Boating Blogs and the adventure of Boating Journey

April 10, 2021April 10, 2021

What I’m Reading During Our Caribbean Vacation

It has been two years since Scott and I have been to the Caribbean and we are so excited about our upcoming vacation. We are headed to the US Virgin Islands in a week and this trip has had many revisions thanks to covid-19. Originally we were flying into St. Thomas to get to the British Virgin Islands LAST April 2020. Sadly, our charter was the first to be cancelled thanks to the pandemic. So we moved the trip to February 2021, in hopes we would be able to get there. Then in December, we knew February was not looking good, so we moved it again to April 2021.

Unfortunately, the quarantine rules were too restrictive for a 7 day vacation, so we moved the trip once AGAIN to February 2022 and kept our flight to St. Thomas. None of us have ever been to the US Virgin Islands, so this will be a new trip for us!

Island Hopping in the Caribbean

Scott and I are traveling with our friends Ben and Maria, who we have the charter booked with. They will arrive a few days before us and leave before us. We’ll be visiting St Thomas first, staying on the Redhook (east) end of the island. After a couple of days, we’re headed to St. Croix and then we’ll finish our trip on St. John. We’re flying to St. Croix on a puddle jumper and we’re taking the ferry to get to St. John.

Snorkeling & Relaxing by the Pool

I’ve booked a few sailing & snorkeling trips for us during our stay. We’re also planning on doing some more off the beaten path explorations of the three islands, so be sure to tune in to those episodes and blogs. Since we haven’t been on a Caribbean vacation (or any vacation for that matter) in two years, we do plan on spending a few days relaxing by the pool. My favorite thing to do while sitting by the pool, is reading books about getting off the grid. We know it will happen some day! I have three new books that I’m excited to read during our trip.

Escape from the Ordinary

Written by Julie Bradley, Escape from the Ordinary is about a couple that retires early, sells everything and sail around the world. Looking at their route, they visited Europe, Africa, Caribbean, Eastern US, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Maldives (just to name a few! The preface also mentions their battle with raging storms (which is my biggest fear), so I’m excited to dig into this book.

French Silk on Water

Written by Patrick Hill, French Silk on Water is a story about a couple from British Columbia, who decided one day that “Life is Short – Do it Soon – Do it Now”. So they rented their home, bought a sailboat in the Great Lakes and made their way to the Bahamas. Boating down the Great Loop is a bucket list of mine. I’ve already started this book and one thing that jumped out at me, was they joined a yacht club, so they could use sister yacht club moorings. For the most part, that plan has worked, with a few exceptions. This is an easy ready and it has been fun to read about this journey on the Great Loop.

Off the Grid

Written by Captain Mark J. Reinhardt, Off the Grid is a story about how he quit the rat race and now lives for free aboard a sailboat. I wonder what will be our trigger to finally do the same? People often ask us why we don’t and the answer is, we need to be debt free before we can do that. Baby steps. The summary mentions that he was tired of the endless work hours and never-ending debt, so he decided to live rent free off the coast of Key West. I’ll be curious to find out what he did about his debt, because it never goes away. Maybe he’ll have some tips for us?

The Countdown is On!

With only twelve days until we leave, you can bet we are counting not only the days, but the hours! Scott and I have always wanted to live in the US Virgin Islands, so we are excited to see if it is what we imagined. Be sure to follow our journey on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) @BoatingJourney for an inside peek to our trip.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch for our upcoming episodes touring the USVI. Until next time!

Cheers,
Scott and Ally

April 4, 2021April 4, 2021

How Dogs & Boats Brought Us Together

Last weekend, Scott and I traveled to Whidbey Island to spend the day with our new “God Dog” Soleil. Ironically, it was dogs and boats that brought us together with Soleil’s parents. For the second week in a row, we took the ferry and this time we were in the very front. The trip from Mukilteo to Clinton only takes about 15 minutes.

Mac didn’t like boating

When Scott and I bought our first boat Kokomo in 2017, we assumed our golden Mac would LOVE boating with us. Unfortunately, it was not his favorite past time. Probably because it was a very long walk to the boat and at 14 years old, he wasn’t into it.

Once on the boat, he did great, mostly slept or begged for food. Mac always wanted to be by our side, so he didn’t venture far. We tried to keep his life jacket on him all the time, because he fell into the water twice. But during the summer, he was just too hot wearing it.

Sadly, we said goodbye to Mac in January 2018 and we still are “dogless”. It broke our hearts and we’re still not completely over the loss.

Could Mac be channeling his spirit?

