Why we only vacation in the Caribbean every year

Here on the West Coast, most people travel to Mexico or Hawaii for their tropical vacations, but Scott and I only vacation in the Caribbean each year (except for one time we went to Mexico). It does take us a full day to get to our destination, but it’s worth it in the end.

Caribbean cruise — Jackie O’s love beach in Antigua

It all began when we honeymooned in Antigua in 2003. The tropical warm breezes mixed with the smell of rum, sounds of steel drum bands and the mesmerizing turquoise waters got us hooked. On top of all of that, it was also the people from the islands that drew us in. There are definitely parts of the islands that are poverty stricken and many of the workers you encounter at your hotel, restaurant or taxi come from these neighborhoods. Yet, they are eternally happy around everyone and that’s what makes visiting the islands so memorable.

What Caribbean Islands have we visited?

Scott and I have been to Antigua four times, always staying at Sandals Resorts. Sandals is an all-inclusive resort chain with great resorts to vacation at in the Caribbean. Antigua’s capital, Saint John’s is a great city for shopping – be sure to check out their huge Farmer’s Market!

When we owned The Wine Alley, we always closed the first week of January to take our vacation. One word of caution – if you visit The Bahamas in the winter, remember that Nassau is pretty far north and it can be chilly in January! The islands are beautiful and visiting the pigs in the Exumas is on my bucket list.

Jamaica has been another favorite island for us and we’ve stayed all over the island. I think we have been there five times with White House being our favorite.

White House is on the west side, near a 500 acre wildlife refuge park (watch out for bugs on the uninhabited beach), Negril is great for beach activities and food, Ocho Rios is famous for Dunns River Falls and Sandals at Montego Bay is literally across the street from the airport!

Keep in mind when visiting anywhere in Jamaica (except Montego Bay), that it can take a couple of hours to get to the hotel. But in true Jamaican fashion, the drivers always take care of their passengers along the way.

Our most unique island visits

A few years ago, we decided to pick a brand new island to visit and we selected the Dominican Republic (not to be confused with Dominica). The Dominican Republic shares the island with Haiti. We stayed at a five star all-inclusive resort, which was beautiful. The waters of Dominican Republic are so insanely blue, they are blinding. There’s great history on the island, starting with Christopher Columbus. However, their sanitation system (lack of) and the tip expectations from everyone we encountered were a big bummer for us. I’m sure it has changed since then.

Then last year, we took an epic sailing cruise aboard the Star Flyer, which is part of the Star Clipper fleet. This journey started in Sint Maarten and headed south to Nevis/St. Kitts, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Isles des Saintes, Antigua, St. Barths and back to Sint Maarten. Be sure to watch our three part series on YouTube for the full footage!

Caribbean sailing ship — On board Star Flyer, outside of Nevis

US Virgin & British Virgin Islands

With all of our Caribbean vacations, it’s hard to believe that Scott and I have never traveled to the Virgin Islands. To say we’re excited about our upcoming bareboat charter with The Moorings in the BVI’s is an understatement. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been researching where to anchor, where to visit and eat. The charter is only for six days and then we will spend two nights on St. Thomas. This will give us a chance to explore the island over a day and a half. Both islands are still recovering from Hurricane Irma and after seeing what Sint Maarten looked like, we’re prepared.

We’ve mentioned in a few blog posts and YouTube episodes, that if you have chartered in the BVIs before, please share with us any advise you have. This includes provisioning, places to visit, what to wear, etc. We know we have to have a flexible schedule & itinerary based on the weather forecast, so we want to have our options lined up.

Time to practice anchoring

This weekend the forecast is decent and the four of us (Scott, Maria, Ben and I) are planning on heading out to practice anchoring. We had hoped to stay over night on anchor, but since we’ve only anchored once, it’s best we do a day anchor for lunch first. The weather can turn ugly in the PNW and the last thing we need to do is drag anchor and run around.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram @BoatingJourney, so you can see our stories and get current updates on our progress. Also, check out our YouTube channel at @BoatingJourney and subscribe for future episodes.

As always, thank you for following us! We have some exciting things planned for this summer, so stay tuned! Cheers, Scott and Ally

#BoatingJourney #BoatingLife

July 18, 2019July 30, 2019

Planning a Caribbean Bareboat Charter

Now that we have taken a sailing cruise in the Caribbean, Scott and I are ready to plan our Caribbean bareboat charter for next Spring. We’ve talked to lots of friends who want to join us and now it’s time to start planning! We are not planning on chartering a sail boat, but instead we want a power catamaran.

