Tag: boating trips

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Cruising to Atlantis Resort on Nassau

After spending three days in Staniel Cay exploring the magical sites of Staniel Cay and the surrounding islands, my crew headed to the Atlantis Resort & Marina on Nassau. This was a 113 nm journey that took us about three and half hours cruising at about 34knots.

We entered Nassau from the southern end of the channel. Most boats do not go this way due to the shallow “bombies” (large reefs just under the water) but our captain was very experienced and knew the safe route to take.

Entering Nassau Harbor, you will find grand homes, industry and other marine vessels.

Atlantis Resort & Marina on Paradise Island

The Atlantis Resort is located on Paradise Island, which is owned and operated by the resort. Our captain called to the dockmaster before entering the marina to ensure we had a slip ready. As we cruised in a manatee swam past the yacht. (Watch our video for the footage).

The Atlantis marina is very nice with large slips for all sizes of yachts. They do have a minimum dockage of 50′. This means if you have a 30′ boat, you’re still going to pay for 50′. The marina office was located across from where we were docked and it was a longer walk than I expected.

Accommodations at Atlantis

There are four main hotels at Atlantis and I stayed in the Cove. It was located the closest to the marina and is connected to the Royal. I had a great room with a view of the ocean. When you book your reservation, you have to pre-pay for your stay and give them every guest name (you can’t change it afterwards). The cost of my room was about $486 per night. Be prepared to pay not only sales tax but a 10% VAT on top of everything too.

When you check in, you’ll get a complimentary thermal water bottle and they have water filling stations all over the resort. Looking at the map below, you can see how large of a complex the resort is.

The Marine Life & Aquarium

The following day, I took some time to explore the grounds. I headed to “The Dig” which is the aquarium. You can see all that they offer here, including swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling with the marine life.

Atlantis, Paradise island is home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, encompassing 14 lagoons, 8 million gallons of ocean water and more than 50,000 aquatic animals.

Atlantis has a team of 165 marine experts that care for, rescue and rehabilitate over 250 marine species. A portion of Atlantis’ marine interactive programs goes back to the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving sea species.

Pool Time

Later that day, I headed down to the Cove Pool to relax and read my current book, Over the Top by Adrian Flanagan.

The pool had plenty of lounge chairs with umbrellas. My only caution would be the prices of the pool bar. I kid you not, I paid $28 for a Rum Punch!

That evening I had a wonderful dinner at Olives enjoying a delicious ravioli dish.

Back to Bimini Bay

The following morning, our crew left around 9am for Bimini Bay. I managed to find a home for one of our stickers at the marina – so look for it!

We fueled up in Nassau Harbor, just outside of the marina.

As we cruised to each island, I spent most of my time up on the fly bridge or cockpit enjoying the moment and experience. Just 6 months ago, we were living in cold wet weather in the PNW.

Who would have ever imagined that I would soon be cruising the crystal clear turquoise waters in the Bahamas for my job? There is something therapeutic about being on the water with nothing else around you. I certainly didn’t take this moment for granted.

The trip to Mega Marina at Bimini took us about three hours, cruising around 27 knots. We decided to save on fuel since we were not in a hurry to get to Bimini. It’s amazing how beautiful the water is at Bimini compared to Nassau.

I don’t think cruising through the Bimini Channel will ever get old to me.

Our group stayed at Mega Marina this time, which is a bit larger and right next to the Hilton Hotel.

Finally after eight days, it was time for our crew to head back to Florida. We left around 8am hearing that bad weather was moving in. Our trip back was pleasant and smooth. I stayed on the fly bridge the entire way and reflected on the journey I had just experienced. I know I am very fortunate to be living this life and this is one of the many reasons we chose to move closer to the Caribbean.

As always, thank you for following our journey and blog. Be sure to watch our video below and subscribe to our channel. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Cheers, Ally

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Exploring Staniel Cay in the Exumas

My (Ally) trip to Staniel Cay was one of my all-time epic trips and I’m thrilled I get to share it with all of you. Many of you have asked why I didn’t stay on the yacht at each stop. Remember, this was a work trip for me and all of our staff stayed in hotels so we could keep the yacht clean and tidy. Why you ask? Well, The Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht that we were traveling on, is brand new and this was our opportunity to show it off to potential clients.

Our crew left Chub Cay Sunday, August 14th early in the morning and headed straight for Staniel Cay Yacht Club. This would be our longest journey at 121 nautical miles and the trip took about 5 hours.

