Friends of ours, have listed their boat for sale and Maria was curious as to what they should and should not leave on the boat. Since I’m (Ally) in the boat business, I thought I would answer her question here in this week’s blog.
Should you stage your boat?
Take time to clean the boat and get it ready for a showing. Maria did ask me if it should be “staged”? Great question! Depending on the size and type of the boat, determines if staging in necessary. When we sold our Bayliner 3055, we did stage it for photos, but not tours.
When we sold our Bayliner 4087, we did stage a few extra things like wine for photos, but we did make sure all of the towels and pillows were set up properly. At the end of the day, it’s up to you and how you want your boat to look.
There are two rules when it comes to selling your boat.
Remember that selling your boat, is not much different than selling your home. Do not leave any personal belongings on the boat. This includes valuables, personal photos and clothing. Potential buyers are going to be opening lockers and drawers, so unless you want to share your stuff with them, take it home.
If it’s on the boat when you list it, it’s FAIR GAME. That means, the potential buyer assumes, that the price includes everything that is on it. Back to the first rule – if it’s personal or meaningful to you, remove it.
So what do you leave on the boat?
This brings us back to Maria’s original question, which was “Should we leave all of the galley ware on the boat?” Really, it’s up to you. When Scott and I sold both boats, we left everything on (except a few items). We left dishes, silverware, cups, glasses, utensils, towels and cutting boards. Why? A few reasons.
Link to this set can be found in our shop.
One, we wanted to make the boat turn-key for the new buyers. Second, we didn’t know how much space or what the set up might be on our next boat. Example, maybe your dishes are too wide for the drawer or cabinet of your new boat? Maybe the utensils are too long? You get the idea. We would rather buy these again for our next boat.
Things we did take home were our personal PFDs, custom pillows and our sleeping pillows. No one wants to use those.
Other items
We also left all of the linens, towels, cleaning supplies, safety gear, charts and spare boat parts on the boat. If we didn’t want to store it or have any use for it, we left it on. Our last boat came with all kinds of spare parts and we bought a lot too. All that stayed on board.
Original Boat Accessories
The other thing we made sure to put back on the boat (we stored it in the aft cabin), were the original boat linens and pillows. Our broker had told us not to remove anything permanently as it lowers the value. Instead, we vacuum sealed everything and stored it tightly.
The other thing we recommend, is remove any clutter or old cleaning supplies. For some reason, both owners we bought our boats from, left over 20 solvents on each of our boats and no one wants that.
So in the end, what stays on the boat is really up to you, as to what you keep on the boat and what you take home. Just remember, if it’s on the boat while it’s being shown, it’s included with the boat!
We hope this was informative. Watch our quick video that goes a bit more into detail below!
As always, thank you for following our boating journey! Scott and I have some great blogs and vlogs coming up, so please be sure to subscribe to get notifications. Follow us on social at @boatingjourney too!
This past summer, while touring a Viking Sport Yacht, broker offered to show us a 2006 Navigator 5100. She had overheard us talking about our love for Navigator yachts and she had one on the other dock. Unfortunately at $449,000 it’s out of our price range, but we were thrilled to be able to take a quick tour.
Almost identical to the 5300
If you have been following us this summer, you’ll remember that we toured a Navigator 5300 up in Bellingham. The big difference between this yacht and that one is, this one has furniture in the salon (because the 5300 had sank at the dock). Though two feet shorter, none of the layout appears to be tighter or smaller.
The cockpit is nice a roomy, perfect for a day out fishing. You enter through the heavy duty sliding glass door into the main salon, which is very spacious and comfortable. The salon and galley of the Navigator reminds me very much of a “home”.
photo credit: Chuck Hovey yachts
The television is hidden in the cabinet until you’re ready to watch it.
One of my biggest issues with the our Bayiner 4087, was we couldn’t relax on a couch and watch tv comfortably. We had to sit in the settee to watch tv. This salon offers a great area to unwind and relax.
Large Upgraded Galley
For anyone who knows me well, you know I love to cook – even on a boat. But small kitchens and galleys, drive me crazy. Even in our big huge house that we sold, we had pretty limited counter space for prep. The Navigator galleys offer tons of prep space, plus a full pantry under the floor in the galley.
photo credit: Chuck Hovey yachts
Up behind the galley, is the interior bridge. There’s a large settee behind the captain’s chair, which could be used for an office as well.
photo credit: Chuck Hovey yachts
The bridge had great visibility and all upgraded electronics.
Expansive living quarters
Just like the Navigator 5300, the 5100 offers a large master stateroom with a washer and dryer.
The master stateroom had tons of storage, perfect for a liveaboard. The master head was enclosed and it has a separate shower to the right of the Vacuflush toilet.
I was also shocked about how much storage the cedar closets offered. Plus they smell great!
Room for the entire family!
Down the hall from the master, you’ll find a double bunk stateroom and a VIP v-berth stateroom. The amount of storage that is included in each stateroom was amazing!
The guest head has plenty of space & storage and the shower is a stand alone shower stall here too.
photo credit: Chuck Hovey yachts
Up to the bridge
To access the fly bridge, you enter through the interior helm area. One thing I really like about the exterior of the Navigator 5100 is the height of the railings. Since I’m short and usually the one putting the fenders out, I feel safer with a taller railing.
When we toured this Navigator 5100, they had taken all of the cushions off, to keep them protected from the elements. One disappointing fact about this Navigator 5100 is that it does not have an enclosed fly bridge, which is a must for us.
As you can see, there’s tons of storage under the seats. Below is what the bridge looks like with the cusions.
photo credit: Chuck Hovey yachts
There’s so much room up on the bridge! We do wish there was some kind of table, but so far, none of the Navigators we have looked at, have had one on the bridge.
Again, the upper fly bridge offers great visibility for ease of docking.
Is the Navigator our next liveaboard?
Scott and I admit, that after touring three different Navigators, that this is what we are looking for in a liveaboard. We especially like the Sundance model with the main stateroom located mid ship.
