Anybody, that’s owned a boat for any period of time, has probably entertained some thoughts of what it would be like to live aboard your boat.  I know, I have, and I live in the cold north otherwise known as Canada.  Actually I live in one of the warmer areas of Canada, and there are some people I know that live on their boats all season long.  But, living aboard a boat during the winter months just doesn’t really appeal to me.  Something about living inside a boat covered in clear plastic just seems too artificial for me.

However, if I were to live in a somewhat warmer climate the idea of living aboard my sailboat becomes a whole lot more interesting.  To me that usually means thinking of places like Annapolis or California, but if your going to go somewhere warmer, than why not go all the way to Florida?  I mean, why do anything half way.  It would be pretty cool, to dock my boat where there were palm trees in clear view.  Not to mention, renting a boat slip in Florida has to be a whole lot cheaper than buying a condo or home in Florida.

I think that taking my boat down to Florida for retirement would be a whole lot more fun that hanging out in one of the retirement communities.  For starters, your on the water, which is always a pretty cool thing.  Secondly, your still actively involved in a physical activity that has got to be better than playing shuffle board or bridge all afternoon.  Boats are great for keeping people active, as there is always something to be done on a boat.

Plus, hanging around a marina means your bound to meet some interesting people.  Boaters generally tend to be a pretty interesting bunch of people, and I always like hanging around those sorts.  They’re  a little less mainstream, and so am I.  Plus, there are a lot more live a board boaters down in Florida.  Which is bound to be helpful to first timers who are new to spending all their days on a boat at the marina.

The extra benefit to having a boat in Florida, is that there are still plenty of creature comforts close at hand.  While some boaters like to get away from it all, and spend all their time in a secluded anchorage, I tend to like being around people in marinas.  Well, I guess I’ve convinced myself that spending my retirement years in a marina waiting for Steve Martin to call would be pretty cool.