We passed by Nassau on our way and we rarely saw any other vessels on the sea with us.

Arriving to Staniel Cay

As we approached Staniel Cay Yacht Club, we had to sit out a storm before we headed to the marina. The marina is very small and tight and without assistance from the marina it would be difficult for us to dock. Since a huge squall was moving through, we knew their crew wouldn’t come out.

Staniel Cay is a fairly large and populated island (compared to the other cays in the Exumas). The Yacht Club is owned by Makers Air and they have their own airline that services Staniel Cay. For that reason, the yacht club flies in their provisions on a daily basis. This is why you have to order your “dinner” when dining in the dining room first thing in the morning.

Staniel Cay Marina

The marina has fixed linear docks, so you better be very good at docking. In addition, a smaller yacht (say under 40′) wouldn’t do great here due to the height of the docks.

photo credit: Staniel Cay Yacht Club (not our flotilla)

Luckily, the marina office was located right at the end of the dock. Here you can buy ice and also make golf cart arrangements. By the time we arrived, they were completely out of golf carts, but I was able to have a staff member help me with my bags to my cottage.

Just across from the marina office are steps down to the water, you’ll find nurse sharks hanging out looking for snacks.

At night, the marina totally lights up and it’s an awesome scene.

Accommodations on the island

The yacht club does offer villas, but they were all sold out. I would love to come back here and stay in one. Apparently when you rent a villa, you get a Boston Whaler runabout with it. How fun!

I was able to find accommodations on VRBO at the Chamberlain Cottages. The cottages are walking distance from the marina, but if you have luggage, this is a long haul.

These are about seven cottages each have two bedrooms (some with only one bath). I was fortunate that my cottage (the swimming piggies) had a separate room and bath on the first floor, from the rest of the cottage.

Exploring the Exumas

Our group spent three nights on Staniel Cay. The first night we hosted a cocktail party for our clients at the yacht club. We really lucked out with awesome weather.

The following morning, I went on an excursion with Staniel Cay Adventures for a day of snorkeling and exploring. These guys were awesome! I highly recommend that you hire a local if you want to explore the Exumas. They know the waters, the tides and the special places to visit.

Had I known how far we were headed (45 nm) that day on a 27′ boat, I might have had second thoughts! LOL

Our first stop was the Exumas Land and Sea Park. Here they have a visitors center and a giant whale skeleton. I didn’t explore the island (I was worried about bugs), but I was told they had a number of trails throughout the island. Instead, our crew played with Seabobs before bad weather started moving our way.

Snorkeling the plane wreck at Norman’s Cay

The trip to Norman’s Cay took us about 45 minutes. It was certainly a soggy boat ride, as we got hit with a pretty bad rain storm.

As soon as I jumped in I realized the current was too strong for me (it was about 15 knots). So our guide handed me a line to hang on to while I snorkeled through the plane. Be sure to check out my YouTube video for the footage of my snorkel. It was a bit scary snorkeling around a jagged metal plane, but our guides really helped me out.

Back in the 1970’s and 80’s, Norman’s Cay was a frequent stop for drug transportation during Carlos Lehder’s drug running days with the Medellin Cartel. One story about the sunken plane is that it crashed due to the weight of the cargo on it.

Lunch & the Sea Aquarium

From the plane wreck, we headed to lunch at MacDuffs Restaurant located on the other side of Norman’s Cay. The food and service was fantastic. This is a very small restaurant, so don’t come in with a crowd, without reservations.

I was shocked by how many cicadas there were. They were so loud and they were shedding their shells on the trees.

Everywhere we went, the water was crystal clear and so incredibly beautiful. I don’t think my photos do it justice. Guess we’ll just have to come back.

After lunch, our crew took us to the Sea Aquarium. When we arrived, I was hesitant to jump in after working so hard at the plane wreck. But they assured me this would be epic.

Now I know why it’s called the “Sea Aquarium”. As soon as I jumped in, I was surrounded by hundreds of beautiful fish. Be sure to see my action footage on YouTube (link at the end of this blog).

Surprise ending to a fabulous day in the Exumas

It was almost 5:30pm when we finished snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium. I assumed we were headed back home, but instead our guides had one more surprise. With the tunes cranked, we were flying through the islands headed for a surprise. You really have to see my video footage to grasp this adventure. At one point we were in 1′ of water, as we approached a sand bar (normally covered at high tide). We all hopped off and soaked up the moment. It was such a cool experience.