So we will continue to search for Navigators and hope that one will come with a liveaboard slip. If you know of anyone wanting to sell their 50′ – 55′ Navigator with a liveaboard slip, please DM us. Be sure to watch the full tour on our channel, video below.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and like most of you, we’re celebrating at home by ourselves thanks to covid-19. Thank you for following our journey and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social @BoatingJourney.
In this week’s blog, we welcome Lauren Cordell, a guest blog writer. She shares with us different loan options for financing a boat.
4 Loan Optionsto Lower the Financing Costs of Boat Ownership
There is nothing more refreshing than driving down to the lake on a warm summer day and lounging about on your boat. However, unless you have a tremendous amount of cash lying around, you’ll likely need a boat loan to bring your fantasies to life.
For most people, financing a boat is a heavy financial challenge. Fortunately, there are a few boat loans to ease the load from boat financing. Setting aside time to think about a reasonable spending plan and financial capability for your purchase can undoubtedly help you choose the type of boat loan that caters to your lifestyle.
How to Finance Your Boat
Financing a boat begins with searching for a credible lender for boat loans, discussing, and applying. Finding a boat loan lender is not that back-breaking since banks have found that most boat purchasers are great customers for loans.
Nonetheless, you can also opt to hire a boat loan expert instead of directly contacting a boat loan lender. Boat loan experts commonly interact deeply with the client regarding the application, credit faction, examination, and underwritings.
Boat Loans
It’s undeniable that the costs of boat ownership are expensive. Thus, a lot of people opt to get a boat loan to help them financially. A boat loan is a type of installment loan with a scheduled regular payment, which lasts from 2-15 years. Loan terms and interest rates differ depending on the lender, your loan size, income, credit score, and the type of loan you chose.
Secured Boat Loans
A secured loan implies that the cash lent to you comes with a need for collateral. Collateral is something of significant worth that the lender can use to recover the loan’s expense if you fail to pay the installments. Vehicles, homes, and other valuable things are the usual loan collaterals. Furthermore, you can also sign off the boat itself as collateral.
Secured loans provide borrowers with many benefits. First, they commonly have lower interest rates compared to unsecured loans. Lower interest rates are an effect of the lender receiving lower risks because of the collateral. Secured loans are likewise open to borrowers who have a messy financial record. Furthermore, secured boat loans generally have longer reimbursement terms and higher loan cutoffs than unsecured loans.
However, the primary risk is that you’d need to give up your collateral if you fail to pay the installments. Secured loans are ideal for borrowers who need a more significant loan amount, are OK with the risk related to it, and those who don’t qualify for unsecured loans.
Unsecured Boat Loans
An unsecured loan does not need a guarantee. However, that does not mean it comes without risks. Unsecured loans generally have larger interest rates and many additional limitations compared to secured loans. Even the application process is more complicated to make up for the absence of collateral.
Numerous individuals opt to apply for personal loans when searching for the ideal boat financing choices. A personal loan is a type of unsecured loan that can provide preferable rates than traditional funding entities. They commonly have flexible reimbursement terms and competitive interest rates. You can likewise make additional installments or take care of the whole debt early.
To reiterate, in contrast to secured loans, you don’t need to sign off your boat or other valuables as collateral. An unsecured loan is solely dependent on your financial soundness and evident income. After receiving your loan request approval and funding, the lender will transfer the whole sum into your account.
In-house Financing
In contrast to the more specialized terms in the boat financing world, many boat dealers also offer in-house financing. It’s financing that happens “in house.” It generally occurs inside the walls of the dealership, wherein you plan to purchase your boat.
If you’re prudent, you and the dealer can both benefit from this fiscal agreement. You get your dream boat, pay the interest throughout the loan’s course, and the dealer profits from the income. Win-win situation for both parties. Some even closely manage the lender’s application up to closing deals for a quick and hassle-free experience.
In the most ideal situation, you acquire your boat and pay a competitive interest in it throughout the loan period. If you default on the advance, the dealer keeps the money you’ve already paid. In addition to losing cash, they can also repossess the boat based on the terms that you consented to when signing the agreement.
Second Mortgage
You can go for a home equity loan or a second mortgage on the off chance that you decide not to apply for a personal loan. Home equity loans would utilize your house as a guarantee for your boat loan. And because it requires collateral, it is considered a secured loan.
As stated before, interest rates tend to be lower for secured loans compared to unsecured loans. In short, home equity loans can be incredibly risky because the stakes are exceptionally high. If you fail to pay off the loan installment, the lender has the power to seize your house.
Where to Get a Boat Loan
The three most common places you can turn to for a boat loan are online lenders, banks, and credit unions. Usually, the application process is quick, and approval is mainly dependent on your financial assessment and capacity to repay the loan.
When weighing where to get a boat loan, consider the loan lender’s annual percentage rate, which incorporates the interest rate and additional expenses, to compare the costs and installments that are ideal for your budget.
Banks
Banks and other loaning organizations are the standard go-to’s to apply for a boat loan. Inquiring in your local bank for loan options is a smart start. Establishing a positive, pre-settled relation with a bank can be very useful in helping you get faster approval with a decent rate.
Although many boat dealers currently offer financing choices of their own, this isn’t generally the case. Furthermore, any financing that a boat dealer offers should be subject to comparison with rates that different loan lenders offer.
Credit Unions
Credit unions are like banks but are non-revenue driven organizations intended for individuals who share a collective bond. You might be qualified to enter a credit union for numerous factors — maybe it’s for individuals who live in your locale, people who went to or are in the same school, or have likewise served in the military.
Luckily, the majority of credit unions do not have uptight membership prerequisites. Thus, becoming a member to apply for a boat loan won’t be that much of a challenge. However, while credit unions ordinarily offer personalized client support, they don’t generally keep track of the most recent banking tech. As a result, applying for a boat loan online may not be possible.
Online Lenders
Searching for boat loan lenders online can also be another practical technique for boat financing. Some online lenders offer any type of loan that caters to your lifestyle and needs. At the point when other lending organizations can’t provide the terms you need, finding an online loan lender could be the key to owning your boat.
