Trawler Living Aboard Tips - A Lifestyle

We were up at 5 AM this morning as usual; the coffee was just beginning to brew and the aroma was delightful. Mary summoned me to hurry and look from the Patricia Ann's sundeck at a full moon's reflection on the water. It was magnificent.

And just a little while later, with coffee in hand, we watched from the bridge as the sun began her climb over the horizon. A beautiful day was beginning with not a cloud in the sky.

As we began our day with showers and breakfast, it dawned on me just how fortunate live-aboard boaters really are.

I was getting a haircut with a "new" stylist recently and I told her Mary and I lived aboard our boat. Startled she asked, " Do you have heat and air conditioning; can you take a shower"? I chuckled and told her yes, we have everything you do in a house, but more.

But its more than creature comforts that make living aboard so appealing; its way more than that. It's the things that your everyday person rarely, if ever gets to experience.

I just watched a shrimp boat make his way up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) on his way out to sea. He will spend the next several days dragging his nets in search of those tasty crustaceans we all love. Our little sea side town was the home of the modern shrimping industry until farming became the norm. Unfortunately, now the fleet has dwindled to just a few that can survive.

I'm watching a pair of swallows from our trawler's starboard side windows chase their prey. They have a built a mud nest under the gangway down to the docks where there are raising a family. We have an abundance of wildlife

We can expect to see manatees appear any day now. The water temperature is up in the 60s now. We see many of them but take them for granted it seems. Do you know that wild manatee will let you rub his belly?

The local family of otters should be making their appearance with their new brood of little ones shortly. You don't see them often but we see evidence of their presence.

A pair of osprey are building a nest just down the creek; they are fun to watch dive after unsuspecting fish.

An inbound freighter from some far-away land should be arriving anytime; the pilot boat just left a bit ago taking the pilot out to meet her. I often wonder about life aboard those ships.

We are going on a 4-day cruise this week over to Cumberland Island. Mary wants to look for the white deer and walk the deserted beaches at dawn.

We need to get away from the dock for a little R&R and let our trawler stretch her legs a bit. We'll probably meet more trawler owners as they transient back north. It's always a pleasure to meet fellow boaters out on the water.

But my computer and Blackberry will be on if customers call.