| It was a beautiful evening for a stroll tonight, so I went | | | | Ontario.He commented that the harbours on the US |
| down to one of my favourite places: Toronto's | | | | side of Lake Ontario are not as clean and |
| waterfront. Listening to the melee of languages, | | | | unfortunately since 911, the American Coastguard has |
| observing the broad mixture of people, I was thinking | | | | become overly protective, he said even paranoid, and |
| about upcoming travel plans, business issues, articles to | | | | the minute they see him, they figure he must be a drug |
| write for the website, and many other things. I liken this | | | | smuggler and they put him through the third degree. So |
| feeling to a hamster on a wheel who's constantly | | | | he prefers to cruise the Canadian side of the |
| spinning and moving. My brain was working overtime, | | | | lake.Many of Ron's friends actually live on a houseboat |
| which happens a lot when I think about the website | | | | full-time. They sail northern waters in the summer and |
| and all the ideas and topics I'd like to write about.So I | | | | then connect through the Ohio River - Mississippi |
| am strolling by the sailboat harbour at Ashbridges Bay, | | | | waterway system down into Gulf of Mexico from |
| a particularly serene place with a quiet little inlet | | | | where they sail down to southern Florida. On the way |
| surrounded by willow trees on the east side, on the | | | | back in the spring they take the Intracoastal |
| north side there is a private marina where hundreds of | | | | Waterway (the "Ditch") to come back up north for the |
| sailboats are docked, on the south side there is a little | | | | summer.Ron also has a lot of friends who have |
| peninsula with just a few places where a variety of | | | | ocean-going sailboats who spend much of their time in |
| boats can anchor at the municipal docks.So I am | | | | the Caribbean. As a matter of fact, one of his friends |
| walking, enjoying the reflections of the evening | | | | has a unique type of sailboat that was recently |
| sunshine playing on the water, listening to the joyful | | | | commandeered by the producers of the sequel for |
| songs of the birds, observing bikers, walkers, | | | | "Pirates of the Caribbean".Naturally I asked Ron about |
| rollerbladers, watching the boats......... and then I had an | | | | the cost of houseboating. Apart from the purchase |
| idea - I might as well interview on of these boaters and | | | | costs, which he estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 for |
| find out a bit more about their lifestyle and travel | | | | a new boat, there are dockage costs, fuel, insurance, |
| adventures.I approached a houseboat and I saw that | | | | repairs. He said he spends about $1000 on fuel, and |
| the captain was sitting on the bridge. I knocked on the | | | | about $5,000 a year for dockage and other operating |
| glass door and asked if I could do an interview with | | | | costs. According to Ron, the people that do the |
| him. The man, a white-haired bearded man in his 60s, | | | | Canada-Florida run usually spend anywhere from |
| was very welcoming and invited me in. He actually | | | | about $10,000 to $30,000 for the round-trip which could |
| asked me to sit in the captain's chair and I shyly | | | | take a whole year. The cost at the lower end means |
| accepted.He introduced himself as Ron, "Captain Ron", | | | | that you are using the on-board kitchen (or rather, |
| a name by which he is well known in the Lake Ontario | | | | galley) facilities, you are staying at town docks rather |
| boating community. Ron is a former corporate sales | | | | than private marinas, using the boat's shower, rather |
| manager, now comfortably retired, with an active | | | | than the marina's expensive facilities. Since Ron is a |
| lifestyle. Ron still has a house in Whitby, just outside of | | | | good cook, he practically always uses his boat's |
| Toronto, but he spends a lot of his time on the | | | | kitchen to make his meals, a huge savings.Captain Ron |
| houseboat, and many of his friends live full-time on a | | | | has really figured out a perfect retirement lifestyle for |
| houseboat.His particular boat is an Intracoastal | | | | himself. He houseboats in the summer, goes deer |
| houseboat, meaning it has a hull and is more | | | | hunting in the fall, heads out of Ontario to Florida or |
| seaworthy than pontoon houseboats. It was made in | | | | British Columbia in the winter, where he either stays |
| 1970, and cost $17,000 when it was new. Ron has had | | | | with friends and family, or rents a reasonably priced |
| it for 18 years and he regularly gets offers from | | | | apartment inland from the coast. Or, if he sees a good |
| people who want to buy it. Recently someone offered | | | | offer in the newspaper, he might just hop on a plane to |
| him $50,000 in cash for the houseboat. But since Ron | | | | Mexico for a quick getaway. And he loves to spend |
| loves the lifestyle, and a new boat would probably | | | | the summers in Ontario, where he cruises Lake |
| cost $150,000 to $200,000, it makes no sense for him | | | | Ontario and spends some time on beautiful Georgian |
| to sell his beloved house on the water. He politely | | | | Bay where his brothers live.According to Ron, the key |
| declined the offer.The boat has an elevated bridge | | | | thing in retirement is health, and he works hard to stay |
| which not only houses the "steering wheel" (is that | | | | healthy. He plays tennis, rides his bike, he loves to swim |
| proper marine terminology?), but also accommodates | | | | and he works out. He said, particularly if you want to |
| a fold-out double bed. A few steps down is the galley | | | | travel to the US as a retiree, being healthy is critical. His |
| on the left, and a bathroom with a combined toilet, sink | | | | brother had a heart attack in Florida, and his health |
| and shower on the right. Beside the bathroom is a | | | | insurance wouldn't cover his treatment costs, and he |
| small door leading down to the cabin that has 4 bunk | | | | ended up a with a $150,000 bill at the end. No wonder |
| beds. Behind the kitchen is the living room area with an | | | | Captain Ron considers good health a key factor for |
| eating nook and another double fold out bed.In theory | | | | travelling....Captain Ron gave me a glimpse into his |
| the houseboat can sleep 8 people, but Ron said that | | | | unique lifestyle, and I couldn't help but envy him a little. |
| you would not want to cram that many people on | | | | He seemed so peaceful, so relaxed, enjoying the |
| board with just one small bathroom. Makes a lot of | | | | evening sun looking out over the water. I realized that |
| sense... Ron seems to be travelling mostly by himself, | | | | he's figured it all out, and he's created his perfect little |
| judging by the lone deck chair that was located on the | | | | niche for himself...Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a |
| boat's top deck from where I had a perfect view of | | | | website called Travel and Transitions( Travel and |
| the serene harbour setting. Ron says Ashbridges Bay | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is |
| is one of his favourite spots and he was sitting there | | | | chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, |
| quietly, enjoying the evening, when I approached him | | | | interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights |
| for the interview.Ron uses the boat about 6 months of | | | | and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and |
| the year, he puts it in the water in mid April and takes it | | | | many other features. You will also find stories about |
| out in mid October and he mostly cruises Lake Ontario | | | | life and the transitions that we face as we go through |
| with it. From the 1000 Islands in the east near Kingston, | | | | our own personal life-long journeys.Submit your own |
| a city that he loves (me too...), to Toronto with its | | | | travel stories in our first travel story contest( and have |
| islands, and St. Catharines with its Port Dalhousie | | | | a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| harbour, he actively cruises the north shore of Lake | | | | Amazon River. |