Linda and I have been boating since 1994.
Our first attempt was a "Lease Timeshare" boat. It was a 32 foot Bayliner, Motoryacht, with twin 110 HP Hino Diesels. It's name was "Fun For All".
At Coopville
Linda at the Helm: Deception Pass
Family in Seattle
Through the Ballard Locks with Dennis, Shannon and Strohpeeps.
This was a nice boat, but there were scheduling problems - we couldn't get it as often as we wanted or at the best times. We wanted to have a boat of our own.
In 2000 we settled on a 28 foot Bayliner, Ciera Classic, with a single, gas powered 350 HP Mercruiser and an outdrive. We named her "Slainte", which means Cheers in Irish, after a band by that name.
Slainte Rear View
Slainte Front View
Helm Station
This was a great boat that we used for years. It was fast enough (22mph cruise, and 32mph Top Speed) to get the San Juan Islands in a long weekend, and to British Columbia on a regular basis, and big enough for six friendly people . We had many wonderful trips as far north as Quadra Island and including Princess Louisa Inlet.
At Anchor
In the San Juans
Victoria
Slainte Crew: Note Matching Tees
But the Slainte had a couple of flaws; it burned a lot of gas, it was noisy when underway, it had limited battery capacity for anchoring, and it bounced pretty good in bumpy water. With retirement our need for speed diminished, and we found ourselves looking at longer range cruisers.
Our search led us to the Monk 36, a classic trawler style cruiser. We looked at several of them, but most were too expensive. We found an earlier version (1980) for sale in Huntington Beach, California. We flew down to look at it, and made the decision that day to make an offer. The offer was accepted and before we headed home we made arrangements to have the boat brought up to Port Orchard by a Captain from San Diego. It was late October, so the weather was a potential problem. By the time we got home, Capt Tom and his mate were already underway. The trip didn't go well. Due, primarily to fuel tank sludge stirred up by the rough water, the engine would run rough, then stop. After repeated fuel filter changes, they sought refuge in Ft Bragg, CA. As the weather was worsening, they gave up and headed home.
Linda and I drove to Ft Bragg to assess the situation and schedule repairs. By the time we got our new boat squared away, we decided to leave it there for the winter. Trucking was impractical, so we scheduled the trip home for June, 2009, when the weather was expected to be better.
Our friend Bob Dropp, a retired Navy Captain, and I brought her home in late June, arriving in Port Orchard on 1 July. Here is a link to a photo essay: Limerick Comes Home
Since then we have taken our new baby out on many excellent adventures. Our first extended trip was August of 2010 to British Columbia. Here is a selection of recent boating photos:
Dinghy Ops
Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island
Linda Toasts a great day at Lopez
Evening Meal: Sidney Harbor, BC, CA.
Stern Tie, Todd Inlet: Visit to Beuchardt Gardens
Poet's Cove: Listening to dock musicians
Pulling the Trap.
Another Keeper
Into the Pot: Linda knows what to do with a Sea Spider
Sunset: Montague Harbor, Gulf Islands, BC, CA
Lion's Gate Bridge: Intering Vancouver Harbor
Scenic Indian Arm: East of Vancouver on the Fraser River
Fresh Shrimp Dinner: Chamainus
Heading Home: Through the Sansun Narrows
Roche Harbor
Recent Monk Gathering
At Oak Harbor, WA
