"Captain Ron" Talks About The Houseboating Lifestyle -Travel Full-Time - Affordably

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