Budget

First we have to determine the budget. In talking to numerous companies across boat shows, the cost can vary drastically depending on the size of the boat, location and season. Typically when we have vacationed at Sandals in the Caribbean, we have spent about $5500 per week or $2250/person (all inclusive, but not including airfare).

Using that budget, a four cabin catamaran comes out to over $20,000. I think we can rent one for much less – that’s the goal at least! The one catch about bareboat chartering is the cost doesn’t include fuel or provisions. Most quotes I’ve seen start at about $10,000 for a four cabin catamaran.

Question for our friends – What is your budget? Are you willing to sleep in the salon?

Location

There are a few key places to charter in the Caribbean. The Bahama Islands are beautiful and on my bucket list – BUT, unless you know the islands well, they can be dangerous. The coral-based archipelago is full of reefs and shallow ones at that.

The most popular location is BVI, British Virgin Islands. There are many charter companies and there is plenty to see and do. On top of that, Scott and I have never been to the BVIs. Unless some other place comes to us, we’re planning on the BVI’s for this trip.

The BVIs are east of Puerto Rico and north of the lesser Antilles Islands (which we have been to many times). The weather is fairly constant and stays about 87 degrees on average.

Activities

Our goal would be to explore the marine life and island life on this trip. Top activities for the BVIs are snorkling, visit beaches, check out the baths, great restaurants & bars and island hikes. Scott and I are open to ideas!

Most people anchor when they charter, as you have more freedom and plus it’s cheaper. Guess we’ll need to learn how to anchor before we go. Based on our preliminary research, most charter companies will give you an itinerary and show you where you can anchor and explore.

Charter Companies & Type of Boat

Since Scott and I don’t know how to sail, we plan on chartering a power catamaran. Why a catamaran? Well, they tend to be roomier and have better water accessibility than a regular 50′ power boat. There are quite a few charter companies in the BVIs and now it’s time to do our research on them. Here’s the list:

The purpose of this blog is two fold.

The first, is to find out who is seriously interested in joining us. We’re looking at dates in April, but not during Spring Break. Comment below or text us (for those who have our numbers) and let us know if you seriously want to join us.

Secondly, we want feedback from other boaters on their experiences (good or bad) with any of these companies (or other companies), types of boats, itineraries, etc. This is all new to us, so the more information we can get, the better!

After we gather some more information, we’ll share that in another blog. Thanks for all of your input and for following us! Be sure to check out our YouTube Channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Next we head to Kingston for our annual weekend with friends.

Cheers, Scott & Ally

April 9, 2019April 15, 2019

Caribbean Cruise on Star Flyer – Part 3

Wrapping up our Caribbean Cruise on the tall ship Star Flyer

Scott and I were excited to be heading to Antigua after our stop in Guadeloupe. We honeymooned there in 2003 and that’s when we decided we wanted to retire in the Caribbean. This was our fourth trip back to the island and we knew exactly where to take our friends, Ben and Maria.

Our ship anchored in Falmouth Harbor, which is just west of English Harbor. Here you will find luxury yachts anchored in the harbor.

We had signed up for the “Swim with the Sting Rays” excursion on Antigua, which wasn’t scheduled until 1:30p. Since we had time to kill, we decided to take Ben and Maria on a quick tour of the island.

Quick Tour of Antigua

A few years ago, Scott and I took an island tour by taxi and we loved it! So we knew this was the best way to quickly show Ben and Maria our favorite Caribbean island. We only had about two hours for a quick tour. Our driver was Willie and super friendly! His first stop was the Blockhouse lookout. The lookout view is spectacular and includes Eric Clapton’s compound.

We then headed to Shirley Heights for a quick look out overlooking English Harbor and Nelson’s Dockyard. Captain Nelson built the Blockhouse, Shirley Heights Fort and Nelson’s Dockyard. He wanted to have a 360 degree view of intruders. It’s amazing to think about the fact that they built these forts high up on hills without machinery.

From Shirley Heights, Willie headed north, taking us to a few beautiful beaches on the western side of the island.

365 Beaches on Antigua

Antigua has a beach for every day of the year! As Willie drove us north, we stopped at a few beaches, including Jacqui O’s – the beach of romance!

After visiting a few beaches, we had about 40 minutes to get to St. John (the capital) for a quick tour. Driving around the island, really gives you a good sense of how the residents live every day.

St. John

We literally had about 10 minutes to spare when we arrived. To really enjoy all of Antigua, you need more than 2 hours! St. John offers lots of shopping and this is where the cruise ships come into port. There is a main shopping market for tourist with hundreds of vendors in the city center.

