A bad day on the water is better than a day in the office. A good day on the water makes me wish I never had to work again! Here I am, back at my desk, longingly staring across the marina and at the water…. Sigh.

LiLi’s bow and burgee on an ideal morning on the Bay!

I was contacted byPropTalk Magazine’s editor, Gary Reich, about a week ago. He wanted to arrange a photo shoot, test ride, and interview so that Kadey-Krogen could be featured in their October issue. After touching base with a couple owners that are in the Annapolis area, timing worked out best for Betty Robinson who lives aboard her Krogen 48′ North Sea, LiLi (Live Life). She and LiLi are actually included in the Fall Waypoints that is currently making its way to the print house.

Gary and Larry chat on LiLi’s fly bridge.

Anyway, we met at LiLi this morning at 7am. It was a beautiful morning! Sunny and warm with very little humidity. After a little discussion of how Betty was introduced to Kadey-Krogens, her trips along the ICW and the Bahamas, and a bit of history on the company, Gary was taken on a tour of the boat. LiLi is hull number 48035 and is three years old. Her classy teak interior is warm and inviting, and the colorful decorations throughout add splashes of personality. And she’s just so cozy! As Betty says, “I’m houseless, not homeless.”

A few of Betty’s cheery decorations around the saloon porthole.

See what I mean about splashes of color and personality?

After the grand tour and interior photo shoot, it was time for the test ride! We took the covers off of the pilothouse windows, disconnected the shore power and threw the lines off. By the time we did this, it was a little warm outside so I was concerned that we turned the a/c off, but the cool Bay breeze blew threw the pilothouse doors and kept everything the perfect temperature.

Captain Betty at the helm.

Those of you who follow my blog know that I have taken a great affectation to stabilizers, but today was so flat and calm we didn’t need them. Gary was visibly and verbally impressed with the lack of vibration underway. He commented that there are quite a few boats that wear you out by the end of the day and don’t provide a comfortable time on the water- not a Kadey-Krogen.

Betty keeps meticulous notes in her log book, as most captains do.

We then dropped Gary off and took off toward the Severn River while he jumped in his Boston Whaler and met up with us to take some running shots. We tooled around the water right outside downtown Annapolis and took in the beautiful view of this charming, historic town. We then headed upriver and made some figure 8’s under the Naval Academy Bridge where a photographer was positioned for some overhead shots. Just another day at the office!

Beautiful downtown Annapolis on a gorgeous morning.

Betty is a trip. She’s assertive but not intimidating, and just by virtue of her personality it’s easy to see why she was so successful in the corporate world. She a natural leader, and wasn’t afraid to hip-check Larry out from behind the wheel when she was done enjoying sightseeing from the seat on the bow. She also greeted her engine room with a cheerful “Good Morning!” when she went down to check the strainers as well as offered words of encouragement and appreciation to LiLi after the photo shoot was over. She has a genuine love for her vessel and the relationship between Betty and LiLi clearly goes beyond Captain and boat. You’ll read a lot more about Betty and LiLi in the upcoming issue of Waypoints.

Betty enjoying the cruise (and breeze) from the comfort of her bow.

After Betty skillfully placed LiLi back into her slip, we retied the lines, replaced the window covers and got the a/c pumping again. What a perfect morning. LiLi will be featured in the October issue of PropTalk which will be available mid-September.

Betty’s nameplate proudly displayed in the pilothouse.

Until next time, fair winds and following seas.

I’d like to preface this blog with an apology for how long it has been since I’ve posted anything. In my defense, I have been kind of down for the count as I’ve been contaminated with mononucleosis, affectionately known as mono. Seriously, I’ve been a borderline narcoleptic. I know some of you (D.A.- you know who you are) feel like that’s not a good excuse, but it is what it is. Finally starting to feel like myself again! I can go the whole day without needing any naps!

Without further ado…

Wednesday

Nothing like getting up at 0′dark thirty for an eight hour car ride. At 6:30 am Larry was outside my house in the Kadey-Krogen truck filled to the brim with easels, flags, banners, brochures and other miscellaneous boat show materials. I wasn’t sure I was even going to fit in the car. The only part of the drive that was a little unfavorable (aside from not listening to any music) was the torrential downpour through New York City. Even with the congestion around the Big Apple, we made it to Warwick around 3 pm.

