Boating;l Moving Aboard

Is it time to cut the ties to land and move on board a boat? It seems that many people my age are doing just that. Why would you want to give up your spacious bathroom and your walk-in closet for a shower over the commode or have a living room the size of your former walk in closet?

Baby Boomers are looking hard at sort of roomy but interminably slow trawler. A trawler, for the uninitiated among us is a semi or fully displacement boat ranging from 27 to 90 feet with one diesel engine and one diesel generator. The trawler typically has shore like amenities such as a large refrigerator, microwave, full size television, compact washer/dryer, stereo and a myriad of navigation aids possibly even radar.

A trawler usually has a roomy layout with the salon (living room) including a small steering station. Down forward is the the galley (kitchen) and head (bathroom) and farthest forward is the forward cabin if the boat is large enough to have a rear cabin. Most of the mechanical apparatus is beneath the salon and it is easily accessible comparably speaking.

The classic trawler has an upper steering station and dinghy storage area on the roof of the salon. There is usually a small mast and boom up there which acts as a convenient winching apparatus for launching and retrieving the dinghy but some trawler-ites also use it to hoist a steadying sail. The design for the trawler makes it top heavy and the bottom doesn't provide much anti-roll.

Trawlers above 40 feet usually have an aft cockpit. This is worth the extra couple hundred grand in my opinion because it's the most social portion of the boat. Imagine sitting in your comfortable folding deck chair with a cocktail in hand and conversing with fellow boaters strolling down the dock, yeah!

"I think living aboard will be much cheaper than living in a house," DJ said to me at Matanzas Inn and Restaurant Friday night. I've known him for over twenty years and he always had strong opinions so I wasn't going to debate him especially since my wife was sitting next to me and she doesn't know the full extent of my trawler dream.

"Look what a house costs you today? Insurance rates are out of control and taxes have skyrocketed. We all have obnoxious neighbors and are stuck with them in a house but on a boat you can move to another dock," argued DJ. "I agree with you DJ because I want to do the loop at my own pace," I whispered. "Not me, I just want to stay here and live out my life on a boat," he replied. 

I turned on my seat and looked out on the harbor and my eyes were immediately drawn to the anchored boats rather than the neatly quartered boats in the docks which seemed to me to be so tied down. The boats on the "moorings" appeared to be freer but when you consider the rules and regulation now being imposed upon cruising boaters you have to wonder if the cruising lifestyle is being outlawed. 

The "I got mine" crowd has always wanted to outlaw newcomers. They wanted to build a fence across our state's northern border but couldn't. Now the "I got mine" crowd own the houses along the water and don't want their pristine views mucked up by boats. They want to see nothing but the occasionally wandering wading bird or the rare manatee sighting. 

Then suddenly an ugly boat shows up and anchors in their field of view. "Oh my goodness there is an ugly, cheap boat out their, Cheslie!" And they rush off to the town council meeting and scream bloody blue murder and demand all boat anchoring be outlawed. Since the members of the town council are also from the "I got mine" crowd, they pass said prohibition! Think Marco Island at this point.

"You can get a slip around here for $600 for your 34 foot trawler," DJ continued. "Where can you get an apartment or house for that kind of money?"

"Why restrict yourself to that small of a boat? Go 40 foot or more and have a lot more room. I think I'd prefer the 34 footer because I might (probably will) have to move the boat by myself. The only requirement I'd insist upon would be a bow thruster," I said wistfully. DJ thought that was very wasteful because we old time boaters shouldn't need one. But I want one, okay! It is my dream!

Will either of our dreams come true? I think DJ will do it but for me we'll have to see. Boat Safe!

Send your questions to boatguiEd@aol.com and buy more Super Shipbottom bottom paint for your boat so I can get my trawler, okay!