I have had four goldens during my lifetime and they have a special place in my heart. Though I grew up with black labs, there’s something about a golden that makes you smile. Fast forward to 2019, when I was working at our Roche Harbor Rendezvous for work. It was a hot summer day and I was busy on the docks. Imagine my surprise, when a Sea Ray pulled up with a golden on the bow. I dropped everything and ran over to greet them.

I immediately fell in love with Tiller and she kept looking for me the entire weekend. Something about Tiller, reminded me so much of Mac. Her mannerisms and personality, were a clone of Mac. It was as if he was channeling his spirit through Tiller. Her owners, Marshall and Lauren agreed with me, as she would do things they hadn’t seen before (i.e. paw at me). After that weekend, I kept in touch with them and followed Tiller’s adventures on Whidbey Island and boating around Puget Sound.

Last summer, during our trip to Blaine to tour a Navigator, Lauren and Marshall, took a quick detour so I could see Tiller. What a special treat that was! It made my day! I was glad that Scott got to meet her too and see how much she acted like Mac.

The bond between dogs and boaters

There’s something unique about boat dogs and boaters. We have a bond, that others don’t understand. Perhaps it’s the challenges of dealing with a dog on the dock, or watching them take in the salty air as you cruise? Whatever it is, I love that boating introduced me to the Corson family and Tiller.

Sadly, she left for the Rainbow Bridge early this year due to cancer. I’m sure Mac was waiting to say hi and romp around. When you lose an animal, especially your heart dog, it’s devastating. I’ve always said, that new animals, don’t replace the ones that left us. They are instead, an addition to our family.

Meet Soleil

Having such a strong love for goldens, Lauren and Marshall welcomed a new golden puppy named Soleil. Scott and I were so honored to be asked to be her “God dog” parents and we headed over to Whidbey Island for a day at the beach.

I bought her a dental chew toy and Mac’s favorite woobie, a hedgehog. I think she approved.

In memory of Tiller, I had a blanket made with her on it. My niece and nephew did the same thing for me and I knew I had to do one for Lauren & Marshall. (You can make your own at Shutterfly).

Exploring Langley for the first time

First we grabbed lunch at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters and I have to say, it was one of the best sandwiches and burgers we’ve ever had. Plus, they are dog friendly! Scott and I took turns babysitting Soleil at the table.

From there, we checked out the Langley Marina. I had tried making reservations for our Bayliner 4087 a couple of years ago, but they were full. After seeing the marina and how tight it is, perhaps that turned out to be okay!

The four of us, then headed into Langley to explore a bit. Right as we pulled in, it began to pour down rain. Still, with pup in hand, we ran into Callahan’s Firehouse Gallery to check things out.

The store features all kinds of hand blown glass art pieces and gifts. We ended up buying two wishing stones – hopefully our wish comes true!

Dogs & boats, the perfect blend

Unfortunately the rain continued and it was getting too wet for all of us, including Soleil, so we called it a day when we left the gallery. Thanks to Facebook, we’re able to stay connected with Lauren and watch Soleil grow. I love that dogs and boating brought us together. Lauren and I discovered a few other small world ironies that involve goldens, bonding us even more.

Now they see Tiller channeling her spirit through Soleil. As I said earlier, a new member never replaces the ones lost, they simply are an addition to the family & the story. Thank you to Lauren & Marshall for sharing Soleil with us. It was truly a special weekend.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney. We leave for the USVI in three weeks and we’re so excited to share that journey with you. Cheers, Scott and Ally

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021

Weekend Getaway to Snug Harbor

While Scott and I might be boatless right now, that didn’t stop us from visiting Snug Harbor Resort on San Juan Island. If we learned anything during the pandemic, it would be how much we appreciate and relish being able to travel. The PNW is one of the most beautiful destinations in the country and the San Juan Islands is top on our list.

Another thing we have learned from the pandemic, is the value of friendships. While our circle of friends is not wide, we cherish those friendships that we have. That includes our friends, Ben and Maria, who we have traveled with the most. It’s not often that you find another couple that makes traveling fun and memorable, so we are thankful to them for their friendship.

We miss cruising Puget Sound

Scott and I haven’t been out on the sound since last September during our San Juan Island charter. We really miss being “on the water”, so last weekend, we took the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor.

The weather was beautiful, although it was very chilly crossing the Rosario Straits.

The ferry ride was about an hour and half long, because we had one stop at Lopez Island. Note in the photo below, those cars are actually loading onto the ferry backwards.

