What's In a Name?

When we bought the boat we knew it would need some minor engine work so it will be out of service for the next couple of weeks. We've been using this time to make some changes to the interior that we feel will better utilize the space. Bob has been putting in some shelves and modified the shelf that holds the microwave so that there is better access to the storage area underneath. Today was a milestone for us when Bob removed the old name from the boat and put on our decal declaring the boat "Stargazer".We were really thankful for a rain-free and semi-warm (above 45 degree) day.  It's amazing how much more the boat feels like ours now that it has the new name on it! We chose Stargazer because of the feeling of exploration that the name evokes.

Taking the Family Out

Today was our first day out with the family. It was a rainy day but we enjoyed showing the boat to Robyn and Gavin (along with baby Cohen) and to Mihai's dad, George. Alley and Mihai drove us down to Olympia when we picked up the boat so they had seen it briefly but in the dark. Today we cruised for about an hour and then returned to the marina for fish 'n chips. It was a lot of fun and it showed that 7 adults and a baby do not crowd the boat. We are all looking forward to spring and summer when we can really take her out on some fun trips.

Bringing Her Home

We departed Olympia Marina at 8:00am to bring Stargazer to her home port of Everett, WA. The weather started out rainy and we went through a very large rain squall. There were small craft warnings but most of the trip was beautiful for cruising. The boat handled great in Puget Sound even where there were 4-5 foot waves.

The following picture of the GPS shows a few of the many inlets in Puget Sound that are left for us to explore on future trips.

Along the way we saw two whales, a sea lion and a navy submarine being escorted by a Coast Guard cutter and a Blackhawk helicopter.

Following are some of the sites we passed along the way - Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Seattle skyline, and the Mukilteo ferry and lighthouse.

 

It was a wonderful day and everything came together for a fantastic first outing aboard Stargazer. We arrived at the Everett Marina at 2:50pm.



It's a Go!

Today was a lot of fun as we spent a few hours on the boat. We had the survey done and then did a sea trial in spite of the fog that decided to descend on us this morning. All looks good and we should be the owners of Stargazer sometime next week.