you enjoyed this quick “tour” of Lake Union and the Fremont Cut. As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to watch the full episode below and subscribe to our channel. Scott and I have lots of content lining up, so stay tuned. Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

September 12, 2021September 12, 2021

Exploring Winslow on Bainbridge Island

Seattle has had a very warm summer and with no boat, we needed to get out on the water somehow! Last month, we hopped on the Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry and headed to Winslow on Bainbridge Island. This is a quick 20 minute ferry ride that only costs $9/pp!

Though it was almost 80 degrees, it was very cool on the bow of the ferry as we were moving and it felt great! Just to be outside and enjoying the smell of saltwater put a smile on our faces!

Ironically, Scott and I have never been on this ferry or to Winslow for that matter. Once you arrive into the bay, it’s a short distance to the ferry terminal with minimal marine traffic.

Walking around Winslow

Once you step off the ferry, you will follow a “herd” of people to the “city center”. The walk into Winslow takes about 10 minutes.

Immediately, we came upon a brewery and some quaint locally owned shops. After owning our own retail business for over ten years, we know the importance of shopping local. As we approached the downtown core, we realized they were having an art gallery tour this weekend.

Our first stop was the Burgerhaus for a beverage, a pretzel and deep fried mushrooms. Everything was delicious! The burgers looked amazing, but we wanted to leave room for more food later.

Winslow wharf marina and docks

After walking around the heart of Winslow, we headed to the Waterfront Park and City Dock to check things out.

The path walks all through the park and then down to the waterfront, where you can follow a trail towards the Winslow Wharf Marina.

The walking trail is very nice and includes some cool rock sculptures. We also took note of some private sailing charter companies, for another option to get out on the water for a day!

Pub crawl in Winslow

Our first stop along the walking trail was the Harbour Public House. We got a great table next to the window, where we could enjoy the views and the breeze. They had a huge menu, lots of seating and it was a really cool bar! This is when we decided to turn our exploration into a Winslow pub crawl!

Looking out the window, you can see DT Seattle in the distance.

From the Harbour Pub, we headed back along the trail to Doc’s Marina and Grill. They had tons of seating inside, but they also had a lot of tables outside. We ended up grabbing a spot along the fence to enjoy a beverage.

Scott and I still had an hour before our ferry left, so we looked for the next bar and grill in Winslow to visit. We walked back towards the city center to see what we might find.

The internet suggested San Carlos Bar and Grill. It is actually a Mexican restaurant and we were able to grab a table on the back deck. There we met a couple that had lived on Bainbridge for over twenty years and they just sold their condo to move to Colorado. They said they loved it!

Could we live in Winslow and commute?

This was definitely a town we could live in and totally enjoy. The catch is, could I do the commute everyday? Right now, my commute is a fifteen minute drive. There are always sacrifices to get what you want. So if we found the right liveaboard in Winslow, we would definitely consider it! We will also probably come back in the winter to see what it’s like to be on a ferry when it’s cold and dreary.

Watch our YouTube episode below for a full walking tour of Winslow.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog for updates and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. See you next time!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

August 22, 2021August 22, 2021

Sailing Seattle’s Tall Ship

Brand new to Seattle, Scott and I sailed on Seattle’s Tall Ship, “Lady Bay” a few weekends ago. We left Bell Harbor Marina around 1p and set out for a two hour cruise towards Bainbridge Island.

Yes, they have a typo on their sign – do you see it?

About “Bay Lady” Tall Ship

This tall ship, is a schooner and at 85′ long , it is the largest public sailing vessel on Puget Sound. “Bay Lady” was built in 1989 and has a 87′ mast with over 2500 sq ft of sailing area. It was built as a charter boat on the east coast and then was transported by truck to the Bay Area of Northern California. When their lease expired for their slip, they eventually found one at Bell Harbor Marina and moved her up here this summer. This is a much different sailing experience from Sailing Seattle. On that boat, you stay seated where you are and don’t move about the boat. On “Bay Lady”, there is seating in the center, but you can not only walk around, but they encourage you to help with the lines.

There is a forward cabin that has two heads, storage lockers and prep area for food.

What does this Sailing Tall Ship Offer?

Not having a boat and wanting to get back on the water, I checked out a number of different cocktail cruise tours. Some were pretty pricey at $125/pp for a few hours and that didn’t include alcohol. Seattle Sailing Ship offers a number of different sailing times, including a sunset cruise. We chose the afternoon cruise, which was only $40/pp. They have a chest with ice and you can bring your own snacks and beverages (including cocktails and wine). What a great way to get out on the water for a few hours! The captain (so sorry we forgot his name!), was super friendly and very knowledgeable.

