Marlow 70E Liveaboard Life

What is it really like living full time on a 24-year-old Marlow yacht? In this episode of Offshore Gishing, we spend an unexpected 2.5 weeks at the dock aboard our 2002 Marlow Explorer 70E while waiting on generator parts — and turn the delay into an opportunity to tackle a long list of boat projects before continuing our journey to Fort Lauderdale.

When Northern Lights didn’t ship the generator parts we needed in time, our plans changed. Instead of sitting around, we put the extra time at the dock to work. We swapped out the TV in our master stateroom, removed old antennas from the flybridge in preparation for possible solar panels, built a new workbench topper, secured the radar arch, cleaned up wiring in the flybridge access panels, and tackled some engine room cleaning.

Living aboard an older yacht means there is always something to maintain, repair, upgrade, or improve — and this episode gives you a real look at what full-time liveaboard life is like behind the scenes.

But the time at the dock wasn’t all boat work. We met an amazing couple who quickly became good friends and incredible hosts. They even took us on a fast boat ride to Naples, Florida, for dinner. And while we were there in Marco Island, we discovered SIX other Marlows at the marina. Needless to say, we felt right at home!

After 2.5 weeks, it was finally time to leave the dock and continue our journey south. On Saturday evening, we untied from the dock and began our overnight passage toward Key West — one of the final legs of our journey to Fort Lauderdale.

If you’re interested in what it’s like to live full time on a yacht, maintaining an older motor yacht, cruising Florida by boat, or following the real-life adventures of a husband-and-wife liveaboard couple, come along with us aboard our Marlow 70E, Lōkahi II.

⚓ ABOUT OFFSHORE GISHING

We’re Jeff and Steph, a husband-and-wife team living full time aboard our 2002 Marlow Explorer 70E. We share the real-life experience of yacht ownership, boat maintenance, cruising, liveaboard life, DIY boat projects, and exploring new areas by boat.

📍 In this episode:
• Marco Island Marina
• Marlow yachts and the Marlow 70E
• Full-time liveaboard yacht life
• Boat maintenance and DIY projects
• Master stateroom TV replacement
• Flybridge antenna removal
• Preparing for possible solar panels
• Workbench project
• Radar arch repair
• Flybridge wiring cleanup
• Engine room cleaning
• Naples, Florida
• Overnight passage to Key West
• Continuing toward Fort Lauderdale

⏱️ CHAPTERS | Offshore Gishing Ep. 26

0:00 Introduction
0:28 Marco Island Marina Association “Marlow Party”
7:10 TV Swap in Master Stateroom
8:21 Italian Dinner with Chef Jeff
14:16 Cleaning the Engine Room
14:52 Removing Old Flybridge Antennas
20:57 Workbench Top Project
23:43 Securing the Radar Arch, Wiring Project
31:45 Boat Ride to Naples
33:02 Departing for Overnight Passage to Key West
46:26 Thank you for watching Offshore Gishing!

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