Krogen 58′ in Warwick.

Our demo Krogen 58′ and brand newKrogen 48′ North Sea were stern to stern at the front of the show. I briefly met and chatted with the elated new owners, Roberto and Maria Rosa. Before Larry and I were able to unload the car, the storm we had driven through had caught up with us. We took this time to make a run to West Marine and check into our hotel.

Gratitude as the storm came rolling in.

We went back to the marina at the tail-end of the storm to straighten things out with the detailers. Once we made our way over to the boats, I got the grand tour of Gratitude from Maria. She was the first three-stateroom Krogen I’ve been on. Maria was absolutely beaming. Though, considering they took delivery of her just three weeks ago, the excitement was understandable.

Because the Rosas love to entertain friends and family, their boat has been customized for their lifestyle. They opted for a U-shaped settee in the saloon as opposed to the standard L-shaped settee. This settee can also be used as a larger-than-king-sized bed. They also have a fold out table in the pilothouse so that the settee can convert to a double bed. Other customizations include the large flat screen television that pops up on the portside of the saloon, drawers instead of cabinets in the galley and a double-bin pull-out trash receptacle so that they can recycle.

U-shaped settee (sans wide angle lens).

Then it was off to pick Laura Kanzer, our newest addition to the sales staff and my new partner in crime, up from the airport. The five of us went to a little Italian place in downtown Warwick for dinner. Listening to Roberto and Maria’s account of seeing Gratitude approach the dock for the first time was nothing short of moving. Roberto had a smile from ear-to-ear and Maria’s eyes welled up with tears. They were the epitome of unadulterated happiness. They are the first owners I’ve had this particular conversation with, and I loved listening to it as much as I love hearing about the adventures. It was very touching.

After dinner we had to run back to the boats to grab Larry’s backpack. On the way home I was in the middle of telling my story of how I talked my way out of a ticket with my mono excuse (who knew mono could be so versatile?) when Laura interjected, “We just passed this church! And this fire station! We were just here! Twice!” She was right. Larry had been so intently listening to my hilarious anecdote following the directions on the GPS he didn’t realize it had us going in circles. Literally! Larry got frustrated with the GPS- I decided it had a good sense of humor. (photo to come soon)

We finally made it back to the hotel and I found that I was absolutely exhausted. I had to have fallen asleep before my head even reached the pillow.

Thursday

The first day of Trawler Fest brought another early morning. We still had to finish unloading the car and set up the dock and both the boats. We finished just as the show was opening. Though it started off a little slow, once people started coming aboard the foot traffic didn’t stop. All the sales people were always engaged with a prospective customer throughout the day. Even I am able to maintain and perpetuate knowledgeable conversations at this point. When it gets to the finer details that I haven’t mastered yet, I defer to a sales person. I am the Goose to their Top Guns.

Greg and Jim relax before the show.

What I especially like about Trawler Fests is that most of the people that come are already educated on trawlers and are very interested in the product and lifestyle. It’s not just people coming to a show for something to do. Other shows are great too, of course, but something about this is a little different. A little more targeted.

Gratitude dressed up for the show.

Before we knew it, the show was wrapping up for the day and we were on our way to the PassageMaker cocktail hour before the dinner. Because I have mono, I am not allowed to drink alcohol and have dubbed this season to be my “Summer of Sobriety”. This, all in all, hasn’t been bad. I drank a few waters and chatted with some people that had been aboard earlier in the day. One gentleman was telling me his aspirations of doing the Great Loop and about his cattle ranch and sanitation businesses. The careers our owners and prospective owners have/had are very intriguing to me. I don’t know why, but I find it fascinating.

Kadey-Krogen banner perfectly illuminated near the buffet.

After the dinner, there was an intense trivia game and raffle. Unfortunately for our egos, we won neither, but had an absolute blast. Because of the longs days, early mornings and the mono, by the end of the evening I could hear my hotel room calling my name.

Friday

The next day was just as fruitful as the first. Many interested, educated people came aboard. From the look in their eyes I could tell some were imagining that these boats were theirs, what their life could be like. The overall excitement of people when they come on our boats never gets old. Whether it’s their first time or their hundredth, people’s eyes light up when they walk into the saloon.

