Cruising Calypso, Our Story

We thought it was long overdue for the crew of Cruising Calypso to provide a little background and how we got here.

Introduction to our boat cruising lifestyle

We are a sea loving family who along with our 2001 Sea Ray 400 Sedan Bridge, Calypso II, cruise the New England coast every summer. Join us for our adventures as we share favorite places to go and new ones we have yet to discover.

We owned and cruised Calypso, our first boat a 2000 Sea Ray 310 Sundancer for six seasons. This season 2020, we moved to a larger diesel boat, Calypso II. This new vessel provides greater room on board for longer stays and greater range to cruise to distant shores.

Our commitment to the sea

Because we enjoy the boating lifestyle and all the fun it brings to our family, we are committed to protecting the oceans we cruise on and the ones we dream about. Starting with following no-discharge rules, not using disposable plastic bottles and only using biodegradable products on Calypso II, we try to do our part to preserve this invaluable resource. Additionally, we donate a portion of revenue from all sources brought in to Cruising Calypso YouTube channel and website to organizations that support this cause.

The crew of our two Sea Ray’s

David, Sue and their daughter, crew Calypso II. David grew up using family boats on freshwater lakes, but Sue was new to boating when we met. It was not long before the boat cruising lifestyle won Sue over and our adventures began.

The early days of boating

Early on we sailed the coast of Massachusetts on club boats until family activities got in the way. We took a break from sailing, always planning to eventually buy a boat. After our daughter got older, at some point we just decided, “...if not now when….”, and began looking for a boat. 

Our first Sea Ray

We made the decision to change from sailing to power boating. Although we love sailing, we yearned to travel farther in less time and a sailboat would not meet that goal. Having never owned a cruising powerboat before, we started our search by talking to friends and reading on-line forums.

Once we settled on the size, around 30 feet, and the brand, Sea Ray, we shopped until one day, a listing appeared on Craigslist of all places. The boat was nearby and we went to take a look. The Sea Ray 310 Sundancer checked most of our boxes and seemed in good shape. After a survey was completed we bought the boat which at the time was named “Luna-Sea”. Not being a fan of the name, she was rechristened Calypso with all the appropriate rituals to the sea spirits for good luck, and we looked for a place to keep her.

A home for Calypso

Having spent our time sailing based in Boston Harbor, we thought it would be better to be outside the Cape Cod Canal so that destinations like Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and beyond would be more easily reachable. We wanted to avoid being on Cape Cod proper due to the distance from our home and the potential for traffic. Agin, with the help of research and friend recommendations, we narrowed our search to one of the towns on Buzzards bay.  We soon settled on Marion because of the two boat yards in town and easy access from the highway.

Our second Sea Ray, Calypso II

While we enjoyed our Sea Ray 310 Sundancer for 6 seasons, the time came to look for a new boat that met our current needs. We had outgrown the space of the 310DA and wanted a greater range to be able to explore further destinations. Therefore we looked for a boat around 40 feet long with diesel power to achieve both of these goals. With our criteria and set budget in mind, we set out to find a Sea Ray 400 Sedan Bridge 2001 or newer, with diesel power. Calypso II was born.

The specifics:

Calypso

2000 Sea Ray 310 Sundancer

·  Length:  33.9 feet

·  Beam:   11.6 feet

·  Draft: 3.5 feet

·  Fuel: gas 200 gals

·  Power: 2 Mercruiser 5.7 Horizon freshwater cooled V-drive inboard gas engines 300hp each

Calypso II

2001 Sea Ray 400 Sedan Bridge

·  Length:  43 feet

·  Beam:   14 feet

·  Draft: 4 feet

·  Fuel: diesel 350 gal

·  Power: 2 Caterpillar 3126 inboard diesel engines 350hp each