Boating lessons for new and upcoming boat owners

May 17, 2020June 3, 2020

Boating is finally open!

Scott and I have been spending our weekends cooped up on the boat at the marina during this quarantine. Due to the shelter order, we were not allowed to venture out and go boating. Some boaters did choose to go out and anchor, but some of the them got flack for leaving.

On May 5, 2020 the governor finally opened up recreational boating and allowed fishing to resume! Plus the weather forecast for the following weekend was hot and sunny – we’re talking mid 80’s! Scott and I both took Friday off and planned to get away for the weekend on the boat.

Where do we go?

The photo above was taken up north by Whidbey Island years ago on our old boat. We have been itching to go anchor somewhere and learn the ropes. But we’ve always wanted to have Ben and Maria on board, so we can practice for the BVI’s. By Thursday, I noticed most of the boating channels we follow on Instagram were heading out early Friday.

The more we thought about it, we decided it was not in the best interest for us to leave the first weekend that boating was open. Too much traffic and we would be better off working on the boat (sad face). But wait! It gets better and in fact, everyone who left for the weekend ended up being jealous of us. More on that later.

Weekend of boat projects

When you own a boat, you never run out of projects. Since the weather was warm and sunny, we tackled some serious cleaning projects on the boat. Another item on our to do list, was to replace the spot light that got ripped off last year. How did that happen? Well, our slip neighbor’s boat stuck out into the fairway too far (almost 5′) and their dinghy was hanging up by the davit about 6′. When we pulled out, the spotlight on the bowsprit got caught on their dinghy line and the force pulled it off, leaving the base on. We ended up using white flexi-tape to reattach it until we could get it fixed.

Looking at the photo above, you would assume, that to remove the spotlight, you would simply undo the screws. Nope, of course not. Turns out that when Bayliner produced this boat, they mounted the spot light on the top portion of the bowsprit, THEN connected the bottom portion, so there was no way to access the spot light.

We finally gave up trying to figure it out and called Emerald Harbor Marine to fix it. They ended up having to destroy the old one and mount a new one. Looks great, don’t you think?! A good tip, if you don’t already know this, is be sure to turn your spot light around (if you don’t have a cover) so that debris doesn’t break the glass while underway.

Friday evening happy hour

We invited my brother-in-law, Kurt and his girlfriend, Stacey down on Friday evening for happy hour. Kurt wanted to take another look at the dinghy engine to try and troubleshoot it. He was the chief engineer on the ferries, so he knows his stuff. We’ve all been quarantined for 60+ days, so we felt comfortable having them down. We still kept our distance and “air hugged” each other. That’s probably the hardest part of this social distancing.

If you recall from our last blog, we have had troubles getting the outboard on the dinghy to start. We replaced the fuel, fuel filters, spark plugs and cleaned out the carburetor. At first, the engine would start, but not stay on without the choke. We assumed it was the carburetor, so that’s why Scott took it apart to clean. But after all that, we couldn’t even the get engine to start.

So this time Kurt and Scott took off the outboard cover and sprayed CRC Jump Start into the carburetor as they were starting it. It finally started and Kurt realized that the idle was set too low. Once he adjusted it, it stayed running! Woot!!

This calls for a celebration. Time for happy hour and some food! We use the propane tank housing as a counter all the time. Works great!

You’ll never believe what happened next!!

The four of us were relaxing in the cockpit when we started hearing screaming. We didn’t pay much attention to it, until our neighbor Miguel, shouted over to us that there was a gray whale off our stern in the fairway! Yep, you heard that right. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get this week’s notification, of when we upload the video. It was crazy!

All of our boat neighbors who left for the weekend, were so bummed they missed out! It was about 30′ long and he just casually swam away. That was definitely a first for us and I think Elliott Bay Marina too.

Next day – time to test out the dinghy!

Keep in mind, that we’ve only used the dinghy twice since we bought the boat. We took one trip around the marina last summer and then we tried to go for a ride last Fall and it died on us just feet away from the boat. Since the weather was hot and we were home bound, might as well get some kind of boat ride in.

We grabbed the oars and pushed off, as our neighbor Miguel wished us luck.

Time for Ally to learn to fly the drone

Since it was a beautiful sunny day on Sunday, we decided to have me learn how to fly the drone. I get a bit freaked out when the drone heads out over the water, but that’s why we bought a drone. Scott did a great job explaining how things work. Now I just need practice. We’ll have the footage on our YouTube channel in upcoming episodes – so be sure subscribe!

