Full Circle

Sea Gull

Well-Known Member
Oct 19, 2006
1,398
CT
Boat Info
2019 Maritimo M64
Engines
Volvo D13-1000
Those that do the Great Loop, circling the eastern United States, celebrate when they “cross their wake”. This is the point at which they have come full circle and returned (or passed) their starting point. Today Sea Gull has reached such a threshold. We didn’t quite do a big circle, but we’ve spent the last three years cruising up and down the east coast. Our adventure started when we took delivery of our new L650FLY in Port Canaveral, FL in mid-May of 2015. We immediately headed up the coast to our summer cruising grounds in New England. Each fall we have migrated back to South Florida with trips to the Bahamas to add some flavor. And each fall we follow the warm gulfstream currents back north again.

Today, on our trip from West Palm Beach to St. Augustine, we pause, sitting offshore just east of Cape Canaveral Florida to mark our own crossing of our wake. We’ve passed this spot many times over the years, but today marks almost exactly three years of ownership as we pass the birthplace of our lovely yacht. We can almost see Rusty Higgins’ home from here, and not quite to the dock where we took ownership, but rocket launch pads loom large on the horizon. We are hove to in a 4-5 foot beam swell, but our dual Seakeeper 9 gyros keep us steady. This means that our flutes of sparkling water stood still on the galley counter, ready for our impromptu celebratory toast.

So here’s to all the designers, engineers, craftspeople, installers, mechanics, bottom cleaners, detailers, crew, family and friends who got us to this point. We feel blessed.

For those that like numbers and statistics:

In 3 years we have run approximately 10,000 miles (that’s nautical miles Dr. Ron), 732 engine hours, 1100 generator hours, and 1070 Seakeeper hours. We’ve burned a whopping 46,325 gallons of diesel fuel in the process.

We’ve spent 332 nights aboard – roughly a third of our time. And we’re not stopping anytime soon.
 
Life can be tough some times, can't it. Don't spill the sparkling waters as you toast your many successes.
 
Wow! Congratulations and best wishes for continued safety and success in an incredible life experience.
 
You are living my dream. Congrats and keep it going!
 
That’s fantastic. I hope to make the same type of trips some day. We saw Seagull at nantucket boat basin and were going to say hi but you (I assume you) was heading into the engine room tools in hand so I didn’t want to interrupt. Hope you have a lot more great trips. It is a beautiful boat. Enjoy.
 
I want to add to this thread if I may...I just completed an eastern seaboard trip on a new 550FLY and had the pleasure and comfort of shadowing Sea Gull along the way. We past each other a couple of times and ended our days, not too far from each other.

I travel the ocean (the big pond) often and find myself in areas offshore where the radar does not even see anyone around, much less my eyesight. I have had occurrences where having another vessel close by, or within radio reach would have lowered my stress level by double digits. But even having another in sight, does not always mean they are of much assistance.

Let me be the one who puts some clarity on boating skills and knowledge, and whom I take backseat to. Just having Sea Gull in radio reach or in sight, is a piece of mind and security unlike what I am used to, knowing he has my back should the Kraken attack far away from any other assistance available. I may be a Master Captain but when I step on Sea Gull, I am a mate at best. Capt. Jeff Siegel makes me look like a dock rat when it comes to being at the helm, so it is of little surprise to me, reading his accomplishments on that beautiful 650FLY.......and the Admiral on that boat is not only better looking than that yacht, but is one of my all time favorite, ever.

There are weekend boaters, there are hardcore boaters, there are guys like me whom run 14-16 hours a day in Lord knows what kind of conditions for weeks at a time...and then there is Jeff. He may not be in a class all by himself, but it damn sure doesn't take long to call roll where he sits.

Capt. Rusty Higgins
 
Those that do the Great Loop, circling the eastern United States, celebrate when they “cross their wake”. This is the point at which they have come full circle and returned (or passed) their starting point. Today Sea Gull has reached such a threshold. We didn’t quite do a big circle, but we’ve spent the last three years cruising up and down the east coast. Our adventure started when we took delivery of our new L650FLY in Port Canaveral, FL in mid-May of 2015. We immediately headed up the coast to our summer cruising grounds in New England. Each fall we have migrated back to South Florida with trips to the Bahamas to add some flavor. And each fall we follow the warm gulfstream currents back north again......

Hey Jeff,
Where abouts in CT are you for the summer? I'd love to have a drink and hear more about some of your endeavors. Congratulations on your accomplishments.

-John
 

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