Takeaway
Setting sail on your boat is a precious experience, and your lack of funds should not hinder you from achieving that dream. Apply for a boat loan that you know you can take on financially today and in the days to come. Furthermore, choose a lender you can trust and provide you with the best terms for your lifestyle. With a little effort and consistency, that summer day lounging in your boat will not be far along in the future.
Author’s Bio
Lauren Cordell has worked as a professional content writer for over five years. She is an avid fan of the outdoors and especially loves incorporating her travels in her writings. Lauren usually spends her free time with her family during the summer and drives down to the lake to spend their afternoon on the family boat.
It has been three long months since Scott and I have been boating so we finally decided to charter a yacht from Anacortes Yacht Charters and visit the San Juan Islands. We have talked to AYC many times at the Seattle Boat Show and they have a great selection of yachts from which to choose. We chose to depart from Anacortes to save time and get over to the San Juan Islands quickly.
You might ask, did we look at other charter companies? Great question – yes we did. However, this was a very last minute decision that also involved another party. We had invited my brother-in-law Kurt and his brother Cal (and girl friend Tracey) to come along. Long story short, only Cal and Tracey decided to go and our choices were pretty limited in regards to available boats around 40-45′. There is some irony to this story so keep reading!
We reserved a 40′ Carver and I sent everyone a photo and link to the yacht, which had two large staterooms.
After we reserved it, I started looking for YouTube videos of the Carver and noticed that our model (that I thought I reserved), didn’t have big staterooms. Uh ho! Sure enough, I reserved the wrong Carver! Instead of an aft cabin Carver, we had reserved a Carver 410 Sport Sedan that only had a V-berth and a small cabin for stowaways. Since it was my mistake, we’d take the small cabin.
More surprises ahead!
A week before our departure, Kurt calls and says he would like to join us. Awesome!! (Remember, he not only has years of boating experience, but he is a retired Chief Engineer for the Washington Ferries). So we love having him on board!
One problem though – this boat only has two staterooms and the couch is curved. I tried calling Anacortes Yacht Charters to see if we could upgrade to a larger boat and they said no – we would have to pay a cancellation fee.
The other bit of info I should share, is that we wanted to charter for four (4) nights, but the boat was only available for three. Unfortunately, if you reserve a boat for less than four nights, you pay extra fees as a penalty. Plus, we wanted to do a sleepover on it the night before, so we could get under way first thing in the morning. There was another fee for that! I’ll share our charter costs at the end of this blog series.
Two days before we depart, Scott sends out a group email that simply says “Bad news. The Charter company called and……..” Everyone’s heart stopped at that sentence. Luckily, he finished it by saying “…..the Carver ran aground, so they need to upgrade us to a Meridian 411”. We all sighed in relief and were thrilled! This was a much nicer boat, great layout and the couch wasn’t curved.
Packing the truck
The five us wanted to ride up together and I told everyone to pack lightly. We also wanted to drop a couple of crab pots, so Cal brought along two of his. (We didn’t know until later that the boat comes with two pots). Arriving to Cal’s house, it was obvious we may have to take two cars. But you have to know Scott; he’s the master at tetris and he made it work!
It also helps that we have a Nissan Armada and everyone fit comfortably!
Then on our way up, we asked Kurt where his sleeping bag was? (he’s sleeping on the couch). Ooops, guess who forgot to pack one! Luckily, we were just approaching Cabelas and he stopped and bought one there. Another note – the boat had plenty of spare blankets, so he didn’t need to.
Provisioning & Itinerary
Since this was a short trip, I told everyone to bring their own beverages and favorite snacks. Provisioning was really simple. When we were at a marina, we planned on eating breakfast and dinner at a restaurant to support the locals. This ended up being a good idea, as the fridge was really small compared to the one on our Bayliner 4087.
In addition, many of the cupboards were full of supplies. We ended up putting food in drawers in the master stateroom.
With only three days to explore, we kept the itinerary easy. We planned on leaving Anacortes on Monday morning and head over to Roche Harbor (26 miles) where we would stay at the marina and explore. Tuesday, we would head to Stuart Island (8 miles) and stay the night in Prevost Harbor and then head to Friday Harbor (13 miles) the next day. Had the trip been longer, we would have anchored more and explored a few more islands.
Anacortes Yacht Charter Check-In
This was our first charter (remember our BVI charter was postponed until next February), so we didn’t know what to expect. They are very strict about arrival times, so be sure to adhere to those. We arrived to the office at 4pm on Sunday and they had Scott review the paperwork and then watch a 30 minute safety video. We were all there, so we joined in. They offer free water, coffee and ice cream – so it was worth it!
From there, we met with our check-in captain on the boat at Cap Sante Marina. They were running late from the previous charter that day, so we had to wait about an hour before we could board. Since we couldn’t get a cocktail, we just walked around the marina a bit.
Once on board, she walked us through the interior and exterior of the boat. One tip I have, is be sure to video tape any instructions (i.e. turning on the generator), as they may come in handy later.
The captain also took Scott and Kurt down into the engine room – that ended up being a great idea later. The access is under the flybridge stairs, which was pretty convenient (versus lifting up the floor board in the salon).
Once you have gone through the boat, the captain will then have the crew take the boat down the fairway, turn around and dock it. One thing I was disappointed about is she didn’t ask us about our experience as boaters. We did share with her that we had many years experience, yet she didn’t give us consideration for that. For example, she told Kurt (who has owned three boats over 30 years) how to properly tie off a cleat!
A beautiful night at Cap Sante Marina
Once we unpacked, the five us relaxed and enjoyed the sunset. I had made a cold pasta salad for dinner earlier in the day and that worked out great!
The other irony of the evening, was that Simbault, the 1995 Navigator 53 Sundance yacht that we toured in July was right across from us. So far, this has been our favorite liveaboard option – we just can’t find a home for it. Watch that episode here.
The weather forecast
I have a number of weather apps on my phone and around 7pm, every alert went off. The weather was changing and now we were expecting 22knot winds and 4′ seas as we crossed the Rosario Straits and San Juan Channel. Not what you want to see. I texted our broker (who has sold many Meridians) and he assured me that the yacht could easily handle these seas.
