CHAMPAGNE LU LU III
Boat Type: Ocean Alexander 58
Skipper: Roy Vogel
Club: Santa Barbara YC
Built: 2004
Captain/Owner Bio
Roy & Linda have been boating for 29 years. Started with a 27 ft. Sea Rey (Honey Moon) from Seattle to Price Rupert. Had a business for 40 years, sold it – Yea. We have cruised up and down West Coast and east Coast several time. All ways enjoyed being on the water from 14 ft aluminum fishing boat on up to the 58 Ocean Alexander. Golf and tennis keep me off the boat at home so I will move the boat away from home.
Favorite Cruising Destination
British Columbia and the East Coast of USA. America’s Great Circle Loop is the best way to see America. Long Island, N.Y. ,Newport R.I., Nantucket are some very fun places to visit by boat.
Favorite Boating Experience
Too many to have only one as most all have been good. Our first real experience was Seattle to Price Rupert, and back, in a 27 Ft Sea Rey. This was 1986, so this boat had no GPS, and no Radar. Dead Reckoning, with charts and a compass was the navigation method. It was ok until, 20 miles north of Shearwater BC the fog came in, then sound and the depth finder become a big part of the navigation system. That was a experience to remember.
About the Crew
Jack and Pat Wilkey are long time friends and have been on many cruises with us. We enjoy their company and work well together.
What’s in a Name
Champagne Lu Lu III. Wife’s name is Linda Lou. Wife does like Champagne – a lot.
Reason to Buy This Boat
At the age of 60 and after the end of the ranching era on Santa Rosa Island, I realized there was no good reason to wait any longer to buy a boat. I was looking for a comfortable trawler-type with which to cruise the Channel Islands. The Grand Banks trawler spoke to me of a beautifully executed boat that was sound, simple and beautiful. This one had been kept in particularly good condition and I was lucky to find her locally.
Previous Boats Owned
19 ft ski boat 21 ft. ski boat, 24 Sea Rey, 27 ft. Sea Rey, 40 ft. Tolly, 53 Ft. Navigator.
Interest in CUBAR
We typically have not travel in groups but going to Mexico, it seemed like fun, safe, and a good idea, not necessarily in that order.
Boating Story
One we were towing a Jet Ski and approaching a draw bridge. I couldn’t tell if the bridge was about to open or just closing. For this reason I thought I may have to stop, or back up, as we were going down stream. The boat was an aft cabin boat and I could not see behind the boat so I ask my Wife to watch the Jet Ski. She did as the captain said and watched the Jet Ski rope wind into the prop and pull the whole Jet Ski under the boat. Then she said I think we have a problem. At that point there was a mad scramble to get a Anchor deployed.
At that time some L. A. Cops , we were in the Sacramento Delta, came by on Jet Ski’s. They stopped. dove under the boat with a knife and cut the Jet Ski loose from under my boat, took the Jet Ski too their camp and cleared the water out of the engine and got it running again. Those L. A. Cops are not all bad guys.