Larry holding down the fort in the Krogen 58′ saloon.

Early afternoon Steve D’Antonio, maritime consultant and PMM’s technical editor, held a seminar in the engine room of our Krogen 48’ North Sea, Gratitude. So many people showed up that he had to do it twice, back-to-back. They used the day-access hatch to the engine room, but because it was so hot we lifted out one of the floor hatches in the saloon to let the air circulate a little. Nothing like 10 sweaty men emerging from an engine room grinning like little kids walking out of a candy shop.

Wives listening intently to Steve D through the floor hatch.

That night PMM’s event was the Mardis Gras theme. I was disappointed with the decorations we had on our table because I am now a veteran to these events. I was determined to win the dress-up competition after two close calls in San Diego and Anacortes. I am not going to go into detail of my tactics, but I was able to finagle some more adornments.

PMM’s Christine and I pose for a picture at the Mardis Gras dinner.

And boy was Roberto a good sport! It took a little guilt tripping by reason of my mono coaxing, but he let me dress him up. He actually won the King of Mardis Gras title and prize! He came back to the table laughing and said to Bill (their salesperson), “You told me about the Trawler Fests. I’ve been to all the boat shows. But you never once told me that I’d be dressing up and dancing in front of a crowd of people!” Congrats again!!

Pre-competition. More photos to come.

Roberto (right) dances to secure his spot as King of Mardis Gras.

This evening I even had a brief conversation with Dave Acton, owner of a Krogen 42’. He was the back-up for the Regata del Sol trip should my dad and I had not been able to go. He told me that after he read myblog on the trip he dropped to his knees and thanked God that he hadn’t been aboard. Talk about salt in an open wound!

Larry and Dave Acton chat before dinner.

As the event died down, so did my energy. Usually I’d be out “supporting the local economy” as Larry likes to say, but these days were wearing me out! Two successful days down, one to go.

Saturday

Before the rush on Saturday Jim was entertaining me with his sailing stories that took him around the world. He was actually a co-founder of the single-handed around the world race. He spent six weeks in Rio de Janeiro, six weeks in Cape Town and six weeks in Sydney. He had me in stitches with some of the scenarios he found himself in during that time.

KKY burgee on the bow of 5817

This was another day that seemed to fly by! I would lose track of sales people because they’d be off talking to prospective customers for up to an hour sometimes. We left the show with a plethora of information sheets filled out. It was refreshing that so many people are interested in receiving Waypoints newsletters and Navaid e-newsletters. And again, I was amused and encouraged by how many people were familiar with the blog and my presence in Waypoints.

Laura marks her territory with her business cards.

After we broke everything down and packed up the decorations in the 58’ for her passage back to Annapolis, we went to the PMM cocktail reception. There were some light hors d’ourves and endless cocktails (for the non-mono contaminated). Then came the best, most gratifying moment of the entire show. Gratitude won the People’s Choice Award for the entire Warwick Trawler Fest!! They won an engraved Tiffany’s crystal bowl and an engraved wooden cruising log, not to mention the validation of the personalization they added and general beauty of their brand new boat. Then came the ear-to-ear grin on Roberto’s face and Maria’s eyes welled up with tears again. They were truly grateful. Look for our picture in PMM!

The prizes the Rosas received for the People’s Choice Award!

Overall it was another great show! Lots of interested people…. So interested we received a letter of intent on 5205, among other strong leads. Coming up we’ve got the Seattle Lake Union Boats Afloat Show, the Newport Boat Show, and the Baltimore Trawler Fest. I’m sure you’ll hear more from me before then. I’ve learned mono is no excuse to not blog…

Wednesday

I was still half asleep when I met Larry at BWI for our 7am flight to Seattle. A few hours later we began our descent into the beautiful port city. The visibility was endless and we were greeted by the majestic, snow-capped, grand Mount Rainier. Sunny in Seattle? I know. It was a surprise to me too. John’s flight from Stuart arrived about an hour after ours and once he landed we hopped in the car and were en route to Anacortes.