Now was the extent of our first hot and sunny weekend. Let us know what you think? Should we be out boating now? Is it too soon? We’d love to hear from you. If you thought the whale sighting was awesome, be sure to check out our next blog and episode for more awesome encounters! Next Blog

As always, thank you for following us! Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney, so you can see our stories and get current updates on our progress. Also, check out our YouTube channel at @BoatingJourney and subscribe for future episodes. Cheers, Scott & Ally

April 14, 2020April 23, 2020

Dinghy issues & learning to dock a yacht

The weather was great last week, so why not check out our dinghy issues and learn how to dock a yacht? Like everyone, we’re going stir crazy during this COVID-19 quarantine. It doesn’t help that the weather turned nice and this is when we should be out boating. On top of that, I (Ally) was temporarily laid off at the end of March and I’m not one to sit around the house.

After a week and half in the condo, we needed a change of scenery. So many of our fellow boaters are venturing out to secluded anchorages and we want to head out too. But first, we have a few projects to tackle, including getting the dinghy engine working.

Engine troubles

The last time we used the dinghy was last Fall, when we went out for a marina cruise and the engine died just five feet from the boat. You can see the footage of that scene in our Bloopers Video that we just posted. We assumed that the issue was our battery, as it hadn’t been charged.

After charging the battery for a few days, Scott climbed in to start the dinghy. Unfortunately, the engine wouldn’t turn over. After sharing our story on Instagram, a number of people recommended we check our fuel.

The following weekend, we drained all of the fuel and filled the tank with brand new fuel. It was great that you can drop off your hazardous materials at the marina office for disposal.

Unfortunately, swapping out the fuel didn’t work. Scott then changed the in-line fuel filter – turns out we do have another fuel filter attached to the engine. We didn’t change that one, because Scott doesn’t think it has anything to do with the issue. Still wouldn’t start.

Could it be spark plugs?

The next option was to change the spark plugs. While we were able to buy the spark plugs at West Marine, we couldn’t swap them out until we bought a special wrench for these specific spark plugs (18mm thin wall). Scott eventually found one on Ebay, so we had to wait for that to arrive.

The following weekend, he replaced all of the spark plugs AND sprayed Sea Foam (fuel cleaner) into the fuel tank. Once again, we waited with anticipation to see if it would start.

The good news is, it finally starts. The bad news is, it won’t stay running without the choke being engaged. We did talk to Monkey Fist Marine and a few other people, who all believe it’s the carburetor. This could be a very expensive job (at $150/hour to rebuild one) or to just buy one and have it installed. The catch? We have three carburetors on this dinghy engine. Ouch!

Our next plan of attack is to move the dinghy over to the dock and remove the manifold. From there, Scott can try cleaning out the jets, replace the gaskets and add a carburetor and choke cleaner. Fingers crossed.

Next project…..cleaning the lazarette

Ever since we bought the boat a year ago, I have been wanting to clean the lazarette. While it is used to store stuff, who wants to see a grimy storage unit every time it’s opened up? I figured this would be a fairly easy job and allow me to spend some time enjoying the sun. Boy was I wrong! This thing was filthy and had years of grime and green algae gunked on.

First, I attempted to sweep the gunk out. That didn’t work well, as I really needed a hand broom for the nooks and crannies.

Instead, I filled up a tub with Dawn liquid soap, grab a sponge and went to town. This was a back breaking project – I don’t know how boat mechanics do it. The spaces are tight and I was careful not to step on anything important (our water maker and diesel heater are down there). Eventually, the lazarette was spotless!

After finishing up our projects, we got ready for a cruise on the bay for the evening. While it was a short cruise, it was nice to be out on the water and enjoy the scenery.

Time to practice docking

The weather was nice and calm Saturday morning, so we decided to head over to N Dock so that I could practice docking the boat. I only docked our previous boat once and that was a twin screw stern drive engines.

They (whoever “they” are) say, never have your spouse try to teach you how to dock a boat. We don’t speak the same language when it comes to stressful tasks. In this case, Scott likes to use “no no no” or “eh eh!” which tends to stress me out. Finally, I told him the best way to communicate with me is to simply say what I should be doing (i.e. port side reverse, starboard forward, neutral). That seemed to do the trick. Still, trying to dock a 24,000 pound yacht for the first time is not a task I take lightly.

How did I do? Well, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for notifications for our next video. We’ll have the entire drone footage included.

Enjoying the weekend at the marina

Though we can’t socialize and mingle on the dock like normal, it was still nice to enjoy the beauty and calmness of the marina. There was a super low tide (-1.66) on Saturday and it was crazy to see how far it was out. The rock formation you see, is normally under water.

Normally on a warm sunny day folks are enjoying outdoor dining outside of Maggie Bluffs, but due to the shelter order they can only offer curbside service. So we ordered lunch and a bottle of wine in support of our local marina restaurant. They also have a limited Palisade menu, which we’ll order from next weekend.

