Kadey-Krogen Yachts: Blog

As of Late…

January 13th, 2012

Hi All!! Happy 2012! I hope that everyone’s years have started out happy and healthy and remain that way for the next 12 months.

I’ve received some fun and interesting pictures from owners that I thought others may like to see as well.

Below are adventure-seekers Jeff and Suzie Parker (KK48NS Idyll Time) and Marty and Suzanne Tuck (KK48NS Alizann) on their somewhat impromptu trip to Antarctica. While they didn’t take their Kadey-Krogens, these couples have done a lot of cruising together and took it one step further by taking a cruise to the frigid continent.

Jeff, Suzie, Marty and Suzanne (from L to R) proudly display their Kadey-Krogen flag in Antarctica.

Chuck and Barbara Shipley (KK48NS Tusen Takk II) have been cruising the Caribbean for a number of years now. It never ceases to amaze me the adventures they have. Check out their catch of the day in St. Francis Bay, St. John last month. Those guys are ginormous! (Btw, I’m referring to the lobsters, not the men.)

HOLY MOLY!! Chuck (right) and friend John show off some of the biggest lobsters I've ever seen.

Finally, I received an email from Steve and Teresa Hutchins (KK48WB Sea Quill) about their New Year’s festivities:

… We headed to Pecks Lake for New Years Eve. We would like to thank Jennifer and Darrell on Freelance for setting this up. Take Time, Sylken Sea, Freelance, Dream Weaver, and Sea Quill were on hand to usher the New Year in with a party of course. We got there on Friday after an hour cruise and commenced to party and did not stop till we left Sunday afternoon.

A few photos Teresa shared:

Kadey-Krogens getting ready to ring in 2012!

New Year's dinner on Sea Quill. There were 10 people total in their saloon!

Something else that was pretty cool was being the featured boat in the Seattle Boats Afloat Show ad in PassageMaker. Did yall see it?

She looks pretty good, huh? We'll be exhibiting the Krogen 52' and Krogen 48' from January 27 - February 5. Please come see us!

Anyway, more on the shows in another post. If you’re out there having exciting adventure, please let me know! shannon@kadeykrogen.com

FLIBS 2011

November 2nd, 2011

On Thursday Larry and I left a gray, rainy Baltimore for a vibrant and sunny Fort Lauderdale. We arrived around noon and after checking in at our hotel that we affectionately called the “Spring Break ’73″ hotel we headed to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. It was a little slow, as opening days tend to be, but it was nice getting accustomed to the 2007 brokerage Krogen 58′ we had at the show. She was in impeccable condition. And it was the first Krogen 58′ I’ve been on that had a third stateroom/office as opposed to the open office. It’s always nice to see new things in person. I was able to leave a little early as I had family in town, but was back at it early the next day.

The golf cart taxi thing... Sitting behind John and Bill.

And this is how we got to the show. It was an invigorating way to wake up, that’s for sure. Friday was a humid and stifling day where we were anxiously awaiting afternoon showers to cool things down. There was an unpredictable ebb and flow of traffic, but overall we stayed busy.

In the late afternoon, Larry and I took a walk around the show. Holy displays and exhibits, Batman! Needless to say, I was a touch overwhelmed by the sheer size of some of the boats and displays. Some were really fancy with ‘grass’ carpeting and models posing in front of each vessel. There was even one whose float was literally a barge that is their office. I made a request to Larry that we follow suit as my life would be much simpler, but all he did was laugh at me. This show was unlike any other I’ve been to. TrawlerPort never looked so good to me!

Laura told me I looked like Tinkerbell how I was sitting and thought it would be perfect for the blog. She was right.

The rains came and cooled things down. But Saturday the rain didn’t stop. And it got angrier. I’ll be the first to admit that a little rain is nice during boat shows. As I’ve mentioned before it’s a “qualifier” of sorts. But Saturday was just ridiculous.

It was like this for hours. And then got worse.

There were slight lulls between downpours. That’s the time when people would emerge from whatever boat they were trapped on, hurry down the dock to the next boat, and then get stuck again. We probably had about 20 people stuck on board at one point. Fortunately the spacious interior allowed us to remain comfortable.

After the show we tried waiting for one of the slight lulls, but there wasn’t one coming. It was only getting worse. So we braved the storm. By the time we got up to the Bahia Mar there were probably 200 people congregated outside the hotel and in the lobby trying to decide what to do. I noticed people looking at me sympathetically and getting out of my way. I didn’t think much of it until Larry took this picture:

I was just trying to keep my purse dry!

