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Gulf Crossing Day 1

Our Boat, PIVOT

She’s our home and transportation around America’s Great Loop!

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND PIVOT?​

We named our boat PIVOT after having to pivot due to the global pandemic from our original travel plans. We think of it as the opportunity to embrace change and new adventures.

piv·ot |  ˈpi-vət
: to turn on or as if on a pivot

Prior to owning PIVOT and deciding to travel around America’s Great Loop, we had left our jobs and career paths in September 2019 for an Around the World trip, a gap year of sorts before we settled down and dove into our careers further. Half way into our year around the world trip, we had visited 10 countries and 3 continents and found ourselves lockdown in India.

“Plans are written in the sand at low tide”

― Unknown

5 months later, we left India feeling sad that our year of travel was over. We knew we wanted to continue traveling, exploring, and trying new things. We knew our next chapter of travel would be domestic since international travel was challenging, so we looked into converting a van, buying a used RV, or purchasing a boat. So we bought a boat and decided to embark on America’s Great Loop. Neither one of us have a great deal of prior boating experience. Jen spent some weekends on her step-dad’s sailboat in Long Island Sound helping to pull up the mooring ball, but no real sailing experience. Elliot can count on one hand the amount of times he’s been on a boat with the majority of his experience being a Galapagos Luxury Cruise we went on during our year of international travel. Both of us had never stepped foot on a trawler before we bought our boat PIVOT and experienced the slow moving pace of a trawler on the water for the first time when the previous owner was explaining the various systems of our boat. 

Want a brief tour of PIVOT? Then hit the play button below. Just want the specs and details of our set up? Scroll down for more information!

ABOUT OUR BOAT

We are cruising on a 1989 34 Marine Trader Double Cabin. We bought our boat in January 2021 after pivoting our plans to internationally travel full-time. We’ve spent several hours giving her a spruce up with new bottom paint and accent colors, installing a cell phone extender, solar panels, and giving her a good clean. We’ve documented all of our boat improvements and projects on YouTube. 

Specs
  • Length – 34’
  • Beam – 12’6″
  • Draft – 3’6″
  • Height – 18′
  • Engine – Six Cylinder Ford Lehman Super 135
  • Transmission – Velvet Drive
  • Bow Thruster – Lewmar
  • Fuel – 300 gallon capacity
  • Fresh Water Tank – 145 gallon capacity
  • Black Water Tanks – 75 gallon capacity
Anchor Setup
Electricity
Water
  • Shurflo Aqua King Water Pump
  • Berkey Water Filter – Jen loves her Berkey water filter! It’s not a boat-specific item, so whenever we sell our boat, we can take our Berkey with us to our next adventure.
Helm + Navigation
  • Garmin Chart Plotter – this was the original navigation that came with our boat. Even though it is old and the maps are outdated, it still works just fine. There is a way for us to update the charts, however, it’s on our never-ending list of boat projects.
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) – We bought our iPad knowing that it would serve as our primary chart plotter for navigation. We love it because we can easily take our iPad with us to other boats to review routes for the next day or discuss cruising plans at our salon table. Our iPad does have cellular, however, it’s not required as you can download maps ahead of time.
  • iPad Mount at the Helm – We recently added this iPad mount to our helm station
  • Nebo Link – Elliot installed our Nebo Link in November 2021 and we have absolutely loved having it. Not only does it record your travels automatically when we start our boat, but it also emails us a trip summary of our cruise for the day. The app allows us to connect with other boaters and Loopers (people who are doing the Great Loop) through a messaging portal. Nebo is a partner with the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association and offers discounts to members.
Navigation Apps
  • Navionics + Active Captain – We have a yearly subscription to Navionics which include Active Captain reviews which we use to find anchorages and read about holding, currents, etc.
  • AquaMaps – We use Aquamaps to overlay the USACE survey maps onto the maps as well as Bob423 ICW Tracks for added navigation. We use this map for a closer reading of depths in shallow areas.
  • Nebo – Prior to installing the Nebo Link, we used the Nebo app to record our travels and connect with other boaters. Sometimes we would forget to turn on our cruise, so we’re glad to have the Nebo Link!
  • BoatUS – We use this app in case we need towing. We have the Gold unlimited towing membership.
  • Marine Traffic – We use this app to check for large vessels and ships coming into busy ports since we don’t have AIS.

