Nautical route is a road map to destinations traveling by boat

July 26, 2018August 5, 2018

Summer Update!

Summer Update from Us!

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

Off to Gig Harbor

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

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

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

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

Entering Gig Harbor

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

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

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

What to see in Gig Harbor

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

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

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

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

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

Summer’s Almost Over – Any Big Trips?

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

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

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

What’s Next?

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

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

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Cheers, Scott and Ally

June 23, 2018

Visiting Poulsbo

Visiting Poulsbo, a Quaint Scandinavian Town

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

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

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

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

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

Liberty Bay & Docking

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

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

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

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

Little Norway

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

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

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

Downtown Poulsbo & The Farmer’s Market

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

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

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

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

Low Tide

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

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

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

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

Those are our two boats together on the second dock.

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

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

Good Friends, Great Wine & Beautiful Sunset

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

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

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

Heading Home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for following us! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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May 30, 2018June 1, 2018

Boating Over Memorial Day Weekend 2018

Memorial Day Weekend 2018

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

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

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

Let the Weekend Begin!

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

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

Porpoises were everywhere!

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

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

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

Boat Chores & “Dinghying” Around

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

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

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

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

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

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

A beautiful sunset for a great weekend!

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

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

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

Be sure to subscribe to stay updated and check out our Patreon Site too! Thank you for following us and for sharing too!

Cheers,

Scott and Ally on Kokomo

#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

April 26, 2018

Clipper Round the World Visits Seattle

Spending the day touring the Clipper Round the World Sail Boats

Last Sunday, Scott and I took a break from packing up the house and went down to Bell Harbor Marina to view the Clipper Round the World sail boats. I’ve been following this race for months and was so excited they were stopping in Seattle!

The race is the brain child of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who was the first person to sail non-stop around the world and this is their 11th race. To learn more about the legs of the journey and their stops, read here. What’s even more impressive is that 40% of the sailors do not have sailing experience! If you click on the link above, you’ll see the conditions they sail in. That is courageous if you ask me!

Touring the boats

What was really cool, is the tour was free! You simply had to wait in line for a guest pass. They had limited guest passes, so once folks were done with their tour, then it was your turn. We toured Sanya Serenity Coast sailing yacht. Each boat has a major sponsor and then multiple smaller ones. This boat is sponsored by the city of Sanya which located in the South of China on Hainan Island. It is making its debut as a Host Port and Team Partner for the 2017-18 and 2019-20 editions of the Clipper Race. They will use this sponsorship to promote tourism and sports.

We were also able to tour the cabin of the boat and it was tight in there. Each boat has twenty crew, with ten on watch at a time. That means the other ten are sleeping in their hot bunks (which are hammocks) or trying to find a place to sit. Also keep in mind that while racing, the boat is usually at a 40 degree angle!

They have two heads on the boat and no shower. They are typically at sea for 3-4 weeks before arriving to a port. How do they shower? They use handi-wipes.

Honestly, as cool as this would be, I just don’t see myself ever doing something like this under these conditions. What was also interesting, is once they get into port they still stay on the boat. If they want to rent a hotel room, they are on their own. If it were me, I would find a cheap room to share with other people. That way we could shower and do laundry for a couple of days.

A great way to break away from the chores of moving

Spending a sunny day at Bell Harbor Marina, touring these awesome boats was a great distraction from our chores of moving! Everyone was in such a great mood and having a great time.

Seattle also has a boat in the race, promoting tourism for our city.

Here’s the video footage we took:

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Thank you for subscribing to our Boating Journey blog! Stay tuned for our move update in our next blog, which will be written from our new apartment in Downtown Seattle! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

April 12, 2018August 15, 2018

Looking Forward to Boating Season!

We’re ready for boating season – are you?

I don’t know about you, but after weeks of cold, rainy weather we’re ready for boating season and some sunshine! Of course, with our boat still in dry dock after six weeks, we’re not missing much.

Next month, will be a full year that we have been boat owners and we certainly traveled a lot of places for first time boaters. That’s the great thing about mooring at Elliott Bay Marina, we’re close to so many great ports that are a day trip away.

