Boating Blogs and the adventure of Boating Journey

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021

Seattle Virtual Boat Show 2021

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

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

Going from 35,000 sq ft

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

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

Hosting a Virtual Boat Show

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

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

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

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

January 10, 2021January 10, 2021

Check out this 2000 Silverton 392 MY

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

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

The Fly Bridge

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

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

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

The Interior

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

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

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

Two staterooms

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

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

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

About our second boat — Main stateroom on our Bayliner 4087

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

The Engine Room

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

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

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

Overall Impression

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

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

Packing for the BVIs

Last Christmas, we were getting ready for our trip to the BVI’s and many of the gifts I gave Scott were for our trip. Unfortunately, the trip was postponed due to covid and now is rescheduled for next April. In this week’s blog, I’ll share with you many of the items I bought him (affiliate links are in this blog).

Since we have never chartered a boat outside of the US, we’re not sure what to expect. If you have chartered a boat in the BVI’s, please let us know if we are on the right track or if we’re missing something.

Drinking Water

I’m a water snob, as many of you know from our multiple posts about potable water and our drinking water episode. Our first boat had terrible water and I never even brushed my teeth with that water. On our second boat, we used a special antibacterial hose, with an external filter to add water to our fresh water tank. Then we had a drinking faucet with a 3M filter which provided us fantastic quality water.

Having no idea what the water quality is on the charter boat, I bought two things for drinking water. First, I bought Vapur ShakeFilter packets (what I thought were filtration packets) for drinking water. But the more I look at the product, it’s doesn’t say anywhere that it removes bacteria and that is one of my biggest concerns. (Glad I have 75 packets!!)

Next, I bought the world’s smallest water filter in a straw, called Clean Sip! These straws filter up to 200 gallons of water and they remove bacteria. I ordered one for each of our crew members for the trip.

Travel Guide

If you have ever traveled outside of the US, you have most likely used a travel guide from Fodor’s. I bought the Fodor’s Travel for the US & British Virgin Islands for our trip and I love it. It not only has all the travel info for hotels, restaurants, mooring balls, etc., but it also has information about the types of reef life, health information and currency. This guide is not only light weight, but the cover has a coating that protects it from moisture.

Phone Protectors

When Scott and I were at the Annapolis Boat Show a few years ago, we stumbled upon a cool new product for your phone & credit cards, called the Ugo wear wallet. The cases are made out of scuba gear material and zippers and they float. We love using these for dinghy rides or kayak trips.

For this trip I also bought us a waterproof bag from Earth Pak, for our longer trips to the beach. This pack also came with a waterproof phone pouch which we use all of the time when we go out crabbing.

Body Protection

While I love being in the sun, Scott does not because he burns so easily. For our trip to the BVI’s I bought him a Baleaf SPF 50 long sleeve shirt that we can wear out in the sun. It’s light weight and very comfortable.

Head Light

When I bought Scott a Cobiz LED head light last Christmas, I didn’t necessarily think we would take it with us on our trip. But after all of the issues we had on our last charter, we might want to rethink that. This is a great head light, with multiple functions. It also comes in a hard carrying case.

Mini Tri-Pod

I admit, we have a lot of tri-pods for all of our camera equipment. But when we are traveling by plane, we need to stay as light weight as possible. I found this great lightweight tri-pod from Pasavant. It only weighs a few ounces and it comes with a travel pouch.

Portable Camera

Last Christmas, Scott bought me all kinds of camera equipment including our drone and DJI Action Camera (all of those links can be found under shop our gear tab). One camera I love and will definitely take with us, is our DJI Pocket. It comes with a gimbal, it’s lightweight and really easy to use. Plus, when you are filming yourself in public, you don’t have this huge camera in your face drawing attention to yourself.

What’s the latest update on our trip?

I wish we were actually packing for our trip, but unfortunately we’ve moved it from February to April of next year. The BVI’s were open and they just closed again until January 21st. Before they closed again, their restrictions were so strict (4 covid tests, 8 days of quarantine, restrictions on to where you could travel), that it wasn’t worth going in February. As a result, we moved the trip to April, but we may very likely have to move the trip again. With vaccines on the horizon, perhaps we might make it.