For a full list of apps we use, check out our Marine Weather Apps or our Marine Navigation and Other Apps post where we share all the apps we regularly use aboard PIVOT.

Cabins + Heads
Communications + Connectivity
  • We Boost Cell and Data Booster – We use this to boost our phone’s connectivity. 
  • Wifi Router – We use this device to connect to other networks and have a wifi network on our boat. We also use this with our Google Chrome Cast to watch YouTube or shows on our TV.
  • Visible HotSpot – We recently got a hotspot in December 2021 and it has really changed the game for us to use data, upload videos, and use our computers online while we’re cruising.
  • StarLink – After having a limited connection in the Georgian Bay and North Channel, we upgraded our connectivity game and got StarLink. We’re currently in testing mode, but are pleased with the initial results. We’ll be making a video on our experience with StarLink in the next few months so stay tuned!

Check out our Boat Internet post for our full review and recommendations on staying connected on the water.

Dinghy
  • West Marine Hard Bottomed Dinghy – Our boat came with this dinghy when we bought her. The previous owners also made a dinghy cover which we use for UV protection to help extend the life of our dinghy.
  • Spirit Electric Propulsion Motor 1.0 – Watch our E-Propulsion motor review here.

For a full list of the items we keep in our dinghy, check out our Dinghy Essentials post!

Safety
  • Rechargeable Portable Handheld VHF Radio – We were given a used portable handheld VHF radio, so this is not the exact radio we have, however, it is very similar. We use our radio when we’re on land and want to keep listening to the VHF channel 16/13 or when one of us is on the dinghy and another person is on our boat.
  • Rechargeable 22200 Lumen Lithium Ion LED Spotlight – We use this light when we’re cruising at night to give us additional light for navigation.
  • Rechargeable LED Head lights – We use these headlights all the time! From daily engine checks to fuel filter changes and crawling in our lazarette for items in storage.
  • 4 Type III Inflatable Life Jackets
  • 6 Type III Inherently Buoyant Life Jackets
  • West Marine Dog Life Jacket
  • Man Over Board Kit
  • Distress Lights, Flashlights, Handheld Strobe Lights, SOS Lights, Flares, Air Horns, Whistles, Multiple Fire Extinguishers
Galley
  • Norcold Refrigerator
  • Dometic Convection Microwave Oven
  • Princess Dual Propane Stove
  • Insignia Deep Freezer
  • AeroPress – We use this for one cup coffee. It’s easy to use, non-electric, and we can use it for a variety of coffee drinks (espresso, americano, or cold brew).
  • InstantPot – This is one of our favorite kitchen tools as it allows us to hydrate beans in significantly less time, cook oatmeal, soups, and a variety of other dishes without using our propane for extended periods of time. The InstantPot is a high power tool, so we’d recommend reviewing your power set up ahead of including this item in your galley.
  • Knife sharper – We cook a lot in our galley, so sharp knives are a must! We sharpen our knives with this non-electric, compact tool.
Other
  • AC Unit – FCF Series Marine Air Conditioner. This unit gives us both air conditioning and heat, however, we can only use it when we are on shore power. It came with our boat and we like it.
  • REI Deck Chairs – We use these chairs on our fly bridge when we have guests aboard or we take them to shore for beach chairs. They’re light weight and versatile.
  • Magma Outdoor Grill – Our grill came with our boat from the previous owners, but this grill is very similar to the one we have, but better because the lid stays on. We love to cook outside when the weather is good or on hot days to make sure we’re not heating up our galley and salon.
  • Outdoor LED String Lights – We call these our party lights. They are zip-tied to our bimini on our fly bridge and provide a great ambiance at night. 
  • Boat Toolkit – we kept several tools aboard to make necessary repairs. Check out our Boating Essential Toolkit for Full-Time Cruisers.