For some reason, Scott, Ben and Maria had a hankering for donuts! LOL We’ll laugh about this photo for years! Who knew Ben loved donuts so much! 😉

After a quick two hour tour, it was time to head to Pigeon Beach for lunch (hosted by the Star Flyer) and catch our bus to Sting Ray City.

Sting Ray City

Scott and I swam with the sting rays during our last trip to Antigua. I didn’t enjoy it much, as I was neck deep in the water and I was a bit freaked out with slimy fish rubbing by my legs! This experience was completely different and we loved it! We were waist deep and the trainers were amazing. Be sure to watch our YouTube episode (#32) to see Lola kissing me!

An Antiguan Sunset

We finished our day in Falmouth Harbor watching sail boats race in the harbor, drinking rum punch and saying goodbye to our favorite sunset.

After dinner, the ship had a fantastic steel drum band perform for us. It was the perfect ending of a great day!

St. Barths – here we come!

We sailed all night from Antigua to St. Barths. As I was walking around the deck, I noticed in the distance whale spouts. Be sure to see that footage on our YouTube episode.

Our last day of the trip was in St. Barth’s (St. Bartholomew). We had been told that the town was a mini Beverly Hills and drinks were $50 each. Since we hadn’t had any time to relax and lay in the sun, we all took a day off. It was the perfect day, enjoying the Caribbean breezes and warm sunshine.

One thing you will notice about St. Barth’s harbor, is the opulence! Anchored in the distance was Eclipse. Eclipse is the second largest yacht in the world at almost 535 feet. It has two helicopter pads, a mini submarine and three tenders!

All day long we watched expensive tenders drive! It really was quite the sight to see. Be sure to check out our footage on our YouTube channel (check back here) of all of the activity in the harbor.

St. Barth’s Sundowner

We had an amazing sunset on our last night. All of us hung out on the deck, for as long as we could before we said goodbye to the sun!

Traveling with Ben and Maria was great (hopefully they feel the same- LOL). We really had such a fun week and they were a big part of that.

The Star Flyer Events – Last Night

The ship had a nice dinner planned and a mini celebration from the crew. We then finished the evening watching a movie on deck, Around Cape Horn, which was filmed in 1929. It’s amazing that they got this footage – considering how long ago this was!

After the movie, the ship raised the sails with yet, another celebration. They had sparkling wine, music and colored sails.

Returning Home

We sailed all night from St. Barth’s to Sint Maarten. The ship has you place your luggage outside your room at 4:30am and you keep just your carry-on bag. Breakfast was served from 8am – 10am and customs/immigration were on board first thing in the morning

In order to leave the ship, you check-in with Sint Maarten customs/immigration and then they return your passports to you. We left the ship around 9am, but our flight was not until 1:30pm. So Scott and I took a taxi back to Holland House and got a day pass for our luggage. There we enjoyed a few local Carib beers and squeezed in some last minute shopping. There are lots of shops at the cruise terminal, but they don’t open until after 10am.

Though the airport is small, there are quite a few tourists shops there too, for any last minute shopping needs you have. The airport doesn’t have “restaurants / bars” per se, but they do have take-out for sandwiches and beers to go.

Bye Caribbean!

Scott and I are always sad to leave the Caribbean, but we can’t wait to return. How did we like the trip? Well, tune into our YouTube Channel for a full review and feedback about the trip.

Now that the trip is over, we’re anxious to get our new boat into service and ready for boating this summer. Stay tuned for that next adventure!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe and check out our YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney

Watch the full tour here on YouTube:

Cheers, Scott and Ally

March 30, 2019April 9, 2019

Caribbean Cruise on Star Flyer Part 2

On the third day of our Caribbean Cruise on the tall ship, Star Flyer, Scott and I arrived in the port of Terre-de-Haut in Iles des Saintes. The Îles des Saintes, or Les Saintes, are dependency islands of Guadeloupe, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean. The main island, Terre-de-Haut, is known for Pain de Sucre Beach’s coral-rich waters and palm-lined Les Saintes Bay.

There were no excursions for this island, so most of the passengers took the tender to town to explore. It was a quick 5 minute trip to the dock, where we arrived to a quaint French town full of shops and restaurants. They only take the Euro, so we had to find an ATM to get cash for some items at the grocery store (water, beer).

Tour of the town

Terre-de-Haut consists of only a few streets. Lots of tourists were renting scooters to explore the island. It’s a fun little beach town, but very expensive. Scott and I stopped in a shop to buy a couple of nice shirts and our total was over $150 Euro ($180 US)!