If there is anything we’re missing here that we should take on the trip, please let us know. As always, thank you for following our journey! You can find us on social at @BoatingJourney. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! See our YouTube episode below!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020

Loan Options for Financing a Boat

In this week’s blog, we welcome Lauren Cordell, a guest blog writer. She shares with us different loan options for financing a boat.

4 Loan Options to Lower the Financing Costs of Boat Ownership

There is nothing more refreshing than driving down to the lake on a warm summer day and lounging about on your boat. However, unless you have a tremendous amount of cash lying around, you’ll likely need a boat loan to bring your fantasies to life.

For most people, financing a boat is a heavy financial challenge. Fortunately, there are a few boat loans to ease the load from boat financing. Setting aside time to think about a reasonable spending plan and financial capability for your purchase can undoubtedly help you choose the type of boat loan that caters to your lifestyle.

How to Finance Your Boat

Financing a boat begins with searching for a credible lender for boat loans, discussing, and applying. Finding a boat loan lender is not that back-breaking since banks have found that most boat purchasers are great customers for loans.

Nonetheless, you can also opt to hire a boat loan expert instead of directly contacting a boat loan lender. Boat loan experts commonly interact deeply with the client regarding the application, credit faction, examination, and underwritings.

Boat Loans

It’s undeniable that the costs of boat ownership are expensive. Thus, a lot of people opt to get a boat loan to help them financially. A boat loan is a type of installment loan with a scheduled regular payment, which lasts from 2-15 years. Loan terms and interest rates differ depending on the lender, your loan size, income, credit score, and the type of loan you chose.

Secured Boat Loans

A secured loan implies that the cash lent to you comes with a need for collateral. Collateral is something of significant worth that the lender can use to recover the loan’s expense if you fail to pay the installments. Vehicles, homes, and other valuable things are the usual loan collaterals. Furthermore, you can also sign off the boat itself as collateral.

Secured loans provide borrowers with many benefits. First, they commonly have lower interest rates compared to unsecured loans. Lower interest rates are an effect of the lender receiving lower risks because of the collateral. Secured loans are likewise open to borrowers who have a messy financial record. Furthermore, secured boat loans generally have longer reimbursement terms and higher loan cutoffs than unsecured loans.

However, the primary risk is that you’d need to give up your collateral if you fail to pay the installments. Secured loans are ideal for borrowers who need a more significant loan amount, are OK with the risk related to it, and those who don’t qualify for unsecured loans.

Unsecured Boat Loans

An unsecured loan does not need a guarantee. However, that does not mean it comes without risks. Unsecured loans generally have larger interest rates and many additional limitations compared to secured loans. Even the application process is more complicated to make up for the absence of collateral.

Numerous individuals opt to apply for personal loans when searching for the ideal boat financing choices. A personal loan is a type of unsecured loan that can provide preferable rates than traditional funding entities. They commonly have flexible reimbursement terms and competitive interest rates. You can likewise make additional installments or take care of the whole debt early.

To reiterate, in contrast to secured loans, you don’t need to sign off your boat or other valuables as collateral. An unsecured loan is solely dependent on your financial soundness and evident income. After receiving your loan request approval and funding, the lender will transfer the whole sum into your account.

In-house Financing

In contrast to the more specialized terms in the boat financing world, many boat dealers also offer in-house financing. It’s financing that happens “in house.” It generally occurs inside the walls of the dealership, wherein you plan to purchase your boat.

If you’re prudent, you and the dealer can both benefit from this fiscal agreement. You get your dream boat, pay the interest throughout the loan’s course, and the dealer profits from the income. Win-win situation for both parties. Some even closely manage the lender’s application up to closing deals for a quick and hassle-free experience.

In the most ideal situation, you acquire your boat and pay a competitive interest in it throughout the loan period. If you default on the advance, the dealer keeps the money you’ve already paid. In addition to losing cash, they can also repossess the boat based on the terms that you consented to when signing the agreement.

Second Mortgage

You can go for a home equity loan or a second mortgage on the off chance that you decide not to apply for a personal loan. Home equity loans would utilize your house as a guarantee for your boat loan. And because it requires collateral, it is considered a secured loan.

As stated before, interest rates tend to be lower for secured loans compared to unsecured loans. In short, home equity loans can be incredibly risky because the stakes are exceptionally high. If you fail to pay off the loan installment, the lender has the power to seize your house.

