New Member - PAC NW

[Beaverlake]

I hope I don’t get bashed - seems to be an assumption by some others that being a Bayliner owner is the equivalent of submitting to a voluntary frontal lobotomy. I beg to differ.

We take care of a Bayliner 4788 based out of Skyline Marina I’m Anacortes Washington (I subscribe to the POV that you don’t own a boat, it kinda sorta owns you). A 4788 is not a trawler by definition, but by our temperaments, running speed, and how we travel it’s a trawler (except when we have to spool up the turbos every so often).

This is our second “new series” Bayliner - the first being a 3988 from 1995-2000. I’ve owned Wellcraft, Pacemaker, Ericsson (my early life detour into sailing), and Tollycraft. Along the way I learned that every experience had some compromise - including this one now that I’m retired.

Yes, I’m still wrestling with a couple small cabin leaks and service access is horrible; an upside for our mechanic who is 5’7”, about 160, old, experienced, wiry, and up for the challenges. But having experienced a significant “oops” with our 3988 I know firsthand that the hull and mechanical systems are more or less bulletproof.

Our boats have not been Marina queens. We ran up almost 200 hours in 2019 cruising the PAC NW islands. This year we’ll probably hit 250 with about 6 weeks extended time out, a guy trip to Barkley Sound on the Pacific side of Vancouver Island, and numerous weekend trips with friends and family. Heck, might push 300 hours. Since 1987 we’ve owned boats for about 15 of the years since we moved here and logged well over 1500 hours in the PAC NW on A Formula, Carvers, Tollycrafts, and Bayliners.

I decided to finally sign on to the Trawler Forum to expand my DIY knowledge base. I hope I can contribute as well.

BR
Gordon

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. The 4788 is a great boat.

[Toki]

Welcome Gordon, I also keep mine at Skyline.

[Pau Hana]

"Assumptions are the mother of all F___ups!"

Those who bash on Bayliners are clearly not aware that they are good quality boats with none of the rumored problems the internet (and popular opinion) says there is. Been doing marine insurance for 2 decades, and there are zero ongoing problems with any Bayliners from the claims standpoint.

Therefore- enjoy it and welcome!

Pete

[Bacchus]

Gordon
Welcome aboard TF.
I think you will find some experienced Bayliner owners and supporters here.
Most of the Bayliner bashing is a carryover from their smaller run abouts and N/A to your class of vessel.
I got started boating with a smaller Bayliner and did more boating & cruising with it than those that turned up their nose and would never own one.
Tell us more about yourself and your cruising and by all means post some pics.

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Welcome. Bayliners are a great boat and allowed the middle class family to get into boating.

[tiltrider1]

Bayliner 4788 is a lot of boat for the money and is well suited for PNW cruising. I find it more sensible for the PNW then a Nordhavn.

[firehoser75]

Welcome aboard, and maybe we will cross paths this summer?

[Beaverlake]

Looking forward to making some new friends. Might even need to spring for a burgee!

Bacchus - to your question: Retired tech sales, marketing, ops, management both hardware and software. Made a whopping $1400 in startup tech stock options. Per Patti, the shirts lasted longer than the companies.

When I was ten, my Dad gave me a 5hp Evinrude to use with a friend two weeks every summer in N Wisconsin. That did it for me both boating and fishing. I’ve owned boats for about 25% of my adult life. (Including a couple sailboats.). Moved to the Seattle are in 1987 bringing a used Formula up from the Bay Area where I fished both salmon and sturgeon. The Formula became a Carver 28 and then a 32 sedan. I was taught PAC NW salmon fishing by one of the best. Work took over in the early 90s but couldn’t stay away. Next up a Tolly 26 for o months leading to a new Bayliner 3988 for 5 years. Then building a house AND work took over. Then cars. Then retirement and a trip to the Blackrock resort in Uculet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Seeing Barkley Sound again did it. Fell prey to the premier provider of boat porn - Yachtworld. Patti caught me red-handed but the next thing I know we’re in a 1990 Tolly 44. 18 months later our 1998 Bayliner 4788 Knot Home.