If you want to have lunch, they have beautiful cafes, but they require reservations. Who uses Open Table when you’re out in the middle of the ocean? Sadly, some the restaurants were rude about it. We did sit down in one restaurant, that was literally along the shoreline and dinghy dock. But after 20 minutes, they never came to take our order, so we headed back to the ship.

The beaches of Terre-de-Haut

We grabbed a quick bite on the ship and then changed into our swimsuits to head over to the beach. The cruise line has a partnership with Hotel Bois Jolie. Simply buy a beverage from the bar and you should be able to get a beach chair. However, they don’t have a lot of chairs, so we ended up on a beach towel. You can snorkel right off of the beach, but they have tons of sea urchins, so make sure you wear your water socks!

Sun-downer in the Caribbean

Since we were in the Caribbean, we assumed we would have amazing sunsets each night, but it really depends on where the cruise ship is anchored. Isles des Saintes did not disappoint! The weather was warm, the breeze was light and the scenery was magical.

Day 4 – Guadeloupe

We arrived in Guadeloupe in the morning. This island is also a French colony. While we were waiting for customs to allow us off the ship, guests were allowed to climb up to the mast. Ben was ready, along with Fred – an 89 year old Coast Guard Veteran!

In case I didn’t mention it earlier, when you arrive on the ship, sign up for the excursions immediately or you will miss out. There were some for Guadeloupe we wanted to do, but we were too late. So we decided to head into town and visit the De Deshaies Botanical Gardens. The tender ride is about 10 minutes, as we were anchored pretty far out. Once you arrive at the dock, there are taxi drivers waiting for tourists to drive them to the gardens (which are up a steep hill-about 1 mile)

The Gardens

Guadeloupe is known for it’s lush and tropical scenery. The Botanical Gardens tour takes about an hour and they do have a restaurant inside. However, it was very buggy and Maria and I started to get eaten alive by “no see-ums”, so take bug spray!

The views from the gardens are stunning and definitely worth the trek. Plus they had a variety of birds AND goats! They were the highlight of the tour.

Though we made arrangements for our taxi driver to come back and get us, he never showed. So we had no choice, but to walk back down to the marina. It took about 20 minutes, but you walk on the road, so be cautious of cars.

We were all so exhausted after walking all day in the heat and humidity that we turned in early after dinner.

Watch our full episode on YouTube below:

Where to next?

Next stop is Antigua! Our favorite island in the Caribbean. Stay tuned for our next blog for a full island tour and swimming with the sting rays!

As always, thank you for following our blog! Be sure to subscribe for future updates. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter!

Cheers, Scott and Ally

October 1, 2018October 1, 2018

No Boat, What now?

The big question – No Boat, so What Now?

Since selling the boat two weeks ago, everyone keeps asking us, “no boat, so what now?” We wish we had a definitive answer, but we don’t. What we can tell you is, we are trying to figure that out and hope that soon we’ll have an answer.

If you recall two years ago, Scott and I were at the Annapolis Power Boat Show, looking for a liveaboard. After the show, we decided it would be in our best interest to buy a weekend cruising boat first to make sure we like spending time on a boat. As we began our search back then, we realized that finding a slip was an issue. Luckily, we were able to secure one at Elliott Bay Marina, a month before we had found our boat.

Fast Forward to Today

When Scott and I sold our boat, we were given lots of advice on what to buy next. Remember, we sold our home with the intention of moving onto a 50-55′ boat. That’s why our lease in our new apartment is only for one year (with only 7 months left). Wow, we’re right on track, so let’s start shopping! Not so fast……..

Turns out that plan has a HUGE hiccup in it. We have checked with our own marina and all of the other main public marinas in Seattle and all of them have a 3-5 year waitlist for boats over 50 feet! Guess we didn’t think about that, even though we kept hearing “you better get on a list”. On top of all of this, we love Elliott Bay Marina and we don’t want to leave, but they also don’t allow liveaboards. Great, now what, you ask? Just for kicks and giggles, we asked about the availability for 40′ and 46′ slips at Elliott Bay. Those are 3-4 months on a waitlist. Just to be safe, we are on the waitlist for those.

Basically, we have three options.

We can buy a 37 – 43′ boat and keep our apartment for another year. But that wasn’t originally in our budget or plan.
We can hope that we find a liveaboard that comes with a slip already.
We don’t buy anything

The last option sounds so drastic and not part of any of our original plans. However, one thing Scott and I have agreed upon and that is “we will not buy a boat simply to get a slip in our marina”. If we find the right boat and we feel really great about it, then we’ll know it was meant to be. So we are searching every day and of course, with me working at Lake Union Sea Ray, everyone there knows I’m searching for a boat too.

