Somewhere between the dock and the dream.
A real-time journal of finding a boat, learning the ropes, and building a life on the ocean. The good days, the hard calls, and everything in between.
Read the journal- MaineWhere it starts
- Atlantic coastThe long run south
- FloridaWinter port
- BahamasSomeday
Latest from the logbook
The boat hunt
Looking for the boat that changes everything
Thirty to fifty feet. Room to live. A hull worth the work. Here's what I'm looking for.
Read the entryPreparation
Before the boat, there's a lot to learn
Marinas, surveys, engines, and a captain's license. Preparation is part of the adventure.
Read the entryThe beginning
Why I'm done saying "next year"
A health scare changed the timeline. This is the honest beginning.
Read the entryThe plan is simple.
The journey won't be.
I'm Chris, a tradesman from Maine with a boat to find and a coast to explore. I'm sharing each step as it happens.
- 01
Find the right boat
Listings, surveys, sea trials, and knowing when to walk away.
- 02
Get ready to captain
License preparation and becoming more capable on the water.
- 03
Make her seaworthy
Practical repairs and refit work, one project at a time.
- 04
Head down the coast
Maine to Florida, with the Bahamas beyond.
"I'm not a yachtsman with a trust fund. I'm a guy from Maine with a truck full of tools and a deadline I didn't pick."
Chris
This is the whole story, from before the first boat. If you've been saving your own adventure for someday, come along.
Follow along on YouTubeLooking for the boat that changes everything.
I'm looking for a motor yacht I can live aboard, likely somewhere between 30 and 50 feet. The dream is to run the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, then make for the Bahamas when the boat, my skills, and the weather are ready.
For now, every listing is a possibility and a puzzle. A low asking price can hide an expensive engine problem. A beautiful interior doesn't tell me what the hull, systems, or paperwork will reveal. The right boat has to be more than a good photograph.
I'll share the promising finds and the ones I walk away from. When a boat is worth a closer look, you'll see the questions I ask and what I learn.
Back to the logbookBefore the boat, there's a lot to learn.
It's easy to picture the open water. I'm spending time on the less glamorous questions too: Where can I keep a boat? What does it cost year-round? What should a survey tell me? Which repairs are realistic for me to take on?
I'm also preparing for my captain's license. I'll share the process as I go, including what I need to learn and the questions I bring to experienced boaters. Nobody starts out knowing everything.
The more I understand now, the better decisions I can make when a promising listing appears.
Back to the logbookWhy I'm done saying "next year."
Thirty years in the trades. Not many vacations. I kept saying there would be time for the boat and the journey next year.
Then I had a stroke. It was a wake-up call, and I decided to stop putting this off. I don't have a boat yet. I'm looking for one, learning what I need to know, and working toward getting out on the water.
I'll bring my practical experience to the refit when that time comes. Until then, you'll see the search, the preparation, the costs, and the decisions as they happen. Some leads won't work out. That is part of an honest journey.
If you've been telling yourself "someday" too, you're welcome aboard from the very beginning.
Back to the logbook