The weather was beautiful in the marina when we woke up. Since we couldn’t check into Roche until about 12pm, we took our time leaving from Anacortes, as the trip would only be about 2 hours (even in bad weather).
As we left Anacortes and entered the Guemes Channel, things were nice and calm. We crossed the Rosario Straits and headed to the north end of Shaw. Another thing to note, is the AYC gave us a map of areas to avoid. If you run aground in any of those areas, you are not covered by insurance. To play it safe, we took no known short cuts. It was such a comfortable trip, that I forgot about the weather forecast.
I spoke too soon. As soon as we rounded Shaw Island and entered the San Juan Channel, the white caps appeared and we were in 5′ seas. The photo below doesn’t do it justice, but the footage does – so be sure to watch the video on our YouTube channel. We had the isinglass panel out, so all of us got sprayed the entire trip up the channel.
Then things go terribly wrong!
I was excited to get into Roche Harbor early, so we could all explore the sites. It’s very important that you enter the bay on the west side of Pearl Island, as the eastside is shallow. In fact, the Carver that ran aground went that way.
In the bay, you’ll find lots of boats anchored out, so it’s important to be respectful to them. Go slowly and around them, versus through the anchor field. We heard one boat on the VHF that said “hey, thanks to the idiot and your wake going thru our anchor field” and no, it wasn’t us.
Scott put the boat in neutral while he got ready to radio in for slip assignment and that’s when all hell broke loose. Immediately an alarm went off and he says “It’s our high water alarm! We’re taking on water!” Kurt and I ran down to the cockpit (I grabbed my life jacket) and he went into the engine room. At that point he told me not to panic, but we have over 2′ of water in the engine room! In the middle of the chaos, I didn’t get a chance to get a photo of it. The photo below indicates how high up the water was!
Try not to panic
There are two things that terrify me about boating – sinking and catching fire. After putting on my life jacket, I asked Kurt if I should lower the dinghy?! He calmly said, “No, let’s see if the bilge pumps start pumping the water out”. After about a minute, he said he thought the water was going down slowly. I then called Anacortes Yacht Charters (while the very loud high pitch water alarm is blaring) and tell them we are taking on water. Oddly, she asked me if we were sinking and I said no. I told her we were making our way to the dock and she said she would send out a tech in a few hours. My initial thought? Are you kidding me?!! More on that later.
Unfortunately, the marina office couldn’t hear us hailing them on the vhf due to the alarm. Thank God I’m Facebook friends with the manager and I had been messaging her all morning. I quickly sent her a note, that we needed our slip assignment asap! To make things more stressful, we had never arrived to Roche by boat, so we weren’t too sure where go to. I knew the guest docks were on the far end towards the beach and she assigned us 5A. Luckily, we went straight to it (I wasn’t sure which side of the dock we were on).
The staff at the marina was fantastic and helped us get docked and situated. Once we were secured, we checked the engine room and it was finally dry. We still didn’t know where the leak was coming from, but we did discover that the aft bilge pump did not work at all. That meant the mid and forward pumps were doing all of the work. With over 500 gallons of water pouring in, they could only pump out so fast. Now we had to wait for the technician to show up and figure out what was happening. Spending our first hour in the engine room upon our arrival, was not what we had planned! However, we were so thankful that Kurt was with us (once again – we broke down the last time we went to the San Juan Islands).
Stay tuned for our next blog, as we explore Roche Harbor and try to figure out where the leak is coming from! As always, thank you for following our journey! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel (see episode below) and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @BoatingJourney.
A few weeks ago, our friend Jeff Gassen of M/V Why Knot gave us a tour of his Nordic Tug 32′ that he lives on. Yes, you heard that right – a 32′ tug! We met Jeff virtually through Instagram and you can find his profile page here. It’s been fun sharing ideas and suggestions over the past year. In fact, Jeff offered a lot of help in getting our dinghy up and running!
Scott and I reached out to Jeff to ask him questions about how he likes living aboard, especially on a small vessel. When we downsize from a home, our mindset tells us to mimic our home (three bedroom, two bath, living room, etc). But that’s not what the point is. I do think it makes a difference if you are a single resident versus a couple!
Jeff moors his boat in Ballard along the canal. This is a private dock in an industrial area, not a marina. The disadvantages of that is he doesn’t have a dock box, private hose, laundry or bathroom facilities. The plus side is, he gets to live on his boat!!
About is ’86 Nordic Tug
Jeff has lived on his boat for about three years after he moved from a small apartment on Alki Beach in Seattle. He had been looking for a boat to live on and when this one came up, he jumped at the chance. Originally built in Woodinville, WA, Jeff is the second owner of this tug. You can check out the history of Nordic Tugs here. This boat launched in October 1986 and this was hull #6, making this vessel a classic.
It’s a perfect layout for Jeff and provides him everything he needs. The forward berth is comfortable and he has a full head with a separate shower. I asked him if he has ever run out of water (my biggest fear) and he said “Yes, one winter day when I was in the shower.”
He has a local service pump him out or he will take the boat to the Sky Launch pump-out. That gives him an opportunity to boat on Lake Union and practice his one man handling of the boat. Speaking of which, he says, it’s actually pretty easy to maneuver using the dual pilot house doors.
The boat has one engine, a 175hp Yanmar diesel with 6 cylinders. Jeff happens to be an auto mechanic, so he’s able to do a lot of the engine maintenance himself!
The Grand Tour!
I took a few photos of Jeff’s Nordic Tug, but for the full tour be sure to watch our YouTube episode below. There was too much to try and include here in the blog (and the blog doesn’t do it justice). Jeff spends much of his time in his salon/galley where he loves to cook. He has a super cool spice rack that adds to the character of the space. Of course I forgot to take a photo – so tune in!
Inside his salon, he has a wood burning stove that pumps out serious heat. Though his salon may seem small to some, Jeff explained that he works out in the salon, he entertains and does game nights and relaxes while listening to music. Notice I didn’t say anything about internet or television? That’s because he does NOT have a computer or a television. Good for him. To be disconnected these days, is impressive.
Where are the photos of the rest of the boat?
