West Coast Planning

I've had a small old 16 foot (4.87m) glass Trihull. Old, nasty, really more mold than boat. Next, was the 17 foot (5m), then, today's 19ft (5.8m) center console, now on it's second brand new engine. right before Pandemic, I looked at, and fell for my next step up, a 27 ft (8.25m) Ranger Tug. That sleeps 4, with a place for 2 more if needed. It has an amazing little galley, generator, and can do a long weekend, or even a week or two at a time trip, overnight.

Many use that boat to explore the great Loop, traveling for a year , to circle a huge part of America. Some, take the boat and spend a summer exploring the seas and shores of Alaska. So, that's my next boat. I need to spend a year or so learning to sleep aboard, to live aboard, navigate and explore.

After the Ranger Tug 27, my dream is to spend retirement, living aboard a Nordhavn. The one above, is the Nordhavn 475, with a watch berth in pilot house, a guest berth of three, and a master suite. The galley is like someone's home kitchen, there's 2 Heads w/ showers (bathrooms), a salon, a flybridge, and a boat deck and crane for a 14 ft (4.3m) Tender boat aboard.

The boat takes about 2 years to build, and the company is based in Dana Point California. Here's me float plan for the first few months when I take owner ship of her.

TESTS, with the Company Captain, and getting to know my boat

• Dana Point to Newport Beach, and back to Dana Point.

• Dana Point To Catalina Island

• Catalina Island to Long Beach

My First, on my own!
• Long Beach to Marina Del Rey

• Marina Del Rey to Santa Barbara 68 miles

• Santa Barbara, around Point Conception to San Luis Obismo 88 miles

• San Luis Obismo to Morro Bay 19 miles MY FIRST ANCHORAGE!

• Morrow Bay to Monterey Harbor 107 miles

• Monterey Harbor to San Franscisco 87 Miles
(inside San Fran to Sausalito Schoonmackers)

• Sausalito to Eureka (30 hours aboard) 216 Miles

• Eureka to Crescent City Woodley Island Marina 60 Miles

• Crescent City, around Cape Blanco Coos Bay OR (Charleston Marina 38 Miles)

• Coos Bay, to Yakima Bay Newport, OR 80 Miles

• Yakima Bay to Columbia River Astoria 115 miles

• Columbia River to Grays Harbor Westport Marina 57 miles

• Grays Harbor around Cape Flattery to Juan De Fuca Straits, past Tatoosh Island to Neah Bay Anchorage.

Later, in the Pacific Northwest, I plan to spend a fall season exploring around the Pacific Rainforest, and winter somewhere near Seattle or Washington:

• In Desolation Pass:

• Circumnavigate Fidalgo Island
• Vancouver Island and introduction to Canada.

All of this may seem crazy, talking about and planning for a trip some 4 years in the future. But, as most of you how know me realize, I am nothing if not a planner.