We Were Headed South… Then We Stayed a Week on Anna Maria Island (E23)

Marlow 70E Liveaboard Life

What happens when you’re headed south on your liveaboard boat and find a place you enjoy? You stay for an entire week! For us, that place was Anna Maria Island in Florida. Living aboard our Marlow 70E motor yacht, we spent a week anchored in Bradenton exploring the island, enjoying the beautiful Gulf Coast water, and experiencing the slower side of liveaboard boat life before continuing south toward Boca Grande.

After months of getting our Marlow ready for cruising, it finally feels like our journey south is really beginning. We explored Bradenton Beach, walked along the incredible white sugar sand, enjoyed ice cream from a local fudge factory, and had dinner overlooking the water. We also experienced a few rainy and stormy evenings at anchor, but overall the anchorage was peaceful, the water was beautiful, and the town and people made Anna Maria Island a memorable stop on our journey.

Life aboard a boat also means there is always another project. While anchored in Bradenton, we mounted a bedroom display so we can keep a better eye on anchor watch, enjoyed a steak and wine dinner during a stormy evening, and dealt with the everyday details of living aboard a motor yacht.

After a week on Anna Maria Island, it was finally time to continue south. We departed Bradenton and cruised toward Boca Grande, enjoying calm weather, beautiful water, and one of those peaceful boating days that reminds us why we chose to live and travel on a boat.

Along the way, Steph gets excited about the C-Shel YMS, and we get anchored in Boca Grande and settle in for a relaxing lasagna night aboard Lōkahi II. Our exploration of Boca Grande continues in the next part of our journey.

If you’re interested in living on a boat full time, cruising Florida, Gulf Coast boating, motor yacht life, liveaboard boat life, or what it’s really like to travel aboard a larger yacht, come along with Jeff and Steph as we learn what this lifestyle is really like.

🛥️ C-Shel YMS: https://www.searchingforcshels.com/csyms

☀️ Stream 2 Sea: https://stream2sea.com/

📡 Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver: https://amzn.to/4Aaro3s
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