Before the actual Trawler Fest began there were two days of PassageMaker University. PMU offers a variety of classes that people can sign up for, anywhere from engine repair to maintenance to a women’s boating school. Two pairs of Kadey-Krogen owners offered theirKrogen 55′ Expedition andKrogen 48′ North Sea for the women’s handling course. This course was taught by Captain Carol Cuddyer and Captain Patti Moore, the owners of Sea Sense, The Women’s Sailing and Powerboating School. We were trying to time our arrival at the marina with when the classes ended and since we were a little early, we decided to play tourist and drive over to Deception Pass.

View of Deception Pass.

For those of you who don’t know, Deception Pass is a strait that separates Fidalgo Island (where Anacortes is located) from Whidbey Island. It also connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Skagit Bay, which is part of Puget Sound. It was beautiful. We got to the marina just as the womens’ classes were coming in to tie up. Perfect timing! And what a great job they did!

The women’s class preparing to dock the Krogen 55′ Expedition.

It was really beautiful while we were getting the boats situated for the show- for about an hour. Then the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped about twenty degrees and the wind picked up to 40-50mph. It was brutal! Even with the change in weather we were able to get ourKrogen 58′ brokerage boat as well as the Krogen 55’ and Krogen 48’ into their designated spots and filled with the literature needed for the show the following day.

The brokerage Krogen 58′, Good Medicine.

That evening Paul, John and I took the owners out for a nice Greek dinner. I had a great time getting to know them and hearing all about their lives and their experiences aboard their Kadey-Krogens. These people were a trip! A couple of glasses of wine, garlic prawns and a delicious lamb gyro later we headed back to the marina.

Larry was with the photographer, the renowned Billy Black, who was taking pictures aboard the Krogen 55’. Billy is one of the most patient and positive people I’ve met so far in this industry and is an absolute joy to work with. The icing on the cake is that his photos are consistently beautiful. Once we ran out of natural light (around 9:30 pm in the Pacific Northwest), we broke down Billy’s equipment and planned on finishing up the next day. Having been up since 4:45am Eastern Time, come 11pm Pacific Time I was absolutely exhausted!

Thursday

Feeling rejuvenated, I arose and was elated to find that the sun was peeking through the clouds and that the wind had all but stopped. Once I got to the marina and was finished scrambling around between the boats to make sure everything was immaculate, I was not so elated to learn that another bout of crazy weather was headed our way. The dark clouds rolled in, the winds increased and the skies opened up. And they weren’t just dropping raindrops. Marble-sized hail came plummeting from above.

Paul and I sought shelter on the Krogen 58’ which happened to be stern-to-stern with the Krogen 48’. There, in the back of the Krogen 48’, were John and Ron sitting in the teak chairs, reading the newspaper and chatting, paying no mind to the chunks of ice falling from the sky. Ahhh boating- and the beauty of a fully covered aft deck aboard a Kadey-Krogen!

John and Ron enjoying the comfort of the “back porch” in the hail storm.

The weather was a bit of a deterrent, as not many people ventured out. But, typical of the Pacific NW, the sun was back out by the end of the day so we were able to complete our photo shoot of the Krogen 55’ Expedition. We took some prospective owners out with us for the shoot. Billy Black was able to find a cheap helicopter (i.e. the hillside overlooking the water by the marina) where he was able to get some fabulous running shots. I even got to ‘model’ on the deck! I wanted to stand on the bow and yell “I’m king of the world!” with my arms out, but figured that would be a little cliché.

Practicing a pose on the bow of the Krogen 55′.

Once we got back to the marina, we still had to capture a couple more interior shots. Larry, Billy and I sent everyone along to the PassageMaker dinner. It was then that we learned that Billy truly is a full-service photog (excuse the slang, I like to abbrev). As I was preparing the saloon table, I looked up to see Billy hanging from the outside of the boat removing spots from the windows. Now that, my friends, is dedication. Just as we were finishing up the Krogen 55’ Expedition and about to move over to the pilothouse of the Krogen 48’, the owners and Dennis returned from the dinner.

Billy Black does it all!

I stayed with them and helped clean up the props, which just so happened to include drinking the bottle of red wine. A couple of bottles glasses of wine later the animated sea stories had me in tears from laughing so hard. A big draw of the boating lifestyle is the adventures and the stories, and the more I converse with owners and become enmeshed in the culture, the more I understand that.

