Floatplan

We all enjoy looking at the big yachts, but there's plenty to appreciate at the more affordable end of the market, too. This week on Floatplan , Tim and Matt take a look at a 2006 Cruisers 415 Motor Yacht—a comfortable, well-equipped cruiser at a more accessible price point than some of the larger yachts we've featured. Combining elements of an aft-cabin motor yacht and an express cruiser, the 415...

After a short break in late summer and early fall, Matt and Tim are back with a quick update from Floatplan. The guys check in, catch up, and look ahead as we get back to talking boats, cruising, and life on the water. Thanks for sticking with us. We're glad to be back, and there's more Floatplan on the way!

On this episode of Floatplan , Matt Maynard and Tim Boyle step aboard Ginger , a 2010 Outer Reef 80 Motor Yacht, for an in-depth walkthrough of a beautifully maintained long-range cruiser. With a 21-foot beam and a thoughtfully designed layout, Ginger offers impressive living and entertaining spaces without sacrificing the practical features that matter underway. Matt and Tim explore the yacht fro...

What happens when you find the right boat—but it’s too old for most lenders to finance? For buyers shopping the older yacht market, financing can become a roadblock surprisingly quickly. Many lenders have fairly firm age limits, even when the boat in question has been exceptionally well cared for, extensively updated, or undergone a major refit. In this episode of Floatplan , Matt and Tim chat wit...

What does the right Pacific Northwest fishing boat look like? It depends on what you want to do with it. In this episode of Floatplan , Matt and Tim take a tour of four very different fishing boats at South Lake Union: an Ocean Sport Roamer, a Pursuit 265 Dual Console, a Grady-White 360 Express, and a Blackfin 222 Center Console. From a nearly brand-new, fully equipped Ocean Sport with twin Yanmar...

In this episode of Floatplan , we look at the forces reshaping PNW boating, from changing demographics and how people spend their time on the water to the shifting market for older and newer boats. We dig into what boats are actually selling for, what today’s buyers are looking for, and what sellers need to understand about pricing and choosing the right broker. Amy Thornton of BananaBelt Boats jo...

In this mini episode of Floatplan , Matt and Tim record from aboard an 80-foot Vic Franck currently hauled out at Pacific Coast Yachting Services to share practical advice for preparing your boat for a yard period. From protecting carpets, tables, and interior finishes to managing shore power and battery systems, they walk through the simple steps that can save owners time, money, and frustration....

What is it really like to jump from a 28-foot cruiser to a 72-foot motor yacht? In this episode of Floatplan , Matt Maynard and Tim Boyle sit down aboard M/Y Marie with owners John and Nancy Tremper to discuss their journey from a Cutwater 28 to a 72' Ocean Alexander. They share how they chose the right boat, what surprised them most during the buying process, and why bigger doesn't have to mean m...

This one's just a couple of guys shooting the breeze — Tim headed across a windy Elliott Bay to Shilshole to sit on Mike Ainsworth 's boat ( First Light Guide Service , part of Best Seattle Fishing ) ahead of the summer fishing season in Puget Sound. No agenda, just talking shop: what the season's looking like, old crab bait stories, a swapped-pot heist, WD-40'd herring, and a boat tour along the...

Seattle boater and entrepreneur Dave Siegfried joins Matt and Tim to discuss a challenge every cruiser faces: making good decisions about weather, tides, currents, fuel, and timing before leaving the dock. Drawing from years of boating throughout the Pacific Northwest, Dave shares how his experiences on the water led to the development of TidePilot.ai , a new AI planning tool designed to bring cri...

For longtime boaters, the Sea Ray Sundancer is one of the most recognizable express cruisers ever built. But today's Sundancer is very different from the boats many owners remember. In this episode of Floatplan , Matt and Tim step aboard a highly-optioned 2020 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer to explore how Sea Ray has reimagined the model for modern boating. From bowrider-style seating and a coupe hardtop t...

In Part 2 of our “Getting Your Yacht Ready to Sell” series, we go beyond the basics and dive into the details that can make—or break—a boat sale. We’re joined by Natalie Yuse of Deckhand Detailing and Max French of Pacific Coast Yachting Services to talk about what buyers really notice, the red flags that scare them away, and where owners should invest time and money before listing their boat. Fro...