Day Two in the Exumas

One thing that was on my bucket list for this trip was to swim with the famous pigs on pig island.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Instead I went with another group and spent the day on our Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht. I actually didn’t get in the water to play, as I had thrown my back out a few days earlier and I needed to rest up.

While we were anchored out, this old sailboat came into the bay and anchored with us. Not sure what its’ story is.

As our day ended, our crew wanted to enjoy the sunset on another sand bar. We hopped into the AB Jet Tender and the six of us headed to a sand bar across from pig beach.

It was a great ending to such an epic journey.

Surprise stop!

On our way back to the marina, our crew felt bad that I didn’t have a chance to see the pigs. Next thing I know we were at pig island at dusk for a quick hello. They are very docile at night, and we didn’t spend much time with them. Still, I was thrilled to at least say hello.

One thing to note about Staniel Cay is that the island runs off of generator. Unfortunately, we lost power every night we were there. My cottages didn’t have power during most of my stay. So on the last night, I headed to the yacht club for a quick bite, since they were on generator power. Here I met an old sailor (he was in his 80’s) and he had traveled around the world on his sailboat for most of his life. It was so cool sitting there talking to him and listening to his stories.

Time to leave for Nassau

Three days was just enough time to explore Staniel Cay. I do want to return with Scott and share my experiences with him and much more. Things I wish I would have experienced were the Thunderball Grotto, Swimming with the Sharks at Compass Cay and Iguana Island. That just gives us an excuse to come back. Another thing to note, is it is very very buggy here. The noseeums are awful and you will need a strong bug repellant during your stay.

Tune in next week, as we head to the Atlantis Resort on Nassau, a much needed break after being on a pretty secluded island.

As always, thank you for following our journey and blog. Be sure to watch our video below and subscribe to our channel. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Cheers, Ally

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Gulf Stream Crossing to Bimini Bahamas

Earlier this month, I made my first gulf stream crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini in the Bahamas. I am the event planner for my new company, OneWater Yacht Group and we took eleven yachts to the Bahamas. The trip took eight days, visiting five islands and traveling almost 500 nautical miles.

We left Roscioli Yachting Center (where I work) around 5:30am on a Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht. This will be our mode of transportation for the rest of the journey. The trip down the New River took us about an hour and it was a very cool experience. I didn’t realize how long this portion of the trip actually was.

By the time we arrive at the inlet, dawn was starting to break. Our captain hit the throttle and we were now headed due east for Bimini, about 45 nm.

Watching the sunrise while you are at sea, is such an incredible experience. I’ve been told that the gulf stream can be flat as glass. It’s not unusual for small runabouts to make the trek. On this day, we had winds around 10knots and the seas were 1-2′ high. It was a very pleasant trip.

Arriving to Fisherman’s Village on Bimini

It’s a little eerie losing sight of land in all directions. Fortunately. for this crossing you are only out of sight for less an an hour. I think I was more excited to be in the Bahamas than I was seeing land. The color of the water was so incredible and this was no match to what I would encounter in the Exumas.

The water is also very shallow and you cruise in about 10′ to 18′ of water most of the time. As you arrive into Bimini, you will follow a channel to Resort World. They actually dug a channel out of the coral to allow boats to pass thru here.

We stayed just one night at Fisherman’s Village in Resort World Bimini. The marina was nice and offered the usual facilities ranging from wi-fi, laundry, showers and a few small shops. Our captain checked us all in at Customs and Immigration and the entire process took us about 15 minutes. Only the captain actually slept on the yacht. The rest of us checked into accommodations on each island, which did make the trip a bit more difficult as the week wore on. I stayed in VRBO as the Hilton was sold out. I didn’t bother to do a video or photo shoot of it as it wasn’t that great.

OneWater Yacht Group was hosting a cocktail party for our guests at a private estate on Rockwell Island on the beach. It was a beautiful setting and a great ending for the day.

Off to Chub Cay

The following morning our crew headed to Chub Cay, 84nm from Bimini. The Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht was very comfortable. Sometimes it got a bit warm, so I would have to go into the salon to cool off. Oh the luxuries of traveling by yacht!

The trip to Chub Cay took us just under three hours. We hailed the dockmaster on the VHF radio and he instructed us where to go.