Where to Get a Boat Loan

The three most common places you can turn to for a boat loan are online lenders, banks, and credit unions. Usually, the application process is quick, and approval is mainly dependent on your financial assessment and capacity to repay the loan.

When weighing where to get a boat loan, consider the loan lender’s annual percentage rate, which incorporates the interest rate and additional expenses, to compare the costs and installments that are ideal for your budget.

Banks

Banks and other loaning organizations are the standard go-to’s to apply for a boat loan. Inquiring in your local bank for loan options is a smart start. Establishing a positive, pre-settled relation with a bank can be very useful in helping you get faster approval with a decent rate.

Although many boat dealers currently offer financing choices of their own, this isn’t generally the case. Furthermore, any financing that a boat dealer offers should be subject to comparison with rates that different loan lenders offer.

Credit Unions

Credit unions are like banks but are non-revenue driven organizations intended for individuals who share a collective bond. You might be qualified to enter a credit union for numerous factors — maybe it’s for individuals who live in your locale, people who went to or are in the same school, or have likewise served in the military.

Luckily, the majority of credit unions do not have uptight membership prerequisites. Thus, becoming a member to apply for a boat loan won’t be that much of a challenge. However, while credit unions ordinarily offer personalized client support, they don’t generally keep track of the most recent banking tech. As a result, applying for a boat loan online may not be possible.

Online Lenders

Searching for boat loan lenders online can also be another practical technique for boat financing. Some online lenders offer any type of loan that caters to your lifestyle and needs. At the point when other lending organizations can’t provide the terms you need, finding an online loan lender could be the key to owning your boat.

Takeaway

Setting sail on your boat is a precious experience, and your lack of funds should not hinder you from achieving that dream. Apply for a boat loan that you know you can take on financially today and in the days to come. Furthermore, choose a lender you can trust and provide you with the best terms for your lifestyle. With a little effort and consistency, that summer day lounging in your boat will not be far along in the future.

Author’s Bio

Lauren Cordell has worked as a professional content writer for over five years. She is an avid fan of the outdoors and especially loves incorporating her travels in her writings. Lauren usually spends her free time with her family during the summer and drives down to the lake to spend their afternoon on the family boat.

November 26, 2020November 26, 2020

Thankful this Season

Though 2020 packed a lot of punches, we’re still thankful this season for everything we experienced this year. While Scott and I are celebrating this Thanksgiving as a party of two, so are many others. When we owned our large house, we hosted Thanksgiving every year for up to 27 people and even after downsizing, we continued to share the holiday with my family. This year is different, thanks to the covid pandemic.

How can we be thankful this year? Well, considering the shutdown, we still had a fantastic year. Yes, our trip to the BVI’s was cancelled, but we were able to spend time on the water with family and friends all year long. Considering we sold the boat in July, we were very fortunate.

During the shutdown, we were still able to take the boat out and anchor for lunch.

Scott and I used the shutdown to get more projects done on the boat and work on the dinghy. While we may not have been able to visit marinas that were shut down, we were thankful to be able to spend quality time with family and friends on the boat at our marina.

Remember, when the gray whale swam down our fairway?

Making the best of it

Once the restrictions started to lift, we managed to visit a lot of places this past year. Though it was obvious things were different with the pandemic in place. Port Orchard was quiet, Camano was distanced and the crowds were few. My motto is, “you have to work with what you have and make it great”.

When we were in Port Orchard, our favorite restaurant has this sign outside of the restrooms. How ironic, right?

The beauty of the PNW

While we were stuck at home for most of the shut down, we also are thankful that we have such a great place to live with an awesome view.

Our last trip on the boat was a trip to Des Moines with my close friend Jen. We headed down for the day simply to get fuel. Not a bad day on the water.

With family and friends on Camano, there was never a shortage of time at the beach or on the water.

Our annual family photo for July 4th certainly had a different feel this year though.

No shortages of dogs either

Scott and I miss our two goldens, Mac and Maggie, everyday. So when I have the chance to love on one, I never miss a chance. This year, we were so lucky to have so many encounters. My favorite one, was getting a visit from Tiller, who I met a few years ago at our company rendezvous. She reminds me of Mac and I sometimes think he’s come back as Tiller.