That evening, we made a nice dinner on the boat (Asian marinated pork chops with stir fried veggies) and watched the sunset fade over the Olympic Mountains. There’s truly no better place to be than on your boat, especially during these stressful times.

We all still have three more weeks of isolation. We’re heading back to the marina this weekend to keep working on the dinghy. Scott and I might even take the boat out to anchor one night – we’ll see. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon and we can begin enjoying life on the water again. Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Cheers, Ally & Scott

December 31, 2019January 2, 2020

Our Boating Resolutions for 2020

Everyone sets resolutions for the new year and this time, Scott and I decided to set “boating resolutions” for 2020. Of course, losing weight will always be on the list, but our boating resolutions might be easier to achieve.

We also want to give a shout out to Northwest Yachting Magazine who included us in their boating resolutions article. That is going to help us be accountable and stick to our plan! As the year begins, we’ll share with you our progress on this blog and our YouTube channel. Here’s our list for 2020:

Save Money

Most of us have saving money on our list of resolutions and so far, we’ve done an “okay” job at it. Just our living situation is saving us money – we sold our big house and downsized to an apartment, cutting our living expenses by almost $2300! But Scott and I still have a long ways to go. We watch other cruisers and they are able to live on $15/day! That’s surely not possible here in the city – but we’re going to make a go of it and share it. Groceries alone in Seattle cost a fortune and we don’t shop at the fancy stores! Follow us and see how we do!

Some of the things we’ll do better at are:

Dine at home more often on the weekends (this is a big one)
Drink less wine (save calories!)
Make simple dishes – using less costly ingredients
Watch our personal spending for clothing, toiletries, etc – we’re not big spenders here, but every bit helps
Do boat maintenance ourselves instead of hiring out

What’s interesting about looking at our list is that we’re aren’t big spenders – yet we do like to go out to dinner and have drinks on the weekend – that adds up! Time to hunker down and watch movies at home.

Anchor Overnight

Scott and I have never anchored overnight or stayed on a mooring ball. With all of the great anchorages around Puget Sound, we are committed to anchoring at least a few times next year – especially before our trip to the BVI’s. We have to confess. We love the luxury of power and the ability to walk down the dock to go site seeing. Yes, we have a generator, but interestingly enough it is a portable Honda generator. That means it’s pretty loud and not the way we want to relax on the boat.

Visit British Columbia

Victoria B.C. is about 70 nautical miles from Elliott Bay Marina. At 10 knots, we think we could get there in about 8 – 8 1/2 hours. We’re certainly not going to run up there for a weekend, but our plan for next summer is to go up north for about 9-10 days. We’d visit Roche Harbor, then probably Sucia Island and then B.C. We’ve never ventured past Deer Harbor, so that’s why one of our boating resolutions is to venture out farther.

marina san juan islands — Roche Harbor Marina

Travel to at least three new ports

Every summer, Scott and I go back and visit the same ports we visited the year before. Probably because we’re familiar with them and the fear factor of the unknown is missing. At the same time, boating is all about visiting new places – especially ones that you can only get to by boat.

These ports will have to be somewhat close to Seattle, so we can get there over a weekend. Some places on our list (which would also fulfill our other boating resolutions) are:

Olympia
Port Townsend
Everett / Camano Island (where my family lives)
Edmonds
Port Ludlow

If you have a favorite spot we should visit over a weekend (near Seattle), please share your comments below.

Find a liveaboard slip

This boating resolution should be at the very top of our list, but we’re feeling a bit defeated here. It’s been four years since we decided to downsize to move onto a boat and we accomplished a lot! We got rid of our stuff, sold our home, sold our first boat and moved into an apartment. I was more worried about if I could actually live on a boat, not that I couldn’t because we can’t find a slip.

Scott and I love Elliott Bay Marina, but they have very strict rules against liveaboards. The only exception to that rule is the condo dock at EBM, but we don’t know anyone to contact. We’ve come to a road block there. We’ve put our name on the waiting list at Shilshole,, but that could take years. There are a few openings in Tacoma and possibly north, but we both work in downtown Seattle and making a two hour commute each way every day would make me miserable.

Our only hope is perhaps we find a private slip or find an available slip at EBM on the condo dock. If you hear of anything, please keep us in mind.

Remodeling Projects

One of our major boating resolutions is do tackle a few remodeling projects. In trying to save money, we certainly have no plans to invest a ton of money on remodeling the boat. But there are a few key items that we hope to address in 2020:

Get a bid for new carpet – our carpet is 17 years old and gross. Perhaps this is something we can do ourselves? But we don’t think so. Here’s photo of another Bayliner 4087 after their remodel – compared to us. They put hardwood floors under the dinette, added new carpet and some other finishing touches.