I got so caught up with the tour while Scott was filming that I forgot to take still photos for the blog! Me forget to take photos? Shocking, I know. To get a tour, you will need to watch the video. The other thing is during our tour it got really windy, with winds coming from the south at about 21 knots. We could really feel it. It gave us some perspective of how it would be living on the canal during the winter.
Living on a boat
For Scott and I, we were curious if Jeff had any regrets or did he miss anything by living on his boat? He did say he misses a big comfy couch. I would agree! Our next boat, will definitely have some sort of couch/lounge area that we can comfortably relax on.
While his fridge was on the smaller side, along with his pantry items, he simply goes to the store a bit more often. Being moored where he is, Jeff is walking distance to two major grocery stores. Super easy! I did ask about doing laundry – his laundromat is next door to a brewery, so he drops in his wash and grabs a beer while he waits. Perfect!
There are about six or so live-aboard boats where he is moored. He loves that they all watch out for each other and share different things should they need it. They barbecue on the dock, watch the boat traffic pass by and enjoy the sunset with cold beer. You can’t beat that view.
Scott and I were super grateful to Jeff to spend time with us on his Nordic Tug 32 and answer all of our questions. Living aboard can seem fun, adventurous and rewarding, but it has to make sense for you. Our plan is still to search for our live-aboard boat. It probably won’t be this compact, but if it was, we might have a better chance of finding a slip! LOL
As always, thank you for following our journey! We have some great stories coming up, including a tour of two Navigator 5300 yachts. Now if only we could find a slip for a boat that size. Stay tuned.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook,Instagram,YouTube and Twitter @BoatingJourney and use the hashtag #boatingjourney. Thank you for subscribing to our blog and our YouTube Channel. We’ll see you on water soon! Cheers, Scott and Ally
Okay, do you really think we have a glamorous boating lifestyle? If you have been boating with us on any weekend, you know we’re basically camping on a boat. That means sweats, no showers, no make-up and bad hair. LOL!
That’s especially true when we spend the weekend on the boat at Elliott Bay Marina. Since we are trying to embrace what it would be like to live aboard a boat, we spend as much time as possible on it. This past summer, we were lucky to have good weather to visit a lot of places including Tacoma, Port Orchard, Kingston, Bremerton and around Blake Island. The rest of the time, we basically hung out at the marina and did boat projects.
What’s a typical weekend in the marina like?
Our glamorous boating weekend at the marina starts by packing up the car Friday evening and stopping at Whole Foods to grab dinner on our way. Scott and I then load up the red wagon and haul our groceries an other supplies (linens, etc) down to the boat. We do keep extra clothes and toiletries on the boat, so we don’t have to pack each weekend.
As you can see, we are fancy drinkers! LOL The galley is small, so it fills up fast when we unload everything.
During the summer, we tried to use the grill as much as possible, since I’m not a huge fan of using our stove top or oven. I admit it – the LPG system (liquid propane gas) freaks me out. However, when the weather is cold and rainy, we don’t have much of a choice.
Spending time on the boat is much the same as our condo
Whether Scott and I are at home at our condo or on the boat, we’re probably doing the same thing on a Friday night (unless we’re entertaining friends). That means, dinner and tv or a movie – glamorous isn’t it? One thing I’m trying to get used to, is that our boat isn’t that comfortable for relaxing and watching tv. We don’t really have a couch (except in the hallway).
The other option, is to sit at the settee and watch tv there. Scott also has set up another tv in the forward stateroom, where we can stretch our legs on the bed. But honestly, I’m not much of a “in bed tv watcher”. LOL
When we are just staying on the boat at Elliott Bay Marina, we typically use Saturdays for boat projects and catching up on chores. It’s much more fun to work on projects with a view like this. Plus you get to see your neighbors, say hi and catch up.
After we’re done with our projects, we’ll enjoy cocktails either at an event at the marina or with friends on the boat.
Funny story to share – you never know who you will run into
When I flew up to Roche Harbor last April with my boss, another passenger on the plane started talking to us. He got off at Friday Harbor, but we ran into him again at Roche Harbor later that day. Turns out (Ken is his name) works for another broker. We then go to breakfast and he’s right behind us in line. We get on the plane and sure enough, he’s on the plane with us.
Later that day, we were moving the boat from Union Marine through the locks. After we tied up to the wall, I looked at the boat in front of us and low and behold, there he was again! Too funny.
After that day, we seemed to run into each other at different events and shows. It became comical really. One Friday evening, Scott and I were relaxing at Maggie Bluff’s and this really cute dog walked by. I couldn’t resist, so asked the owner if I could pet him and she said yes.
What ended up being the funny part of the story, is the dog belonged to Ken! He came walking down the sidewalk and we couldn’t stop laughing. Yes, you had to be there. But the point of the story, is that the boating world (life) is small and one way or another, you’ll run into someone you know (maybe multiple times!)
The views never get old
One of the best things about mooring our boat at Elliott Bay Marina, is the views never disappoint. The only bummer right now, is our dock faces the breakwater wall. For us to enjoy the view at low tide, we either have to be on the fly bridge or up the walkway.
Entertaining on the boat
We love having friends and family come down and enjoy a day on the boat. Whether we cruise over to Port Madison or around Elliott Bay, it’s always a good time when you’re on the water. On top of that, Seattle offers some of the best views in the country and we’re five minutes away. That’s pretty glamorous to me!
Even on a blustery Fall afternoon, we can have fun watching college football on the boat with friends.
So we might not have a glamorous boating lifestyle, but it sure is fun. As they say, “Life is better on the water”. How can you get out and join us? Check out our Patreon page! With your support to produce better quality and informational videos, we in turn want to take you out boating. Join Here.
As always, thanks for following us on our journey! Please subscribe to our social channels too, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (@BoatingJourney). Not only do we want to share our story & experience with you, we also want to hear from you too. We’re learning everyday.
Last month, Scott and I hauled out our 2002 Bayliner 4087 MY to do some work at the Canal Boatyard in Ballard. When we had the survey and haul out done in March, they recommended we take care of a few things before winter arrives.