As we arrived to our slip, the staff was waiting to assist us. Chub Cay Resort and Marina is very new and beautiful. A few words of caution would be, that the marina office is part of the hotel and it’s a very long walk. Had I known, I would have taken my bags with me so I didn’t have to make two trips.

The marina does have a fuel dock, but customers were saying it was very very slow. One yacht only took on 300 gallons and it took almost 2 hours!

Chub Cay Resort

This was one of the most beautiful resorts I have stayed at. My room was nicely appointed and overlooked the pool and the ocean. The staff was fantastic and I wish I would have had more time to spend here. At this point, the Bahamas did not disappoint.

That evening some of the crew had dinner at the bar. I had the mushroom ravioli and it was amazing!

Time to head to Staniel Cay

Our trip on Chub Cay in the Bahamas was far too short. This is a place I would love to come back for a long weekend with Scott and just unwind. The following morning our crew headed to Staniel Cay, which was about 121nm journey. Unfortunately, I also threw my back out that evening, so trying to get back to the boat was a major chore. Along the way, I couldn’t help but add our sticker to the “sticker board”.

Be sure to tune in next week, as I take you to Staniel Cay. The Exumas were stunning and I don’t know how I can possibly describe them. As always, thank you for following our journey. Subscribe to our boating blog at YouTube Channel (link below) for future updates and trips. You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Snorkeling at Christ of the Abyss in Key Largo

In our last blog, Scott and I were in Key Largo for a long weekend and during that trip, we snorkeled at Christ of the Abyss. This was a bucket list of mine and I was excited to finally see this infamous statue.

We booked our trip through Sundiver Snorkel Tours. We didn’t realize when we booked the trip that our resort also offered excursions. Sundiver had us check-in an hour early. That seems early right? Well, it’s because the check-in location is not where you pick up the boat.

Sundiver Snorkel

The Sundiver store offers everything from snorkel gear, to underwater cameras, sunscreen, water, snacks and much more. Your excursion does include fins and a mask, but due to covid you do have to purchase your snorkel. Scott and I selected a boat that only held about 30 people. After checking in at the boat, we had about a 30 minute wait. Note: There’s only one unisex (and kind of gross) restroom, so be prepared. They also do not allow any kind of spray sunscreen and prefer your sunscreen be “reef safe”.

Check out this big boy, who was hanging out with us. Apparently, Iguanas are a major nuisance here in Florida and they are working on humanely euthanizing them.

The Trip to Christ of the Abyss

The trip starts with a short canal ride out to the inlet. Here you will find plenty of gorgeous homes and boats along the way.

The trip was nice and smooth as we headed about five miles offshore to the Christ of the Abyss statue. To learn more about the history of this statue, be sure to watch our YouTube episode where Scott shares the back story on the statue.

Once we arrived, we all jumped in and headed off to find the statue. There was a very large barracuda interested in our group, but he was harmless. There was quite a bit of Sargassum, a nuisance seaweed floating all around. However, the fish were also nibbling on this, which made for a cool experience.

Surprisingly, the statue is not that deep. As you approach it, there’s a strange feeling that comes over you as you get closer. It was probably one of the coolest things we’ve done this year.

After Snorkeling

The entire trip took about three hours (9am to 12p) and afterwards we went across the canal to Sharkeys for a quick bite. They serve your typical pub fare and it was delicious. Look for our boating journey sticker on the deck!

While having lunch, a site seeing boat passed by – the “African Queen”. LOL!

Relaxing at the Resort

The resort has plenty of beach chairs by the pool and on the beach. Scott and I spent the rest of the day, relaxing and soaking up the sun.

You can also rent kayaks, paddleboards and jet skis from the tiki hut. We took a kayak out for about an hour, but the current was making it hard work and Scott started to take on water.

We finished the day enjoying another great sunset at Sundowners next to the hotel.

As I mentioned in our last blog, the one thing we really miss from Seattle is the sunsets. They have always amazed us and Key Largo did not disappoint.

Our third day in Key Largo

I couldn’t go to Key Largo and not buy a souvenir and luckily for us there was a huge gift shop just down the road.

After shopping, Scott and I enjoyed an awesome massage at the resort’s spa! We were able to book it about a week before we arrived and they did not disappoint. Then we grabbed a quick snack next door at Senor Frijoles. Scott couldn’t resist getting a photo with Senor Frijoles himself.