The Journey is part of the Fun

Scott and I finally met one of our Instagram followers, Jeff from MV Why Knot, who lives on his 32′ Nordic Tug!

Looking for our next liveaboard, we traveled to Anacortes and were finally able to “getaway” for a weekend.

Wanting something longer, we decided to charter a yacht and cruise the San Juan Islands. It certainly wasn’t the trip we were expecting, but then it wouldn’t be a journey otherwise. Plus, we’re thankful we didn’t sink.

At the end of the day, we can honestly say we’re thankful for how everything turned out for us this year. It could have taken many different turns and we’re truly blessed on how the year unfolded. Take a moment this season to give thanks and appreciate what you have. It could be gone tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families and thank you for following our journey. Follow us on social at @BoatingJourney and please subscribe to our YouTube channel (see our latest episode below)

Ally & Scott

November 16, 2020November 17, 2020

Tour a 1995 Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge

As most of you know, Scott and I are looking for a liveaboard boat, and in this week’s blog, we take a tour of a 1995 Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge. Sea Ray has a long history of producing beautiful yachts going back to the 1980’s. Then in 2018, Sea Ray announced that they were no longer going to produce any boat over 35′.

The Sea Ray Sundancer has been an iconic brand among cruisers. With roomy interiors and fast motors, they quickly became the perfect vessel for families and for entertaining. This 1995 Sea Ray has all of the original features, so it was fun to go back in time and check it out.

Classic design of the 550 Sedan Bridge

Though this motor yacht is 25 years old, it still has a classic design. The exterior is sleek and is in great shape.

The cockpit has plenty of seating and comes with seat covers that look practically brand new. Enter the salon through the large sliding glass door (a feature we love). On our Bayliner 4087, we had to go down a set of stairs to get into the salon and we like this setup much better.

1995 Upgrades

The first thing you will notice when you enter the salon on this 550 Sedan Bridge, is the dining room table. This is actually a plexi-glass table and chairs, which was an upgrade option in the day.

We love the comfy couch and all of the extra room you have to entertain in the salon. The bar stools are original and fit perfectly!

The galley has all of the original equipment, including a built-in coffee maker, icemaker, microwave, liquor cabinet and stovetop. Considering when this was built, the backsplash is still very up to date!

If you love old movies, you’re in luck! This yacht also comes with a VHS & DVD player. Just like our Bayliner, this yacht offers a lower helm, which we never used.

Living Quarters

All of the sleeping berths are down in the forward section of the yacht. The master stateroom is in the V berth, which offers a queen size bed. Plus it comes with a fun quirky rug!

It had plenty of storage for clothes, plus a make-up vanity. I suppose you could use it as a desk, but you would be staring at yourself all of the time!

The master head was nice and roomy, with a separate shower and a vacuflush toilet.

But wait! There’s more!

There are also two more staterooms off of the hallway. One has bunkbeds and the other has a day bed with a vanity. Again, you could use that as an office possibly. The bunkbed stateroom, is where the washer/dry combo is located. Both staterooms share a fairly large head, which has a separate shower (a big plus for us!)

Plus the day bed stateroom also came with a built-in tv.

The Fly Bridge & Engine Room on the 550 Sedan Bridge

One thing that does give me pause on this boat is the stairs up to the bridge. A deal breaker for me, is any sort of ladder. But once you get up there, it’s awesome! There’s lots of seating for entertaining, plus built-in cup holders and a mini fridge.

The helm has B & G with Raymarine electronics and has great visibility for docking and cruising.

The engine room was pretty roomy with access from the cockpit. This Sea Ray comes with twin Caterpillar 3406 diesel engines that have less than 1500 hours. Diesel engines typically are good up to 5000 hours, so this boat has a long life left in it.

So did we make an offer?

This 1995 Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge is a great boat, but for us to consider it as a liveaboard, we would need to give it a cosmetic facelift. Unfortunately, we’re not looking for a fixer upper, as we want something that is turnkey. But it does have everything we are looking for (except a walk around bed too).

If you are looking for a great cruising boat for the PNW, this is a fantastic yacht and it’s ready! This boat was actually in the Tri-Cities and the owner cruised it down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, up around Neah Bay and to Lake Union! That’s pretty impressive!

If you would like to check this boat out, please visit Union Marine at Lake Union in Seattle!

