Chapter 11

On Sunday I again went to church then enjoyed a restful afternoon on the Saint John's River. I checked out one of the boats to make sure it was running smoothly and fueled properly. Then I hooked it up to a pickup I saw along the way and drove up to Sanford. I parked at Otter's Restaurant and Marina and looked for the perfect houseboat.

A beautiful, nearly new Star Lite stared at me. Its three-bedrooms and twin engines made it an 85-foot dream. It had 5.0 liter mercury engines with almost no hours. The kitchen contained full-sized appliances, including a washer and dryer. It had a big generator. The 600-gallon fuel tank was topped off.

Rummaging through the marina office, I found a couple of cases of anti-bacterial additive for the fuel tanks. It kept growth from forming due to humidity or being introduced into the tanks from refueling stations.

The sound of her engines was sweet. When I added the generator to the mix, it just got better. As soon as the house had full power, I turned on the AC and cleaned out the fridge.

Star Lite builds a true river houseboat. It has a modified flat hull that is susceptible to high winds but very steady as houseboats go. The hull is sixteen feet wide, which gives you interior room for large staterooms and two full baths.

In the master bedroom, the owners had a full hull-width sleeping area with a built-in computer desk and a full master bath towards the front. On the backside of the wall, they had their king sized bed. A second stateroom had a slightly raised floor to accommodate the third bedroom and a small closet directly below it. The third bedroom had access stairs located off the main salon, or living room. It was larger than the second bedroom but had a lower ceiling.

The kitchen was great! It had a dishwasher, garbage disposal, double-door refrigerator and double, deep sinks. The water pump was house-sized. When I opened the faucet, a strong stream of water flowed.

Having a working washing machine was a bonus feature. I was going through clothes pretty fast and could always go pick up more, but laundering them was a better idea in the long run. The water pressure in the house was almost too soft for the washing machines, so I could now use the houseboat, if necessary.

After a thorough check, I decided the houseboat was seaworthy. Once the runabout was secured to the rear jet ski deck, I backed the houseboat out of the slip and headed out of the protected marina.

I cruised at about 20 mph. Because this was the only vessel on the water, I had no issue with wake or speed limits. I just let her out and kept to the middle of the river.

I cruised for about an hour and then moved a boat out of one of the large covered slips at the marina, moved mine in and tied up safely. The houseboat had a large hard top that I thought could handle a full set of solar panels. I had plenty and knew where to get more,

Having a houseboat just about fulfilled the last remaining item on my list of dreams. My parents were poor when I was a kid; as an adult, I worked to remain debt free, save for a comfortable retirement and acquire some of the things I'd always dreamed about.