Arriving in Friday Harbor, we walked around town and grabbed some lunch at Herb’s Tavern, the oldest tavern in Friday Harbor. After lunch, Maria and I headed to the Trading Post to buy myself some gloves and a hat. Turns out, I failed to read the email from the whale watching company, that we needed to “bundle up” for the trip and I wasn’t prepared. From there, we drove across the island to Snug Harbor Resort & Marina, which is about 15 minutes from Friday Harbor.

Snug Harbor Resort and Marina

Snug Harbor Resort is a small compound made up of 18 cabins with a small marina. If you want to get away and escape it all, this is the place for you. While they do have Wi-Fi, it is not a place to work remotely. In fact, the cabins don’t even have telephones. This is where you go to unwind, reflect and take in the scenery.

We rented a one bedroom waterfront cabin and it came with everything you need. It had a grill, oven, microwave, fridge, galleyware and cleaning supplies. The cabins do have coffee, sugars, salt & pepper and a lighter for the grill. The freezer does have ice trays, but due to the pandemic, they were empty, so we bought ice from the gift shop. One thing to note, is if you are bringing your own food, be sure to bring Tupperware or Ziplock bags to store your food. Luckily, we were able to buy some at the gift shop. Ben and Maria’s cabin was just three cabins away, so it was easy to get together.

The “fireplace” is controlled by the thermostat and it really gives the cabin a cozy feeling.

Amenities at Snug Harbor Resort & Marina

There is a small coffee shop and a very nice gift shop. The gift shop has some very unique items, plus they offer all kinds of snacks, frozen foods, pre-made sandwiches and beverages, including wine and beer. Another note, the office is only open 9am to 4pm, so plan accordingly if you think you will want to buy anything. Snug Harbor Resort has kayaks you can use to explore Mitchell Bay. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time on this trip.

The Snug Harbor Marina, has brand new docks and is home to a number of permanent boats. There are some transient slips available, however, you must rent a cabin in order to dock your boat AND you may not stay on your boat. Unfortunately, they are also not pet-friendly. It is a fantastic place to get away from life and simply unwind for the weekend.

Lime Kiln State Park

Having arrived about 1:30pm, our cabins were not yet ready, so the four of us headed south to explore Lime Kiln State Park. Set on a rocky bluff at the west end of San Juan Island, Lime Kiln Point is considered one of the best whale-watching spots on earth. Here you can watch porpoise, orca and gray whales enjoying Puget Sound.

This 41 acre park, includes a 1919 vintage light house, a lime kiln and an interpretive center (which is open from May thru September). You do need to purchase a Discovery Park pass to visit the park.

Our first night, the four us grilled up some steaks, celebrated birthdays and finished the night sharing stories around the fire pit. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Exploring Roche Harbor

The next day, I had scheduled a whale watching tour at 1:30pm, so we had time in the morning to do a little bit of exploring. The four us grabbed a quick breakfast at the Lime Kiln Cafe at Roche Harbor, which is about 9 miles away. We then took Ben and Maria up to the McMillan Mausoleum, as they have never seen it. Funny thing about that Mausoleum, is that I have now been there five times in the last 20 months.

Whale Watching on Maya’s Legacy

Maya’s Legacy whale watching tours depart from Snug Harbor Resort and also Friday Harbor. This inflatable boat is a NAIAD design from New Zealand, built by Armstrong Boats in Port Angeles. She has three 250 Yamaha motors and holds approximately 24 people. Captain Jeff and his first mate April did a fantastic job during the tour.

Leaving Snug Harbor we set a course north to begin our search. First, we stopped by Henry Island to watch for the Peregrine Falcon, but we didn’t see her. As we headed north to Speiden Island, we spotted a number of porpoise. See our route below.

Spieden Island

From Henry Island, we headed north towards the southwest side of Spieden Island. This is a uninhabited privately owned island that is 516 acres. Due to the topography of the island, the southwest side is mostly baron with grass and the north side is heavily wooded. The island has a very interesting history. In the 1960’s two brothers who were taxidermists, purchased the island to create a hunting game reserve for exotic non-native game animals such as Mouflon sheep from Corsica, Fallow deer from Europe, and Sika deer from Asia – along with approximately 2,000 exotic birds such as African guinea fowl.

This outraged locals due to the cruelty to animals and the danger to nearby residents on San Juan Island. Walter Cronkite made it his mission to put the brothers out of business. The island became a marine conservationist center in the 1990’s.

The deer and sheep continue to live on the island, which is still uninhabited.

Now the island is owned by James Jannard, the founder of Oakley sunglasses and RED Digital Cinema. He purchased the island in 1997 for $22 million dollars. We were told that he has it for sale for $40 million dollars.

