Reasons Why Wednesday: Mobile Home

Reason Why #5: We like to change up the scene now & again. 

In the live aboard and cruising culture marinas have often been to referred to as the Trailer Parks of the yachting world. 

And there are definitely some major similarities - rather tight quarters, no rolling spans of green lawn to distance from your neighbors, no fences, you can't choose your neighbors, a lot of time is spent outside your private space, everyone deals with similar challenges, the lifestyle is a specific choice. But there is a BIG difference - THE VIEW. There's also a lot of smaller differences too that make living aboard a whole lot sweeter than a double wide in a trailer park. 

Tim and I have been navigating the world of marinas trying to arrange where will be keeping this 43' yacht that we are (hopefully) taking ownership of in a couple weeks. Since it is the end of the summer season here in New England slips are not at a premium as they would have been just a month ago - good news for us! Here in the Portsmouth area there are 3 major marinas one of them is up the Piscataqua River and our mast on our boat is too tall to fit under the bridge for Route 16 so that marina is out. Then there is the Wentworth Marina on New Castle island, around the corner from where we rent now.

Wentworth Marina - Our Summer Home

And Badger's Island Marina which is just under the not-there-right-now Route 1 bridge that spans from Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine. The only marina that "allows" year-round liveaboards is Badgers Island - They call them "extended stay" guests. So this will be our winter home. 

Badgers Island Marina is where the arrow is pointing.
That bridge is not currently there right now

Both marinas are fantastic. If looking only at facilities the Wentworth wins out. It is GORGEOUS! With 4 restaurants, 3 bars, pools, showers, laundry and even hotel rooms if a Nor'Easter hits! 

The walkway at the top of the docks

Latitudes restaurant that overlooks the Marina

Marina "members" get use of the pools

And there's the SWEET Wentworth by the Sea Resort & Spa
on the grounds too!

Badger's Island is ALSO super sweet too - great showers/bathroom facilities, a Tiki Bar in summertime, great outdoor grilling area & patio plus our new friend Justin lives at Badgers, is the dock master and can throw a super mean cocktail party! When NH Dept. of Transportation finishes the NEW Memorial Bridge (slated for completion July 2013) Badger's Island will be a 5 minute walk to downtown Portsmouth. That's the kicker with Badger's right now - it's literally UNDER a construction zone which for our first year aboard should be interesting. But we can walk to downtown Kittery Foreside a fantastic up and coming little neighborhood with a great restaurant, yoga studio and dive bar and it's only a 15 min. or so drive into Portsmouth over the Route 1 Bypass bridge. So winter should be fantastic at Badgers. 

 Now comes our reason why - Mobility. The best part about living aboard - we have a MOBILE HOME! We can move when we want/need to and can experience different scenes, towns, marinas, people, views all the time! Our plan now is to move into the Wentworth Marina for the end of the season, through October 31st and then move to Badger's Island for the winter. Sometime before Turkey Day we will shrinkwrap the boat (that's a tale for another post), winterize and hunker down for the cold New Hampshire (technically we'll be in Maine) winter at Badger's Island. 

 Boats hunkered down at Badger's Island for the Winter 

Then come next spring we will open up the shrink wrap and most likely move back to the Wentworth since the bridge construction will be FULL SWING by that time.The idea of our first spring aboard being marked by cranes, jack hammers and a giant bridge being built above our decks is not all that appealing. However, we could also move south to Newburyport or north to Portland or maybe try a mooring or maybe Mexico????-- the beauty of life aboard -- MOBILITY for two gypsy souls like us it's the best lifestyle we could think of! 



"The whole world's topsy turvy, you feel like you're upside down.
Everyday it's a push and shove of people tryin' to get around.
Workin' hard, tryin' to make some bread, tryin' to get it 'fore it gets away.
It's too bad how a man must work to get along, 
but to live you know he needs the pay.

The city is a place in which to build your dreams,
It's a chance to give your ideas life.
A man gets a'longing for some country green, 
He'd just like some peace and quiet, peace and quiet, peace and quiet...

So, ah, to be up and leavin' this town, I said, headed down that open road
With all that you own kinda thrown on the backseat, thinkin' 'bout a-where you'll go
Maybe New Orleans... Maybe Mexico, yeah, got to go, yeah, Mama
I got to get outahere, doncha know, yeah, Babe, I got to head on down...

If only you could pack up everything you love
And everyone who'd ever been your friend,
Well Keepin' close to you the things that make you strong
Got to carry them with you around the bend.
The fear to move and meet the new can keep you in line,
Though you know that something stays behind,
So separate the good and bad and take along the kind
To the place you'd like to be at right on time... time...

So, ah, to be up and leavin' this town, I say, headed down that open road
With all that you own kinda thrown on the backseat, think' 'bout a-where you'll go
Maybe New Orleans... Maybe Mexico, yeah, got to go, yeah, Mama
I got to get outahere, doncha know, yeah, got to go..."

                                          -- Jerry Jeff Walker "Maybe Mexico"  off Mr. Bojangles 1968