Replace the kitchen faucet. This is happening soon! Our faucet is way too big for our tiny kitchen sink. In fact, we can barely fit a skillet, let alone a pot under it.

Replace the double sink with a single bowl sink. Easier said than done! Our sink is 22″ x 14″ x 6″ and we cannot find an under-mount single bowl sink with these dimensions. If you know where we can find one, please let us know!

Replace the Bimini canvas top. While we would love to replace the entire canvas, our Isinglass is actually in pretty good shape. There are a few snaps that need to be repaired, which we can do ourselves. Our main issue is the bimini top leaks and after next summer we have no choice but to replace it. Here’s why! We have tubs all over up on the bridge collecting rain water.

One last resolution

Finally, our last boating resolution is to produce better quality & informative videos, along with improving our blog. In order to do that, we had to invest in better equipment (beyond my Android phone), which included the following. Santa was good to me this year! Now we just have to learn how to use everything!

Here’s to a great year in 2020!

After watching our last video of 2019, we know we have to up our game! Not only in video production, but in boating. Time to venture out and explore. As the saying goes, “You cannot discover new oceans, unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. ” That’s our plan for 2020!

As always, thank you for following our blog and journey! You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney.

Happy New Year to you and your family! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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October 13, 2019November 23, 2019

Are our holding tanks leaking?!

A couple of months ago, I started smelling a rancid burning urine smell and wondered if our one of our holding tanks was leaking. The smell stayed in one spot near the forward holding tank, but not directly where it was. So we ignored it for a few weeks. Finally last weekend on the boat, I couldn’t stand the smell. In fact, I swore I could smell it everywhere.

So Scott and I decided to investigate. The forward holding tank is located in the third cabin under the bed.

Once we removed all of the bedding and the floor cover, we were able to access the entire tank. To our dismay, there was some sort of stinky liquid under the holding tank. GROSS. Since it is a tight space, we decided it would be me, who would sop up the liquid and dry the space out. This way we could try and see where it’s coming from.

This is a stinky job!

Unfortunately, we had not pumped out recently, so this was a very stinky job! We also checked all of the hoses running to the tank and they were bone dry. After drying out the area, we then flushed the toilet to see if water would appear under the tank again. Surprisingly, it stayed dry.

Scott and I then moved on to the aft holding tank. We assumed it would be the same story – NOT! First off, all you see when you lift up the floor board is a stinky bilge and the edge of the tank! You have to be kidding me!

We assumed the worst!

Determined that we had leaking holding tanks, I contacted my parts department at Union Marine to find out how we could order new tanks. Then we realized, how in the world do we even access the aft tank? There must be an easy access. I contacted Bayliner and to our surprise – no access. Oh joy. Our best option, would be to dismantle the entire bed frame and cut a hole in the floor.

That’s when Scott and I decided to investigate further. That can’t possibly be true! So we tore apart our bed to see what we could find.

Turns out, it is one solid piece. We would have to remove the edging (which would most likely destroy it), unscrew the top and the sides.

What we did discover, is there is an access panel to the water tank. So we used our remote camera to try and see if there was any way to access the holding tank, but it didn’t tell us much. It did indicate we would have to unscrew the bed frame from the inside though!

Option #2

Before we dismantle ANYTHING, let’s make sure that this tank is actually leaking! We know the bilge belongs to the holding tank, so we decided we needed to dry it out too. This time it was Scott’s job to clean out the stinky bilge water and see if it leaks.

To better access the situation, we decided to pump out so that we were dealing with empty tanks. Our plan was to fill up the forward tank with fresh water to see if it ever started to leak.

Surprisingly, there was never a leak in either bilges! What the heck? Where did that liquid come from?? We can only guess that there might have been a leak at one time and after they sealed it up, they never cleaned up the liquid.

The smell is still there!

Back to our original problem – it still stinks in the forward stairway to the cabins. Interestingly enough, that’s also where the vent is. We have noticed a slight corrosion from salt water on the outside vent. Maybe that’s all it is? But it’s not easy to access.

So what’s our plan? Right now, we’re planning on flushing fresh water into both tanks over the next couple of weeks and not using them. Then have them pumped out a few times, so we’re only dealing with fresh water. At the same time, we’ll check the outside thru-hull and see if we can clean up the corrosion. I don’t think we can easily remove it (especially while we’re in the water) . But if anyone out there has dealt with this same issue, we’d love to hear your advice or experience!

Lots of people have also mentioned the hoses can go bad and get stinky. Again, they are not easy to access, so this is a huge job! Obviously, if we were to consider seriously living on the boat, this would have to be addressed right away. We did try to run water thru one vent, but nothing happened. Then we tried to disconnect the vent hose from the tank to see if we could see a clog, but it wouldn’t budge.