Lambing season in in full swing with such cute newborns following their moms everywhere. Harbor seals were basking in the sun, mouflon rams were grazing and fallow deer were doing some of both.

Steller sea lions made sure itches were scratched before getting back to their naps, while bald eagles had found lunch around the point on the north side of Speiden.

Over on Flattop Island we found a pair of bald eagles near their nests and black turnstones were foraging in the surf.

Stuart Island

Continuing our search through the islands took us west to Turn Point on Stuart Island (the Northwestern most spot in the Continental US). Here you will find Turn Point Lighthouse, which is active to aid navigation for ships. If you stay in Prevost or Reid Harbor, you can hike to the lighthouse. Be sure to check out our blog about Stuart Island here.

This area can be a busy place for whales so we scanned the waters while taking in the point and Mount Baker. Unfortunately, it was not to be our day with whales on this trip.

We turned south from there to scan further and made a stop at Henry Island to scan for our peregrine falcon. Sure enough, she was in a lower branch of a near by Douglas fir checking on her nesting area. Peregrine Falcons are the largest falcon over most of the continent, with long, pointed wings and a long tail. They can dive up to 240mph to capture their prey.

The whale watching trip was about three hours long. It did get very chilly and I highly recommend bringing lots of layers and your best camera. They do allow food and beverages, but our hands were too cold to try and eat! A few other tips about the tour to keep in mind are: they prefer cash or check for payment and if they do a great job, please remember to tip the crew. Crews on excursions work very hard and the tips go directly to them. After the trip, April sent us some photos and descriptions, which we have included in this blog.

Our trip to Snug Harbor comes to an end

It was a quick 48 hour trip, but we enjoyed every minute of it. When we got back from our tour, we relaxed with a great bottle of Champagne and headed off to dinner at Roche Harbor. Not wanting to drink and drive, we arranged for a taxi with San Juan Taxi Service to take us to Roche. Don’t expect a fancy town car and your van might be a bit smoky. However, our driver Larry was very nice and got us safely home.

The four of us lucked out on the whale watching trip, as the next day the weather forecast called for 40mph across the Rosario Straights. Let’s just say it was a very bumpy ride home on the ferry!

Snug Harbor Resort is a great place to get away and reset. In fact, we would return in a heart beat! Thank you to the entire staff for your hospitality and wonderful time, we’ll definitely be back!

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to watch the full tour below and subscribe to our channel. Follow us on social media @BoatingJourney and be sure to use the hashtag #boatingjourney Cheers, Scott and Ally

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021

Tour a 2004 Cruisers 405 Yacht

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

Exterior Space

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

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

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

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

Great salon space

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

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

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

Forward Guest Space

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

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

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

Accessories

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

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

Master Stateroom

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

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

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

Overall impression

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally

February 28, 2021March 1, 2021

What’s next our Boating Journey?

For the past couple of months, many of our followers have asked us “what’s next for Boating Journey?” In this week’s blog and episode, we’ll share our thoughts and plans for 2021. First, let’s go back to why we started Boating Journey.

Back in 2012 I started reading true story sailing books as an escape from my reality (working non stop running our wine shop). That got me hooked and we started dreaming about cruising the world. I was fascinated by the details each author shared in their books. How did they remember all of the details of each trip or destination? So in 2013, Boating Journey was born (see that first post here). I decided to document our travels including boat shows and Caribbean vacations, as we worked closer to our dream.

Boat Trials

Before Scott and I could set a plan for cruising the world, first we had to make sure Scott liked boating. He had never owned a boat nor stayed the night on one. In 2017, we purchased our first cruiser, a 2001 Bayliner 3055 Ciera Sunbridge. It was a great boat and we cruised all over Puget Sound. He was hooked! After we owned the boat for 18 months, we decided to sell it, so we could save up to buy our liveaboard boat.

However, just a few months later, we toured a Bayliner 4087 (in February!) and decided to make an offer. This boat gave us a much better liveaboard experience and we loved it. But when the pandemic hit in early 2020, we found ourselves stuck at the dock. All of the marinas were closed and so were many anchorages. We knew this was not our actual liveaboard boat, so once again we sold the boat to begin saving for “the one”.

Now What?