When we realized that there was no point in waiting 3 hours for a cab to go 2 miles, we decided to walk. What’s a little rain? We dipped into Coconuts for dinner to try and ride out some of the storm. We looked like drowned rats by the time we got there. My shorts were stuck to me and my Sperrys literally didn’t dry for two days.

As luck would have it, our buddies from PassageMaker were also at Coconuts. We had a great time after dinner….

Champagne, Grape Bomb, Vodka Soda... All for me... This always happens when we get together!

Despite being soaked to the bone, I was coerced into going to a Halloween party. I went as a wet yacht broker.

PassageMaker's Christine and I pose/get accosted by a zombie on stilts.

Sunday and Monday were somewhat slow, as boat show Sundays and Mondays tend to be. Though I must say, there were some good, prospective people that came aboard. It was a different show for me as I’m not used to this much downtime, though I’m sure the weather was a huge factor in that. It was definitely too much rain to be a qualifier day(s).

Laura and Bill relaxing before the start of the show.

Oh! And Monday was a big day for me. There was this pretty, petite brunette that was checking out one of our easels and speaking to her husband in French. She looked quite familiar, and I realized that she kind of looked like Shania Twain. When she noticed that I was creepily staring at her from behind my sunglasses she smiled and I said, “You look just like Shania Twain.” To which the pretty brunette graciously laughed and continued walking down the dock. It dawned on me that she is actually from Canada and could probably speak French. So, I Googled a picture of her and her hubby – and it was indeed them strolling the docks! So basically, I told Shania Twain that she looks exactly like Shania Twain. This story is going to get some mileage.

And this brings our 2011 Boat Show Season to an end. It’s been hectic and a bit stressful, but it’s been fun and it’s been productive. We continue to work with interested parties and gain attention and affection from new ones. Our brokerage listings continue to sell, and we just received a new contract on a Krogen 52′. It’s no secret the economy has affected us all, but there are certainly glimmers that things may change.

And with that I am taking a few days of R n R…

Ahhhhh....

Naptown Boat Show 2011

October 19th, 2011

What a whirlwind week! After only two days back in the office catching up on “office stuff” and replenishing “show stuff”, we had to move the Krogen 55′ Expedition to her slip at the US Powerboat Show in Annapolis. Larry, John, Bill and I hopped aboard for the short voyage from Port Annpolis Marina and were prompt for our 11AM move-in.

Larry at the starboard wingstation ready to take off! Don't you feel safe behind that portuguese bridge just looking at this picture??

However, because of the nasty weather (mainly the wind) the move-in process was not as simplistic as planned. We spend 3 hours tooling around. With the chop in the water, I was a little concerned about getting green in the gills. BUT! With the excellent view and comfort of the pilothouse, I was good to go. Bill and I even learned how to play dominoes as they were onboard as a prop – Thanks, Karen!

John patiently sitting at the helm during our wait.

Once it was our turn to move-in, Larry masterfully backed the Krogen 55′ into her slip. As we were moving in, the carpet team finished our float and we were able to offload said “show stuff” and get set up in what felt like a matter of minutes. It was smooth like butt-ah.

Per tradition, the Powerboat Show weather was nothing like the Sailboat Show weather. Pretty much every day of the show had its bouts of rain. And by “bouts of rain”, I really mean “mini-thunderstorms”. And let me tell you, having a tented float made us quite popular from time to time.

Storm rolling through and bringing blue skies.

On Friday night, we decided to have a Kadey-Krogen Docktail Hour. We had wine and beer and had hors d’oeuvres from Portside Cafe that’s in the Port Annapolis Marina. The amazing trio dip, crab imperial crab dip, Italian antipastas and chicken satays were not only delicious – but they arrived in style.

John delivering our goodies by boat. Now that's service!

Because the food and booze were onboard the Krogen 55′, most people stayed aboard in lieu of mingling on our tent. Good thing it could accomodate the 20+ people that decided to come. And just like at home…. people congregated in the kitchen (galley, obviously. But you’re pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down.)

Five people mingle comfortably in the galley.

After a storm one of the days, a beautiful double rainbow appeared. I’m happy to report that I was able to get this shot from the bow of the Krogen 55′:

Pretty, right?

Overall, the traffic and flow of the show were good. Nice and steady. As expected, Saturday was a little overwhelming. I think we were at 10:05AM when the wait to get onboard began and it was about 4:30PM when the wait subsided. But, when you’re busy like that – the day flies by! I saw quite a few familiar faces and made a lot of new friends with genuine interest in Kadey-Krogen. And on a personal level, I especially love it when someone approaches me to ask about something I’ve written in my blog. There were a few people who did that!