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

Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a 2005 Sea Ray 550 Sedan Bridge. This will be a fun comparison of the 1995! Stay tuned! You can view the boat (until it’s sold) here: www.unionmarine.com . Check out our YouTube episode below.

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020

Sailing Lessons on Lake Union

Scott and I have wanted to take sailing lessons for years and last month, we finally took a lesson from the Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) on Lake Union. The Center for Wooden Boats offers a variety of sailing packages or single lessons. We decided to take a lesson and schedule a “sailing checkout” so we could rent one of their small sailboats boats at any time.

The center takes reservations online and when I booked our lessons in August, they were full until the end of September. Luckily, it was a gorgeous sunny day and perfect for being on the water.

Normally the center is open to the public, but with the pandemic only those with reservations were allowed in. The boats are moored at their livery. At the turn of the 20th century, liveries were boathouses where the working class could rent a boat for leisure. The CWB Livery continues that tradition.

What type of sailboat did we learn on?

Scott and I have only sailed on a party catamaran and a small Hobie Cat in the Caribbean. We understand some basic terms, but sailing is much different than power boating. Everything has a name and a purpose. Our instructor Christian was very knowledgeable and shared a ton of information on the different terms.

Our sailboat was about 20′ long and known as a Blanchard Junior Knockout (a fractional sail boat). According to the CWB, the Blanchard boat company was formed by experienced boatwright Norman J. Blanchard Sr. in 1923 on the northeast side of Lake Union. It went on to become one of the most well-known and respected boat shops in the northwest. In 1932, N.J. Blanchard and Ben Seaborn designed the Blanchard Senior Knockabout, a small cabin sloop, in response to comments made by local boaters about how the International Star design had no cabin. The Senior was a cabin daysailer with the rig of a Star. (credit CWB)

The Blanchard Junior Knockabout was a new design which came shortly after. A 20’ open sloop, the hull was scaled down from the 26’ boat. The 20’ boat had only a short fore deck and aft deck and the long cockpit would easily seat 3 adults on each side bench. The 26’ cabin cruiser was called the Blanchard Senior Knockabout (BJK) and the 20’ version was the Blanchard Junior Knockabout (BJK). (credit CWB)

Time to take sailing lessons!

Christian got in the boat first and raised the main sail. Then I climbed in and sat in the front, so Scott could steer from the stern. Remember, there’s no motor on this boat, so Scott gave us a big push off and we headed north. Our instructor was so calm explaining everything to us. I immediately got nervous that we were heading towards a very large yacht and Scott was completely in charge of our forward direction.

Christian dove right in and showed us how to catch wind for moving forward. Our issue was we really didn’t have any winds. They were coming from the north at 1-2 knots, and predicted to kick up to 3-4 knots a couple of hours later. So Scott did his best moving us up the lake. At one point, the boat keeled over about 15 degrees and it freaked me out, as I was on the downside of the boat, near the water line. Watch the YouTube video and see how I reacted.

During our sailing lesson, we learned about wind indicators on the sails, different types of knots and how to hold the lines properly. Let’s just say, there is a completely different language in sailing, compared to power boating.

Christian also did a man overboard exercise by throwing a floating cushion into the water. Our job was to tack back and work our way to the cushion to rescue it. When you are a power boater, whether it’s a motor yacht or a dinghy, you rely solely on your engines to move you. By only having a sail and wind, it’s a lot of work!

Docking the boat

After an hour and a half, it was time for Scott to dock the boat and let me take the helm. We’re used to not only docking with engines, but with thrusters. This should be fun! With the winds coming from the north, we headed south. You sail the boat parallel with the dock and then turn perpendicular towards the dock. When the bow is about 3′ or so from the dock, you use your tiller to turn parallel to the dock. Also, keep in mind, the tiller works in the opposite direction you want to go (similar to a hand-controlled outboard engine). Scott did a great job!

Once we touched the dock, we switched seats and I was at the helm.

We only spent about 30 minutes with me, as it was 2:30p and we had reserved our lessons from 1 – 3p. Our plan was first the lesson, followed by a scheduled “check-out.” Before using the sailboats, you must pass a short checkout sail to make sure that you are comfortable handling traditional small boats. Checkouts cost $25, take approximately 30 minutes, and require demonstrating single-handed sailing and docking skills, and understanding right-of-way rules.

