It’s only been a few months since I moved off my boat where I lived for three years to live as a landlubber in a condo, again.
Some things to remember when Brother moves aboard
By Denise Dohogne
Published: September, 2006
It’s only been a few months since I moved off my boat where I lived for three years to live as a landlubber in a condo, again.
No sooner did I move off the boat than my brother began staying on the boat, temporarily, to do some much-needed maintenance. So, I was taken to task to orient him as to the ways of boat living. You’d think, since I had just lived there, I’d have no problem explaining what he needed to know, but I was amazed at how quickly I’ve adapted to my recent lifestyle change. I’d forgotten what life aboard was like.
The difference between living on land and living on the water may not seem as drastic to someone, like myself, who has lived both lifestyles; however, it became very apparent that for those unlike me, life aboard can take more than a little getting used to.
The main differences between living in a traditional home and living on a boat (not at sea, but in a marina) are the use of space and the amenities. Of course, depending on the boat, the live-aboard lifestyle may or may not differ as much from what people may be accustomed to on land.
If money is no object, every imaginable luxury is available on a mega-yacht, such that you’d be hard pressed to realize you were even on a boat, unless you looked out and saw water (think cruise ship). But, on my boat, and on most boats you see in our local marinas, life takes on new challenges due to space limitations and what types of amenities can reasonably and affordably be outfitted on them.
I was sitting comfortably on my living room couch when my brother called me his first evening on the boat. I had to laugh when he recounted to me his misplacement of the laundry detergent that he must have put in one of the boats many stowage areas. Earlier that day he’d already assumed there was a freezer on board for his frozen food. Not! He also asked me about the availability of television and high speed internet, among more basic requests like how to get the running water or the stove to work. Oh, and that he’d had a barbeque and burned some of the black caulking on my boat’s teak deck! Lesson #1: Boats and fire don’t mix!
It’s been a few days now and I’ve had several more phone calls with my brother to make sure the boat is indeed floating and he is doing well in his new environment.
The third day aboard, he reported he loves the friendliness of the people at the marina and appreciates all the beautiful teak wood inside the boat. He’s taken to housekeeping and maintenance more than he ever would have when we lived in an apartment together back in our early 20s.
Could it be that the challenges and limitations that come with life on a boat have somehow brought about in him a new fervor for life in general?
As for me, I’m excited that my brother is getting the chance to experience life aboard. I think it’s a wonderful, life-enhancing, mind-broadening thing for everyone to try. I’m also happy that someone is enjoying my boat and giving it the TLC all boats need. There are too many boats just sitting derelict in slips, and I have vowed to not let mine become one of them.
Even though it will be temporary for my brother, I’m glad that he will at least have had the chance to find out for him self just how rewarding and pleasurable life on a boat can be.
Denise Dohogne is a Waterfront Real Estate Specialist serving the San Francisco Bay & Delta regions of Solano, Napa and Contra Costa Counties. She is broker/owner of Denise Dohogne Real Estate in Benicia, Captain of the vessel Hey Diddle Diddle and member of the Vallejo Yacht Club. www.DeniseDohogne.com