The Krogen 55' headed back to Port Annapolis Marina. Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" plays in my head when I look at this picture.

Speaking of our fat bottomed girls, have you checked out the new animation we have on our site detailing the differences in our hull form against boats with flatter aft sections? It’s definitely worth checking out. We had it running at the show and it generated a lot of interest and conversation. Click HERE.

Next weekend we move on to the Open House followed by the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Kadey-Krogen hasn’t exhibited in that in a few years, so I’m excited to see what this show is like. It will be the biggest boat show that I’ve been involved in and I hear there are some incredible displays. I’m also excited to be exhibiting alongside Outer Reef Yachts, who represent us in Europe and Australia. Should be a fun show!

Baltimore Trawler Fest

October 11th, 2011

Could the weather over the weekend have been any more perfect? I really don’t think it’s possible. Mid-70’s and no clouds in the sky… I’ll take it! Especially after all the rain we’ve been having. I was definitely more than grateful, even though I did get a touch sunburned during the show.

Using my pashmina at the end of the day to protect my skin. Liiiiiittle sunkissed...

Ah, the show. I could go on and on about the weather, but that’s not what this blog is for. The Baltimore Trawler Fest was a success yet again. Baltimore has proven to be the perfect mid-Atlantic location. The show contracted 64 exhibitor boats, 34 vendors and drew a crowd of about 2,500 for seminars and the in-water show. They also sold out spaces in their Trawler Fest University classes. One of those classes being the Women’s Handling Course on a twin screw vessel aka the Krogen 55′.

The ladies docking the Krogen 55' after their second day of class.

We had a brokerage Krogen 44’, Java Belle, in the show as well as the Krogen 55’ Expedition. This Trawler Fest was a little different for us this year in that we brought the podium to set up on the dock and asked that everyone registered with me before boarding the boat for an escorted walk-through. In the past, we’ve had people practically clamoring over each other onboard. Obviously, that’s not good for the boat or the people trying to get a feel for Kadey-Krogen. So there I was, Shannon Band -Gatekeeper Extraordinaire. I tried not to be offended when someone wrote down Richard Nixon as his name, but I rationalized it was better than the classic Seymour Butz.

My "gate" complete with boat hook/umbrella contraption Larry made to help shade me from the sun.

The crowds were steady throughout the show. Thursday and Friday one knew when the seminars were in session as there were noticeably less people on the docks. Saturday was busy All. Day. Long. Before I knew it, it was 3 o’clock and I hadn’t even had a snack! (For those of you who don’t know me well, I get ~~straight up grumpy~~ a tad ornery when I am hungry.) Fortunately I powered through and KK48 owners Roberto and Maria Rosa supplied us with some yummy hors d’oeuvres.

Bill and Laura enjoying the calm before the storm in the cockpit of the Krogen 55'.

The Rosas literally knew nothing about boating before they bought their Kadey-Krogen a little over a year ago. They have come SO far, but take advantage of every opportunity to learn that they can. Hence, they were at Trawler Fest to attend the seminars. They were also nice enough to show people we sent down the dock their Krogen 48’. Apparently, people were starting to think Gratitude was actually in the show because on Sunday morning Roberto and Maria were having breakfast with their doors open and people actually climbed on and took their shoes off in the cockpit!

The Rosas aboard their boat at the Warwick Trawler Fest last July.

Anyway, Saturday wasn’t only a busy day, it was a gratifying day. The Krogen 55’ Expedition won the People’s Choice Award – again! This is the eighth time in three years that Kadey-Krogen has won this coveted award. What an honor! We are starting to have quite a collection of Tiffany’s crystal bowls!

Posing for a picture with PMM's John Wooldridge and Rob Dorfmeyer after receiving the People's Choice Award.

All in all it was a great show! Met a lot of new people and saw many familiar faces as well. Still chasing that dream of living a cruising lifestyle…

Bon Voyage! Greg, Laura and John embarking on their cruise back to Annapolis.

This upcoming weekend we have the United States Powerboat Show in Annapolis aka “The Annapolis Show”. We will be exhibiting our award-winning Krogen 55’. And I will be there greeting and gatekeeping. FYI – real names appreciated.

Hope to see you there!

Baltimore Inner Harbor at night. I love this city.

Let the Shows Begin!

September 21st, 2011

This past weekend was a busy one to say the least. Tom and Gregg made their way to Seattle in time to greet the brand new Krogen 52′ for the offload into Seattle. They essentially brought her from the offload site and moved her into her slip at the marina in South Lake Union for the Seattle Boats Afloat Show.

: She’s finally here! The Krogen 52′ during the offload.

Larry made his way out west on Tuesday and was there for the VIP day and opening VIP party. We had both the Krogen 52′ and the Krogen 55′ in the show, and while the Krogen 55′ is a beautiful boat – the attention was mainly on the newest member of our fleet. Even with no commissioning this boat showed extremely well. In fact, the only ‘decorations’ on the boat were information cards detailing attribute of the vessel that were customizations for the owners. (For more pics click here.)

So, as the show commenced on the west coast, the east coast crew and I made our way to Newport, Rhode Island for the boat show up there. Let me tell you something about Newport. It. Is. Beautiful. The move-in day was a little hectic and required some patience, but that’s nothing that a cup of clam “chowdah” from the reknowned Black Pearl couldn’t fix.

Surprisingly my first cup of chowdah ever. And I fell in love.

The set-up process was very efficient, and we were all pleased with the end result – including Bunnie and Tom Eccleston, the owners of the Krogen 48′ AE we had in the show. Gosh, that boat sure is a beauty. And they take such care of her. Bunnie was telling me that she had no interest in cleaning their house, but she gladly gets on her hands and knees and scrubs every centimeter of that boat. Later she came out with a tiny piece of dust on her finger and pointed out in her distinct Brooklyn accent that dust was not a welcome crew member. She is a trip!

The float set-up. This is before we had to shift the podium to prevent people from trying to sneak by!

Bunnie joking with a man on the dock that was lovingly staring at her boat.

Bill made his way to Newport by way of Seattle as he was there to show an interested party the Krogen 52′. Not only did he come with stories, he came prepared with video of his walk-through! We all gathered around Bill’s laptop and anxiously awaited. Now he joked that he was the next Steven Spielberg, but I kid you not, had I been in an IMAX theater I probably would have thrown up. All in all, the video was awesome. Mostly for those of us who have been so vested in this project and haven’t seen it with our own eyes yet. I can’t wait to see 5202 at the Fort Lauderdale Trawler Fest in February!

I had to leave Newport early, but the days I was at the show there was a great crowd. Very steady. Oh! And before I left we had a photo shoot of the first Krogen 48′ AE that will be turned into a virtual tour for our site…. so stay tuned! Also, the morning before I left I set out to find the Cliffwalk the John spoke so highly of. Somehow, I ran a mile and a half passed the entrance. So, I accidentally ran eight miles that morning instead of five. But it was totally worth it.

Cliffwalk - Newport, Rhode Island

The duration of the shows were both well attended and generated much interest. I’m looking forward to all the other upcoming shows we have on the horizon!

Just a reminder:

Baltimore Trawler Fest, Oct 6 – 9 – Krogen 55′ and Krogen 44′

Annapolis Powerboat Show, Oct 13 – 16 – Krogen 55′

Annapolis Open House, Oct 22 – Krogen 39′, Krogen 44′, Krogen 55′, Krogen 58′

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Oct 27 – 31 – Krogen 58′

Hope to see yall there!!

A Pilot’s Perspective: Hurricane Irene

September 5th, 2011

Unless you were living under a rock a week ago, you probably heard a little bit about Hurricane Irene. The storm dominated news stations building the anticipation of this impending, massive weather system headed for the Mid-Atlantic coast. Some people here at the Port Annapolis Marina were taking precautions by hauling their boats out, while others were tying extra lines and securing more fenders. And then we waited. Beaches were evacuated. Flashlights and bottled water were out of stock. A state of emergency was declared. And the Chesapeake Bay Ship Pilots went to work.

As most of you know, my father Bill Band is a ship pilot. And while this post isn’t exactly Kadey-Krogen related, it is his account of weathering a hurricane on the Bay. I had to share.

***

As Category 1 Hurricane IRENE started her northerly track up the eastern seaboard, the Port of Baltimore began to make preparations for her arrival. On Friday, August 26, 2011 the USCG Capt of the Port declared that the Port of Baltimore would be closed to movement at 2000 Saturday, August 27. The Maryland Port Administration decided to clear its berths of ship and barge traffic before that deadline, and for those of us who work the ships…pilots, line handlers, tugboats and agents, our weekend with IRENE was about to begin.

The passenger ship Carnival Pride cut short her weekly voyage to the Caribbean, and returned to Baltimore, arriving at the Virginia Capes at 1830 Friday, August 26. Upon arrival in Baltimore, she discharged all her passengers, and ordered 2 pilots to sail outbound at 1100, August 27. It was our job to direct the movements of the ship, while riding IRENE out in upper Chesapeake Bay. The Carnival Pride is 960′ in length, 127′ in beam, with a draft of 27′ 01”. She is approximately 120′ high from the waterline almost her entire length. Carnival Pride’s sail area is tremendous. The wind’s effect on her would be significant.

The Carnival Pride

On Saturday morning, with bands of rain beginning to drop buckets of water, and wind increasing, we two pilots arrived at Carnival Pride’s gangway and were escorted up to the bridge. Last line was at 1038, the wind NE at 20 kts. Within the hour we had 35 to 40 kts of wind. We passed under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at 1234, and listened to the radio communications between our pilot launch and the various ships lying at anchor off Annapolis, MD. I felt fortunate in not being one of the pilots attempting to board any of these anchored ships in that kind of wind. By orders of the USCG Captain of the Port, all ships would have a pilot aboard. No ship would would be permitted closer to the Bay Bridge than 6 nautical miles. All ships were required to have a CPA (closest point of approach) of at least one nautical mile from each other. Some of these ships would be getting underway and moving further south down the bay. Eventually, there would be 15 ships anchored or holding station in upper Chesapeake Bay. I wanted to place Carnival Pride south of this flotilla, with no vessels to leeward of us. At 1400 we were approaching CR buoy off Sharps Island, Choptank River. As I began to reduce speed to bring Carnival Pride around and up into the wind, the Captain gave a verbal warning to the 900 crew below decks via the ship’s intercom. The 50 kts of wind hitting the beam of this 86,000 ton ship was impressive. She heeled to port noticeably. We slowed to minimum speed. Because of the force the wind, the Captain was reluctant to anchor his ship. The decision was made to steam slowly into the wind. And so, it was here, off Sharps Island, that Carnival Pride would make her stand against IRENE.

View from the bow in 50kt winds.

The Carnival Pride is powered by two Azipods which are essentially propellers that can be swiveled 360 degrees. These Azipods have 62,370 combined horsepower. She also has a powerful bow thruster. These propulsion systems enabled us to hold Carnival Pride in a fashion that would be impossible on most traditional ships. The Master and staff captain split the watches as did we two pilots. They handled the Azipods and we steered the ship. The bridge team consisted of the captain, pilot, deck officers, helmsmen, lookouts and cadets. In 50kts of wind we were able to advance at approximately .2 kt. We could move laterally by putting the wind slightly on either side of the bow. This was not easy as the wind would gust through about 20 degrees left or right of its average direction. During my watch the current was ebbing. We were able to advance back down our track line stern first while still steering and powering up into the wind! At 2100 I was relieved by the other pilot, and returned at 0300. At 2100 the average wind speed was in the low 60′s from the NE. IRENE was ESE of our position more than 100 miles away.

67.6 knot winds

As the wind increased, it was necessary to add more power to steer the ship. This caused Carnival Pride to move too far to the north and approach the southern end of the ships anchored above us. The wind was gusting into the low 80′s. Finally, the bridge team let Carnival Pride fall off the wind and drift south 3 nautical miles…wind on the beam, heeled over to port. At approximately 0145 the Captain decided to try and anchor the ship. This was not an easy decision as Carnival Pride’s anchors are not as robust as one might find on a merchant cargo ship. They are made to be dropped and heaved in relatively calm conditions. Also, because of space constraints, her two windlasses are somewhat lacking in power. However, if the anchor held, it would relieve some of the stress placed upon those standing watch on the bridge. The anchor was dropped at 0210…it held …until 0550.

The wind was then blowing from the NW in the mid to upper 50′s and we began to move to the SE at about 1.2kts. We had anchored in 42 feet of water with 8 shots (720′) of chain out. To the SE of us lay the deepwater channel on the eastern side of the Bay. Years ago I watched a ship drag anchor into the deep water cut off Cape Charles and its anchor pulled free, sending it aground. Needless to say, I was uneasy about dragging into the deep water. Again, the Azipods and bow thruster took some of the pressure off the anchor, and we were able to hold the ship in position, 300 yards from the drop off, until the wind began to abate around 1000.

At 1600, after a survey of the Baltimore appoach channels, USCG Captain of the Port opened the Port of Baltimore to returning traffic. We were quite pleased that Carnival Pride was invited to come first. At 1640 we were underway for Baltimore, and “finished with engines” 3 hours and 20 minutes later at South Locust Point.

The professionalism of the Captain and his crew is well worth noting. That’s my story. It was quite a night.

Bill Band

###

Fall Show Season on the Horizon

August 8th, 2011

So, I recently received an email from one of our owners telling me that he missed my prose. Guess it’s time for a new blog!

I’m not really sure how time has flown by so quickly that it is already August, but all of a sudden I’ve realized that show season starts next month. Holy Cannoli!

First and foremost, an exciting announcement. The brand new Krogen 52′ will be making her grand debut in Seattle at the Boats Afloat Show on South Lake Union from September 14-18!! Since this new model was announced we’ve been keeping our fingers crossed that 5201 would be completed and shipped in time for this show – and it’s worked. But don’t feel left out East Coasters. If you can stand the wait, 5202 will be in Florida for the Fort Lauderdale TrawlerFest and the Miami International Boat Show in February.

Hmm, let’s see. Other updates… Oh! The second of the Krogen 48′ AE fleet was delivered to Annapolis over the weekend. She’s been in Florida where they’ve been working on her commissioning and just took her first voyage with Gregg Gandy, her new owners, and Power and Motoryacht Magazine writer, Bill Pike, on board. It was evidently an amazing trip – including an hour and a half battle with a blue marlin! You can read more about that HERE.

Other than that I am teeing up for a hectic fall schedule of boat shows! We have Seattle and Newport kicking off September 14 and 15 respectively which are followed by the Krogen Cruiser’s Owner’s Rendezvous in Solomon’s Island, Maryland Sept 29-Oct 2, Baltimore Trawler Fest Oct 6-9, the Annapolis Boat Show Oct 13-16, the Annapolis Open House on Oct 22, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Oct 27-31 and finally the San Diego Trawler Fest Nov 10 – 12. PHEW!! Will be busy, but will also be a lot of fun. For all the links to the shows and to see what models we will have there, click HERE.

Sorry no photos this time, I’ll get some up soon!

An Annapolis Visit

May 27th, 2011

I finally met them! Who, you ask? The Samway family!

You may remember a few months ago I introduced them on my blog as the family who spent the winter exploring the Bahamas on their Krogen 48′ North Sea, Muddy Waters. They are also the family who have moved aboard and are taking the year to complete the Great Loop. It was so interesting meeting a family who are making a lifelong dream come true at an age a little under our typical demographic. But they contest it’s all in the planning. For ten years, they saved money and made plans to take a year to move aboard a boat and travel with their kids.

Great Loop map hung aboard Muddy Waters.

Larry and I made our way over to the Annapolis Yacht Basin mid-morning once Michael and Jennifer were back from their six mile paddleboarding expedition. Not a bad way to start the morning, eh? We were initially greeted by Michael, Keenan – 13 and Daria – 11. We briefly chatted about Annapolis and all the extended family that was around town. Turns out Jennifer grew up in nearby Loch Raven and still had family around the area. Not only that, but Michael’s parents and aunt flew to Annapolis from Miami for the few days Muddy Waters was in town. This was the third trip to a different port the grandparents have taken since the Samways iembarked on their adventure.

I was impressed with how accustomed Daria and Keenan were with not only the boat, but with their new lifestyle. Since being on the boat, Keenan has been able to work on his photography skills as well as teach himself the bass guitar so he can jam out as Michael plays his acoustic guitar. And, because of this experience, he is now very interested in naval architecture. Daria likes to paint and is an exceptional jewelry-maker. (Seriously, a boutique in Annapolis was purchasing some of her bracelets – and I was given one from the kindness of her heart.) She is also a talented ballet dancer, so the Samways have made sure to find classes in new cities along their way that allow her to drop-in for classes.

Jennifer, Daria, Michael and Keenan Samway posing in their saloon. If only BlackBerries could take better pictures.

But don’t worry, the kids are still learning. As she whipped up a delicious, fresh meal in the galley, Jennifer told me that when they’re able to get internet service the kids work on math and science. Without internet, they have books to read. And history? Well they allow history to come to life by making stops in places like Charleston, South Carolina to visit the Yorktown as well as Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

Larry and I left their boat feeling quite envious. What an incredible experience. But don’t just take it from me. Follow their blog at www.samwayadventure.com.

Anacortes Trawler Fest

May 17th, 2011

Wednesday

The past two times I’ve flown into Seattle I’ve been extremely lucky to have clear days that allow for a beautiful view of snow-capped Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens. Not this time. It was stereotypical Pacific Northwest weather. Gray. Cloudy. Rain… everywhere. For those of you who don’t know, Anacortes is about a two hour drive north of Seattle and reknowned as the gateway to the gorgeous San Juan Islands. If nothing else, the rain makes for a lush environment. There were so many shades of green along my drive! Not to mention fire engine red tulips that looked like they were about 3 feet tall!

Anyway, this is the fourth year that Trawler Fest has been held in Anacortes. They had 66 boats this year as well as heavily attended PassageMaker University courses and seminars. When I arrived in the early afternoon, one of our brokerage Krogen 44′ and Krogen 48′ North Sea were being used in the Couple’s Cruising and Women’s Handling courses respectively. There wasn’t much to do in way of setting up since two of the were boats gone. With the buckets of rain that were falling from the sky, it was just as well. It was actually nice to catch up with Dennis and Paul and to meet the newest salesman, Bob.

The ladies of the Women's Handling course preparing to dock Krogen 48' North Sea, Rio Linda, in the torrential downpour.

Once the boats were back at the marina, we organied, did some setting up, and then headed up to the PassageMaker University cocktail hour and awards ceremony. I was having a little chat with their technical editor, Steve D’Antonio, and a couple that participated in his course when a nice man came up to me:

He's even nicer for getting low enough for us both to fit in the frame!

- “Your dad is a pilot on the Chesapeake?”

- “Yes.”

- “Does he know Bill Band?”

- “That’s my dad!!”

We were both stunned for a second. Now I thought for sure that I had my nametag on and he was just playing a joke, but I patted myself down and didn’t find it. He went on to tell me that he is a retired Puget Sound pilot and was in some sort of certification class with my dad in Maryland about 20 years ago. Apparently he came over for dinner with my parents, aunt and uncle (who was also a Bay pilot), and presumably me. They have since lost touch, but – alas – are now reconnected. Small world!!

Anyway, I also had a nice conversation with a woman that had been in the Women’s Handling course on the Krogen 48′ taught by SeaSense, The Women’s Sailing and Powerboating School. She couldn’t stop raving about it. The feel of the boat. The sound (or actually lack there of) of the boat. Being at the helm of the boat. The confidence gained. (Sidenote: for more on this check out this article from the Fall 2010 Waypoints.) Hearing people talk with the passion and excitement that she had, the enthusiasm is contagious. It was a nice way to start the show!

Dennis and Captain Carol posing for a picture after discussing how her course went during PMU.

Thursday

It was still a little cool, cloudy and rainy on Thursday, but gradually cleared as the day went on. We had four boats in the show. The two brokerage boats, the Krogen 55′ Expedition and the newest Krogen 44′ to date, Maria Elena, owned by Dennis and Marilyn Burnham. We had the two Krogen 44′s stern-to the dock and adjacent to each other. It was strategic in that people could visually and physically experience the asymmetric widebody model and compare it with the walkaround model. What a difference 18″ of space makes! (I should have taken a picture…)

But here is our newest member of the sales team, Bob, in the cockpit of the Krogen 55' Expedition.

Also, this Trawler Fest there was a lot of anticipation of our new model, the Krogen 52′, which will be making her grand debut in Seattle this fall.

The Poster

The Model

And last but certainly not least, The Owner

Rich (owner of 5201) with Tom and Dennis look at pictures of the boat at our yard in Taiwan.

Rich came to the show while his wife was helping their son get situated in his new apartment in Texas. They have been Krogen 48′ North Sea owners for the past five years and found themselves ready to make the jump to a larger vessel. It might have had something to do with all the Alaskan and Pacific Northwest cruises with their two sons and two German Shepherds. Hard to say though.

After the show, Karen Button (yes, Tom’s wife), and I stayed at the marina to beautify the Krogen 44′ and the Krogen 55′ Expedition for a photo shoot for virtual tours. We had fun rearranging and redecorating, moving from room to room and hiding all the props and decorations that didn’t make the cut. It might have been so fun because there was a bottle of wine involved. Regardless, the photographer was very patient. I’m excited to see the proofs! And even more excited to see the actual virtual tour.

Dennis had to climb up the mast on Maria Elena to remove signal flags for the photo shoot. So athletic!

While on the bow of the Krogen 44′ waiting for the photographer to finish the shots of the saloon, I was taken by the view and had to snap a picture. Even though the weather isn’t ideal for me (most of the time), the area sure is pretty!

Blue skys and calm water with a hint of snow-capped mountain in the background. Ain't so bad!