The views were amazing from every angle. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much wind and the water was like glass!

Elliott Bay on Seattle’s Sailing Tall Ship

When we moored our boats at Elliott Bay Marina, we always ran into a patch of area between the marina and Alki that had algae and lots of logs. Today was no different.

Aside from a little algae, the water was beautiful, the sun was warm and Scott and I really enjoyed ourselves.

Scott and I are planning to go back on the ship again before the end of summer and hoping we get to sail this time. This is a really cool vessel and a great way to enjoy Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.

As always, thank you for following our blog and vlog. Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (video below) to find out what’s next for us! You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Until next time! Cheers, Scott and Ally

August 15, 2021August 15, 2021

Surprise trip to Fort Lauderdale!

Last month (before covid went rampant again), Scott surprised me with a quick trip to Fort Lauderdale. Other than passing through on our way to the Keys, I had never been to Fort Lauderdale, so I was excited to see what it was all about.

Fort Lauderdale is referred to as the “Venice” of Florida. After our visit, I can see why. All of the blue you see below is water!!

We’re definitely in a different boat world

Scott and I stayed at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina, located right on a canal. We arrived in the evening and after grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to walk around and check things out. Immediately, it was obvious that we were in a different type of “boating world” compared to the Pacific Northwest. Across from the hotel was a business center and most of the businesses were yacht groups and brokerages.

As we walked down the street, we stumbled upon the big guys!

Check out this open air indoor Ferretti Group showroom that is under construction! This is absolutely beautiful!

A few blocks down, we came upon an indoor boat launch under construction. Turns out this is a luxury indoor storage facility with access directly on the water. Check out F3 Marina for more information. This is such a cool project!

Scott and I proceeded to walk down a random street to see what the neighborhood looked like. Boat life is very different in Fort Lauderdale compared to the Pacific Northwest. Granted, we have some very large yachts on Lake Washington and a few marinas, but there were huge yachts in Fort Lauderdale everywhere you went.

Exploring Fort Lauderdale

With only a few days to check things out, we did our best to try a few nice restaurants and go visit the recommended spots. Most of the time, we found ourselves on another canal. Their canals are basically like our roads.

The only difference is these water “roads” have some serious luxury yachts parked along side them.

Looking at this dock, it appears they also can have accidents along their water roadways – yikes!

The following morning, we found a quirky diner, called Joe’s Diner in the middle of a shopping center, about four blocks from the hotel. The food was good and the service was great!

Looking for a public marina to walk around

Since we have public marinas here in Seattle that you can walk around and check out boats, we wanted to know where those were in Fort Lauderdale. I texted a broker I know and he said to go to Bahia Mar or Harbour Towne. Since he was showing his boat at Harbour Towne, we decided to go their first.

Bobby had a gorgeous Manhattan at the dock that he was showing. We could have gotten a quick tour, but he had a full day and we didn’t want to intrude on him.

Hoping to find a boat we might be able to board, we walked up and down a few docks, but unfortunately there wasn’t much to see.

Ironically, Charles & Jess from Folsom Ocean Views had just had their catamaran worked on in Harbour Towne on this dock and we missed them by just a few weeks.

As we were waiting for our Uber, I was excited to see this Intrepid 47 that had just arrived. You can do some serious fishing on this beauty!

Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale

Since this is Fort Lauderdale, there has to be a huge public marina we can walk around. Right? Well, taking Bobby’s advice, Scott and I headed to Bahia Mar Marina. This marina is home to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show held every October. The Uber driver dropped us off at the hotel and we decided to first grab a drink and a snack at Bo’s Beach Bar.

From Bo’s, we walked back towards the Double Tree hotel, hoping to find some boats we could check out. Looking at where we walked, we managed to miss the brokerage docks. However, we did get to see some mega yachts, up close!

Even the Restaurants are Boat Themed

That evening, we walked across the street and grabbed dinner at the Boatyard. We had tried making reservations online, but they were full. Luckily, we walked right on in!

The food was fantastic! This is a definite stop if you are in Fort Lauderdale.