So no boating journey?

Of course not! Remember, this blog started in 2013 long before we had a boat. Scott and I are committed to staying very active on the water some how or another. This includes kayaking, sailing on Lake Union, chartering a boat to the islands, canoeing, you name it.

We’ll also continue to share tips, videos, books, recipes and vacation information along the way.

Exciting Sailing Trip in the Caribbean!

Just this weekend Scott and I booked an exciting trip in the Caribbean. We have never been on a cruise (and have no desire to either), but we have heard wonderful things about Windstar and Star Clipper. There are many charter companies in the Caribbean and we’ve talked about finally signing up (but that seems risky not knowing the other four passengers). So we opted to go the larger group route!

We booked an 8 night Leeward Island Cruise for next March and we used our BoatUS membership for a discount! The vessel, Star Flyer, is 360′ long with a 50′ beam. Unlike a formal cruise ship that typically has thousands of guests, this vessel only holds 170 passengers with 72 crew. It also doesn’t have fancy restaurants, casinos or theaters. Instead, it is set up as a casual sailing experience in a more intimate setting.

The itinerary will visit the Leeward Islands (funny, our apartment complex is called Leeward) and the only island we have visited before is Antigua.

Once we get more information about the trip, we’ll be sure to share that with you. I’m a bit nervous about getting sea sick, as there will be a lot of movement up and down on the boat (especially our room, as it is up front). The booking agent recommended that we take Bonine as it works much better than Dramamine. Guess we’ll find out!

In our next YouTube episode, we’ll sit down with you all and talk more about our plans and what we have on our agenda.

Thank you for following us! Please be sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel and also follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Until next time! Cheers, Scott and Ally

#BoatingJourney

October 25, 2017

Our Favorite Caribbean Vacations

Favorite Caribbean Vacations

Scott and I have many favorite Caribbean vacations. Though we live on the West Coast of the United States (where most folks go to Hawaii or Mexico), we only go to the Caribbean. There’s something about the smell of the tropical air, the warm breezes and the steel drum music that takes you away instantly. Our love for the Caribbean started on our honeymoon, during our first trip to Antigua. Antigua is located in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea and also the Atlantic Ocean, as you can see in the second image below.

Antigua

For our honeymoon in 2003, we stayed at the Sandals Antigua Resort. We picked Antigua because the resort was unique and looked romantic. Since then, the resort has doubled in size, but kept it’s quaint beach front. Now Antigua is one of our favorite Caribbean Islands.

swimming in the caribbean sea — March 2003

We returned to Sandals Grande Antigua in 2011 after their big remodel. During this trip, we took our first circumnavigation tour of the island on the Wadadli Catamaran. The tour took about seven hours and was so fun!

In 2016, we came back to Antigua which I wrote about in my blog. We spent so much time touring the island, both on land and at sea, that I wrote four blogs about our trip. Click on the titles to links to the blogs.

Antigua – Part I – Xtreme Circumnavigation Tour & Sting Ray City

Antigua – Part 2 – Land Based Tour & Nelson’s Dockyard

Antigua Part 3 – Circumnavigation Tour – Hells Gate Island & Bird Island

tourist spot antigua — This rock island has the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Read our blog for more details.

tourist island excursion antigua — View from the top of Bird Island

Antigua – Part 4 – Fun Beach Days

Bahamas

We have only been to Nassau, which is the capital of the Bahamas. Surprisingly, it is almost parallel with Miami. Be sure to keep that in mind if you visit the Bahamas (or Key West) in January, as it can be cold!

When Scott and I visited Nassau in 2008, Florida had a freeze and we had a few days where it did not get above 60º. However, it is a beautiful place and we hope to return and visit the Exumas and the swimming pigs someday.

Jamaica

Jamaica is located due west of Haiti & Dominican Republic. We have been to Jamaica five times over the past twelve years. The primary reason is that the island folks are extremely friendly and it’s affordable from Seattle. Again, we have always stayed at a Sandals Resort each time. We have been to Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios and White House.

Montego Bay

Our first trip was to Montego Bay and Sandals resort, was located across the street from the main airport’s runway. I’m not joking! It turned out to be a cool thing and we didn’t have to drive for hours to get to our hotel. When the planes fly over, everyone waves!

Unfortunately, a huge tropical storm came through during our trip so we did not do any water excursions.