As we were walking back from the restaurant, I noticed these trees in the resort’s parking lot. Low and behold they were avocado trees! Unfortunately, standing under them, I got eaten alive because I didn’t have any bug spray on. Note to self.

Winding down our trip

Just as we had been enjoying a beautiful day, the weather started to turn nasty. The winds clocked up to 30 knots and no one was laying by the pool. It certainly didn’t stop us from grabbing a few drinks at the pool bar before dinner.

Our last night we headed to Snooks Bayside as everyone told us to check it out. They had a small art display at the entrance and the restaurant had plenty of seating. The sunsets did not disappoint and the food was good. Unfortunately, we had another bout of bad service.

All in all, it was a fantastic three day weekend. We felt we had traveled far away even though we were only a few hours away. Snorkeling at Christ of the Abyss was definitely the highlight of the trip.

As always, thank you for following our journey. Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and our YouTube channel (video below). You can also follow us on social media @boatingjourney #boatingjourney. Tune in next week, as we had to Boca Inlet and watch boats heading out to sea.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Weekend Getaway in Key Largo

Living in South Florida, we can easily enjoy a weekend getaway in the Florida Keys. Last month we headed to Key Largo for a long weekend. The last time we were in the Keys was in 2013 and we stayed in Islamorada. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a very good time because they were experiencing freezing temperatures.

Scott and I selected Key Largo because it was a shorter drive from Fort Lauderdale and I found a great hotel, The Reef House. This resort recently became part of the Opal Collection and it didn’t disappoint.

I had reserved an ocean view room with a king size bed. Ironically, this room was not expensive at all. The room was nicely appointed and we had a great view.

The Reef House Resort

After we checked in, we explored the grounds. This resort offers so much! You can book all of your water adventures in the gift shop, including boat rentals or you can rent paddle boards and kayaks from the tiki hut. Walking the resort we found plenty of moorage for your private boat, along with activities for volleyball and corn hole.

The resort does have two restaurants and a bar on site. When we checked in we got script for a free drink, so we stopped there next. The bartenders were so incredibly friendly, that we went back each night for a night cap. They also have live music during happy hour.

Sunset Dinner

The Reef House is walking distance to three other restaurants a block away. We were told to head to Big Chill, which Jimmy Johnson (the owner of the Miami Dolphins) owns. The restaurant is huge and has plenty of outdoor seating. Scott and I grabbed a great seat next to the water and enjoyed the sunset. While the music and scenery was fantastic, we wouldn’t go back for a meal due to the terrible service and no food being delivered.

Watching the sunset, we realized we hadn’t seen a sunset since we left Seattle in March. What a beautiful sight it was.

Walking back to the resort, we really felt like we were on vacation. This is one of the reasons we moved to Florida. We can enjoy a weekend getaway and feel like you’re miles away from home.

Stay tuned for our next blog, as we head out to snorkel at Christ of the Abyss. As always, thank you for following our blog and our journey. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (see link below) and follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Alligators & Airboats

alligators

When you think of the Everglades, you immediately think of alligators and airboats. Living just a short distance from the Everglades, we had to check out Everglades Holiday Park. The Everglades National Park is a subtropical wetland ecosystem that spans 1.5 million acres across south Florida. This park was manmade by the Army Corps of Engineers to help with the torrential rain fall during the summer months. It’s actually the largest and slowest rivers in America, flowing at 1 meter per hour. It’s also the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles and co-exist.

Everglades Holiday Park

The park was only about a 40 minute drive NW from Fort Lauderdale. It wasn’t too crowded and we were on the boat within 15 minutes of arriving.

When I think of airboats, I was thinking of a smaller version, something like this below.

Instead, we were on a much bigger boat that could occupy up to 30 people.

Our tour guide is very passionate about the Everglades and the alligators. The tour was more educational than I was expecting. If you are wondering if the engines are loud – they are!

Here Alligator

Our airboat took off right away and we headed down the Lilly pad covered river.

Our guide knows each of the alligators and is familiar with their resting spots, so we headed towards one of his favorites. Low and behold, there he was. He had just returned for mating season.

The park is also full of rare plants, mangrove trees and birds. Airboats can easily glide over the water avoiding any fouled props since they use giant “fans” for propulsion.

As we were learning about different plant species, this baby alligator came over to say hi. Isn’t he cute?