Stay tuned for updates as we try to figure out the issue. If anyone out there has successfully accessed their aft tank, please give us your tips and advice. We’ll share as much as we learn with you all too. It could be that they just stink – they are 17 years old after all.

**** UPDATE****
We ended up calling Emerald Harbor Marine to see if they could check the line. Turns out we have an inline vent filter and those need to be changed every few years. (each tank has one, but we only changed the forward vent). We didn’t know we had a vent, because we couldn’t see it. It was located behind the battery bank panel. The labor was the most expensive part of the bill (2.5 hours) and the filter was about $85. Hoping this fixes the smell. Stay tuned!

As always, thanks for following us on our journey! Next weekend, we are hoping to take the boat up to the Port of Everett if the weather is nice. In our next blog, we’ll share our haul-out at Canal Boatyard.

Please subscribe to our social channels too, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Not only do we want to share our story & experience with you, we also want to hear from you too! We’re learning everyday!

Cheers,

Scott & Ally

September 15, 2019October 6, 2019

We Anchored for the First Time!

Scott and I finally anchored for the first time last weekend! When we had Kokomo, we went through the process of pulling out our anchor and marking it in feet. So we did the same thing with this boat a few weeks ago. It’s important to check your anchor for a few things: is it in good shape, is it all chain and how much chain do you have? Plus, once the chain locker is empty, you can inspect it too.

Our anchor is tied to a cleat on the bow, which helps keep it secured. But as you can see, we need to replace the rope – it’s seen better days.

On this boat, we have foot pedals on the bow for the electric windlass. The anchor you see in the photo below, is actually our spare anchor.

Laying the anchor chain out on the dock.

Turns out we have all chain and no rope. That’s a good thing. However, we noticed the first five rungs were really rusty, so we decided to remove those. Easier said than done, but Scott managed to do it with a set of bolt cutters.

Next we knew that the dock was built in 10′ segments, so we laid out the tarp and then I slowly released the anchor chain and Scott lined up the chain every ten feet on the dock.

How much anchor chain do we have?

Our previous boat had over 250′ of chain and we never once anchored with that boat. Since this boat has a generator, we hope to spend the night on the hook next summer. Once Scott laid out all of the chain on the dock, he spray painted the ends, indicating “every ten feet”. The previous owner had also tied ribbons on the chain, every 25′, so now we have two methods of measurements we can use.

Notice the end of the chain, we double painted it yellow and orange, so we would know we were at the end when anchoring.

Turns out we have about 240′ of chain. The chain locker looked good and we were very careful when we brought it back up. We checked the locker a few times to make sure it was laying flat.

One word of caution – don’t pull the chain / anchor too tight. As you can see in the photo below, I did just that and it got stuck on the anchor plate below the bow. Scott was finally able to loosen it, by attaching a line to it from the dock and pushing the boat back and forth. But if you’re on the water, you’re stuck.

Let’s practice in Port Madison

Last weekend, we headed over to Port Madison to practice anchoring. Kurt came along to give us some tips and advice. It was a beautiful day and perfect to practice anchoring for the first time.

The original plan was to enter into Port Madison and anchor inside.

However, it was also a very low tide that afternoon and once we got inside where Treasure Island is, we were in only 7′ of water and I got uncomfortable. Not only was I worried about our draft (yes, our draft is 4′, so we were fine), but there were a lot of boats inside and the last thing they needed was a newbie practicing around them. When anchoring, make sure to practice proper etiquette.

So we decided to turn around and head back out. We would practice anchoring in the outside bay. (smart decision). If you are looking to practice anchoring, Port Madison is perfect – it’s only 40 min from Seattle (at 9 knots) and a fun trip.

We’re finally ready to anchor for the first time!

Right outside the bay, we picked a spot that was about 20′ deep and there were no boats around. We untied the anchor and slowly started to lower it into the water. Since there were no boats around, we decided to let out 100′ of chain (5 -1) versus 140 (7-1). If I noticed that the boat was moving forward over the chain, I had Scott slowly back up. We did this a few times, until 100′ was let out. Then we waited about 3 minutes to see if the chain was holding. It wasn’t vibrating, which can be an indicator that it’s dragging.

Success on the first try! We’re not going anywhere. Time for lunch!

The four of us enjoyed lunch in the cockpit while at anchor. It was a bit weird and you do move a lot. This is not a bay I would stay over night in, so I’m assuming it would be calmer somewhere else.

Now we have to pull up the anchor

You’ll love the pictures here, as I was wearing our GoPro camera while pulling up the anchor! LOL. Scott and I followed the same procedure of backing up the boat, if it started to move over the top of the anchor. I would give him arm signals, indicating which direction the anchor chain was as we were pulling it up.

The wet chain made a bit of a mess on the bow, with some rusty water. We took a bucket of water and rinsed it off right away. We only brought up a little bit of kelp, so nothing too bad. The anchor had a lot of mud on it, so I carefully lowered it a few times to rinse it off. In all, it was a successful first time anchoring. I’m really glad Kurt was there to show us the ropes and help with the process. Be sure to check out our next blog as we take a trip around Blake Island to look for a spot to anchor!

Here’s the full footage on our YouTube channel below.

As always, thank you for following our blog. We’re booking our bareboat charter in the British Virgin Islands this week. Our friends Ben & Maria are chartering a Power Catamaran with us next April. I will be sure to share all of my research and am looking for tips and advise too in upcoming blogs.

Please follow us on our social channels: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Cheers, Scott and Ally
#boatingjourney

July 3, 2019July 17, 2019

Dock Street Getaway in Tacoma

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

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

Leaving Seattle

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

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

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

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

Are we there yet?

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

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

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

Hello Tacoma!

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

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

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

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

The calm after the storm

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

Exploring Tacoma

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

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

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

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

Museums everywhere!

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

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

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

A beautiful warm night at dock

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

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

The trip home

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

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

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

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

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June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

The Oven & a Drone on Memorial Day Weekend

What does an oven and drone have to do with Memorial day weekend? That comes later. LOL

It is hard to believe that it was just two years ago, that we spent our first Memorial Day weekend on a boat. Scott and I barely knew our old boat Kokomo, yet we invited an entire crew for a full weekend. That particular weekend was HOT in Seattle and a great start to summer.

Not the case for this year.

The weather forecast was dreary for Saturday & part of Sunday. On Saturday morning, Scott headed to the boat to re-wire the stereo system, which took him most of the day. I stayed home to clean the condo and get organized. I was looking forward to having a relaxing night at home with a movie. But when he got back from the boat, he said to me “Okay, are you ready?”

Ready for what I wondered? That’s when he reminded me that we made a commitment to stay on the boat every weekend, no matter the weather. Crap. Change of plans. Then I tell him that I was planning on baking pasta for dinner and his reply was “we have an oven.” Oh yeah.

The Oven……

Everyone who knows me well, knows that I am very cautious when it comes to boating safety! You can’t be too safe. I’m already a bit uncomfortable cooking with propane on the stove top and it turns out our oven is also propane. While some ovens simply have an ignition switch, ours does not. You have to light the pilot light , then hold the heat control knob to light the burner and hold for 15 seconds. Blech!

One thing I will say is that our boat (and most I assume) has great built in safety features in regards to our LPG system (liquid propane gas). In order to use it, you have to turn on the LPG switch at the panel, open up the propane tank and then turn on the switch in the galley.

Prepping Dinner

Okay, back to making dinner! Since it was cold and dreary, I decided to bake some pasta. Keep it simple (and yes, I will share the recipe in another blog). First thing I needed to do was boil up some pasta. That’s when I realized I only have two skillets! When we sold Kokomo, we gave a way a lot of the galley items, including the pasta pot. So I ended up boiling the water in a skillet!

I then baked the pasta at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes and it came out perfect!

When we are done using the stove/oven each time, I turn off not only the switches, but I also close the valve on the tank. About every few uses, we also spray the valve down with soapy water to check for leaks. You just can’t be too safe.

Just as with our old boat, prepping dinner on a boat is not the same as in your home. Space is tight and counter tops are limited. Since my brother-in-law Kurt makes cutting boards, I asked him to create something that would cover the sink. This would allow for more usable space and we can’t wait to see how it turns out.

A Drone Visitor

The next day we invited Scott’s brother Jeff, his nephew Justin and our friends Nick & Michelle out for a cruise on Elliott Bay. Luckily the weather broke up and the sun started shining. Justin also owns a DJI Mavic Pro drone, so he brought it along to get us some footage of the boat. Justin has never flown it out on the water, so this was going to be an adventure.

While drone footage is always so cool, it’s also a bit creepy and weird to have some weird flying thing videotaping you!

The footage turned out great – the funny thing about this is, we cleaned the bimini the next day!

Scott and I plan on getting a new larger drone soon. We have two smaller ones, but nothing that would have the distance or technology like the DJI Mavic. But we just invested in some new camera equipment, so that will have to wait for now.

A Great Send-Off to Great Friends

Our friends Nick and Michelle are moving to Scottsdale, AZ next week and we wanted to invite them for one more trip. They have been on this journey with us for over seven years, so it was great they could join us for the weekend. They just happened to be on the boat two years ago over Memorial Day weekend too! We have traveled to the Anacortes Boat Show with them numerous times and we will miss them terribly! Hopefully they will join us on our charter cruise next Spring in the BVI’s.