By 3pm, the winds picked up to about 5 knots and Christian asked Scott if he still wanted to do his checkout. With the winds and our limited time on the water, we all agreed we need more practice before attempting our sailing checkout. Figures, the winds picked up after our lesson.

Are we going to become sailors now?

Scott and I both agreed, sailing is hard work! It’s bad enough trying to steer a power boat through tight, shallow channels and watch for debris. But then to be on a vessel that has a lot of moving parts (sails, lines, halyards, winches), no thanks! However, in the future, we might still complete the checkout, so we can rent a boat on nice days. The CWB has more than just the Lake Union location. They also have a livery on Camano Island at Cama Beach! Who knew?

Overall, it’s a great program and very affordable for those who want to learn to sail. We’re fortunate to live so close to and have so many options to be on the water.

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

Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a 1995 Sea Ray 55 Motor Yacht. Stay tuned!

October 25, 2020October 25, 2020

2006 Meridian 411 Yacht Tour

In our last blog, we wrapped up our four day charter trip on a 2006 Meridian 411 yacht through the San Juan Islands. While we were anchored at Stuart Island we did a quick tour of the boat, so you can see what kind of layout this Meridian has.

The tour

Scott and I have been wanting to buy a Meridian yacht for a few years. We are interested in Meridian yachts that are 45′-50′ long, so this yacht was a bit small for a liveaboard. The outdoor space was great and the salon offered comfortable seating.

(Unfortunately, I also didn’t think to take official photos of the heads or flybridge, so be sure to check out our YouTube episode for the video tour.)

The galley was a bit small, but we did like that the sinks had covers, so you could make additional counter space. The fridge was a bit small and the stove top only had two burners (which were really small too). We made it work though. For breakfast, I cooked up the sausage ahead of time and kept it warm on the grill, while I used the same pans to make the eggs.

The microwave is also a convection oven, but it took up a huge part of the counter. We ended up using the top of it to store our plates and napkins. However, each time we were underway, we had to put everything away that was on the counter.

One part of the settee seat is reversible for the captain’s chair. The settee was also very small. It barely sat four people and that meant that one person always ate on the couch for each meal.

Linens for the Meridian Yacht charter

When we first got on the boat, I was surprised to see towels and linens stacked in the salon and on the beds. While your charter does come with linens and towels, the charter company now leaves them for the guests thanks to covid-19. Their sheets were not fitted, so it took us a bit longer than normal. We had also brought our own towels due to the pandemic.

Which is the Master Stateroom?

Scott and I went around and around on which room was the master on the Meridian 411 yacht. The mid-ship cabin was big, had a full walk around, a small sitting couch and two big closets. However, not only was the day head connected to it, but you could not stand up in it!! (Be sure to watch our last video for the tour of the stateroom).

The v-berth was also a queen size bed, but you have to hop up into it. It had a private head, so we finally determined that it was the master. With all of the drawers under the bed, we ended up using those to store all of our food.

Overall Impression

This yacht was definitely nicer than the Carver we had originally been booked in. It is a great cruising boat for a couple with small kids. My brother-in-law Kurt ended up sleeping on the couch in the salon and he had plenty of room.

We also like that it had somewhat good storage. Since the boat came equipped with pots, pans, utensils, etc, it took up a lot of the storage space we would normally use.

Would we rent it again? Not for more than four people. It was just too snug and difficult to prepare meals for everyone. Be sure to tune in next week, as we take you on a quick tour of Stuart Island and anchor for the first time overnight.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel for future episodes. Follow us on social media @BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Click on the video below for a full tour. In hindsight, we should have recorded the tour before things go messy inside. That is easier said than done, because the tour was the last thing on our mind when we arrived to Anacortes.

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

Anchoring Overnight at Stuart Island

In our last blog, our crew left Roche Harbor and headed about 8 nautical miles northwest to anchor at Stuart Island. We originally wanted to visit John’s Island along the way, but dealing with a leak it was best to get to the anchorage right away.

It took us about 45 minutes to get there, because we had to stop every 15 minutes to let the bilge pumps catch up and dump out the water that was in the engine room. Even after that, the high water alarm still triggered twice along our way.

There are two anchorages at Stuart Island: Prevost Harbor and Reid Harbor. Based on Kurt’s recommendation, we chose to stay in Prevost Harbor over Reid Harbor because he thought it offered a better sunset and a prettier anchorage. It did not disappoint.

One thing to note is when you charter with AYC, they will give you a “hazard” map. On the map, they have marked in red, areas that you should not enter (if you do and you run aground, you’re not covered by insurance). With that said, we chose to go clock-wise around the island to Prevost Harbor.

As we entered the Rosario Strait, we noticed the smoky haze forming in the islands from the wild fires in Oregon & Washington.

Entering Prevost Harbor

As you approach Prevost Harbor, pay close attention to your depth and your charts. There have been numerous stories of boats hitting rocks entering the bay. There are parts of the channel that are only about 25′ deep.

Scott and Kurt picked a spot next to Satellite Island that gave us enough room to swing without hitting the shore or boats nearby. We dropped the anchor and five minutes later we were hooked! That was easy! Let’s hope it’s that easy when we are cruising the BVI’s in February!

Time to explore Stuart Island

Kurt, Scott and I jumped into the dinghy and headed up to the mooring dock to do a little exploring of Stuart Island. The dock is only 128′, but it does allow for overnight moorage.

As you walk up the hill from the dock, you’ll come upon the state park campground. From there you can walk over and check out Reid Harbor. The two harbors are literally separated by 500 yards of land.

Stuart Island is known for its’ one room school house and I had hoped to check it out. Looking at the trail information, it looked like we would have to find the county road to get to the school house.

We have seen plenty of YouTube videos about exploring the island, but didn’t know exactly how far away the schoolhouse was. So we decided to skip it and walk the Prevost Loop instead. Be sure to wear tennis shoes or shoes suitable for the trail – I did not! Lesson learned.

If you look closely at the shoreline below, you’ll realize that the “waves or logs” are actually rock, worn from the water!

Time for cocktails and a sunset cruise on the dinghy

Just as the three of us were heading back to the dock, Cal called me to say there’s another alarm going off. I could hear it in the background, so we hurried back. We also knew it wasn’t the highwater alarm, because it wasn’t a high pitch alarm.

Turns out it was the low voltage alarm on the GPS. Not sure why the GPS didn’t turn off when we turned off the electronics? After another round of “drama,” we were ready to relax and enjoy the view.

One warning to other boaters coming to visit, there were tons of yellow jackets and they were annoying. Now we know why our charter yacht came with a bug zapper!

The anchorage was like glass, so once again Kurt, Scott and I hopped in the dinghy for a sunset cruise. Having never stayed here before, I was in absolute awe of the natural beauty of the area.

We headed south and decided to cruise around Satellite Island (which would take us out to the Salish Sea). As you can see, it was dead calm and we couldn’t have asked for better weather!

As we came back into Prevost Harbor, we had a lot more boats anchored in the bay. One of which, was a Bayliner 4087! Could that be our old boat? Of course, we had to go check it out.

It wasn’t our old boat, but we did have a nice talk with this couple. They are heading up to Alaska next year and they love their Bayliner 4087!

Wish we could have stayed longer

Scott grilled up some fabulous steaks that Cal had sous vide‘d for us and they were delicious. There’s nothing like cooking at anchor and enjoying the ultimate scenery.

One thing we were grateful for is the boat had a generator, which allowed us to run the fridge and the A/C. Definitely worth it. We only ran it for an hour or so during the day, so we didn’t disturb our neighbors. With that said, at 3am another alarm went off! I recognized the sound and headed up to the bridge. Sure enough, it was another low voltage alarm for the GPS. Every time the boat was running off of batteries, the alarm would go off and I would have to turn off the GPS again.

More things to see

The next morning, Kurt, Cal and Tracey headed up to the Lighthouse Road dock, to explore the island. We wish we could have joined them, but the dinghy only held 3 people and we also felt the boat should be watched after taking on water.

As they walked up Lighthouse Road, they came upon the Ralph Ericksen yak farm!

From there they walked along the road and came upon the infamous Boundary Pass Traders “honor system souvenier store.” They each bought a shirt. You then mail in your money. Be sure to click the link above for more information.

Off to Friday Harbor

Our stay at Stuart Island was definitely too short. There is so much to explore and we definitely plan on coming back. If you are planning a visit here, we recommend staying at least two nights.