Some of our favorite spots

In celebration of #ThrowbackThursday, I thought I would share some of our favorite destinations. These include Kingston, Gig Harbor & the San Juan Islands.

salmon bake indian reservation — Blake Island

luxury charter yacht pnw locks — Going thru the Ballard Locks

The best view is still at home

Even if Scott and I don’t take the boat out, we love to spend the night at the marina. We are very lucky to have such a beautiful place to relax and entertain friends and family. This year, we plan on exploring more of Seattle on foot from the marina.

holiday party marina — Olympic Mountains

Here’s to another great boating season! We look forward to sharing our journey with you this summer! We should be bringing Kokomo home in the next week or so, so stay tuned! Cheers, Scott and Ally

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#BoatingJourney #KokomoSeattle

March 8, 2018

Hauling Out Our Boat

Hauling Out Your Boat for the First Time

For any new boater, hauling out your boat for the first time is nerve racking to say the least. Scott and I had met with Seaview Boatyard at the Seattle Boat Show in January and took advantage of their “boat show special”, which was 1/2 off the haul out and 20% off labor. When you are talking $110/hour for labor, 20% is a big savings.

We scheduled our haul out a month ago, not knowing what the weather window would give us. Thank God is was dry and sunny. We did have northerly winds at 10mph, which made the journey from Elliott Bay to Shilshole Marina a bit wet and choppy.

Our brother-in-law, Kurt joined us on the trip, as he is familiar with hauling out and the boatyard.

Prepping for the trip

Since we couldn’t take the dinghy, we had to remove it and secure it to the dock. Then I drove to Shilshole, dropped off our truck and Kurt drove us back to Elliott Bay.

The tricky part about this trip, is that we have a broken prop and we didn’t want any vibrations that can ruin our shaft. So we traveled at about 6 knots all the way there.

Arriving at Seaview Boatyard

It took us about 30 minutes to round the point and arrive to Seaview. They had told us to call the office if the sling wasn’t out, so that’s what we did. Soon, we noticed they were putting in another boat, so we waited about 10 minutes in the fairway. There was no traffic, so it was not a big deal.

After they put the sail boat in, they waved us in. We didn’t have any fenders out, since we were heading straight into the slings. But with the northerly winds and a broken prop, it became a bit challenging. As we approached the piling you see on the far right of the photo above, it became apparent to Kurt we might hit it. He was on a bow and quickly attempted to push us off. I was on the stern and didn’t get to the starboard corner in time before we hit it. Thankfully, it struck our toe rail and didn’t do any damage.

When you pull into the slip, they have you shut off your engines and they quickly secure the boat with the slings. Kurt shut off the power and we locked up the cabin. I was waiting for them to tell me to step onto the dock from the Port side, when he told us to get on the bow, climb over our railing and reach for the ladder (that was 10′ above the water) to get on the dock! Remember, I’m short and this was not an easy or non-terrifying feat for me. LOL.

Up and away Kokomo goes

The three of us got on the dock and they quickly brought up our boat and wheeled her to the hard. What a sight that was!

What do the props & stern drives look like?

A few months ago, someone on Facebook posted the photo below and I was terrified that is what Kokomo would look like!

Luckily, Kokomo looked surprisingly clean! We dock our boat on our Port side and 85% of the winds come from the north. This means that the current, winds & debris are coming at our Port side and simply collecting there. We think this is why our Port side stern drive looks much worse than the Starboard side.

We expected that our anodes would need to be replaced and sure enough, they do! What are we talking about??

From Google: “The way we counteract galvanic corrosion is to add a third metal into the circuit, one that is quicker than the other two to give up its electrons. This piece of metal is called a sacrificial anode, and most often it is zinc. In fact, most boaters refer to sacrificial anodes simply as zincs.”

The three of us then spent some time with Andy, the manager at Seaview to go over what we wanted to have done. This includes:

Pressure washing
New anti-fouling paint
Cleaning and waxing the entire boat
10 Point Inspection including the trim tabs, anodes, seacocks – but no engine
Replace both propellers
Replace the anodes

We are also having a Mercruiser mechanic inspect the stern drives and make sure we are in tip top condition for boating season. This should all take about two weeks or so. What will all this cost? Not sure yet, but we will be sure to let you know!