The Bimini

You might recall our last “cleaning the bimini” post – what a mess. The top was nearly white from all of the heron poop, so we decided to remove it to clean it. But when we got started, we realized we had to take apart the entire rack structure in order to remove the canvas. That didn’t happen! Luckily for us, our new bimini is zippered into the rods, so it was easy to remove.

Always use a tarp on the dock to protect the canvas. We used 303 Cleaner to clean it. After rinsing it thoroughly, we hung them over the bow railing to dry completely. Once they were dry, we sprayed them with 303 Marine Fabric Guard to protect and repel liquids on the canvas. Scott and I were a bit worried about getting the bimini back on easily, but we had no problems at all.

Since we were busy doing boat chores, I decided to tackle our lines. Not only do I not like the set-up (our bow line is also used as a spring line), but the lines are as stiff as a board. I cleaned each one in Dawn and rinsed them thoroughly. They look and feel great now!

Overall, it was a great weekend on the boat. I’m glad we headed down on Saturday after all. The more time we spend on it, the better we will know it.

Stay tuned for our next blog – we’re entertaining all weekend and doing more chores! Boats are never boring, that’s for sure!

As always, thank you for following & subscribing to our blog. Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

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Cheers, Scott and Ally

June 3, 2019

New Cockpit Carpet!

One thing Scott and I invested in right away is new carpet for the cockpit after we bought the boat. The one that came with the boat, was so old, stinky and a bit green!

We were referred to Custom Marine Carpet in the Midwest by a number of people and they also have been great followers of our blog on Instagram. We reached out to find out what we needed to do, to get started. First, we ordered a template kit for about $30 and they sent us some carpet samples that we selected.

We knew we didn’t want actual “carpet” so we chose the sample on the left, which is called “Luxury Weave 2”.

Creating the template for the custom carpet

First we had to clear everything out of the cockpit! Scott and I then removed the carpet and took it home so we could create the template in the garage.

They recommend that you outline a larger template than your carpet, then cut around that cut out. From there, take the plastic back to the boat, finalize the size and trim as needed.

Custom Marine Carpet supplies you with a box and a return label. You simply fill out the form, return the plastic and then wait. It took about four weeks – unfortunately, they had a major warehouse fire during this process and lost a lot of supplies!

Installing the new carpet!

They send you the number of snaps you need and we requested fifteen. Now, we had to figure out how to install the snaps. Luckily for me, I was able to borrow two key tools from work. We not only worked on the carpet, but we did some canvas repair as well.

Our first worry was if it would fit! Shockingly, it fit perfect! Scott did a great job and so did Custom Marine Carpet!

We are really happy with how it turned out!! Thank you to Union Marine for loaning us the tools too.

We finished the evening with dinner at Maggie Bluffs and once again, our resident ducks were greeting everyone. Stay tuned for our next blog – chores & entertaining on the boat!

Thank you for following us! Please subscribe to our boating blog, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Cheers, Scott and Ally

May 3, 2019May 22, 2019

Learning About Our New Boat

Learning all about our new boat

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

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

Practice Docking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taking the Boat Into Service & Back Through the Locks

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

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

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

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

Our First Night on the Boat!

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Check out Episode #34 Taking Possession of Our Happy Day

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

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

March 1, 2019June 14, 2019

How did our sea trial go?

Sea Trial, Survey, Mechanical Inspection & Haul Out

Last Weds, February 20th, Scott and I had the sea trial, survey and mechanical inspection scheduled for the Bayliner 4087 we made an offer on. Seattle has been experiencing record breaking snow levels and conditions this month and once again it threatened to snow on Wednesday! Based on the weather forecast, I was nervous. You know me, when it comes to weather, I’m a nut. The last thing I wanted to do was haul out in the snow! Here’s a picture that our boat yard shared the week before!

We hired Chuck Solarek, of CSW Surveyors and I highly recommend him! Chuck came in with loaded guns. Not only is he SAMS accredited (Society of Marine Surveyors Society), but he has twenty-four years experience as a naval submarine engineer. He had so much equipment with him, that I thought he had other members on his team. In the end, his survey and mechanical inspection was so detailed and thorough, we couldn’t have asked for more.

Let sea trials begin

Scott and I asked my brother-in-law Kurt to join us for the sea trial. He is a retired Washington State Ferry engineer and a life long boater himself. You will recall, he helped us out many times with Kokomo – especially during our trip to the San Juans Islands.

Also along on the trip, was our broker Steve Thoreson, from Union Marine and the captain, who was hired by Elliott Bay Yacht Sales. (certainly different than when Ed the owner of Kokomo took us out!

We all met at the marina around 9:15am and by then Chuck had been on the boat for a bit doing his inspection.

