“If you don’t like the neighbors, move. If you don’t like the view, move.”
This advice comes from April and Larry Smith, a pair of year-round liveaboards who, at the time of this interview, were cruising south on the Intracoastal Waterway en route to their home marina, Safe Harbor Regatta Pointe, in Palmetto.
“We went from a 10-acre horse ranch and a 3,000 square-foot home in the California foothills to living aboard One Eye Dog, our Aquila 44 power catamaran. It was a crazy life change—one that was never even a possibility in our minds,” says April.
But the Smiths, along with their one-eyed Maltese, Abby, are more than just liveaboards—they’re cruising liveaboards. They’ve enjoyed several trips to the Bahamas aboard their 44-footer, explored the backwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and completed multiple “Great Loops”—circling the entire eastern United States via natural and manmade waterways, including the Mississippi River, Erie Canal, Great Lakes and Intracoastal Waterways.
Both are retired—April from the mortgage business and Larry from cloud technology at Hewlett-Packard. They chose the Aquila 44 not only because it’s imported by MarineMax in Tampa, but also because it checked all their boxes: a 21-foot-wide master suite, two guest staterooms with en suite heads and showers, a spacious living area and galley on the main deck, a flybridge with a country kitchen, and a deck layout that makes handling easy for just the two of them.
Here are some of their thoughts on the wisdom they’ve earned after 40,000 nautical miles as liveaboards.
“Buy the biggest boat you can afford,” was April’s first piece of advice, while Larry offered, “Make it a comfy boat.” Both are smart liveaboard tips, as boats never have enough storage space and you don’t want to feel confined.
Where did you put things when you moved aboard?
“We parted with 90% of our belongings,” April says with a grin. (At this point, Larry chimes in with, “Three full dumpsters!”) “But,” she continues, “I’m at the point where I’ll leave it to the kids to deal with.”
What do you do about transportation?
“We rely on Uber, we have a car at our daughter’s home, and we have electric bikes,” says Larry.
“And we walk,” April adds.
What about mail and banking?
“We do everything online, like mobile banking, and Amazon Prime is our best friend for deliveries,” says Larry.
What were the unexpected pleasures of living aboard?
“We’ve made friends everywhere,” says April, noting these connections came from meeting people in small towns during their travels.
“And,” Larry adds, “it allows us to enjoy our two favorite hobbies: eating and traveling.”
Any surprises?
“We learned to be careful when the weather is bad because Abby gets seasick!”
Favorite area?
April picks the Tennessee River: “Hands down! Great small towns, fantastic scenery. We see everything from eagles to deer, and it’s a wonderful history lesson, too.”
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