Yes, this is also the time we should be having our open house and getting ready to move into our new apartment. Crazy lives we are living right now!

Our Bayliner is 32′, but in this photo it looks like a huge yacht next to Scott!

We captured the entire journey on video, so that we could share this with you all too.

Stay tuned for our next update! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and share with other friends & boaters.

Thank you for following our journey! Cheers, Scott and Ally

March 5, 2018March 13, 2018

Keep up with us!

Keep up with what’s happening this week

The next few weeks are going to be very hectic for Scott and I as we get closer to putting our house on the market. We’ll do our best to keep everyone up on what’s happening here on our blog. As we mentioned last week, our lives are very crazy right now.

We have two big things happening:

Prepping & putting our house on the market
Hauling out the boat for paint & engine work

House Update

Last week we had all brand new carpets put in by Empire Carpets and they were fantastic! The team was efficient, friendly and did a great job. On top of that, the entire project was very affordable. If you are looking for fast and quality service, I highly recommend Empire today!

Later this week, we are having the floors refinished, so stay tuned for those photos and update.

When it comes to prepping our home to put it on the market, I have been really picky about everything. I want it to be pristine and perfect. So over the next week, we’ll refinish the floors, clean up the yard, deep clean the house and make it picture ready! Yesterday, we toured three homes and two of them were between $800k-$950k. I was shocked as to how grungy they were. I would be embarrassed if anyone came into our home with it looking the way these did. So hopefully, I do a good job on my own house.

Moving stuff to our storage unit

Now that we have our storage unit in downtown Seattle, we’ll be making many trips to it. Right now, it’s actually FULL of boat stuff, from carpets, to beds, to bedding, coolers, bbq…..you name it, it’s there! It will be nice when we get the boat in service and we can free up all that space. Check out our fun video from our second load to the unit:

We looked at a couple of apartments yesterday, because we had some spare time. One of them was about 560sq ft (YIKES), right above the viaduct (noisy!), expensive, but the views were amazing. Don’t worry, we’re not moving in there.

Bellevue Staycation

This week, we are celebrating our 15 year wedding anniversary AND having our floors refinished. Since we have to move out for three days, we’re staying at the Marriott Courtyard in Bellevue. We plan on touring about ten apartments on Friday and Saturday, as we want to lock in our new apartment in a week or so. Yes, things are happening fast!

Hauling Out

This Wednesday we are hauling out the boat to Seaview Boatyard. Thank God the weather is forecasted to be sunny at 51 degrees. Whew! We don’t have to go far, but we still will be moving with a broken prop. Scott and I will need to unhitch the dinghy and tie it up to the dock. The trip should take about 20 minutes, if all goes well.

Be sure to subscribe to both our blog and YouTube channel to follow the day’s events. We will also share our stories on Instagram and Facebook. So stay tuned and keep up with us! New adventures await.

Cheers,

Scott and Ally

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017

Favorite Boating Blogs

Thinking back on how this dream of living on a boat started, it all began when I started following other boating blogs. Business would be slow at our wine shop and the weather was miserable. Why not immerse yourself in someone’s journey? The unfortunate part of following other bloggers is that in some cases their boating journey comes to an end. I remember feeling a bit depressed, know that they had to be sad too.

Some of our favorite old blogs were found on Sail Blogs. Here you can search through the list of active blogs and read where they are in the world and what they are doing.

Our Favorite Boating Blogs Right Now:

Sailing Britican – This is a family of three on board their 56′ sailboat and they have traveled over 18,000 miles over the past three years. They share a lot of tips, lessons and advise on their blog.

Quit Your Job & Live on a Boat – Author Ed Robinson wrote his first book “Leap of Faith – Quit your job and live on a boat” which tells the story of how he and his wife left the rat race and are now living on their trawler in Florida. You can follow him on Facebook too.

Sailing Totem – This is a family of five on their 47′ sail boat, which left the Puget Sound in 2008. They are still cruising and both of them co-author many articles in 48º North and Sail Magazine.