Friday

Friday was another solid day. And it was beautiful! It averaged in the low 60′s and the sun was peeking out behind the clouds for most of the day. The flow of attendees was steady and they were all friendly, enlivened by the treat of nice weather. I spent most of my time on the owned Krogen 44′ and when Marilyn was done with the morning seminars she’d come spend time on her boat with me. She commented on how much she loved being there and talking to everyone. It was evident she was having a delightful time! There were a lot of things that I loved about their Krogen 44′, from the teak and spruce flooring, to the beige granite countertops, to their royal blue and aqua bedspread. But my favorite personal touch was the fishing poles.

A little dark, but the granddaughters' Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella fishing poles are next to for-real fishing poles.

How cute are those fishing poles?? Turns out, Dennis and Marilyn have four children and 13 grandkids! The two poles on board belong to their youngest granddaughters who are 2 and 3 years old. Just precious! They haven’t had everyone on board yet, but they have already had seven people overnight and were able to accomodate everyone comfortably.

The PassageMaker dinner had a pirate theme this year, and Karen and I were quick to take advantage of the table decorations. It was a great night! We had one of the most delicious catered meals I’ve ever consumed. We almost won the Quest game, which was really fun and a little dangerous. (It involves sprinting to the stage when you have the item in your hand they ask for.) Fortunately, I didn’t hurt my shin too badly when it slammed into a table leg! They also raised a lot of money for a local great cause: Wrestling for Life which goes towards the fight against cancer.

Ahoy Matey!!

Saturday

The morning came quickly after a night on the town at the local watering hole, the Brown Lantern. And it was back to being gray and dreary. Despite the turn in weather, the show was still very well attended. A lot of new faces, and fortunately, a lot of returning faces that kept coming back for “just one more look”. Any time I ventured to a different boat, the salesmen were always in deep conversation with an attendee and handing out literature. Exactly what I like to see!

A nice moment of sun, though the wind was quite brisk!

The show wrapped and was capped off with the PassageMaker cocktail hour. Well there wasn’t a table large enough to fit our entourage that consisted of Kadey-Krogen owners, a former Kadey-Krogen owner, and our staff. So we made our own table with one of the tent exhibit tables – we even found a makeshift table cloth. Ahh, comaraderie. Family.

Afterwards, all 13 of us made our way over to a delicious thai restaurant. Karen brought a table card game that was somewhat of an icebreaker game. The cards had questions like: “What makes you laugh?”, “If you could spend the day with any one person, who would it be and why?”, “If you could snap your fingers and have a new talent, what would it be?”. It was a fun way to get to know everyone better, especially the owners I was meeting for the first time. And FYI, that place takes their star/spice level very seriously. I was sweating!

At the end of the meal, we surprised Marilyn and Dennis with a cake for their 48th wedding anniversary ~~that Dennis completely forgot about.~~ They have a great marriage and relationship, and it was an honor to join in on the celebration with them and to try and make it as special as possible.

Unfortunately, this is the best picture that I got. But you get the idea. The cake says, "48 and counting...."

The brokerage Krogen 44′ and Krogen 48′ North Sea were set to go back to Seattle the following day and we had quite a few people that were so interested they were invited for the trip back. So, Dennis took 6 extra people on the Krogen 44′ and Paul took 4 extra on the Krogen 48′. We made a quick run to the grocery store after dinner for breakfast and lunch items for the passage. Dennis and Paul were both excited, though not quite as excited as those I talked to that were joining for the ride. Sea trialing the boat is obviously very important when deciding on purchasing a boat, not to mention fun!

Overall, it was another great show. The next two shows we have coming up are the Seattle Boats Afloat from September 14 – 18 and the Newport Boat Show from September 15 – 18. Please come see us!! If you can’t wait until the fall, you can always call or email to schedule an appointment with one of our sales representatives. Enjoy your summers and your cruising!!!

Ever Wonder?

April 4th, 2011

Jubilation. Exhilaration. Elation.

For those of you who have been through the commissioning and christening process with your Kadey-Krogen, you understand the extreme happiness and joy that come from the experience. For those of you who are curious for a taste of what it’s like, I’ll leave you the link to Bunnie Eccleston’s blog beautifully describing the day she and her husband, Tom, christened their brand new Krogen 48′ AE, Serenity.

Bunnie hugging and kissing Serenity upon seeing her!!

For those of you who have ever wondered what it’s like, click here to live vicariously though the Ecclestons as they first set eyes on and step aboard Serenity after she’s been fully commissioned. You may want to have a box of tissues nearby.