Welcome to our second home. A 1989 Tollycraft 53 Coastal Pilot Motor Yacht. We purchased Jade Panama’ in 2018, upgrading from our previous Chaparral 350 Express Cruiser.
After spending the summer aboard our first boat, we knew that we wanted to spend even more time out exploring the PNW waters. However, it just wasn’t large enough for us to live comfortably for longer stays… and more importantly to Jalel, large enough for our water kitties to join us. It all started when we took the Chaparral up to Friday Harbor for our first San Juan visit. We rafted up next to MBYC club members and their beautiful 57′ Ocean Alexander. I couldn’t take my eye off it the whole weekend. When we departed we faced some rough waters in the Strait of Juan De Fuca which tossed us around horribly. This was the push I needed. We of course needed a bigger boat!!
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a bit obsessive when it comes research. We knew we wanted a 3 cabin CPMY, and our budget was going to force something more than 20 years old. As the search began I dove into the various manufacturers. You had the likes of the Navigators, Californians, Bayliner, Ocean Alexanders etc. We looked closely at a 2000 Navigator 5300 which we liked. Jalel really liked it and loved the newness of it. However, as I kept digging, I learned more about Tollycraft, and the almost cult like obsession their owners. The more I learned, the more I was impressed by their build quality and sea worthiness. We ran across an ad for a 1989 Tollycraft 53. Jalel was not interested. The age turned her off. I have always been one who would rather have the 15 year old BMW/Mercedes/Audi than the 5 year old Ford/Chevy. This is how I looked at the Tollycrafts. Their build quality and sea worthiness was on par with Hatteras, and clearly regarded as one of the best around.
After much pressuring, I finally got Jalel to come visit the Tollycraft. Once she walked in, it was all over. She saw the wide beamy Saloon, beautiful wood floors, and impressive Galley. I was impressed by the engineering, systems, engine room, and the awesome Fly Bridge. We made the offer, and the rest is history.
We sold our Tollycraft in Sep 2020, replacing her with our next Vessel, the Californian LRC 55.