White House

White House is located on the west side of the island and Sandals Resort is located in a 500 acre wildlife refuge park. There is nothing around it, but it is gorgeous! It has a great bay for Hobie Cat sailing and it is really peaceful. There is a bit of a drive to get there (about 2 hours) but the roads have improved. Scott and I have been to White House three times.

One of our favorite things we have done, is visiting Floyd’s Pelican Bar, which is located on a sand bar. You take a small dinghy from your boat out to the bar. They sell (warm) drinks and cook up some food.

We have also taken a few cocktail cruises during our stay in Whitehouse.

Negril

On one trip to Jamaica, we split up our vacation between Whitehouse and Negril. We drove north for about an hour and it was an easy trip. Negril is very cute and has many famous tourist attractions. We did not do any of them, as we simply relaxed by the pool. The resort offered a free glass boat tour in the bay, which was fun. But beware, because the resort at the end of the beach is nude and they also do boat tours!

Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios is located on the northeast end of Jamaica and about two hours from the airport. Unlike many of the other cities we traveled to, the highway was paved and easy to drive on. However, this was not our favorite place at all. It might have been because we didn’t like the resort at Sandals or because it wasn’t as tropical as on the west side. The water is rougher and not as turquoise and clear. We did take a catamaran cruise to the Dunn River Falls (we didn’t do the chain to the falls). Of course a squall showed up, so it wasn’t a great day on the water.

Dominican Republic

We visited the Dominican Republic in February 2017. I did write a blog about our trip and voyage. It is a beautiful island and it has cool caves. It just was not our favorite of all of the islands we have been to.

As we visit more places, I will be sure to add them to our list!

April 12, 2017November 7, 2017

Catching Up!

Dominican Republic

Gosh, time flies! We vacationed in the Dominican Republic the last week in February. We stayed in Punta Cana on the northeast coast at the all-inclusive resort Bahia Principe Ambar Blue.

We have been to many Caribbean islands and honestly this isn’t one we would go back to. Others love it, but it wasn’t our favorite. Yes, it is tropical and warm, but everyone we encountered was less than friendly. On top of that, they all wanted tips for doing nothing. Normally my blog would be full of photos and stories of the trip, but it just wasn’t that memorable.

However, we did spend some time on the water and their water is definitely Caribbean blue! We snorkeled, played on a sand bar and swam with reef sharks and sting rays. The boat excursions took us to the northern coast of the island.

Along the northeastern Bavaro coast of the island, a HUGE reef runs along the coast. Because of this, all boats travel between shore (very shallow waters) and the reef. I would hate to run into it in the middle of the night. I actually had just finished “Black Wave” on this trip and the reef freaked me out!

We decided to do an catamaran excursion and the first stop was swimming with reef sharks and sting rays. I was saddened to see they were caged up.

But the water was warm, stunning and gorgeous! After swimming with the sharks, they took us to a “natural pool” where you can actually stand chest deep in the water. Each excursion company then brings out cocktails for tourists to enjoy while in the water.

As you can see, I had plenty of reading materials by the pool! My carry on bag must have weighed over 10 pounds with all of the magazines! Cruising World, Multi Hulls and Cruisers Outpost are three of my favorites!

Excursions

We did some other land excursions on this trip and the cave tours were probably the coolest thing. They have many many caves that will take you all under the island and out to the sea. Super cool!

We did take a two plus hour bus ride into Santo Domingo, which is the capital. One thing that is fascinating about this island, is that Christopher Columbus discovered it. He had a ship full of convicts and about a week before they landed, he nearly had a mutiny on board. Thinking about the reefs and the fact that they had no electronics, it’s amazing that he was able to navigate the tall ship.

Christopher Columbus Light House Memorial

After ten days we were ready to come home. Again, the staff at the resort and many of the other people we met were not very friendly and they nickel and dime you for everything.

Boat Shopping

When Scott and I got back from vacation and we met with our boat broker, Eddie from NW Yacht. Finally, we have begun the process of looking for a boat. Yes, after six years it is finally happening! Remember, we are no longer looking for a live-aboard, but rather a smaller older boat we can get comfortable with and get our sea legs (well, get my sea legs back). We are looking at both sedans (motor yacht style) and sport cruisers (better for outdoor activities). Most likely, we will go with a sport cruiser, as a newer model will be more affordable. Some of the most popular sport cruisers around here are Sea Ray, Bayliner, Four Winns and Larson.

One thing about the PNW, is we are the Bayliner capital. While they have a bad rap on the East Coast, they are everywhere here. In fact, I used to own a Bayliner Ciera years ago and it was a great boat. We know that the boat we buy, will not be long term for us – either we will hate it and get rid of it, or we will love it and want to upgrade to a larger boat. So we are not spending too much energy or resources on this boat. We want to make sure any boat we buy has a great engine and is structurally sound. Luckily I have a captain in my family to help us!

Now we are also starting to look for a slip for the boat (that we don’t own yet). We’ve had our eyes on Elliott Bay Marina and have walked their docks to see if we like it. So far, so good.

So stay tuned for the next update! Cheers, Scott and Ally

February 21, 2017October 12, 2017

What I’m Reading in the Caribbean this Week!

Sailing Books to read on our long vacation!

I love to read sailing books about true stories of adventurers around the world. We leave for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic tomorrow and I will be taking a few things to read on the beach. We have never been before and we’re excited to visit the third largest Caribbean Island. This will be one of our longest vacations we have had in a very long time – 9 nights and 10 days. We are staying at a new resort to us, Bahia Principe Ambar Blue on the northeast coast of the island.

We have booked four excursions, including a couple sailing trips, swimming with the sharks & stingrays, rum factory, caves and a trip into Santa Domingo. Stay tuned for all of the great photos to come!

With this long of a trip, I have to take a stack of magazines and books to read on the beach and by the pool. Of course magazine favorites will be Cruising World, Passage Maker, Sea…to name a few. But I’m excited about the new books I got this Christmas!

First up, is The Box Wine Sailors: Misadventures of a Broke Young Couple at Sea

This is yet another true story of a young couple from Portland, OR with zero sailing experience, decide to go sail the Pacific Coast for a year. Their journey is comical and also very educational. Especially since it involves the Pacific Northwest. We have some of the most treacherous bodies of water between Seattle and San Francisco. With their annual budget of only $12,000, they set off in a 27′ sail boat from Portland down to Mexico. I just started this book, so I can’t wait to finish it while laying by the pool!

Favorite Author – Wendy Hinman

One of my favorite sailing books I’ve read is Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey.

Wendy and her husband Garth, live right here in the Puget Sound. Years ago, they too, traveled on a 27′ sailing boat around the world! I have run into Wendy each year at the Seattle Boat Show. This year I was thrilled that she has a new book out Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire . This book tells the gripping story of a family in a tireless quest to sail around the world despite daunting challenges including a shipwreck, rebuilding a boat on a remote island, and threats from wild weather, pirates, gun boats, mines and thieves, a broken rig, scurvy and starvation. Sea Trials is a timeless story of struggle in the pursuit of a dream, filled with incredible challenges, glimpses of the fascinating cultures they encounter and enough levity to keep readers of all ages hooked to a suspenseful, satisfying ending.

It’s a BIG book, so we’ll see if I finish it while on vacation!

So stay tuned for our return and report on Dominican Republic! Scott & Ally

April 13, 2016April 18, 2018

Quick trip to the Caribbean!

Belize Tour in 48 hours

Last month, I literally went to the Caribbean for 3 days…..yes only 3 days! It really was a whirlwind trip and I’m so glad I was able to check it out. I was considering moving to Placencia, Belize on the Caribbean side to help open a resort. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite come to terms and we went our different ways. With that said, I still loved the resort and what they are building, which is why I want to share this great place with you.

Placencia is a peninsula on the Caribbean side of Belize, which is a country just south of the Yucatan Peninsula and north of Guatemala. It is a very quiet and laid back community with very friendly people. Let’s start with my journey getting there!

I left Seattle at 5am and arrived in Dallas, only to find out that my next flight was delayed by over an hour. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal, but I still had to catch a flight from Belize City to Placencia via an island hopper (Cesna). That flight was scheduled for 4:25pm and I was now due in at 4:10p. Yikes! That would mean I would have to get through customs, security and on another plane in 15 minutes. Sure enough, we land at 4:15p and I was panicked. Belize City airport is not a big airport, in fact, you step onto the tarmac, then into customs and turn left and you are through security to the next airline. I flew threw customs and security in about 3 minutes. As I approached Maya Island Air, they were so friendly and assured me I still had plenty of time! Whew. My airplane held about 12 people. Never have I flown on one of these, so I took lots of photos.

Placencia, Belize

One thing you will notice immediately is the warm sun and humidity. Good thing I have naturally curly hair! The resort (called Naia) will be a destination spa resort which is located in the Coco Plum Development. This is a master planned community and they are selling gorgeous beach front lots and lagoon front lots. This is the place to retire, especially if you have a boat! Then they are building Naia within the community, which will feature 30 beach front units, along with a pool, two restaurants, a bar and a first class spa. The spa has a gorgeous yoga studio, 6 individual day treatment rooms, activity center, fitness center and spa cafe. This is where you will want to spend your day! The resort is scheduled to open officially sometime in October/November.

If you are interested in touring the property to purchase a lot, ask for Stewart and be sure to tell him I referred you.

I stayed in one of the “Tree Top Villas” that are on the property of CocoPlum. This was a really cool setup, with one unit downstairs, kitchen/living in the middle and the second unit at the very top.

I was able to get a full property tour with the management team. Trying to dress for this trip was certainly a challenge, as I was touring a construction sight in 85 degree weather with a team I had not met in person yet. But it all worked out just fine!

This is one of the two bedroom beach houses that is part of the Coco Plum Community.

Notice the amazing woodwork in the ceiling and continue to watch for this in my upcoming photos. The wood in Belize is absolutely beautiful!

The Fitness Room & Yoga Studio of Naia Resort

Now we are headed to the fitness room and yoga studio. Imagine doing yoga here with a lush lawn, palm trees swaying over head with a slight breeze. Heavenly is the perfect word!

From the yoga studio, you’ll take a bridge over to the spa center, treatment rooms and cafe’.

This is the view as you are getting your pedicure!

This is the spa cafe’ overlooking the lagoon.

Beach front villas

I got a quick sneak peak at the beach front units for the resort. They are not finished yet, but these photos give you an idea of the tranquility they will offer. Also, every unit has an outdoor shower – super cool!

Naia Resort & Restaurants under construction

From here we checked out the hotel and restaurants. It’s so amazing how their construction is so different than what we see here in the states. Notice the roof on the hotel and how gorgeous it is already!

Now we are upstairs in the restaurant overlooking the Caribbean and the pool. I’m already relaxed, how about you?

One thing I will tell you about Placencia is the food is amazing and probably some of the best food I have ever had. My first night, they took me to RumFish y Vino and I had the Yucatan Chicken. Wow! I’m still trying to recreate the dish! They make everything from scratch.

The second day we went to lunch at Mango’s and we had the best view for lunch! Another must eat at spot in Placencia!

Looking for a place to live

While I was there I looked at a condo for rent at an adjacent property (also called Coco Plum) and took a walk along the beach to get there. Can’t beat this commute everyday!

Of course, I can’t travel half way around the world and not find a cute fur friend!

Ironically, I didn’t take the job, so I didn’t move, BUT my condo ended up being featured on House Hunter’s International. The broker is Boris Mansfield and he was very helpful during my process.

Can you smell the ocean air and feel the breeze?

On my last night, they took us to a fabulous restaurant called Maya Beach Hotel Bistro. The food was amazing and they have a jaw dropping wine cellar! Ellen the owner, took me back to show me their collection and it was far better than some of our high end restaurants here in Seattle. Be sure to check this place out or you’ll be sorry. I had the pecan crusted fish, but many had the pork chop – this is a serious meal. Their desserts are all made by the owner and are to die for.

In the end, I’m grateful I had the opportunity to see such a great project from it’s beginning. It will definitely draw world class attention from travelers throughout the world and I can’t wait to see the finished product!

Maybe our BoatingJourney will take us to Belize some day!

January 28, 2016October 24, 2017

Antigua – Part 4 Fun Beach Photos

Antigua Beach Photos

Part 4 of our vacation blog, includes fun beach photos of Antigua. There’s something about being in the Caribbean that makes you want to take tons and tons of beach photos. Perhaps it’s because we can look at them at home on days that it’s wet and rainy? During our stay, we walked the beach during the day and also during a few sunsets (well we have to get our steps in!).

So along the way, we snapped away. Enjoy!

Do you see a dog in this photo??

Yes, sadly this sail boat washed ashore. It still had plates, etc on the inside 🙁

As Kenny Chesney’s song “It’s That Time of Day” says ……(of course we’re in Antigua not BVI)

It’s that time of day
That we all knew would come
To pay for all the rum
And pull up anchor cause we’re done
It’s that time of day
I see a cotton candy sky
So many colors in my eyes
Proof again God’s aliveThis ain’t a goodbye
It’s a “till I see you again”
What a wonderful time
We’ve all shared my friends
Another day at sea
Has come and gone away
So adios to Jost
Adios to Jost
Adios to Jost
It’s that time of day

Thanks for following our blog! The Seattle Boat Show is this weekend, there will be a new update on that soon, along with a “new reads” blog. Stay tuned!