After a very entertaining evening, the owners retreated to their respective boats and Larry, Dennis and I went to the Brown Lantern, a local watering hole, to meet up with some PassageMaker people. Doing our part to support the local economy, we were the last to leave.

Dennis and Larry having a riveting conversation.

Friday

Friday was a busier day. There were very few lulls, and many interested people. My favorite part of the show this particular day was when Paul asked a man if he could answer any questions. At first he said no, but then reconsidered and said, “Actually, why do you have the reputation for making all your customers so happy?” Paul’s response? “Because they become family.” I promise this conversation actually happened and is not a marketing ploy!

Our customer and brand loyalty is undeniable. And it’s because we work very hard to keep everyone happy by building quality, seaworthy trawler yachts and helping with whatever they need along the way of pursuing their dreams. Our crew is there every step of the way from CAD drawings to commissioning, and we enjoy every second of it.

That night PassageMaker’s dinner was held in a warehouse at the Port of Anacortes and was decorated in mass amounts of purple, green and gold for the Mardi Gras theme. One of the walls was a ginormous garage door that had been left open so we could look out over the water and see many of the surrounding islands. Dennis and I sat with some prospective owners at the dinner and had a great time getting acquainted with them.

View from the Port of Anacortes.

I spotted PassageMaker’s Technical Editor, Steve D’Antonio, who also happens to have his own marine consulting business. I initially met Steve through my dad because they had become friends through speaking at the annual Safety at Sea Seminar held at the Naval Academy. I invited Steve to sit with us and he graciously accepted. Being that Steve is a jack-of-all-marine-trades, a knowledgeable and very interesting conversation ensued.

It started because Steve is familiar with celestial navigation. We discussed the importance of being able to use and understand the ‘old-school’ systems such as a magnetic compass and charts and not rely solely on electronics. It’s another one of those things that any mariner should be prepared for when at sea. We also talked about other methods of safety such as a personal EPIRB. Steve, like that AMEX commercial, doesn’t leave home without it. In this day and age, there’s just no reason to not take advantage of such safety precautions.

The rest of the dinner included a dress-up contest and raffle. Another fun ending to another successful day.

Attendees smile for the camera!

Saturday

Saturday morning I woke up to some bad news. My maternal grandmother had been very sick, and when I called to check in on her my mom let me know that she had passed away. Being the understanding boss that he is, Larry gave me the time to figure out what I wanted to do. Initially I wanted to go home and be with family. I at least wanted to go to Seattle where I have a cousin. But making flight arrangements became too complex, and I couldn’t get a hold of my cousin so I opted to be around people and go to the show.

The Krogen 48′ North Sea at the Cap Sante Marina.

It was a wise decision as it was a very busy day and all the new faces and conversations provided great distraction. The day flew by and before I knew it Larry and I were out to dinner with the same people we had sat with the night before. We agreed on seafood and went to Pier 61.

Being from Maryland, I am admittedly a crab cake snob. I had thought I made a compelling argument the night before about how crab cakes everywhere else were terrible and flat and filled with superfluous stuff (every Marylander knows you need the jumbo lump crab meat and some breading for it to stick together! And yes, I used the word superfluous). But, they were ordered anyway as an appetizer- and I’m pleased to report I was right. So the result is that when these prospective customers come to Annapolis for a sea trial of the Krogen 58’, we will share real crab cakes with them.

Anyway, the rest of the dinner was delicious and the conversation was very informative of how our boats are different from the competition and how our company is different from the competition. On a personal level, it feels great to know that I can answer a lot of those questions now. I have already learned a lot, with so much left to learn about our boats, our niche in the market and the industry as a whole. I’m soaking up all the information that I can and will continue to do so.

Life is good.

Overall, the Trawler Fest was very successful. We met several prospects, some warm and some scalding hot. It was also very exciting for me to learn just how many people are actually following my blog! Quite a few people were interested in my trip across the Gulf of Mexico and gave me positive feedback on my posts. It was very flattering! I even had a request for my autograph on the newest issue of Waypoints whose cover story is about my trip. It looks great by the way!

And there you have it! Until next time, fair winds and following seas.