Touring a 1980 Hatteras 53 in Fort Lauderdale

The following morning we met with a local broker (she is also the owner of Luxury Yachts Int’l), to tour a 1980 Hatteras 53 liveaboard. The oldest yacht we have toured (for purchase) would be a 1995, so we were curious to see this particular boat. It was located on a canal and was a current liveaboard. She stated that the owners of the dock were willing to negotiate another liveaboard contract if we were interested in making an offer.

This yacht has a beautiful profile, one that will never go out of style. As we boarded, she had warned us that it was not tidy and man, she was not kidding! As a clean freak AND a marketer in the marine business, I had a hard time looking past the mess. Then Scott reminded me that is all cosmetic and to look at the architecture of the boat.

The Interior

The salon offered the comforts of home and the covered aft deck offered plenty of entertaining space. From the salon, we headed down to see the galley and staterooms. The galley was a bit tight and I was shocked to find a dishwasher under the stovetop!

The front V berth offered bunk bends and is currently being used for storage and as a work shop. It had a large hanging locker too.

Walking down the hall, you’ll find engine access on both sides, allowing you to easily work on them. This yacht is equipped with twin Detroit diesel 871-TI engines and each engine has 2500 hours.

Moving down the hall, you’ll find another guest stateroom with twin beds. There was also a washer and dryer located in the hallway.

The guest bath had plenty of counter space, storage and a separate shower.

This Hatteras has a nice large master aft cabin with plenty of storage, a makeup vanity and a hanging locker that is larger than some apartments!

In the galley, there was a hatch for battery and tank access.

Since we couldn’t do an official tour with proper photos (because the broker and her assistant were with us), I ended up not going up to the fly bridge. However, Scott did a full tour in the YouTube episode, so be sure to watch the complete tour below.

Overall, this was a great layout and could be an awesome project boat. However, we live in Seattle – not Florida, so this was not an option for us today. We certainly appreciated Linda for taking time to meet with us and let us tour the boat. It was an interesting three days in Fort Lauderdale and surely not to be our last. We had planned on attending the Tampa Boat Show in September, but due to the fact that the virus is now rampant again in Florida, we’ve decided to cancel and figure out a different adventure – so stay tuned.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog to stay updated on our search. In the meantime, we’ll continue to bring you adventures on the water. Check out our social pages @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

July 18, 2021July 19, 2021

The Ruins of St. John

With only one day left of our epic USVI tour, Scott and I hired a taxi to tour the island and explore the ruins of St. John. This is a great way to see the sites, without having to join a tour . What we weren’t expecting was an open air safari bus for this tour!

Our tour guide was very friendly and knew just about everyone on the island. He wanted to make sure we stopped and saw everything and he almost literally did. We scheduled him for four hours @$75/hour and he was worth it. Since the truck is open air, you want to make sure you hang on tight!

First stop the Bethany Moravian Mission Church

Tony took us to the Bethany Moravian Church and his parents are actually laid to rest in the cemetery there. The first Moravians came to St. John in 1741. This building was erected in 1919 and the sanctuary was restored after the storms of 2017. It is still an active church today and it has a beautiful view.

Neptune’s Lookout

Our next stop was the Susannaberg sugar mill at Neptune’s Lookout which was built in the 1700’s. The windmill tower of Estate Susannaberg was erected between 1780 and 1800 and is the second oldest windmill on the island of St. John. The estate is owned by the Neptune Richards family since they purchased it in the 1950s and they still live in the house which is on the grounds. The estate is now used for weddings, special events and camping.

The views are amazing from every vantage point, which look down at Caneel Bay (where we were the day before). At the top of the hill, there is The Windmill Bar, which was currently closed due to covid.

We also got a peak a view site of country singer Kenney Chesney‘s home at the top of the hill. Sadly, his home was nearly destroyed by hurricane Irma and he’s now rebuilding.

Catherineberg Sugar Mill Ruins

Heading northeast, we entered the Virgin Islands National Park to check out the Catherineberg Sugar Mill Ruins. The ruins are an example of an 18th-century sugar and rum factory. The “most impressive” ruin is that of an unusual windmill tower and the very large cistern. It was amazing to see how intact the ruins still are.

One very interesting thing we discovered was the sugar mills were constructed using coral! Could you imagine?! We can’t even step on coral, let alone dig it up for building materials.

Along the way, we saw wild donkeys and all kinds of fruit trees.

We came upon tons of soursop trees too. With an aroma similar to pineapple, the flavor of the fruit has been described as a combination of strawberries and apple with sour citrus flavor notes, contrasting with an underlying thick creamy texture reminiscent of banana.