We sold our Bayliner 4087 in July 2020 and managed to stay active on the water the rest of the summer, including a charter trip through the San Juan Islands. This weekend, we sat down and went over the options for Boating Journey’s Blog and Channel:

Option A

We find our liveaboard boat AND slip
It has to be within our budget

Option B

Continue looking and touring possible liveaboard boats
Look beyond the PNW for liveaboards (which could require us to relocate)
Share boating experiences (is there something you would like us to do and share with you?)
- Trips: whale watching next month and USVI in April
- Boat Shows: go back to Annapolis, maybe attend Fort Lauderdale too
- Experience something new: hot tub boat powered by a wood fired stove, rent a day boat for the day, maybe rent a houseboat on Lake Roosevelt, cruise on Lake Diablo

No matter what our options are, we are committed to investing in our experiences to share those with all of you. One way or the other, we’ll be on the water this year and we look forward to a fun year!

As always, thank you for following our boating journey. You can follow us on social using @BoatingJourney. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch this week’s episode below. Next week, we take you on a tour of a 41′ Cruisers Yacht, so tune in!

Cheer, Scott and Ally

February 21, 2021February 26, 2021

Bayliner 4788 Tour at Fisherman’s Terminal

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

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

Interior Upgrades

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

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

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

The Two Helm Stations

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

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

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

The Sleeping Quarters & Heads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Impression

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

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

Fisherman’s Terminal

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

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

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

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

February 13, 2021February 14, 2021

Swapping out the BVIs for the US Virgin Islands

Back in 2019, we booked a bareboat charter to the BVIs (British Virgin Islands) for March of 2020. We were the first group to be postponed due to the covid pandemic and it was probably a blessing as we may have been stuck down there. The four of us (Scott and our friends Ben & Maria) rescheduled the trip for February 2021. We were thinking that surely the pandemic would be over by then, right?

Opening up the islands to tourists

In October 2020, many of the Caribbean Islands started allowing tourists back, but under very strict guidelines. The BVIs implemented one of the strictest policies making travel there near impossible. First you had to have a negative covid test before boarding your plane. Then you received another test when landing and would then need to quarantine for four days. After four days, you take another test and if that is negative, you are allowed to tour only certain (non-tourist) locations on the island for another four days. After that, you were allowed to visit approved mooring fields and marinas on day nine.

Since our charter is only for five days, these rules would not work for us. As a result, we moved the charter to April 2021, in hopes they would ease up on the restrictions. That has not happened and it looks like they are here to stay for most of 2021. In addition, all water ports are currently closed and we were arriving by ferry from St Thomas.

Change of plans

Since we had our airfare booked (arriving in St. Thomas), the four of us decided to continue the trip and visit the US Virgin Islands. Ironically, Scott and I have traveled to many Caribbean islands, including the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Maartin, but never the US Virgin Islands.

Our plan is to stay three nights on the east end of St. Thomas, then take a flight to St. Croix. There we are staying on the northeast end for four nights. We were going to take a ferry to St. Croix, but in the end the flight was easier and much faster. From there Scott and I are heading to St. John for three nights, so it is a stretched out trip.

Boating in the US Virgin Islands

Looking at the excursions that are offered, there are a lot to choose from! Kayaking at night looks interesting and they also offer an eco kayak trip. We definitely want to go sailing and snorkeling a few times and squeeze in a sunset cocktail cruise too. If you have any recommendations of “must do” excursions in the US Virgin Islands, please let us know!

Scott and I have wanted to retire in the USVIs for a long time, so it will be interesting to see if this destination meets our expectations. We could have moved our Moorings departure from Tortola to St. Thomas now that they have a base there. But honestly, we have been waiting for years to do the BVIs and we didn’t want to swap that out for the USVIs. Maybe after we boat around in April, we might regret our decision. We’ll see.

Our trip takes off on April 23rd for ten days. We do have to complete an online profile for covid and provide a negative test before we can enter the islands. For this trip we did buy trip insurance, as things can change at any moment.

Tune in next week for a tour of a Bayliner 4788. Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (see Star Clipper video link below). As always, we thank you for following our journey!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021

Tour a 2018 Sea Ray L590 Fly Yacht

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

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

Entertaining in Style

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

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

More Entertaining Space!

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

Liveaboard Comfort

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

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

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

The VIP V Berth

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

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

The Helm Stations

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

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

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

Cruising in comfort and luxury

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

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

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021

Seattle Virtual Boat Show 2021

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

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

Going from 35,000 sq ft

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

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

Hosting a Virtual Boat Show

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

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

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

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

January 10, 2021January 10, 2021

Check out this 2000 Silverton 392 MY

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

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

The Fly Bridge

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

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

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

The Interior

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

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

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

Two staterooms

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

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

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

About our second boat — Main stateroom on our Bayliner 4087

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

The Engine Room

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

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

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

Overall Impression

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

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally