Boating Journey Blog about boating for the first time

August 15, 2018August 16, 2018

Boating Journey on YouTube

Did you know we have a YouTube Channel?

Many of our followers don’t realize that we also have a YouTube channel. Scott and I will admit, that we are certainly not “YouTubers”. The objective of both our blog and YouTube channel is simply to document our journey. Along the way, we decided to share it with friends, family and many more.

At the same time, I’m a perfectionist and want to update our channel with higher quality videos and productions. In fact, for my birthday last week, Scott gave me a really fun tool for taking videos with my phone! It’s a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Handheld Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer Ultimate Travelers Bundle, which allows me to take more stable videos! I’m so excited to try it out.

Creating our Channel

At first, we posted our early videos on my personal channel and then we created our own channel for Boating Journey. We are trying to grow our subscriber base to over 100, so we can get a custom channel. So please subscribe, if you haven’t already.

Thanks to other videos on YouTube, Scott was able to learn how to change the oil, winterize the dinghy motor and a few other maintenance items. Our goal with our channel is to share operating tips, but also information about different destinations we visit.

Our first videos

When we first posted videos, we hadn’t planned on creating “episodes”. They were merely informational and quick clips, starting with our first trip through Deception Pass.

Scott and I went through Deception Pass for the first time last summer and everyone told us horror stories before hand. So we were pretty nervous, but as you can see it was very smooth.

When we posted our video going through the Ballard Locks for the first time, we decided that would be episode #1. Unfortunately, there was so much smoke, that the video has an eerie feel to it.

Originally, I had posted the video of me docking for the first time on my personal channel and it has over 2000 views! Eventually, I added it to Boating Journey, where it actually belongs. It was such a great day of practicing and I’m glad we decided to capture it. (Notice the first three videos all say “for the first time”?)

Watching episode #2 is why I wanted the Gimbal Stabilizer. This video doesn’t do the scenery justice as it was so incredibly beautiful and festive that night.

Creating Content Videos for Our Viewers

Starting the new year, one of our goals was to make our videos more informative to our viewers. That began with the Seattle Boat Show, which was definitely a rough first attempt to say the least. Again, using the gimbal stabilizer will make such a big difference!

Our most viewed videos have been our haul out series, beginning with our haul out with a broken prop, then checking on the status and bringing the boat home.

After moving into our new apartment, our content changed a bit. We shared videos of our move, getting ready for boating season and touring Seattle.

Destinations

This year, we visited only three ports: Poulsbo, Gig Harbor and Kingston. You can checkout our footage of each of them on our channel. One of our favorite destinations is always Kingston, as it’s close to Seattle and they offer a free concert on the lawn.

So thank you for following our blog and please subscribe and “Like” our videos on YouTube. See the Like and Subscribe Buttons below – simply click on them.

Our next goal is to buy a high quality drone to take more awesome videos too.

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BoatingJourney. Stay tuned for the next update – so much is happening right now!
Cheers, Scott and Ally

#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

August 10, 2018August 10, 2018

Our Boat is For Sale!

Our Boat is For Sale!

Scott and I announced yesterday that we officially put our boat up for sale and folks are asking so many questions. So we wanted to address those and also give some information about Kokomo.

Let’s go back to where it all began about two years ago. We have always wanted to sell our home and move onto a liveaboard. But then I realized that Scott hadn’t ever slept on a boat, so we decided to get a “weekender” first. That’s when we bought Kokomo. It was merely temporary, as is our new apartment.

More than a “Weekender”

I must admit though, this boat has been more than just a weekender. I suppose you could live on it, as it has a place (many actually) to sleep, a kitchen, full bath with shower, television with digital antenna and outdoor dining. What more do you need in a home? (Just kidding of course).

But this has been such a great boat for Scott and I. We have traveled to many ports in Washington with friends and family, creating awesome memories. If we weren’t planning on buying a liveaboard, we would keep this boat for a long time.

But we put so much money into it this year?

This past March, we hauled out and did a lot of work to the boat. We wanted the bottom painted along with the stern drives. We put brand new propellers on it and zincs.

We had the engines tuned up and the trim tabs adjusted. It needed to be done, whether we kept it or sold it. Honestly, this boat is in much better shape than when we bought it a year ago, considering it is 18 years old.

Scott and I also added a few things, like new speakers, brand new 150 quart cooler, Magma grill and all of the accessories for the galley.

What is our timeline?

By selling the boat now, someone can enjoy her until early November. Scott and I went boating all last Fall. In fact, I learned to dock the boat last November.

Remember, we did a lot of prep work for the winter and checked on it almost every weekend. We did all this because we wanted the boat to be in perfect shape come Spring. But if we are buying another boat in February or March, I would rather not have to worry about a boat I won’t own. Selfish, I know.

Here is the official listing with NW Yachts and our broker Eddie Sauthoff. He has truly helped us throughout this entire journey, beginning back when we first met at the Seattle Boat Show years ago.

CLICK HERE:

Please feel free to share this blog with any friends and family that might be looking to buy a boat. Stay tuned for the next chapter in our journey!

Thank you for following us! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Cheers, Ally and Scott

August 5, 2018August 15, 2018

A Summer Night in Kingston

Spending a Summer Night in Kingston

Scott and I had so much fun in Kingston last summer, that we decided to head back there again this past weekend. They host free concerts on the lawn during the summer and their Farmer’s Market runs from 10a-2p on Saturdays. The weather forecast was hot and sunny, which was perfect for an outdoor activity. Our good friend Randy was joining us – cast and all. Just two days before our trip, he had to have emergency surgery after breaking a few fingers. What a trooper! Then a few days before our trip, we found out that friends of ours on each of their boats, were also coming to Kingston!

Friday night was gorgeous and so we stayed the night at Elliott Bay Marina. There’s nothing better than grilling up dinner on deck and watching the sunset. Plus, it was the century’s longest lunar eclipse Friday night, so the setting was breathtaking. The photos really do not do it justice.

Heading to Kingston

Kingston is just west across Puget Sound about a 30 minute boat trip from Seattle (if you are traveling 24mph).

I called the Port of Kingston around 11am to see if we could check-in, but the previous boat had not yet left. Check-out is at 12pm, so we planned on leaving our marina around 12pm.

Just outside of our marina, was a huge cargo looking type ship. Turns out it was the USNS Bob Hope; the lead ship of her class of vehicle cargo ships for Army vehicle prepositioning. It is a naval ship of the United States named after Bob Hope, the entertainer. I’m not sure why it was anchored out there, perhaps it was here for the SeaFair celebrations.

The trip to Kingston was smooth and fast. The only issue we ran into (literally) was all of the algae. It was in full bloom everywhere, especially across the sound. We kept a vigil eye out for logs hiding in the algae. Here’s a photo of the algae at our marina at the “Yacht Dock”….yuck!

Farmer’s Market & Lunch “Downtown”

The Port of Kingston crew were very friendly and it was easy to get in. Our friends, Ben & Maria arrived just shortly after us (they were just in Poulsbo with us). The three of us headed up to the Farmer’s Market, which was located on the main lawn where the concert is. This was more of a craft fair market, rather than a farmer’s market. Don’t expect to walk away with a bunch of fresh vegetables – jewelry, yes!

One booth we ran into and were excited to talk to was Beacon Small Batch. They are working on their distillery license, but in the meantime, she is hand making awesome mixers! We bought the bloody mary mix. Be sure to check them out!

The three of us, walked around town (which is all of 3 blocks) and grabbed some lunch. While the service and food wasn’t very good, the view was great! As were the bloody mary’s!

Poor Randy always looked like he had a question!

Hanging out on the dock

For the rest of the afternoon we all hung out on the boat and we baby sat our friend’s dog Buddy. It was such a relaxing afternoon!

I noticed across the rocks from us, this beautiful sea bird. He stood there and watched us for over an hour.

The concert started at 6pm and we headed up to grab our spot on the lawn. Everyone brought a picnic and beverages. The funniest thing we saw was a dancing cockatoo during the concert.

The temperature was perfect Saturday night and we all soaked up the beautiful sunset.

The best part of the night, was watching our friends Ben and Maria fish for squid. Be sure to watch our YouTube video for the full episode. Basically, you do need under lights like Ben has on his SeaRay. This attracts the squid, but be careful because they do shoot out ink. All that black you see is ink!

Heading back home

The trip back home was uneventful and very pleasant. Being only 30 minutes away, it was almost too quick. But Scott and I had some boat chores and needed to get home.

Check out our blog about our YouTube channel!

Lots of things are happening right now with us and our boat – so be sure to stay tuned. We should have an update later this week. (ooooh, the excitement right?!) Thanks again for following us and feel free to share with your friends and family.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

July 26, 2018August 5, 2018

Summer Update!

Summer Update from Us!

July is almost over and I figured I better give everyone a summer update from us. After we spent the July 4th Celebration on Camano Island, we headed to Gig Harbor on July 14th. Our brother-in-law, Kurt was also heading to Gig Harbor, so we followed him. Scott and I stayed on the boat Friday night to soak up the sun and enjoy some marina life. It was a gorgeous night and even the jelly fish came out!

Off to Gig Harbor

We visited Gig Harbor last September and had a blast. So we were looking forward to visiting the town again. This time, we reserved a slip at Arabella’s Landing Marina (last time we stayed at the Port of Gig Harbor city marina). We’re so glad we were able to stay here and will share more later in the blog!

The weather was warm and gorgeous that weekend. Gig Harbor is about a one hour trip south from Seattle. Most people go through Colvos Passage which is between Vashon Island and the peninsula.

There is a very strong current traveling north and we had 10mph winds from the north. This made for an interesting trip. While it looked windy, it was a very smooth ride.

Scott and I arrived to the Gig Harbor entrance early (check-in for the marina is 1pm), so we decided to continue on and check out the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The Narrows Bridge opened in July 1940, but collapsed four months later when it experienced 42mph winds. It was blustery just going under it and then turning around to head back north. I can’t imagine what it was like when it collapsed!

Entering Gig Harbor

As I mentioned the last time we visited Gig Harbor, the entrance is VERY difficult to see at first. Then add boat traffic and shallow depths to the mix and entering the harbor is interesting.

On top of those obstacles, there is a lot of marine traffic – both boats and personal water craft everywhere! Arabella’s Landing is on your left and easy to see, as they have a small gray hut like building at the end of the dock. The fairways are nice and wide and there is virtually no current.

The marina and facilities are very nice, yet a bit of a walk from the dock. But we all need our exercise right? Kurt arrived about an hour after us and the three of us headed into town.

What to see in Gig Harbor

As the three of us walked into town, we basically repeated exactly what we did last time. Just a few blocks from the marina is the Sk ansie Brother’s Netshed. The netshed was built in 1910 just after Andrew Skansie built his home in 1908. He immigrated from Croatia in 1907 and was one of the first settlers in Gig Harbor. This is now maintained by a non-profit organization and it was full of historical items. Unfortunately, they close at 3pm, so we missed it.

Next stop was at 7 Seas Brewing, then For the Love of Spice and last stop was Heritage Distillery. I love the shop, For the Love of Spice! You can sample all kinds of vinegars and oils. Plus they have great gifts and wine tastings on Saturdays!

We finished the evening at the infamous Tides Tavern. Unfortunately, the service was terrible and the food was just ok. Next time, we’ll hunt out a more quaint restaurant.

The sunset was amazing that evening from the marina – you really couldn’t ask for a better night. I highly recommend visiting Gig Harbor, since it’s so close from Seattle.

Heading home we had 10mph winds from the north, so we were beating into the waves pretty good. I highly recommend keeping a watchful eye on this route as there are A LOT of logs. We had so many near misses, it was a bit stressful. Then about three quarter’s of the way, we see something in the middle of the passage and it was a kayaker! Crazy!

Summer’s Almost Over – Any Big Trips?

Scott and I get asked that a lot these days. Both Gig Harbor and Poulsbo were short overnight trips. We are headed to Kingston this weekend on Saturday night and are joining two other boats. They have live music on the lawn and it’s a great place to bring a picnic.

Okay, back to the question! After moving into our apartment in the city and spending time exploring new things, our schedule has just been too busy to plan any big trips. On top of that, I don’t have any vacation time and when I do get it, we’re headed to the Caribbean! So no big trips this year. Seems odd to some people considering how much money we put into the boat, but we just don’t have the time.

Last weekend, we were in Chicago for a family reunion so that ate up a weekend. I do have one bucket list item yet for this summer on the boat, which is to go back through the Ballard Locks and spend the day on Lake Washington.

What’s Next?

Soon summer will be over and boating season will end in October. Scott and I are weighing our options as to what to do next. We might try and sell the boat before summer is over, so we don’t have to maintain it over the winter. Only time will tell – so stay tuned in. Things will be happening in the next 7 months, one way or another! Exciting times! We are heading to Kingston in a couple of weeks, which is always a great time!

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and to our YouTube Channel for future updates. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter too! Here’s Episode #17 A Quick Trip to Gig Harbor

If you want to be a part of our journey, become a Patron today by clicking here! There might be a free boat ride or visit in the Caribbean in the future for you! CLICK HERE

Cheers, Scott and Ally

July 6, 2018August 5, 2018

July 4th Celebration at Camano Island

July 4th Celebration at Camano Island

Every year Scott and I spend the July 4th weekend with my family up on Camano Island. This year, July 4th was on Wednesday, so we went up the previous weekend.

Unfortunately, not only did some of our family not come up, but it was cold and wet. But if you know us, we’ll figure out to make it fun! You’re at the beach, how bad can it be?

Ever since we bought our boat, we have talked about taking it up to Camano and tying it off of their buoy, but it’s too long of a trip for just a couple of days. (More on that at the end of this blog though!!). My family’s home is located on Tyee Beach on Camano Island. Camano is about an hour and half drive from Seattle.

I was surprised by how low the tide was and the fact that mooring balls were on the beach! Be sure to check out last week’s post about the extreme low tide!

Crabbing Season

Crabbing season started on Saturday, June 30th. It’s a very short season here in the PNW, so we always jump on it. Saturday, we got four crabs and Sunday, we got another three or four.

We were a little worried when Scott and my uncle Dick went out in their dinghy to get the pots, as they were pretty low in the water. Luckily, we were watching them closely with the binoculars!

Everyone cooks (kills) crabs differently. My brother-in-law Kurt, kills them with a sharp knife thru their brain (yuck!). We tend to throw them in boiling water. Either way, I try not to think how they came to be on my plate! LOL

We always have a seafoodfest of fresh crab and grilled oysters. Dick grills up fresh oysters with his special wine sauce and they are a hit! I’m not an oyster fan, but I will eat a few of the super small ones.

Sunday, Scott grabbed one pot from Dick and it had one crab in it. Not being a fan of reaching in to grab the crab, he attempted to pick it up with small tongs. So funny!

The Beauty of the Beach

Even though it was cold and dreary on Saturday, the evening brought us gorgeous skies! That’s one thing we love about the Pacific Northwest – the skies are always beautiful.

We hung out with good friends & family enjoying great wine by the fire. That’s a pretty typical summer night in the PNW. Because it wasn’t July 4th, no fireworks were allowed until July 3rd. It was actually a very peaceful weekend.

Have you ever heard the story about finding a rock with a ring around it? Neither had anyone else, so don’t worry! Anyhow, the myth is that when you find one on the beach, hold it tight, make a wish and throw it in the water. They are called wishing rocks. I found two of them, so hopefully my wishes come true soon!

Drama After a Very Windy Night

Sunday night, NOAA was forecasting the winds to be 22 knots from the north. By 6pm, there were white caps and it wasn’t safe to take the dinghy out to check on the pots.

Let’s go back to taking the boat up to Camano. Aside from it being a long trip, (about two hours from Elliott Bay Marina), we also are not comfortable anchoring. In fact, we have yet to anchor the boat anywhere. That’s definitely on our to-do list this summer, if even for the day.

We do have buoys out in front of the house at the beach, but I have always worried about their ability to hold our 11,000lb boat. They haven’t been serviced or checked in years. My nephew has his new 18′ fishing boat on it, but it’s much lighter than ours.

Monday morning, my aunt woke us up to say we had a “situation”. Turns out our neighbor’s mooring chain broke and his motor yacht floated south in the bay and snagged our ball and got hung up on Jake’s boat. Yikes! The irony here is, I always said this would happen some day. BUT it was my family’s mooring ball that held both boats in those winds!

My aunt called the motor yacht and he quickly came out to his boat and untangled them. Turns out the chain broke at the shackle, which was the one spot he didn’t use a safety backup wire. Lesson learned. Sadly, Jake’s boat did sustain some damage, including a broken rail and fiberglass damage.

Celebrating July 4th!

While we might not have been at the beach on July 4th, we certainly were not missing anything! Our apartment has a stunning view of Lake Union and the fireworks show. I have been out on Lake union boating on July 4th many times, but I forgot just how crazy it is. Remember, at the end of the night, most of all of the boats go home in the dark! It’s quite the journey.

Our apartment hosted an awesome classic barbecue and we had the chance to meet so many new neighbors. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday, especially mid-week!

Next weekend, we are heading to one of our favorite ports, Gig Harbor . So stay tuned for our next update!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

June 30, 2018July 6, 2018

Extreme Pacific Ocean Tides in June

The Pacific Ocean Tides in June 2018

A few weeks ago, Scott and I headed out to Poulsbo for a quick overnight. As you might remember, this was a last minute trip. Being an avid weather watcher, I checked the National Weather Service and saw they were predicting high winds and small craft advisory.

The National Weather Service is a great resource for boaters. It will tell you what is forecasted for the coastal region and for Puget Sound. For our trip on June 16th, it was looking rough.

We kept a good eye on the weather and luckily the forecast for us, stayed out in the ocean. However, that was NOT good for any boats out on the Pacific Ocean, especially near Washington & Oregon.

Tragically, a local couple who had circumnavigated the world over 17 years on their sailboat S/V Kelaerin hit horrible weather and lost everything. They were fortunate to be alive. Here’s a link to her terrifying story and Coast Guard video below. It’s another reminder, that even the best sailors can run into bad weather. What I would take away from this tragic event, are the lessons she shared with us.

Some of those include, keep your wallet, I.D., (important documents) in your ditch bag and easily accessible. Upload your photos & videos to a cloud. Make sure everything is tightly secured to prevent injury. And most important, stay on top of the weather.

“Epic Boat Loss” – Read the story HERE

Video of the boat as they abandoned it HERE

Extreme Tides

What added to the tragedy above, was the extreme tides on June 17, 2008. In our blog about Poulsbo, we told a story about a 58′ yacht that came down the fairway to get gas, only to find out they were in only 4′ of water. Not a good idea. While we could certainly see the bottom of the marina, it didn’t really occur to us, how low the tide was.

Scott and I headed back to the marina on Sunday, June 17, 2018. We washed the boat and headed home. It wasn’t until we were about halfway down the dock, that we realized how LOW the tide was. At 7:25am the tides were at 10′ 2″ and by 2:20pm the tides were at -2′ 2″! Here’s a quick video below of the footage we took:

The lesson here is pay attention to the weather before heading out anywhere on a vessel. You might not be dealing with winds, but instead the tides. Stay tuned for our next blog as we are heading up to Camano Island for the July 4th celebration.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

June 23, 2018

Visiting Poulsbo

Visiting Poulsbo, a Quaint Scandinavian Town

Last weekend, Scott and I headed over to Poulsbo for a quick overnight stay. We planned the trip at the last minute when our friends, Ben and Maria, asked us to join them. Checking the weather forecast two days earlier, NOAA was forecasting high winds combined with extreme tides for Saturday and Sunday. I was tempted to cancel the trip, but decided we would leave each morning before the winds picked up. With a high tide of +12′ and a low tide of -3.5′,

Neither Scott or I had ever been to Poulsbo before and had heard great things about the city. Getting there by boat from Elliott Bay Marina takes about an hour. There are two ways to get to Poulsbo around Bainbridge Island. You can travel south, through Rich Pass with the Seattle-Bremerton Ferry or you can travel north through Agate Pass. We chose the northern passage through Agate Pass.

We left Elliott Bay Marina around 9am before the predicted winds and we arrived at 10am.

The winds were at 14mph from the north and it was a bumpy ride across Elliott Bay. A few times the bow slammed down (all cupboards emptied out) and salt water sprayed us good. The trip across the bay took us about 30 minutes and I was ready to get out of that chop.

Once we passed Port Madison on our left, we saw Agate Pass and the bridge. The seas were much calmer and pleasant. We had been told that the current under the bridge would be swift, but honestly with our boat going 19 mph, unlike Deception Pass, it was a breeze. Our friends told us to keep to our port side as we crossed under the bridge as there is a fish farm on the right side and it’s much more shallow. We rounded Point Bolin and approached Key Port Point, where the US Naval Museum is located.

Liberty Bay & Docking

Once we rounded Key Port Point, we entered Liberty Bay. It’s lined with beautiful houses on each shore. There is a no wake zone once you reach the first marina. The Poulsbo marina is the one farthest north. I was surprised as to how many boats were anchored in the bay. With the wind and the current we were trying hard to maneuver around each of them.

We were assigned to the E Dock Slip #15, which is only a 30′ slip. Because the fairways are so wide, they allow boats to overhang. Since we are 34′, we had to dock stern in, port side so we could get off the boat easily. Remember, we have only docked stern in once at our own dock and I was on the dock. Now we have 14mph winds and a wicked current in the marina – this should be fun! (Too bad we forgot the GoPro).

Our first and second attempts both failed (I love how all of the boaters just watched us and never offered any assistance). Third attempt, the dockmaster showed and I threw him the lines, but I missed him. Grrrrrrr. Fourth attempt failed and on the fifth attempt, I hooked the cleat and threw him the lines. Here’s the catch though. The winds were slamming the boat up against the dock and SLAM, SCREECH – we hit “something”. We quickly tied off the boat and assessed the damage.

Luckily it’s only a surface scar, but a bad one! The boat hit the SHARP METAL CORNER of the piling frame. Why it’s not bumpered like ours at Elliott Bay Marina, I don’t know. Especially with the strong currents. We still have epoxy from the haul out repair, so we will fix it in the next week or two.

Little Norway

Poulsbo is a quaint town full of great shops & restaurants. It has a Scandinavian heritage and Poulsbo is the nickname for “Little Norway”. There is a small heritage museum at the visitor’s center that tells the history of the town and the marine industry.

Our friends, Ben & Maria were coming down from Everett and we had reserved a dock together using the DockWa app. This is a great app to make quick marina reservations. Last year we traveled to Gig Harbor with Ben & Maria, but weren’t able to stay at the same marina. They have been to Poulsbo many times and it is one of their favorite destinations.

The four of us checked into the marina and they gave us a welcome bag with all kins of brochures, coasters, stickers and coupons. They do offer free Wi-Fi and free pumpout too! Wow! Of course we forgot to use any of our coupons at the restaurants.

Downtown Poulsbo & The Farmer’s Market

Downtown Poulsbo is lined with shops and restaurants. Be sure to watch Episode #15 on YouTube for a full tour. The Farmer’s market runs from 9am to 2pm, so we headed up (yes UP the steep hill) to the market right after we checked in. The farmer’s market is located in the library parking lot up on the hill about 4 blocks away from the marina. It is a bit smaller than most, but they had all kinds of vegetables, gifts, breads, seeds, clothing and much more. I found all kinds of gifts and so I started my holiday shopping early.

From the Farmer’s Market, we headed back down the hill to explore downtown Poulsbo. They have a famous bakery, Sluy’s, that always has a line out front. People couldn’t stop talking about Sluy’s, but the line was too long for us. LOL. Next time.

Scott and I checked out the visitor’s center and the heritage museum. It’s really just an small area in the office that has some memorabilia and historical facts about the town. It is really interesting, so be sure to check it out.

Scott and I had lunch at The Brass Kraken Pub overlooking the marina. The bartender was super friendly and the food / drinks were outstanding! My bloody mary came with a complete meal on top (pepperoni, cheese, green bean, olive & more) AND a mini beer!

Low Tide

Low tide was at 1:42pm and it was so low that we only had about 2′ below our hull. The fuel dock was tilting due to the low tide. Suddenly, this 58′ Meridian came down the fairway to fuel up, only to realize the fuel dock was closed and he was now in 2′ of muddy water! Ironically this boat is from Elliott Bay Marina. Let’s hope he didn’t suck up a bunch of mud into his engines. We had lots of small crabs walking below our boat too. It was really a pretty cool sight.

To get a better perspective on how low the tide was, check out this photo of Ben & Maria. Notice the pilings are about 15′ high. Plus they were covered in mussels!

Now check out this photo during high tide – Ben is resting his arm on it! Crazy!

Still wanting to explore a bit more, Scott and I were going to walk the beach. That was until we saw a kid get his leg sucked in by the sand/mud. No thanks….so we just walked the boardwalk which was shaded by trees. It’s about a 1/4 mile long and loops you back into the town.

Those are our two boats together on the second dock.

After our walk, the four of us relaxed on the dock, soaking up the sun and drinking cocktails. The afternoon was full of stories & laughter, bringing some of us to tears! That’s what I call a great time!

Ben and Scott helped dock numerous boats as it was still windy. Again, I still can’t get over how many people watched us struggle and never lent a hand. To me, it just good etiquette to help a fellow boater.

Good Friends, Great Wine & Beautiful Sunset

For dinner, we headed to “That’s a Some Italian Restaurant” right across from the marina. Our server was funny and the food was good. Note to self – if you plan on bringing home your pizza, make sure it fits in the tiny fridge. LOL

We wrapped up the night, with great wine, a sunset, live music from Brass Kraken and a friendly harbor seal.

It was one of the best times we have had! Ben and I went to high school together and when we bought our boat, he gave us a lot of tips and advice. It was great hanging out with them and we can’t wait to do it again!

Heading Home

Sunday morning we had a slight change in the weather and the 22mph winds were reduced to only 9mph starting around 9am. Scott and I grabbed a quick breakfast at the Green Diner and then headed out. After hitting the piling when we docked, I asked the dock master to help us push off.

The winds were still coming from the north, which helped us going home. Instead of getting wet, it was a nice and pleasant trip. We still had white caps on Elliott Bay, but we were not slamming down.

The funniest thing we saw on our way home was this barge carrying a giant cow. At first we thought we were seeing things! Turns out it’s Bessie on the Barge is for June’s Dairy Month. She went thru the Ballard Locks and had visitors. https://www.facebook.com/events/170350046969151/.

The irony of our trip, was docking back at Elliott Bay Marina. We literally pulled into the slip, hooked the cleat and tied off in 10 seconds. Why doesn’t that happen all of the time?

Our boat Kokomo was covered in salt water and we spent a few hours on Sunday cleaning it. The next thing on our list will be to repair the gel coat.

When we left the marina, it was once again low tide! It was the craziest thing I have ever seen at Elliott Bay. Folks were standing where there is usually only water.

Be sure to watch the full tour in Episode #15 on our YouTube channel below:

Next Sunday, my family from Camano Island is seeing the boat for the first time and we’re headed out for a ride on the bay. Stay tuned for our next blog!

Thank you for following us! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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June 13, 2018June 13, 2018

Exploring Lake Union on Foot

Exploring Seattle’s Lake Union on Foot

Living above Lake Union has been one of the best decisions Scott and I have made about our move. Since our old home had a western view of the sunsets, Olympic Mountains and DT Seattle, we originally looked for apartments with the same view.

When we stumbled upon our community, we were taken aback by all of the activity on the lake. In addition, we still had the view of DT Seattle and the Space Needle.

Duck Dodge Races

The first week we moved in, we watched the Duck Dodge races from our rooftop. If you haven’t seen these yet, be sure to do this at least once this summer. Here you have over 60-70 sail boats, sailing in a race up and down Lake Union. There are all different sizes and skill levels. Could be something else adding to their skills as well, you know it is after 5 o’clock after all.

Exercise is more fun when you are walking along Lake Union

One thing I didn’t expect when moving into the city, was being torn about what to do on a sunny day. It was just assumed that we would spend all of our time on the boat. But as you saw in our last post, Exploring Seattle, it’s hard not to do fun things on land too. So last weekend on a whim, we decided to get some exercise and walk to Gas Works Park. Gas Works Park is a 19 acre public park at the north end of Lake Union. It is the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Gasification Company plant and it opened as a park in 1975. It looks like it is so close from our apartment, but it it’s actually over 2 miles away.

Our apartment is located on the mid to north end of Dexter Avenue and right across the street is the “Galer Climb”. These steps will take you straight down to Westlake Avenue.

There are walking paths (and bike paths!) and trails along Lake Union that go entirely around the lake. We came upon many yacht brokers, personal sup rentals, a deli and other interesting businesses during our walk. What’s ironic, is that a year ago when we signed our documents for Kokomo, it was right here at one of the business centers. In fact, we bought our boat from NW Yacht!

This was a really neat statue, dedicated to Sri Chinmoy, a dreamer of World Peace.

Gas Works Park

We finally made it to Gas Works Park. Be sure to check out Episode #14 on our YouTube channel for the full tour. Gas Works hill is steeper than you expect and there are many geese – so watch where you step!

This is a great park to bring a picnic, fly a kite and have fun with your kids.

That was fun, now we need a beer!

Scott and I headed back towards Fremont in search for a cold beer and an appetizer. One thing we haven’t been able to do much of since moving here, is explore Fremont. There are so many fantastic restaurants and shops – not to mention their Farmer’s Market!

Eventually, we found the Masonry bar and grill. With two cold beers and some focaccia bread, we were set!

Be sure to check out this week’s episode below for the full tour!

Where to next?

We are headed to Poulsbo this weekend with my high school classmate Ben and his wife Maria. You might remember them from our trip last year to Gig Harbor. Poulsbo is a quaint Scandinavian town about 20 miles from Seattle. We expect the trip to take about an hour.

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Cheers and stay tuned for our next update! Scott and Ally

#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

June 5, 2018June 13, 2018

Exploring Seattle

We love exploring Seattle!

One of the best things about moving back to Seattle, is exploring the city! Our first weekend in the apartment, we took a hike through Discovery Park in Magnolia. This park is located on the west end of Magnolia and we pass it by boat when we go north. Here’s a diagram from our haul out trip and you can see how large the park is.

There are miles of trails all throughout the park, that lead down to the beach along Shilshole. This park is the largest in Seattle and it occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site. There’s a cultural center and a memorial park / cemetery too. It’s a great way to exercise and enjoy nature.

Scott and I took the south beach trail down to the beach and the north beach trail back up. There are a lot of stairs, as you will see in Episode #13 on our YouTube channel.

Time for lunch!

Scott and I logged over 5 miles walking through the park and we were starving & hungry. From Magnolia, we headed over to Ballard for a quick bite. Not sure where we were headed, we stumbled upon the Maritime Pacific Brewery.

We sat outside on their picnic benches and ordered a couple of cold beers. Looking at the menu, the first thing that jumped out was their “Deep Fried Bacon”. Yep, you heard that right and we had to try it! It was delicious! Figures I had ordered a BLT for lunch. Hysterical!

Boat Books, Charts & Gifts

Located across the street we noticed the Captain’s Supplies store and it peaked our curiosity. So we headed over to check it out. The original store was founded in 1897 and was located along Seattle’s waterfront. This store is full of great books, compasses, gifts, charts – you name it! I could have spent hours in there. If you are a boater or love all things nautical, be sure to check them out!

Where to eat for dinner?

Living walking distance to so many great restaurants is a treat for Scott and I, considering where we used to live (we only had one restaurant). Saturday night, we headed towards South Lake Union and found a great restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating, called Ba Bar. It features Vietnamese food and craft cocktails! The food was fantastic and the service was great.

Believe it or not, it was my first time having Vietnamese food! Sorry the picture is a bit blurry. I can’t wait to go back. Next time you are in Seattle, check these guys out.

Watch Episode #13 on our YouTube Channel: (Please subscribe & share to our channel, to help us grow our subscribers).

Thank you for following us! Be sure to subscribe to our blog as we will share our journey throughout Seattle. Scott and I are so excited about exploring new things and sharing the with you. In next week’s blog, we head up to Gas Works Park.

#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

May 30, 2018June 1, 2018

Boating Over Memorial Day Weekend 2018

Memorial Day Weekend 2018

Scott and I went boating with our friend Randy this past Memorial Day Weekend in Seattle. Hard to believe that an entire year has gone by! It was just a year ago that we spent our first big weekend with friends. But let’s back up to what we did on Saturday morning before leaving for the boat.

We have been toying with the idea of upgrading our boat to a 38′-42′ boat to get accustomed to a larger boat. Scott found a few he liked on-line and called our broker Eddie. Saturday morning he met us at the marina and we toured a 2001 38′ SeaRay with an aft cabin. This boat was in perfect condition and had plenty of comfortable living spaces.

After thinking about it over the weekend, we ultimately decided it was not the best decision. Our neighbor Jules, who lives on her 70′ yacht told us we don’t need a transition boat and that we will be able to move from a 32′ to a 55′ with no problem at all. She said that the larger boat will be easier for us to handle than our current boat. Since Scott and I have put so much money into Kokomo this year getting it ready for boating season, it only makes sense to enjoy it for another year.

Let the Weekend Begin!

Unlike last year, the weather was cool and partly sunny on Saturday. That certainly made unpacking and making the bed more comfortable! Our friend Randy came down mid-afternoon and we headed out to Port Madison. I was bummed that it started to get cloudy on our way there, but the sound was as calm as can be.

The last time Randy was on our boat was when we were struggling to get the boat going (we later learned we had a broken prop). This time, the boat took off and planed instantly!

Porpoises were everywhere!

When we were about two-thirds of the way there, I thought I saw a bunch of logs. Instead of logs, there were over a hundred porpoises! It was really a cool thing to watch. I only wish they had been closer.

Since the wind was expected to pick up significantly, we didn’t stay long at Port Madison. Our original plan was to practice anchoring, but decided there was too much traffic and the weather was getting colder. So we hung out for a bit and headed back to Seattle. As we came back into port, we passed one of the huge cruise ships on our way and this wasn’t the largest one in the sound.

We grilled up some steaks and I made one of my favorite potato recipes (Roasted Mediterranean Potatoes Recipe) along with a salad. Even with the cooler weather, it was still awesome to be on the boat again! Of course the sunset didn’t disappoint either.

Boat Chores & “Dinghying” Around

We woke up Sunday to a gorgeous warm day! Scott wanted to replace the stereo on the boat, so we headed out shopping. First stop was Car Toys, but the systems sounded terrible and the service wasn’t great. We then headed to West Marine and as usual, they were extremely helpful. Plus we found a system that sounded great! This system has blue tooth – keep in mind, our current system didn’t have that, so we were running a long cable from the stereo to Scott’s I-Phone. Not safe. LOL

We spent the afternoon cleaning the boat and then we decided to take a dinghy ride through the marina. Believe it or not, this was only the second time I have been in the dinghy. Scott was struggling to start it, when he decided to lift off the cap only to find the spark plug wasn’t connected. That will make a difference!

Be sure to watch our our full YouTube episode for the footage of our tour, including some of the mega yachts! After touring the marina, we decided to grab some appetizers and a cocktail at Maggie Bluffs. I was hoping for their famous shrimp cocktail, but apparently they aren’t in season yet?

We finished the day, sitting on the bow enjoying cocktails and soaking up the sun. It was such a relaxing day!

Earlier in the day, we stopped by our favorite fish market, Wild Salmon Fish Market and picked up some fresh salmon. Honestly, unless you catch it yourself, you won’t find salmon this fresh! I used to drive from Renton once a month to get our fish!

memorial day boating — Yes, that’s wayyyyy too much pasta for that plate! LOL

A beautiful sunset for a great weekend!

After dinner, we walked over to “N” Dock to check out our new yacht neighbor
M/Y Calypso. This 200′ beauty is stunning! Be sure to check out her photos in the link. She comes with an outdoor theatre and disco! The moon was rising over Seattle and it was the perfect ending to a great evening. Just another reason why we love Elliott Bay Marina! It’s so beautiful! Not to mention the facilities are top notch and the staff is awesome!

Scott and I have a bit of a busy travel schedule this summer, but plan on visiting some local ports around Puget Sound this summer. We probably won’t have along trip like the San Juan Islands from last year, but you never know!

Watch Episode #12 on our YouTube Channel for full coverage of our weekend below (subscribe to get notifications when it’s live).

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Cheers,

Scott and Ally on Kokomo

#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle