About Us

We've owned small fishing boats over the years and have always enjoyed the water. Nick grew up on the East Coast and enjoyed sailing as a kid, so often talked about owning a sailboat. I, on the other hand, have always suffered from motion sickness in one form or another. Having spent a bit of time on sailboats as a kid, I didn't have fond memories. 

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At some point, one of Nick's cousins talked with him about tugs and trawlers. We were hooked. We bought our first small cruising boat, a 25-foot classic Ranger Tugs, in 2016 (delivery August 31). We named her Pelican and moored her at the Foss Harbor Marina in Tacoma, where we live. 

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We definitely did not know how much both of us would love the cruising lifestyle!

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We were both still working but used that boat as often as we could. While at a factory gathering in Poets Cove in the spring of 2017, we toured a Ranger 29 and decided to upgrade. After owning Pelican for ten months, we took delivery of Europa , a 2017 29-foot Ranger Tugs Sedan. The factory made it easy, delivering the new boat to the public dock near our marina, and driving the old one away.

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Europa was (is?!) a lovely boat and we cruised our hearts out. 

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Nick and I both retired on June 30th 2019 and spent most of that summer traveling around the San Juan Islands. By the summer of 2020, we decided we wanted something bigger and more stable.

We began looking at larger boats. Difficult. So many choices! Makes/models, new/used, features, pros/cons...you name it! We always admired American Tug (Tomco Marine [now owned by Kady Krogen Group]) and after visiting their La Conner factory, we landed on the AT 362. She is Touch of Gray. (More about this boat on the "About the Boat" page.)

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Both Europa and Touch of Gray were also moored at Foss Harbor Marina, until we moved ToG to Anacortes in December of 2023.

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We typically cruise at around 6 knots...slow...enjoying the scenery, watching wildlife, marveling at other boats, and not worrying...as much...about debris in the water.

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We enjoy many activities when boating. Lots of walks...there is nothing quite like island hiking! We enjoy kayaking aboard Callisto & Io, our two bright orange kayaks typically on the top deck or the bow, making us easy to spot! We also carry two ebikes, allowing us to expand our excursions.

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Touch of Gray has afforded us the opportunity to carry a more robust dinghy, a 10-foot AB with a 20hp Tohatsu outboard. It's much more than our previous tenders, and we do a lot more exploring by dinghy. 

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Nick and I are part of the Waggoner Cruising Guide's team of volunteer Field Correspondents, helping to share what's new and different about the places we visit. We occasionally write articles for them as well (see "Articles" page).

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Maybe we'll see you on the water! Feel free to contact me, and please post blog comments!

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Bon voyage...

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