In Search of More Alligators

We thought our tour was at the end, when a tourist spotted another alligator. Our airboat headed over to her direction and there she was. Turns out, she’s not a friendly one and headed straight into the mangrove trees.

After the tour, they also have a fifteen minute presentation by an alligator rescue handler. He actually is not employed by the park, but rather he rescues nuisance alligators. Here they are rehabilitated and they use them to study their life cycles.

When the presentation was over, we then got to hold a baby gator. It did not have the feel I expected. The skin was actually very smooth and weird feeling.

I expected the tour to be a little bit hokey, but it was very informative and we learned a lot. You can’t live in South Florida and not have an understanding about what the Everglades are. Be sure to check out the park if you are in the Fort Lauderdale area.

As always, thank you for following our journey and we would love it if you would subscribe to both our blog and our vlog (see below). You can also follow us on social media at @boatingjourney #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Moving to Fort Lauderdale

moving to fort lauderdale

Moving to Fort Lauderdale sounds amazing (and it has been), but it wasn’t without some hard work, tears and frustration. Scott joined me for my first week in Fort Lauderdale and then I was alone here for the next five weeks. This journey ended up being harder than I expected. During the next five weeks, I would live in two different apartments and stay in four different hotels while traveling on business. My first trip was to Palm Beach for the Palm Beach International Boat Show. I’ll share a blog on that experience soon. Next I drove across the state up to Dunedin. This was quite the driving experience, as I drove across the Everglades and up the west coast of Florida. That’s the longest drive I have made by myself in a very long time.

Moving into our apartment

I was excited to move out of my temporary housing and into our new apartment. Unfortunately, I was moving in with just a few boxes, a blow up bed and chair. Surprisingly, my rental car was packed and it took me ten trips to the apartment. I watched tv on my laptop while sitting in a lawn chair.

With no furniture, the apartment echoed terribly. I did enjoy the view at night, but always ended up closing the shades as I didn’t need people watching me. LOL

Exploring Fort Lauderdale

I spent my weekends walking up and down the Riverwalk and watching all of the boat traffic. There are tons of restaurants and shops in Los Olas and it will be great for Scott and I to explore the area together.

The Riverwalk is always bustling with activity, which makes it a fun place to live.

Heading back to Seattle

After living on my own for five weeks, it was time to fly home. I was only home three days, so I didn’t get to see many people. Finally we packed up the rest of our stuff and headed to Scott’s parents house for the night. The following morning, we left for Sacramento at 4am.

Our original plan was to not have much in the truck, as we would need to empty the contents each night at the hotels. Why? We have been told that thieves target trucks and vans that are full of possessions at hotel parking lots. Unfortunately, our plan didn’t work out and yes, we emptied the truck every night. Stay tuned to find out how our five day road trip went.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our vlog (video below) and follow us on social @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Ally and Scott

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Time to spill the beans

moving to fort lauderdale

We can all agree that the past few years have been a struggle. Who knew in 2018, when Scott and I sold our home to downsize and prep to live on a boat, what the future would look like a couple of years later? So many of you have asked us tons of questions on why we moved to Fort Lauderdale and now it’s time to spill the beans.

ruins

Let’s go back to January 2020. I had forgotten I had applied to a VP role in St. Thomas and suddenly my phone rang one day (I was actually working at the Seattle Boat Show). Right there, I ended up walking around the show interviewing with the VP of Human Resources. We had a delightful conversation which led to many more with other executives. This was a very large company with locations on nine Caribbean Islands. They verbally made me an offer in March 2020 and asked that Scott and I fly down for a weekend to look for housing. At that time, no one really knew what covid-19 was or how long it would be around. What we did know, were countries were shutting down their borders. After talking about it, we decided to take the job site unseen. Just five days later, St Thomas and every other country shut down. If we would have taken the trip, we would have been stuck and lost our current jobs.

people wearing diy masks
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

So my offer had a TBD start date, which we hoped would be in a month or two. With that said, we began the packing process, which included selling our Bayliner 4087. It sold very quickly and we soon were frustrated being boatless during the pandemic.

Unfortunately my “new company” started to close many of their locations, as they were located at cruise terminals and there were no cruises due to the pandemic.

St Thomas
Notice there are no cruise ships

Fast forward one year

The following April, we decided to keep our trip to St. Thomas (was supposed to be the bare boat charter, but that was still restricted) and while we were there, I met with my “new company”. Scott and I were still on board to make the move and they were figuring out a new way to do things. But by June of 2021, it became obvious that this job wasn’t going to pan out, so both of us parted ways.

