NOTE TO READERS: Be sure to read the article "Happy Two Year Anniversary" published earlier today in conjunction with "Diana's View."
While Les told you about all the physical details, I will attempt to describe the life style.
First I should explain that after years and thousands of miles of boating, I desired a more stable, less nomadic situation. So we compromised on north-south locations -- Sarasota, FL and Hingham, MA which works out fine. As Les described, both are great areas. While they are both great, the culture is very different.
In Sarasota life on the dock is very lively. Although our permanent boat neighbors only visit every 6 weeks or so, they are wonderful and very friendly. The rest of the time there is a constant stream of transient boaters. They come from all over -- Canada, the Midwest, east coast, west coast, even Europe. Often cruisers come as part of a yacht club rendezvous. Many are Loopers. It is like a boat show with the variety of marine vessels. Everything from a 130' West Port, sailboats to small runabouts.
Then there is Kodi who says hello to everyone. Surprisingly many boaters have dogs aboard. We stop and talk and soon we are exchanging cards and having a drink. Life on board is not lonely. If anything, we meet so many people it is hard to keep up.
In Hingham we are now be on the T at the end of a very long dock. There are no transients. People commit for the season and come back year after year. There are few large boats -- nothing like Sarasota. For the most part it's families or couples who live in the area and come to spend the weekend. Boaters tend to always be friendly and inclusive. So we've met neighbors, but with the exception of one or two couples we don't spend time together like we do in Sarasota.
One common denominator is the Marina staffs - we chat with them every day both in Sarasota and Hingham. They become the constants.
Space is a noticeable difference from a house. Turnaround space is tight -- the boat is only 17 feet wide. We have all the same rooms you would in a house, but each is small. Add visitors and it gets cozy quickly.
Maintenance: Les loves it, but it is time consuming. It takes 5 hours to wash the boat and Les rinses the boat and dries it several times a week. (Meanwhile being inside while he is washing is like being in a thunderstorm.) Interior maintenance: Remember everything that comes on needs to go off .. Water, pump out, etc. you don't have those concerns in a house.
Fortunately there is no movement at the dock in Sarasota and rarely of the T-dock in Hingham.
Upsides-Downsides:
Saw a greeting card yesterday that read "life at dock is safe and sound .. but boats were built for boating". And therein lies the difference. Les loves the adventure. I like the familiar. (Which reversed itself -- when we were young, I wanted to travel and Les liked the familiar, i.e. the same vacation year after year). So now Les gets two big boating adventures a year (plus his everyday dinghy) and I get 5 months of continuity in two places.
- waking up on the water everyday
- the sunsets
- Sarasota has Bayfront park
- Hingham has 2 parks within walking distance
- 365 days of sun and warm weather (constant heat)
- Art fairs every weekend in Sarasota; beautiful state parks in MA; the Ferry to Boston;
How do we spend our days? Just like anyone else: we shop, we go out to eat, we visit with friends and family, we cook, we watch TV, we read the paper, read books, go for walks, bike, go to the movies, go to the theater, take a drive, etc. What we don't do is have a job where most people spend a lot of their week. We aren't on any Boards. We participate somewhat in a charity (Southeastern Guide Dogs). When we worked we had a cleaning lady; now we do all our own maintenance. We sleep later.
Now twice a year there is a big transition (like other Snowbirds) except Les moves the boat and I move the car. Vacation? It is like being on vacation 24/7!
Written by Diana
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