2020 will be our third year with the boat. Our plans are to extend our concatenation 2019 Canada trip (made it to Chatterbox Falls, had to return home, then went out again but only to the Gulf Islandsj. This year is Desolation, Octopus Islands, south end of Johnstone, and return. Planning six weeks. Patti is leading a car club ladies only tour in August so I will drop her back home and then take two weeks to revisit Barkley Sound before returning.

We are fortunate to have good friends who are also great travel companions so we’ll have quite a few long weekend cruises the rest of the year. We’re year-round boater and enjoy both the chaos of high charter season and also the solitude of off season.

I look forward to meeting some of you during the coming months!

Gordon

[Beaverlake]

firehoser75 - I hope so! We have a class B AIS transceiver so keep an eye out for us if you have an AIS receiver!

[Pau Hana]

Originally Posted by Beaverlake

firehoser75 - I hope so! We have a class B AIS transceiver so keep an eye out for us if you have an AIS receiver!

Just added you to our AIS stalkee list. 😎

[siestakey]

[QUOTE=Beaverlake;833987]Looking forward to making some new friends. Might even need to spring for a burgee!


Welcome Gordon

my first boat was at 7 a mirror craft with a 4 horse McCullough I actually had both until I was about 42 and they did not wear out they got stolen.

[GoneFarrell]

Welcome Gordon.
Your mention of stock options gone bad & T-shirts made me chuckle.

I used to laminate my worthless stock certificates onto a lampshade in my office. Got lots of nice shirts too!

May cross paths, 'ya never know. Easy boat name to remember.

[Moonfish]

Welcome aboard!

Bayliner bashing is like the boater's low-hanging fruit. Easy to do and doesn't require any knowledge or experience to participate. Those with actual knowledge and experience know that Bayliners represent a lot of boat for the money. And there are a LOT of happy Bayliner owners out there!

[GFC]

Welcome to TF. I like the Bayliner motor yacht series. Chartered a 4588 in the San Juans for a week many years ago and helped a guy take a 5788 from Seattle down to Stockton a few years ago.


Lots of boat for the buck.


Your boating history sounds a lot like mine. Grew up on Lake Huron with a 9' rowboat at age 5, 5hp Evinrude for it at age 7, Sailfish at age 11, but then a long dry spell to the early 80's for my next boat. College, USAF, family seemed to get in the way of boating. Now, several boats later I'm about a year away from retiring from boating and headed to an RV. It's been a great life.

[bshillam]

Welcome aboard! No worries here, all boats are respected - they have their place. We often times remember there are as many boats as opinions because we all want something different from boating!

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Originally Posted by Moonfish

Welcome aboard!

Bayliner bashing is like the boater's low-hanging fruit. Easy to do and doesn't require any knowledge or experience to participate. Those with actual knowledge and experience know that Bayliners represent a lot of boat for the money. And there are a LOT of happy Bayliner owners out there!

So try this: Start a Bayliner thread on the Club Sea Ray forum........


Yep trying to stir the pot over there..

[firehoser75]

Originally Posted by Beaverlake

firehoser75 - I hope so! We have a class B AIS transceiver so keep an eye out for us if you have an AIS receiver!

Gordon,
Yes we have AIS (Pilitak) and assuming I remember next time down to the boat, I will add you to our "stalking list".
Enjoy the new (to you) boat.
Tom

[Peter B]

Welcome to TF Gordon - Wilson, right..? I see what you did there...

Cheers,
Tim the Toolman,

[RedRascal]

Originally Posted by Beaverlake

...enjoy both the chaos of high charter season...

That's usually when we charter and I'll say it's definitely "festive" around the San Juans in the summer. Saw you guys in Ganges this summer, you keep Knot Home in nice shape. We were docked behind the super yacht Sovereign Lady in a 40 foot Ocean. We looked out of place behind those guys. Good luck on Barkley Sound next summer, it's definitely a jewel. I've been there 5 times and there is still plenty left to see and do.

I recently joined the site so from one newbie to another, welcome.