Home is where the boat is for this Emirati five days a week

Weekends are in Sharjah. But on other days, life is smooth sailing for this PR professional. Parking is not a headache, the kids love being on board, it’s not cheaper than a place on land but, well, water works

Living next to the beach or in a waterfacing villa, listening to the waves caressing the coast, feeling the gentle breeze on your face, a relaxed evening sipping on your favourite tea, legs up, hair down... Unwind.

This is, unmistakably, the most compelling holiday checklist for many of us worldweary souls.

But when it comes to burning a hole in your pocket to buy the beach holiday deal that you desire, imagine — just imagine, having it all at your doorstep — this is living the dream!

And that is precisely the reason why emirati Abdul Rahman Al Jarwan kissed his one-bedroom apartment in Abu Dhabi goodbye two years ago, and started living on a boat berthed in the Eastern Mangroves marina.

“It is like coming back to a holiday every day after work. I don’t have to look or go elsewhere for relaxation,” says Al Jarwan.

A communications manager for a public-sector company, Al Jarwan lives aboard his 52 ft motor yacht, Kamikaze, five days a week, and spends his weekends with family at his home in Sharjah.

“When you are alone, it is not easy to live inside four walls. That is why I decided to convert my boat into my house so that I can spend my evenings in one of the most beautiful locations in Abu Dhabi.”

Sandwiched between the lush mangroves on one side and the amenities of modern Promenade living on the other, his boat Kamikaze is truly Al Jarwan’s daily fix of paradise.

“You have the best of both worlds. Some days, I just cruise around the waters going about my daily tasks while nature offers me the best scenic views. If I step out of my house, I have all the comforts of modern living with 16 restaurants, supermarkets and a pharmacy close by.” No parking chaos. No grinding traffic. Life is easy.

Jarwan rolled out the red carpet when he invited us to his water abode — a well-furnished, cozy two-bedroom house. The entrance is through the backyard that doubles as a balcony with stunning views of the Eastern Mangroves Promenade.

The spacious living room has an L-shaped grey couch peppered with cushions and a coffee table. Going down a few steps to the lower deck, you enter a section that has two bedrooms and a toilet. There is also an open kitchen in the rear, a crew room, and the deck or the fly-bridge upstairs.

“If you ask me, the only thing that I miss, may be, is a spacious bedroom. I am looking at upgrading and buying a new and bigger boat,” says Al Jarwan. And once he has his 60-ft plus boat, Al Jarwan says his family can visit him more often.

“My children love it here. Now they don’t like to stay in a hotel when they come to Abu Dhabi.”

Al Jarwan says many people get shocked when he tells them he lives on a boat. “I think, the fact that I am emirati adds to the shock value.”

“For me, boat living is not about making financial sense. I used to pay Dh65,000 as rent for my one bedroom apartment. I had to fork out around Dh1 million to buy this boat. The rent for the berth comes to around Dh36,000. But when you add to it the maintenance costs for the boat, and the salary for the helper, the cost is almost the same.”

Al Jarwan says it is the lifestyle that lures him to living on the water. “You have to be someone who enjoys fishing, sailing and swimming. Otherwise, living on a boat or even a floating house does not make sense. I love it here, and I have no plans to ditch the waters for a dwelling on land.”

When you are alone, it is not easy to live inside four walls. That is why I decided to convert my boat into my house... My children love it here. If you ask me, the only thing I miss is a spacious bedroom.