Now we had the itch to move to sunnier warmer weather – next option? Florida! I was interviewing with one company in Gainesville and after they flew me out, I knew I couldn’t be land locked. I needed to be near water, so that was not an option. Then I flew back down to Fort Lauderdale in August (no it wasn’t a surprise that Scott planned, it was actually another interview) to meet with a boat dealership. Again, they made me an offer, but unfortunately the current marketing director decided not to retire while I was in mid-air flying to Florida. The offer was not a good fit for my career. After spending that weekend in Fort Lauderdale, we were determined as ever to make the move somehow.

Fast forward to December 2021 when I started talking with OneWater Yacht Group. I was so excited about the opportunity, but I didn’t have my hopes up. Imagine my surprise, when it wall worked out! Like I always say, “things happen for a reason” and I truly believe I was meant to come to work here.

Living in Fort Lauderdale

When Scott and I announced we were moving, we heard the same thing from everyone. “It’s hot and humid there, why”? Well, when you are sick and tired of endless days of gray skies, misty rain and miserable weather, you’ll take a little humidity. This hasn’t been an easy journey either. For starters, I lived alone for almost a month and a half in a city I don’t know at all. Then I traveled up and down the East Coast, moved into our apartment with no furniture and then made the cross country trek with Scott almost two months later. As I am typing this (May 15th), we are still waiting for the movers to arrive with our belongings.

Scott and I are renting an apartment in downtown Fort Lauderdale, in Los Olas. There are so many restaurants and shops within walking distance and we love that! The atmosphere is energized and the streets are clean. Add sunshine and boats and we’re happy as clams. We are just a few blocks from “River Walk” and we get to see lots of boat action regularly.

Are we buying a boat now?

We know that’s the next question and if we find the perfect boat – yes! But there are a few things that have to happen first. First, we are still dealing with a lack of inventory and we are not going to pay 30% over market value just to have a boat. Second, we need to research hurricane policies, insurance, liveaboard marinas, etc. We don’t know the area and we don’t know the boating industry down here yet. For example, we’ve heard if you moor your boat north of I-595, then you’re safe – what does that exactly mean?

In the meantime, if you know of a project boat or a turn-key liveaboard power boat, reach out to us. We are entertaining all options. Until then, we plan on exploring and experiencing all kinds of boating adventures here in Fort Lauderdale. This includes, canal tours, air-jet adventures, private charters, day sailing trips and boating over to the Bahamas. Our blog and vlog is called “Boating Journey”, which doesn’t mean we have to own a boat. It means we are going to spend our time exploring new adventures on a boat.

Over the next few blogs and vlogs, we’ll share with you our adventure of how we got here, what we’re doing here and everything in between.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to both our blog and vlog, and on social media @BoatingJourney #boatingjourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Staying at Grande Bay Resort in St. John

grande bay resort

Wanting to relax a few days after our charter, Scott and I reserved a condo at Grande Bay Resort in St. John. In our last blog, we returned our Leopard power catamaran to the Moorings base the night before our charter ended. The next morning,  Scott and I jumped on the Fast Ferry  back to St Thomas first thing in the morning.  However,  the ferry we took back, was not the same ferry or company we took to Tortola. 

 Instead of having an upper deck on the ferry, we had an interior seating only. It had three seats on either side and was set up like an airplane (they even played movies!) Unfortunately the weather was terrible and we had about 6 to 7’ swells. To say that it was an uncomfortable ride is an understatement.

To top it off we had to take another ferry from Charlotte Amalie to St John and head back into rough seas.  As you can see by the photo below it was not a fancy ferry.

Grande Bay Resort & Condos

 For this year’s visit we stayed a little closer to town and we reserved a fabulous condo with a wonderful view.  The condo was nice and open with nice appointments.

After checking in,  we headed in to town to grab a cold drink and unwind. Our first stop was the Tap & Still Cruz Bay Pub. They were very friendly and quick with the cocktails!

After a round of drinks, we decided to explore a bit more of St. John that we didn’t see last year. A few blocks later, a huge squall came thru and we had to find shelter quick. Luckily, for us we ran into another bar Meada’s Garden (though it was outdoor!).

The owner was serving cocktails at the bar and we found out that the restaurant was only a few months old. We decided to make dinner reservations for our third and last night in St. John as he was so friendly and fun to talk to.