While Scott and I were waiting for them to return, we watched a 58′ Meridian pull up their anchor on which they had a massive ball of seaweed! It took them 30 minutes to remove it. Would we have the same thing? Let’s hope not! Be sure to tune in next week to find out and see if we made it safely to Friday Harbor.

As always, thank you for following our journey! We’re committed to making our blog and YouTube channel informative and entertaining, all the while we’re searching for our liveaboard boat (and slip!). Be sure to subscribe to our channel and follow us on social @BoatingJourney. Our latest episode is at the end of this blog.

Cheers! Scott and Ally #BoatingJourney

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

Exploring Roche Harbor Resort

Despite taking on water as we arrived to Roche Harbor, we were determined to still explore and have fun. The technician arrived after a few hours and he couldn’t find the source of the leak. He told us he would bring us a new bilge pump in a couple of days when we arrive in Friday Harbor. That meant, we would have to deal with the leak for the next 48 hours! Awesome. Since there was nothing we could do about it, the five of us, set out to explore Roche Harbor.

This was my third trip to Roche Harbor and Scott’s first. I had a work function here last year and I wrote a blog about the history of the resort and family. Check it out here.

Once we secured the boat, we headed over to the marina office (which is also where U.S. Customs is located) to pay our moorage for the night. They have all of the covid procedures in place and are operating business as usual.

Walking around “town”

Okay, so there is no town. But the resort is set up like a mini town, offering everything you might need. This includes a fresh fish market, souveniers, grocery store and spa. The fish market offered fresh crab, shrimp, clams, oysters and a variety of fish. It was a bit on the pricey side, but at least it’s fresh seafood!

A bit of history

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

Next to the lime kilns, is the diesel-fired generator plants. I missed this the last time I was here. These generators were used up until the 1950’s to power the entire island.

Trekking into the woods

The resort is also know for the McMillin family mausoleum and the sculpture park. So the five us trekked off into the woods. Again, be sure to check out my last blog about Roche, for all of history behind the mausoleum. The founder, John McMillin, was a member of the Masonic Order and he built the mausoleum recognizing the traditions of the Masonic Order. As you walk through the forest, it reminds you a bit of the movie “Blair Witch Project“. There are some infant & toddler burial sites throughout the forest.

After about a 15 minute walk through the forest, you’ll come upon the family mausoleum and monument. There is significant Masonic meaning behind the entire structure, including the steps up to the table and chairs all of which represent the stages of life. Freemasons are very ritual and deliberate about everything they build and encompass. (In fact, my great uncle was a Freemason.)

Some people say they feel spirits while visiting the mausoleum. I will say the last time I was there, a creepy voice said “knight.” Who knows where that came from?

San Juan Islands Sculpture Park at Roche Harbor

From the mausoleum, we headed to the sculpture park. This was the first time I had walked through it and each art piece is for sale!

Could you imagine putting this bear in your front yard!? It takes about 45 minutes to walk the entire park (or longer if you check everything out). They do accept donations at the entrance, so be sure to support them if you can.

Enjoying a Fall evening in Roche Harbor

After a fun afternoon, we were ready to head back to the dock and relax before dinner. The weather was beautiful and we couldn’t ask for a more scenic setting.

The five of us had dinner at the famed McMillin’s Dining Room and it was fantastic! This is the nicest restaurant in the resort, but we were able to dress casual. We did make reservations when we arrived, otherwise, we would not have been able to get in.

Roche makes a specialty martini, The Pig War Martini, that you must try. This cocktail doesn’t contain a speck of bacon, but rather is a boozy tribute to the 12-year standoff between British and American troops over the sudden death of a foraging pig. At Roche Harbor, they serve this cocktail with a mini pig on the edge of your glass.

McMillin’s dining is known for their prime rib and fresh seafood. We all had an amazing meal!

The sunset was amazing and though our arrival to Roche was full of drama & stress, our evening ended perfectly. With great friends and scenery, Scott and I couldn’t ask for more (well, okay, perhaps a boat that wasn’t leaking!).

On to Stuart Island

The following morning, we threw off the lines and headed to Stuart Island to anchor overnight for the first time. Be sure to tune in to our next YouTube episode and follow our blog for updates on that trip.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney. Until next time!

Cheers, Scott & Ally