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