Thinking about selling your boat? Before you list it—or go through survey—there are a few things that can make the difference between a smooth sale and a deal that falls apart. In this episode of Floatplan , Matt and Tim are joined by Paul Zimmer of S3 Maritime and Nigel Barron of Platypus Marine to talk through what boat owners should actually fix before selling, what buyers notice first, and whi...

This week on Floatplan podcast, Matt and Tim step aboard another iconic Northwest pilothouse yacht: the 58’ West Bay Sonship . Fresh off the response to the 57’ Tollycraft episode, we’re taking a closer look at what makes the West Bay such a beloved Pacific Northwest cruising platform. From its spacious pilothouse layout and classic Northwest styling to the stand-up engine room, twin generators, s...

What happens to the boat when you're done with it? Matt and Tim sit down aboard a 1998 58' West Bay to tackle one of boating's most important — and most avoided — conversations: succession planning. From building your boat into your estate plan, to making sure the next generation is insured and capable of running it, to avoiding family conflict when it's time to sell, this episode covers the pract...

In this episode of Floatplan , Matt & Tim join Carrington Cyr , founder of Carrington Marine and a master Mercury technician with nearly 20 years of exclusive Mercury experience, aboard a Blackfin boat on the water in Seattle. Carrington shares his journey from GM-certified automotive tech to marine specialist, and how he eventually launched his own Mercury Marine dealership from scratch just...

Keeping a boat looking great — and protecting its value — takes more than an occasional wash. In this episode, we sit down with Jose Gallegos of Gallegos Yacht and Boat Service to talk about what proper boat care really involves, from routine washing and detailing to major repairs and refinishing projects. We discuss how often boats should be cleaned and waxed, what happens when maintenance is del...

 ​In this episode of the Floatplan , Tim and Matt get together with Paul Zimmer and Kalin Tobin from S3 Maritime at Salmon Bay Marine Center in Seattle. The conversation begins with a discussion about who S3 is, what they do, and the range of services they provide — from refits and repairs to fabrication, electrical, and full-service boatyard work — before stepping aboard their extensively upgrade...

On this episode of Floatplan , we do something a little different — a side-by-side tour of two iconic Pacific Northwest yachts built on the exact same hull, but configured two very different ways. We step aboard a pair of 57' Tollycrafts — one walkaround, one widebody — to explore how layout decisions shape livability, usability, and the way people actually boat in the Pacific Northwest. From cove...

This week, Floatplan sits down aboard a refit 1995 Tollycraft 57 with Craig Perry and Todd Feinroth, part of the team behind Nautical Northwest Magazine , to talk about the return of a high-quality print boating publication to the Pacific Northwest. They share how the magazine came to life, the vision behind the launch, and why the response from boaters, brokers, marinas, and marine businesses has...

We’re back on the fuel dock at Elliott Bay Marina for a dockside conversation about the stuff you don’t see—what’s happening underneath your boat. We’re joined by Shane McCall of Emerald City Diving , one of Seattle’s go-to dive teams for underwater boat work. Shane breaks down the real-world maintenance schedule for saltwater moorage, what “zincs” actually means (and why anode material matters),...

Anzuelo is hauled out for its yearly maintenance period, so we’re recording from the boatyard—because boat ownership always comes with a to-do list. This week, we tackle one of the least glamorous (and most important) topics: marine insurance. Peter Ricks, Northwest Regional Manager at Novamar Insurance Group, joins us for a practical Marine Insurance 101 built around real-world claims that went s...

Big news for Pacific Northwest boaters — Elliott Bay Marina has a new owner. This week, Matt and Tim sit down with Jordan Glidden, former General Manager of Elliott Bay Marina and current General Manager at Marina Management LLC, to break down what Stonepeak's acquisition of Southern Marinas could mean for one of Seattle's most beloved boating destinations. Jordan brings a rare insider perspective...

Lithium is the hottest upgrade topic in marinas right now. But as we learned in this episode, you can’t just pull out your 8Ds and “drop in” lithium. We sat down with Max French, General Manager of Pacific Coast Yachting Services in Seattle, to walk through what actually goes into a modern lithium installation built around the Victron ecosystem. From why AGM banks rarely live their advertised life...

The Seattle Boat Show has a way of getting the gears turning. In this episode, Tim & Matt talk about why the show is often the entry point to bigger boats, bigger dreams—and the realities that come with them. From sizing up to insurance, training, and what it really takes to make a move-up boat fit into your overall float plan, this is a grounded look at what excitement turns into once you lea...