Lahowind – This was one of my favorite blogs to follow. Jereme & Kim from Florida decide to leave the rat race for one year onboard their 37′ sailboat along with their dog Oliver. They traveled all over the Caribbean, got engaged and returned home a year later. They sold their boat, married and had a child. Now she blogs about family and raising their baby. Kim is a professional photographer and her photos & videos of the Caribbean are stunning. Check out her photos & video of the pigs in the Exumas!

Jill and Jake Adventures – This couple started sailing in February 2015 from the East Coast down the ICW onto the Caribbean. Be sure to start reading from the beginning to really feel their adventure.

Sailing La Vagabonde – This is a YouTube blog following an Australian couple as they sail on their new Catamaran across the oceans of the world.

I am always looking for new blogs to follow, so if you have any favorites, please share with us! Cheers! Scott & Ally

September 22, 2017November 7, 2017

A Summer to Remember

Pacific Northwest Summer

Pacific Northwest Summer has come to an end and it surely will be one to remember for a long time. Everyone teases us for all of the rain we get and how dreary Seattle is. So imagine their shock when we say we didn’t have any rain for almost four straight months setting an all time record! Of course, we watered our plants and yard every day, only to get a $1000 water bill this week! Finally, Autumn is here and we are looking forward to it.

The Summer of 2017 will always be the one where our boating journey began. Scott and I really lucked out having a great weather summer. Normally in Seattle our summer starts on July 5th and doesn’t last very long. Thanks to our great summer, we made sure we took advantage of our time on our boat.

Pacific Northwest Cruising Destinations

In the short four months we have been boaters, we covered a lot of water in the Pacific Northwest. When Scott and I first got the boat, we didn’t expect to make that many trips at first, but we got the cruising bug instantly. Where did we visit?

We also went through Deception Pass on our way home from the San Juan Islands. That was on our bucket list!

Labor Day in Seattle

We enjoyed the three day weekend of Labor day turning it into a four day mini vacation. We started in Gig Harbor, then Seattle and then the Ballard Locks!

One of the coolest things we did this summer that I recommend every boater do at least once, is go through the Ballard Locks! We had so much smoke from the fires in Eastern Washington that all of our photos and videos have a “burnt sienna” look to them. Check out our video below:

It was definitely a summer to remember. Seattle usually has a mild Fall season in September and October, so we are looking forward to spending some weekends on the boat coming up. Stay tuned! Cheers, Scott and Ally (and Mac too)

September 7, 2017September 25, 2017

Labor Day Weekend-A Trip to Gig Harbor

Labor Day Weekend at the Gig Harbor Marina

Scott and I had no plans for Labor Day weekend, so we decided to go down for one night on Sunday on our boat Kokomo. Gig Harbor is located just southwest from Seattle.

We were able to make reservations at the Gig Harbor Marina & Boatyard about one week out. After we made our reservations, they emailed us our slip number (B24), the codes for the restrooms and a map of the marina.

The weather was warm and sunny, 85 degrees with winds NNW winds at 9mph. We went through Colvos Passage on the east side of Vashon Island as it would be quicker and ideally more calm. There were a lot of boaters in the passage, along with gobs of green floating plant life.

Unfortunately this past week, Washington state has been battling some major fires in Eastern Washington and near Mount Rainier, so as we got closer to Gig Harbor the skies got smokier.

It took us about 1 hour to get there and as soon as you exit the passage, it does get extremely windy. You have Commencement Bay to your east and the Tacoma Narrows to your south. We were trying to figure out where the entrance to Gig Harbor, as we could see it on the map, but not physically.

Getting into Gig Harbor

As you can see by the image above, the entrance is very narrow and not visible from boaters coming from the north until you start to travel west. As Scott and I approached the narrow channel to the harbor there was a lot of marine traffic – both boaters and kayakers!

The entrance to the harbor is just around the corner of the beach sticking out (hard to seer!!)

Once inside the harbor, it was very crowded with boats anchored and on mooring balls. Scott and I were not sure where to go when we first entered the harbor, as the fairways are not marked. But we had a map from the marina, so we were able to figure out which way to go. I will tell you that if it’s windy and during tide change, the current is very strong inside the harbor.