We left Elliott Bay Marina around 9:30am and headed towards Shilshole Marina and Seaview Boat Yard. Low and behold, the weather was perfect! We had calm seas and a slight mist, but that was it!

On our trip to Seaview, we motored at about 11 knots, which was a very pleasant pace. Unlike Kokomo, we could talk and hear each other. However, at this pace, it would take us eight hours to get to the San Juan Islands, versus three on Kokomo. Scott took the helm at the bridge on the way up and I sat down below in the salon. During that time, Along the way, Kurt and Chuck were checking different systems.

Arriving at Seaview Boatyard

If you remember from the last time we hauled out, I was scared to death to climb out of the boat while it was in the slings. Well, this time it was just as bad, if not worse! I still can’t believe this is how they do this!! So unsafe. Each passenger, walks out to the bow, steps over the railing (that’s great if you are tall), reaches for the WET ladder that is about a foot or two away and starts to climb out. Don’t mind that you are 15′ in the air!

I was so worried my foot was going to slip or my hand would lose a grip. My heart was racing when I landed on the pier. I then told everyone, they were picking me up on the dock when we were done! LOL

Hauling out the boat

We had one hour to have Chuck inspect the hull, drives, propellers and trim tabs. Since I won a free power wash at the Seattle Boat Show, I had them power wash the bottom, so we could get a clearer picture of what it looked like.

Remember what Kokomo looked like when we hauled out? Not only did it need to be painted, but all of the zincs were shot! (see below)

Well, shockingly this boat was in perfect shape! (still seems odd to me, since they say the last time they hauled out was in 2014!) So strange, but that’s great news!

Poor Chuck was soaked from inspecting the hull while they pressure washed it!

Time to head back for home & sea trials

An hour and $425 later, it was time to put the boat back in the water.

Remember, I wasn’t going back the same way I came! Watching the guys, they don’t look thrilled either.

We left Seaview boatyard around 11:15am and headed out to Elliott Bay. Once out in the bay, Chuck had Scott run the engines, while he checked them. Remember, these are twin Cummins diesel engines. From our cruising speed of 11 knots/1000 RPMs, Chuck had us increase the RPMs to 1500, then to 2000 and then to wide open at 2500 RPMs. You would never run a semi-displacement boat at that speed, as it’s not only not good for the engines, but you would get terrible fuel consumption. For the best fuel consumption, between 1000-1200 RPMs is ideal.

What we did learn about diesel engines is three primary things:

Never ever run out of gas (remember our story from September?)
When cruising with diesel engines, it is important to run at 80% of your max RPM during your last 20 minutes of cruising. That’s important to remember if you plan on only cruising the bay.
When docking, leave the engines running at idle for about 5 minutes to allow them to cool off. Unlike gas engines, diesel engines cool off while running versus after they shut down.

Once back at the dock, the last thing to check was the infamous tender – did it run? Steve dropped it (sort of) into the water, then Scott climbed into it haphazardly and was able to start it. The running lights work, but maybe not the CD Player. LOL

Survey results?

Well it wouldn’t be a boating journey story if there wasn’t a snag right? Remember when we trying to close on Kokomo and the owner kept going out of town, so it took a month? Let’s hope that’s not the case this time.

Long story short, the survey and inspection came back pretty good. We do have to some work, nothing too major and Lake Union Sea Ray Service Department can do all of the work. Scott and I have accepted the survey and now we wait to go to escrow next week – we hope! Our lender requires our boat be documented with the Coast Guard. We are waiting for the documentation reports to make sure it’s not a stolen boat before we can go to escrow. Guess what? The Coast Guard is a bit back logged due to the government shutdown.

Then we are scheduled to close on Weds, March 6th – but Scott will be in Miami, FL. This title company doesn’t like to use “power of attorney” signatures, so he either needs to find a notary in Miami or be present. So our hope is that we move it to Thursday, March 7th if the Coast Guard docs come back in time – the night we fly out to the Caribbean on our tall ship cruise. If that doesn’t happen, it will have to be postponed until we return, mid-March.

Then what?

Once we take possession, our broker Steve will spend time with both us teaching us how to dock it and back it out of the slip. Everyone says it will be much much easier than our old boat, so let’s hope so. Since we will be taking it to Lake Union Sea Ray for service, we’ll go thru the Ballard Locks with Steve that same day and get some time under our belts (he can dock it at the shop though) 😉

So stay tuned! Our next update will most likely be our trip to the Caribbean and not about the boat! We have some work to do on it, both mechanically and aesthetically and we’ll share all of that with you too, once we are official.

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

Watch our full sea trial and survey on Episode 29 on our YouTube channel here:

Cheers, Scott and Ally