Best Restaurants in St John

Since Scott and I were here to relax and unwind, we made it our goal to visit the best restaurants on St. John. One of which, we visited last year, The 1864 in the Mongoose Station. Turns out we sat at the exact same table! The food was even better than last year. If you are in St. John, this is a must.

You can’t skip breakfast if you have a full day’s worth of activities. On our first morning, Scott and I headed to High Tide on the beach. We had dinner there last year and this time, we bellied up to the bar for breakfast. The service was fantastic, the drinks were strong and the food was delicious!

On our second night, we made reservations at a very small steakhouse, called Dave & Jerry’s Island Steakhouse , which was walking distance from Grande Bay Resort. It came highly recommended and one of the owners actually greets every guest. It’s a bit tight, as they only have about 9 tables inside, but it’s worth it. Scott and I should have split a steak, as I could barely make a dent. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo before I dove in!

Renting Another Dinghy

Last year, Scott and I rented an 11′ dinghy from Wharfside Watersports to explore the shores of St. John. Read that blog here. That dinghy was great, but it wasn’t big enough to handle the big swells through the channel, so this year, we rented a Zodiak for $595 for a full day so we could explore. After breakfast, we headed to the office, where we stumbled upon the broken props they set up outside their office. LOL!!

As we were getting our instructions, we learned that unlike the 11′ Highfield dinghy we rented last year and visited numerous beaches, the Zodiaks were not allowed on the beaches. Uh ho! However, the Zodiak was a great dinghy and handled the swells very well. Our plan was to visit Maho Bay beach to snorkel with the turtles. After we made our way to our destination, we realized that if we jump in the water, we need to be able to pull ourselves back into the boat.

Unfortunately, the boat had a very small swim ladder, big enough for one foot and only one handle to pull yourself up with. It was too risky, so we simply cruised around dodging a rain storm. After a few hours, we were tired of fleeing the rain storms, so we headed back to Grande Bay Resort condo to relax by the pool.

The rain squalls never let up, so we left the pool and decided to enjoy downtown St John and a few local bars.

Time to head home

Our trip to St. John was short, but enjoyable. We highly recommend taking a few days to unwind on land after a boat trip. Though we had a round trip ticket on the private ferry, I refused to get back on it. Instead, we paid $15 each and hopped on the government operated ferry and headed back to Red Hook. Red Hook is on eastern side of St. Thomas, which required us to take a longer taxi ride back to the airport, but it was worth it.

Next on our journey, is our move to Fort Lauderdale, FL! So much is happening in our lives and we’re excited to share it with all of you.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog (link below). You can also follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. See you next time in Florida!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

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Returning to the Moorings Base

In our last blog, we mention that we decided to head back to the Moorings base the night before we had to return the boat. Our crew had a simple continental breakfast while we enjoyed the serenity of our anchorage.

After breakfast, the garbage and ice boat came along. It is so cool that you can get ice AND get rid of your garbage so easily!

Since we had the boat for the entire day, we decided to cruise a bit and perhaps get in some snorkeling.

We left Norman Island around 10am and headed to Treasure Point.

Once we got out of the bay, we realized the weather was getting rough.

Exploring the British Virgin Islands

Since the weather looked too rough to snorkel at Treasure Point, we headed to the Indians. Once we arrived, we realized there was no way we were going to go snorkeling as the weather was getting worse.

We were surprised that so many boats were moored there and wondered if they were actually snorkeling.

Before heading back to the Moorings base, we headed towards Salt Island for a nice cruise. About five minutes into our cruise, we ran into a major squall!

Returning to the Moorings Base

After battling with squalls for a few hours, we decided to head back to the Moorings base. The Moorings base recommends that you call the base to have a captain come meet you and hop on board to stern dock the boat.

Be sure to watch our YouTube video (link below) to see how easy the process worked. The Moorings give you a check-out sheet, making the process easy.

The Moorings base recommends that you leave behind any provisions for the staff, instead of throwing it out. We did throw out items that were spoiled. After we each took long showers and cleaned up, we headed to Soper’s Hole for a wonderful dinner.

Returning to the base was the best decision we made. The following morning, we were relaxed and not rushed trying to get to the ferry. Tune in next week, as we head to St. John to explore the USVI.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and vlog (link below). You can also follow us on social media @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney.

Cheers, Scott and Ally