Our slip was next to the permanent moorage and all of the guest slips are single slips, which we enjoyed. You do have to be careful that you don’t hit the posts holding up the roof though.

After a quick lunch on the boat, we decided to check out this cute town. The marina is literally in the heart of the town with lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance. Much different than our trip from the San Juan Islands, when we visited Oak Harbor!

Scott and I decided to try and find 7 Seas Brewing and on our way, we stumbled upon the Skansie Brother’s Netshed. The netshed was built in 1910 just after Andrew Skansie built his home in 1908. He immigrated from Croatia in 1907 and was one of the first settlers in Gig Harbor. This is now maintained by a non-profit organization and it was full of historical items.

This tour is free to the public, but they do rely on donations. Be sure to stop in and check out this historical place. You will also notice along your walk, that many of the buildings have historical significance and stories in regards to the early settlers of Gig Harbor.

Where is 7 Seas Brewing?

Scott and I continued walking north through Gig Harbor, looking for the brewery and we then stumbled upon Arabella’s Landing Marina. This marina was sold out, but is also very popular for guests.

Eventually, we found 7 Seas Brewing, which was not on the main drag. In fact, it appears to have been originally some sort of grocery store or shopping center. It was over 90 degrees and by now we were hot and thirsty. It was so refreshing to sit inside and cool off. The staff was super friendly and surprisingly, children are allowed. They even offer retro board games for families to play.

We each ordered a flight of four samplers for just $5!

Shopping for Gifts

Our good friends watched our golden retriever Mac this weekend, so I was on the hunt for a thank you gift. Gig Harbor is full of quaint boutique shops and so this was not a difficult task.

On the main drag, we came upon “For the Love of Spice” store. I love to cook and so do our good friends, Dave and Kathy. I knew I would find something here. We met the owner, Windy and she hand makes all of the spices herself. They also feature an olive oil and vinegar bar, artisan made pastas, rare and unique grains, flavored sugars, and infused salts. We lucked out that they happened to also be doing a wine tasting. For $5/pp, you get to try three wines out of a selection of over ten wines. Scott and I purchased a bottle, so one of our fees was waived.

If you love to cook, this is a must visit!

Wait, there’s more!

We continued our way back to the marina and came upon Heritage Distilling.

Scott and I have only been to one other distillery and Heritage was sampling everything they make! You buy the tastings in packages and we both decided to sample two 1/2 oz liquors plus one cocktail, called a Bevanda for $7.50.

The Brown Sugar Bourbon was a bit sweet. We bought a bottle and I plan on glazing our Thanksgiving turkey with it! Yum.

People were lined up along with small bar trying all kinds of spirits. The guy next to us, sampled the vodkas above including the Ghost Pepper vodka!

Now that we had covered all three beverage groups for tastings, it was time to head back to the boat and relax before heading out for dinner. I happened to find out earlier that one of my childhood friends, Ben was also in Gig Harbor on his boat with his wife Maria. They came over on their dinghy for a quick visit and it was great hearing their boating stories. Ben has been super helpful these past few months with advice and tips on boating.

Dinner in Gig Harbor

Many of our friends had told us we needed to go to the Tides Tavern for dinner. Since we were only here for one night, then this was where we were going. It was Labor Day weekend and yet we were lucky to get right in. They offer good pub grub and seafood. Our server was very friendly and funny.

After a long day of boating, walking, shopping and drinking we were ready to call it a night.

Labor Day

The marina was very calm in the morning. We made breakfast and headed out about 9:30am. It was warm & sunny with winds about 14mph NNW. The harbor was once again filled with boats and kayakers, so be careful as you exit the harbor. Considering it was Labor Day Weekend, Gig Harbor was still easy to get around and visit.

The Colvos Passage was very choppy and windy coming home, as we were heading right into the wind. Scott and I arrived back to Elliott Bay Marina about an hour after we left.

If you haven’t been to Gig Harbor, we highly recommend it. It is an easy boat trip from Seattle and a fun day for everyone. Scott & Ally on #KokomoSeattle