New Broward Owner

It's all really beautiful cruising, but gets better when you get to Desolation sound and northward.
Pay attention to the cruising guides and beware of the currents.

Are you keeping her at the marina in Port Angeles? We have a new-build up there, so I'm in town nearly every week.

In that boat you can explore Alaska so well, including beyond the southern parts most see. We took a couple of months and went to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Jeneau, Glacier Park, Skagway, Haines, Valdez, Seward, Kodiak, and Sitka. We went up the inside and came back the outside. So much to see. We were not among those who dreamed of Alaska, but felt like since we were going to be so close, we should see it. Now the more we read, the more excited we got. It's just so unique and an opportunity to experience things most of us don't.

Otherwise in the PNW, you're surrounded by so many wonderful islands. Also we did visit Lake Washington and Lake Union. We loved Victoria and Vancouver. You can certainly find plenty to see to fill up two years of cruising. Definitely can't see it all.

I would highly recommend hiring full time crew. That is too much boat for a husband and wife to handle and also maintain. Your time would be much more enjoyable, enjoying the boat instead of washing it and fixing it. If something goes awry can she pilot the boat while you fix something? At the minimum you should have a mate/engineer.

Now, that's coming from a Captain, but I'll echo Capt J's comment. I don't know what size boat you had before, but I don't see the 103 as owner operated. Captained perhaps, but all the tasks? Even just routine maintenance takes up a lost of time. Typically boats in that size range typically have a crew of 4 when used in charter. You and wife make two.

Marty is an old friend and a great guy.

We have a new 50m Westport, which you likely saw in the marina Nov/December. We hauled it mid-December for some owner's modifications which will be completed some time next month.

I'll keep an eye out for you this summer.

Some do use yacht management companies for some of the services you mention, RER. We "run" our boats a lot. However, just the tasks of routine maintenance while cruising long distances, washing the boat down upon arrival and those runs that require an overnight would really take the pleasure out of it for us if we had no crew. You look at normal crew for a 100' as 3 or 4 and then count the owner couple as 2, just means one more or else I think you find it difficult to enjoy what you're there for. Now, I would make one exception. If you're running a lot of short trips, and then back home regularly. In that situation I can see the two of them doing fine and then turning the maintenance all over to a boatyard when returning home. In our case, we put huge hours on the boat without it reaching home. We have a boat that will go 9 months before it ever reaches our home. So, a lot of service to be done while cruising.

So, a lot depends on how you use it. That said, you could cruise the area from Port Angeles to Vancouver and all in between pretty well perhaps with two. You're surrounded by good shipyards and all the services you can picture. On the other hand, I would be very reluctant to take a 2 or 3 month trip to Alaska, as far as Seward, Kodiak, or even Anchorage, without some additional crew. When we cruised Alaska, we put 350 engine hours on during that cruise, covering 4550 nm.

It's way too much boat for an owner and his wife. Just handling the lines and fenders, 1"-1 1/4" lines and the appropriate fenders take a lot of strength. Tieing up when it's blowing 20 knots, you could definately use at least one very strong guy or 2 people to get lines. Rinsing and chamoising a boat that size is easily a 4 hour deal. Washing it is every bit of a full day for 1 person. Then you have all of your daily engine room stuff and maintanence. Then the what if, if something crucial breaks underway, you don't have enough manpower to fix it. What if you have a fire? There are so many what if's. I worked on a 97' long range (old Feadship) style motoryacht over a decade ago as a mate/1st officer along with a Captain and stew/chef. We each had everything we could do to keep everything maintained, washed, and fixed. A full time mate/engineer at the very minimum would take a ton of hassle out of the equation and TIME, time that could be spent enjoying yachting and your destinations. What if something happens to the Captain while underway?

The vast majority of couples draw the line at a 70' MY as to be able to properly handle and cruise without crew.

J- While I don't disagree with you, you've hijacked this thread. Steve is looking for recommendations of places to go.

Woops. You're correct. Sorry to the OP. Olderboater has spent a lot of time there and can come up with some suggestions. I have very very little experience in the Pacific NW.

Victoria is really nice though. Lake Union in Seattle is very neat as well as the marina right by Pike's Market although they only offer dockage for a very brief period like 48 hours. Getting down to Deception pass is a beautiful area as well. I found the water in Anacortes to be almost nuclear looking, but there are a few nice museums and such on land there.

Just a few of my highlights from last summer to get the ball rolling:
The San Juans are beautiful for a close-by destination
Pender Harbor/Garden Bay is a very nice stop
Pendrell Sound in Desolation is great.
Campbell River is a great place to provision when you need supplies
Heming Bay in Desolation Sound is pretty and secluded
Port McNeil also has a good grocery store
Pruth Bay is really nice, and make sure to take a walk on the marked trails to the beach
Farther north, look for Deep Cove, Red Bluff Bay, Hoods Bay, and Glacier Bay

This will whet your appetite for now...

Spend a day in Glacier Bay and you will know why you came. So many beautiful glaciers elsewhere but it just encompasses the beauty so well. It makes you sit up and say, "Wow, This is why we came to Alaska".

You thoroughly enjoy washing your boat? You are a very sick man...lol