The items that were on the list were:
Check rudder packing
Bottom paint
Check sea cocks and through holes
New zincs / anodes
Seemed simple enough. Since Scott and I planned on doing the work ourselves, we bought the bottom paint and supplies a few weeks ago. We scheduled our haul out at Canal Boatyard in Ballard because they allow boaters to work on their own boats. Some boatyards require you to hire this out. One thing to note about bottom paint (which we wish we knew before hand with Kokomo), is if you don’t know what type of paint you have (Hard vs. Ablative), then you have to use ablative. Think of it the same way as Latex versus Oil paint. You can paint oil over latex, but not visa versa.
After researching bottom paint, we selected Sea Hawk Cukote ablative. This paint is highly recommended, but very expensive. We paid over $240/gallon!
Scheduling the work at Canal Boatyard
Scott scheduled our haul out with Ivaylo at the Canal Boatyard about a month ago. He then recommended we call Pacific Fiberglass to have the rudders and sea cocks checked, which we scheduled as well. During the Boats Afloat Show, we met Doug with Pacific Fiberglass and discussed our haul out. He was super friendly and helpful. He said he would be happy to take a look at the bottom and see what type of paint they used and see if we need to change our game plan.
The boatyard also offers rental equipment including the vacuum sanders and tarps. They have 24/7 security access (but you wouldn’t want to work in the dark) and shore power. Scott scheduled the haul out for Friday, September 20th at 10am. This boatyard is located inside the locks, so we would need to allot time to get through the cut.
Our original plan was to work on the boat all weekend. If we needed an extra day during the week, we could take some time off work. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was rainy and wet for the weekend. On top of that, we both had to travel for work the following week. Now what? Change of plans.
Going through the Ballard Locks
The last time we hauled out a boat was last Spring and it was a very long process! We hired the boatyard (a different one) to do all of the work and we were there over six weeks. That was NOT in our plan this time. For this haul out, we left Elliott Bay Marina around 8am on Friday, September 20th and headed to the locks. Keep in mind, this is only the 4th time we’ve gone through them and only the 2nd time on this boat.
In front of us was a big tug boat. The lock attendants asked us our length. We told them our length was 48′ and then they motioned for us to move forward. Turns out the tug was 70 feet, we were 48 feet and the total length of the lock is only 120 feet. Really? Two feet to spare!?
As the doors to the locks started to close, they caught the dinghy pontoon. Luckily no damage was done.
Hauling out ……again
Since Scott and I got through the Ballard Locks so fast, we were now early for our haul out. I called Ivaylo at Canal Boatyard and he was thrilled we arrived early! He had a lot going on, so the sooner the better.
It was much easier getting out off of the boat this time, but still a bit tricky. We still had to go from the bow & then crawl under the railing, but at least he lowered it enough to make it easy on me – compared to Sea View. Yikes!
You won’t believe what the boat looked like when we hauled out! Below is what it looked like in March of this year during our survey.
And this is what it looked like when we hauled out just six months later!
Can you say BARNACLES?
Scott and I had planned on scraping the boat and bottom painting it ourselves. But once we saw what it looked like and the work involved, we quickly changed our mind. Money is valuable when you are in a boatyard and at $140/day, we couldn’t spare a dime.
So we met with Doug at Pacific Fiberglass and he gave us a quote to do all of the prep work, bottom paint the boat and apply PropSpeed to the props and shafts to prevent growth. Done! Deal.
It also turns out that we do have hard paint, so we didn’t need ablative. He gave us a quote for Seahawk Shark Skin, which was about $200/gallon. The nice thing about the paint we had bought already, is West Marine will take it back if it’s unopened.
How long will the work take?
At $140/day, we couldn’t afford for the boat to sit in the boat yard for very long. We had hoped that Pacific Fiberglass would start right away on Friday afternoon, but they didn’t have it scheduled since we had originally planned on doing the work ourselves and they don’t work on weekends.
Monday was a gorgeous day, so I swung by the yard after work to see what progress they had made; unfortunately, nothing! Both Scott and I were flying out the next day and I started to get worried it wouldn’t be done by the end of the week. Scott talked to Doug and he assured us it would be ready by 3pm on Friday – yay!
Wanting some footage for the blog, I asked Kurt to go check on it on Wednesday. We were so shocked to see the photos!
Imagine, that they had to hand sand the barnacles off! Look at the shaft and props now! Wow! There’s no way Scott nor I would have been able to do this job.
After they cleaned them completely, they then applied Propspeed. Propspeed is a coating that protects the metal. With that said, you don’t want to ever hire a diver to go down and scrape barnacles after you have applied Propspeed. We were told that it should last at least two years. We plan on putting the GoPro in the water in a month or two and see what it looks like.
Time to go home!
Just as they promised, the boat was ready just a week later! Luckily, Scott was able to capture some pictures before it went in, so we could see all of the work they had done. Check out our new bottom paint!
Time to head back through the locks – it was a nice afternoon on Friday, so I prayed there wasn’t a wait. Guess I didn’t pray hard enough. After doing the “waiting dance” in the cut, we decided to tie up and wait, as it could be an hour before we get in.
Luckily, when we did get called it was for the small lock!! Yay. I did not want to deal with the large locks. When we got into the small locks another boat tied off on us and we were SNUG. We also had to tie up on the port side, which meant we would have issues with the dinghy motor almost touching the wall.
But we made it unscathed and headed back to Elliott Bay Marina. As soon as we left the channel, Scott throttled up the engines and we were shocked to see we were going over 20 knots! Now that we didn’t have 2″ of barnacles, we glide through the water.
It was nice to have the boat back at home and all secure. A big thank you to Kurt for helping us out! We couldn’t have done it without you! We’ll keep everyone posted on how the props look after a month or so.
People have asked us if we are finished boating for the season? Actually no. Since we have been trying to decide if we can live aboard a boat, our plan this winter is to stay on it during a few stormy weekends (once we figure out the cable situation) and also stay on it one night during the week. That way I can see what it’s like to come home from work in the dark and wet weather and also what it’s like to get ready for work. So stay tuned for those adventures.