As we drove down the windy narrow highway, Tony took time to pull over and share the views with us.

At this viewpoint is was awesome to see how close Tortola & Jost Van Dyke of the BVI were to us.

Francis Bay

Our next stop was the Francis Bay walking trail and home of George Francis.

In 1863, the Annaberg Plantation was purchased by Thomas Letsom Lloyd of Tortola from the James Murphy heirs (one of the original owners). For a time, Lloyd struggled to keep the estate in operation, but in 1867 a violent hurricane, followed by a series of devastating earthquakes, finally put an end to sugar production at Annaberg.

With his factory in ruin, in the spring of 1871 Thomas Lloyd sold Annaberg to his property overseer, George Francis, and returned to Tortola. George Francis was born enslaved on the Annaberg plantation. His name first appears in the earliest existing census for the property compiled in 1835, in which he was recorded as a thirteen-year-old field laborer.

Over the course of his life, George Francis encountered opportunities that in his youth must have seemed wholly unimaginable. By 1860, he had gained the position of estate overseer, and two years later he received outright title to a 2-acre parcel of land on the Annaberg property from the will of his former owner, Hans H. Berg.

In 1871, George Francis acquirred the entire Annaberg estate from Thomas Lloyd and immediately set out to renew sugar production on the property. At the time of his death in 1875, Francis had recently completed the construction of a new sugar-boiling house and horse mill on the isthmus between Mary’s Creek and Francis Bay. It was the last facility ever to produce sugar on the Annaberg property. [credit US Parks Online].

Once again, you’ll notice all of the coral used to construct the buildings!

From Francis Bay, we headed to the Annaberg Ruins passing by Mary Creek. The water was amazing, but the sewer smell was horrid!

Annaberg Plantation Ruins

As with looking at churches in Europe, this was now our third sugar mill ruin we visited in two hours. Had it been our first one of the day, we might have spent more time exploring the ruins. Annaberg Plantation, as of 1780, was one of 25 active sugar producing factories on St. John. Other products produced at Annaberg were molasses and rum. Annaberg was named after William Gottschalk’s daughter and translates to Anna’s Hill. Gottschalk was the plantation owner.

The windmill at the Annaberg ruins, one of focal points of the site, was built possibly between 1810 and 1830, and was one of the largest in the islands.

When the windmill wouldn’t churn due to lack of winds, they then used horses and mules instead.

Today the plantation ruins are protected by the Virgin Islands National Park and are open to the public. Trees have reclaimed the hillsides around Annaberg.

In the 17th to 19th centuries, boiling rooms were used to convert sugarcane juice into raw sugar.

What was super cool to see from the plantation was how close we were to Tortola and the BVI. I’m literally pointing at Road Town, where we will pick up our bare boat charter next February!

Heading back to Cruz Bay

After three hours, it was time to head back to Cruz Bay. It was interesting to pass by Maho Beach, Caneel Beach and Honeymoon Beach by car this time. Both Maho and Honeymoon were packed and cars were parked everywhere along the street.

Tony was fantastic and we’re so glad that the concierge at Gallows Point Resort booked him for us!

Since Tony dropped us off at the market, we decided to do a little shopping and support the locals.

After a full day of walking and exploring, we were hungry and thirsty! We stopped at The Taproom for a quick snack and cocktail.

Right across the street is the dinghy dock! How convenient.

On our walk back, we noticed another boat rental company at Cruz Bay called Ocean Runner and you can rent Boston Whalers!

We finished our amazing day, enjoying the sunset and a beautiful dinner at Ocean 3-6-2 at our hotel. This was a highly recommended restaurant and we were very happy we spent our last night there.

Goodbye St John – Until we meet again

Scott and I had a wonderful time in St. John and we can’t wait to return and explore more. Out of the three US Virgin Islands, St. John was our favorite. As we were enjoying our last morning, we had a new visitor who tried to come into the condo. He (she?) was a very friendly and curious peacock.

Of course our neighborly iguana had to come say goodbye too.

We headed to the ferry terminal around 1pm and enjoyed another quick boat ride across the bay.

As soon as the plane started down the runway, it began to rain again. We timed it perfectly. Until we meet again US Virgin Islands – see you next February, when we fly in for our bareboat charter in the BVI.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel. You can follow us on social @BoatingJourney on FB, IG, TW and TikTok!

Cheers, Scott and Ally