Ed Robinson - Leap of Faith: Quit Your Job and Live on a Boat

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Leap of Faith

Quit Your Job and Live on a Boat

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2013 Ed Robinson

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For the lovely Miss Kim.

The Good Life

***

Whats so great about living on a boat? Whats so special about my life in particular you ask? Lets consider a typical day in the life of the happiest guy in the world.

As I write, Im sitting on the back of my yacht. The boat is anchored in a slice of Eden known as Pelican Bay. Shes nestled snugly between the beautiful island of Cayo Costa and the patch of sand and mangroves named Punta Blanca Island. The sun is shining in an impossibly crystal blue sky. Its eighty-four degrees, the water is flat and clear, and I just cracked open an ice cold beer.

Ive got my feet propped up on the transom. Its time to reflect on my day. Its Happy Hour, after five but before sunset.

Before dawn this morning, I took my coffee in this same spot, same pose as a matter of fact. There was just enough light to make out the dolphins nearby hunting for breakfast. Those I didnt see I could still hear each time they surfaced for air. It was still, peaceful and quiet. The lack of noise is profound. No cars, no trucks, no sirens, no backing trash trucks going beep, beep, beep. None of the sounds that dirt dwellers become accustomed to are heard here. They are replaced by the breath of dolphins. I can here ospreys chirping from the island. Occasionally theres a splash from a pelican diving on bait.

That reminds me of another song by my favorite singer/songwriter Jim Morris. Pelicans diving crashing on bait, pretty soon the dolphins arrive. I move down the shoreline and hear a snook pop, oh the mangroves are coming alive. Those are the sounds I hear.

Eventually the sun peaks its head over the eastern horizon. I snap a picture to share with my Facebook following. Lots of them tell me they would never see a sunrise if not for my pictures. Most mornings after I catch a spectacular sunrise, Ill head off in the dinghy in search of redfish, snook, tarpon, trout, grouper, cobia, snapper or whatever I can find. Fishing gives me great joy. Legal fish that are good to eat may become tonights dinner, but it also keeps me in close proximity to natures beauty that is all around me. I may see more do lphin, or manatees, or rolling tarpon. I may sit and float and just take it all in, letting the breeze take me wherever it wants to go.

On these quiet mornings, I could be lost in concentration trying to sneak up on a wily fish in shallow water. The world is blocked out. Its just me, my spinning rod and the fish. Or I could be totally aware of my surroundings, my eyes awake to every aspect of flora and fauna in this special place.

Afternoons I spend with my beautiful wife. Shes a tall, thin blonde who at age forty-seven still looks great in a bikini. After a late breakfast or early lunch we head off to the beach together. Its not just any beach. Its white sand and clear blue water. More importantly, its empty of other people. It seems impossible that such a heavenly place isnt overrun with tourists, especially in Florida, but here it is. We have our very own private beach. Okay so there are a few tourists about three miles away. They get dropped off by ferry boats near the north end, but we never see them here. On weekends, we occasionally encounter locals in their own boats who anchor near shore. On even more rare occasions well meet folks like us. I guess there are few cruisers who know about this secluded beach, but very few. Most of the time there is no one here but the two of us.

Our beach routine varies, but it always begins with a moment of standing and staring. Its so beautiful here, like a postcard. This beach is as nice as any in the Caribbean, and its all ours. We look north at white sand with no sign of another human. We look south and can just make out North Captiva Island. We see the calm blue Gulf of Mexico stretching out to the horizon.

We set up our beach chairs, admire each others ridiculously deep tan and just smile. Some days we walk. Some days we hunt for sea shells. Ive developed a knack for finding sand dollars. The lovely Miss Kim is always the first to find starfish. Some days we just sit and read. Some days Ill fish a little off the beach. Whenever Im out here with a fishing rod, I can hear Jim Morris singing in my head. The Cayo Costa is quiet this morning. Its so good to be back on my turf. I walk through the sand, fly rod in hand, just looking for snook in the surf.

Every day we are back on the boat by five oclock, because thats Happy Hour. We shower up if its necessary. I grab a cold beer, Kim fills a tumbler with box-o-wine, then we clink can to plastic and make a toast to another day in paradise. Later on well have some nips of rum.

Then its time for the sunset. We celebrate it, each and every night. Its an important ritual all across Florida that youll read more about later. Somewhere in there we eat dinner, but its usually an afterthought, just sustenance. Some nights after dark we get naked and have mad monkey sex. Other nights we get naked and make sweet gentle love. Every night we sleep the sleep of the contented.

Thats what its like to be me. Can you see how I feel justified in claiming to live the greatest life thats ever been lived?

Smiling Out Loud

***

Some folks say I like to live my life like a Jimmy Buffett song. I actually prefer to say I like to live my life like a Jim Morris song. Heres a little bit of one:

He moved down from Long Island

Hes living out in Pelican Bay

Hes got a spot right on the water

Hes got no rent to pay.

Hes got no fussy neighbors

No gate no security guards

He fishes from his front porch

Hes got the beach in his back yard.

It always seemed like a good idea

Buy a little houseboat free and clear

Living on Shrimp and Navagator Beer

Every day goes by without a cloud

And every time you see him

Hes smiling out loud.