A big Thank YOU
In each blog post, we say thanks for following our journey! Scott and I hope all of you reading this, understand how much it means to us. We’ve worked hard to make this dream a reality and we love sharing it with you.
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Scott and I took his sister & her family out for an afternoon cruise and we decided to go around Blake Island to check it out.
Now that we have practiced anchoring, we wanted to see what the bays look like around the island. Blake Island is just six nautical miles southwest of Seattle, so it’s a quick trip from Elliott Bay Marina. It took us about 30 minutes going 9 knots.
Blake Island is managed by the Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission and is accessible only by boat. When Scott and I bought our previous boat, we took a quick trip to Blake Island to check it out. Turns out it was a horrible day and we struggled to get into the marina! The marina has either 30 minute slips or overnight slips. They don’t take reservations, so it’s first come first serve. You do need a Discover Pass to visit. There’s plenty to do on Blake Island, including visiting Tilicum Village, hiking and beach combing.
Where do they anchor at Blake Island?
There are four mooring fields with anchorages and one dock. Though we didn’t see anyone moored outside the marina.
On The anchorages are actually pretty shallow. Our charts were showing as shallow as 2′. Scott reminded me over and over, that I would have to get used to entering shallow waters. (LOL). Remember, I have freaked out a few times entering Port Madison!
We cruised around the island, counter clockwise, heading to the west side first. What I am curious about, is what the weather (specifically winds) are like on the west and south side? Our old house had a southwest exposure, we we got beat up by the weather all the time.
Quaint mooring fields
As soon as we saw the boats, I actually got excited. How fun this would be, to come out for even just one night. You can take the dinghy to the beach and then go explore the island!
We counted about seven balls on the west side. The question for us newbies is, how do you know what the ball is rated for in weight? Are they all the same?
On the south end, there were only two mooring balls, with one available. I’m guessing the south end is not very comfortable based on the winds that come from the south. Then as we rounded back to the east side of the island, there were more boats anchored. There might be mooring balls, but we didn’t get close enough to check.
The Blake Island marina is located at the north east corner of the island. There’s plenty of beach right next to the marina, which is just a few steps away from Tillicum Village. Since we’re new to anchoring, I don’t think we’ll try that yet this Fall, but we are hoping to make a trip over and stay at the marina this Fall. By then, there should be more slips available and less tourists.
Blake Island
One thing to note, is do not overstay your 30 minute visit. The park ranger will come out and ask you to leave. Before we start staying overnight at anchor or anywhere else, we have to figure out if our holding tanks are leaking. Stay tuned for that blog post. Next week, we’ll share with you some of the remodel ideas we came upon at the Boats Afloat Show.
As always, thank you for following our boating blog! Scott and I have a lot of things coming up, including our big haul out in a few weeks. Please be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. #boatingjourney
While Scott and I might not be out at sea, I still want to make sure the fresh water on the boat is good and drinkable. Let’s just say, I’m a bit of a water snob and I have always been that way. Perhaps it’s because the tap water I grew up with tasted horrible. At home, I always drink filtered water – whether it be through a pitcher or a portable (Brita) water bottle. Our goal is to help eliminate plastic bottles and find other solutions. That’s where this blog post comes into play! We’re all guilty of buying bottled water because it’s cheap and readily available.
Let’s go back a couple of years, when we owned our first boat. I shared a post about potable water and how I wondered if the water on that boat was safe to drink. Keep in mind, that boat sat on the hard for two years, so the tank had to have gotten nasty. I refused to brush my teeth with the water on that boat. Yes, there were things we could have done to clean up the tank, but we didn’t. But I did say, that the next boat would have to have some type of filtration system on it.
Water at the Dock
At Elliott Bay Marina, we have city water, which is actually pretty good. Some marinas you visit, especially up north might not have the greatest quality and they don’t recommend you add it to your tanks. However, if you have no choice, then make sure you take the steps necessary to purify the water you are putting in your tanks.
The first thing I always recommend, is use an Teknor Zero-G Rv/Marine Hose for safe drinking water when you fill up your tank. We only use this hose for drinking water and a different hose to wash the boat.
This year, we took it a step farther and we use a Camco TastePURE Water Filter which filters the water from the faucet to the hose. This filter runs about $26 and we keep it in the locker with the antibacterial hose.
Drinking Water
Just because the water in our fresh water tank has been filtered, it doesn’t mean it’s good enough to drink (for me at least). That’s because you don’t know how well your tanks has been maintained. Typically, the smell of the water is a good indicator and on this boat, the water smells fine. So I have no issue brushing my teeth with this water, but will I drink it? Not so fast! Luckily for us, we also have a drinking water faucet! How cool is that? To be honest, I didn’t know what it was for the first few months!
Under the sink, there’s another filter that is hooked up to this faucet, acting like a super Brita filter. However, make sure before you buy a replacement filter, that it’s the right part. These are not cheap. This 3M filter was about $80 from a specialty filter company. I was skeptical, but the water tastes great!
Making Water On-Board
Scott and I were shocked to learn this boat came with a water maker! Our broker had told us to make sure we run it regularly to keep the membranes wet. Since it had been on the market for at least 6 months, I wondered if it needed to be serviced. We have run it on low pressure a few times and then I was convinced that the water tasted like salt. LOL!! Time to have it checked out.
I called Emerald Harbor Marine located right here at Elliott Bay Marina. Turns out they know this boat and unit well. The previous owner had upgraded the water maker and turned it into a “science project”. Not sure that that means, but I was happy to hear it was regularly maintained.
Dan came down and ran the machine to pressure and let the onboard TDS meter stabilize at 148 PPM. A TDS meter is a device used to indicate the Total Dissolved Solids in a solution. Since dissolved ionized solids, such as salts and minerals, increase the conductivity of a solution, a TDS meter measures the conductivity of the solution and estimates the TDS from that reading. He then disconnected it and sampled the water with his hand held unit and it showed 135PPM. Anything below 500 PPM is good. In Puget Sound, our water maker should make water from 100-350PPM.
Water Maker Maintenance
Moving forward, we need to make sure we flush the system with fresh water each week. I asked how we will know to change the filters? He said that there is a vacuum pressure gauge and when the system is running and the filters are clean, the gauge should read 20-30 PSI. As the filters clog, the pressure will drop. He recommends replacing the filters when the feed reaches 5-10 PSI. Dan also mentioned that the membranes should have a 6-8 year life with proper care. If we are not going to be on the boat during the winter, he recommends that we have them “pickle the system”, basically preserving the system and locking it down until Spring.
So now you know more about water makers than you ever wanted. You might be asking why we are doing all of this? Do we use the water maker? Not really, but water makers are great to have when you are out cruising. Scott and I are maintaining the unit, so that it stays in tip top shape. Water makers are very expensive and our model is about $4000 new.
To summarize, we’ll keep the water maker membranes wet and use the drinking faucet for all consumable water and to make ice! As always, thanks for following our blog! Please be sure to subscribe to our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels. Check out our full review on our YouTube channel below.
At the end of July, we took a quick over night trip to Port Orchard with Kurt, his brother Cal and girlfriend Tracey. This has been a very busy boating month for us, as we were just in Kingston the weekend before.
Port Orchard is about 14 nautical miles due west from Seattle.
We estimated it would take us about an hour and a half going 10 knots, and we were right on the mark. The weather was a bit cloudy, but dry and warm when we left. There were a lot of logs along the way that we had to watch out for. Plus we either had a ferry coming up on us or at us. Other than that, it was a non eventful trip (a good thing!).
Kurt, Scott, Tracey & Cal
Going through Rich Passage into Sinclair Inlet, cruisers suggest you enter at slack tide as the current can be almost 2 knots. We entered just before slack tide, and didn’t have any troubles. But you could see how a smaller vessel would struggle a bit.
The Naval Ship Yard is on your starboard side has you enter the channel adjacent to the Bremerton Marina.
Entering the Port Orchard Marina
Reserving dock space at Port Orchard was similar to La Conner. They simply put you on the (east) breakwater dock, with the name of your boat in the spot you are reserved for. I knew by looking at the aerial shot, that the fairways would be wide. That was great, because we would need to turn around to dock starboard. What I didn’t realize, is how narrow the entering fairway is.
Once we got in, we weren’t sure where to go. All of the reserved signs were for other boats and it turns out, we were the closest to land. It’s hard to tell by this photo, but our anchor was inches apart from the guy in front of us. The only negative or “con” I would say about our spot, was we had a tall water spigot right where you get on and off the boat. Definitely not the obstacle you want after a few cocktails!
You also would not want to be in the first slip next to land – it seemed to attract algae and make it look like a rug! LOL
We checked in at the marina office right away (which is located up the hill to your right). They gave us all kinds of cool stuff, including a huge bag for the Farmer’s Market! The market was on the main street and was from 10am – 3pm, so we had plenty of time to check things out!
Since Scott and I have never been to Port Orchard, we didn’t know what to expect. Friends of ours kept teasing us and saying we’ll be bored senseless and that there’s nothing to do in Port Orchard. (That happened to us in Oak Harbor, so I was a little worried before we left.) Turns out they were wrong…..
The Farmer’s Market
We’ve been to the Kingston and Poulsbo Farmer’s Markets. They are small with just a few vendors, so we were not expecting much in Port Orchard. Boy were we surprised! First of all, when we got our goodie bag, we also found out that there is a night time market with music!
The daytime market had lots of vendors, including food, crafts, gifts, olive oil, spirits, homemade ice cream AND wine tasting! Imagine that! Seabeck Cellars opened in 2016 and produce about 300 cases a year. I loved their Rose’ and Cab, so I bought one of each.
Downtown Port Orchard
After we toured the market, we headed to the main drag to check things out. Port Orchard has lots of quaint shops and pubs to check out. Josephine’s Mercantile is a great shop with all kinds of souvenirs, seasonal gifts and nautical items.
Eventually, we made our way to The Brick House Bar and Grill, where we sat outside, enjoyed live music and met a new furry friend!
Just down the street was the Nauti Mermaid bar and we couldn’t resist. It’s pretty much a dive bar and it was a bit empty when we went in. But our group can have fun anywhere we go!
There was also a band playing on the main street! These guys were awesome! Who knew so much was happening in this small town!
Off to Check Out the Night Market
After exploring downtown Port Orchard, we headed to the Night Market to check things out.
This wasn’t as big as the day event, but they did have a wine and beer garden. Hmmm, I see a theme here. Since we were hungry, we all headed back to The Brick House, which was now packed full for dinner. The food and music were great and you must make a stop here next time you are in Port Orchard!
What a fun day we had exploring this fun little town. Everyone had a great time and Our Happy Day got us there without a hitch!
But Wait! There’s More!
What more could be happening in the town on Port Orchard? Well, the next day they had the largest Ford Mustang Car Show in the region. There were over 300 cars and everywhere you turned, there was a Mustang! We couldn’t leave without checking it out.
It was also one of the lowest tides of the season. The ramp was steep and the mussels were out!
The Mustang car show took up all of the parking along the waterfront! If you like car shows, you could spend all day here! This is an annual event, so mark your calendars for next year!
What a Fun & Quick Trip!
All of us were surprised as to how much we did in just 24 hours in this sleepy little town. If anyone tells you (Ben – LOL), that you will be bored, don’t listen to them. The boat trip to Port Orchard is beautiful and we had perfect weather for the way home!
Aside from watching out for logs and ferries, you also need to be on the look out for kayakers!
When we got back to Elliott Bay, we got a great surprise when Sea Wolf an expedition yacht passed right by us! The yacht is currently for sale for $9,900,000 but not for US residents in US waters.
As always, thank you so much for following our blog and journey! We’d love to grow our audience and any shares are really appreciated. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @BoatingJourney. We now have 40 episodes on YouTube, so please subscribe to our channel, share and like our upcoming episodes.
In our next blog, we’re back to boat projects, so stay tuned! Cheers, Scott & Ally
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which filters the water from the faucet to the hose. This filter runs about $26 and we keep it in the locker with the antibacterial hose.
