Boater’s home in jeopardy if MacDonald Marine closes
Rod Paget sees himself as a guardian of Hamilton Harbour.
The 64-year-old engineer and artist can often be found snapping photos of ducks that visit him over his morning coffee.
And drawing sketches of his view from The Shamrock — the 30-foot boat on which he’s lived yearround for the past couple of years.
“We sit here all day and just take it in,” he recently told The Spectator, while enjoying the late-morning sun on his boat. “This is my little planet.”
But Paget is concerned life aboard his “little piece of heaven” is in jeopardy with MacDonald Marine’s long-term lease with the city set to expire in May.
Sandy MacDonald, who owns the boat repair business and marina, has said his hope is to stay.
‘It’s like a little community. We’re a rare group of party souls.’ ROD PAGET
But the spot at the little bay where it has operated for more than 40 years is part of the city’s $143-million, long-term makeover at the west harbour.
“It would be a damn shame,” Paget said, adding it would be like “destroying a nice little dream land.”
“I’d like to see us stay there as permanent watchdogs on the bay.”
Lease renegotiations have taken place with other longtime waterfront tenants.
A memorandum of understanding is in place with the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and the Macassa Bay Yacht Club, Chris Phillips, who heads up waterfront development for the city, recently told The Spectator.
There are other nearby locations to which Paget could apply and other “live-aboard” communities down the highway, like one in Port Credit.
But part of the appeal of living on the water is the lifestyle that comes with it, including Paget’s ability to walk or cycle up to Bunge Canada on Victoria Avenue North, where he works as a power systems engineer.
When Paget retires in a couple of years, he plans to sail around the world with his girlfriend, Monika Minnis; but he wants to be able to stay in his home until they set out on their adventure.
“It’s like a little community,” he said, noting there were about 20 other live-aboards at the marina last winter.
“We’re a rare group of party souls.”
Life on a boat is challenging, but there’s nothing like it, Paget said.
If he works nights, he generally sleeps until 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., and will cook himself some bacon and eggs when he wakes up.
He’ll get coffee going in the percolator, and sometimes throw some beef and onions in the slow cooker
to get dinner started.
There’s not a ton of storage in the roughly 100-square-foot living space, but Paget has a small refrigerator he uses to keep cream for coffee, a head of lettuce and some meat, as well as dry storage under the sink.
Paget is used to the humble quarters now, but he said it was “terrifying” when he first made the move from an apartment.
“I didn’t think I would ever get over not having space.”
But Paget has learned what he needs to get by and now wonders why people have so much space in their living rooms.
In The Shamrock, which Paget purchased for $5,000, there’s an electric fireplace for added warmth. He shrink-wraps the boat in the winter to protect against weather damage and to waterproof it.
Paget uses a shower in the marina or bathes at the gym, which he frequents. He’s looking into getting a composting toilet, but in the meantime, he walks waste down the wooden dock and deposits it in a toilet at the marina.
A custom-cut, queen-sized bed fits snuggly in the bow of the boat, with memory foam for added comfort. Its corners have been chopped off so it’s almost a triangular shape.
While there are many perks to living on a boat, Paget said there’s nothing like falling asleep to the gentle rock of the water.
“It’s like being in your mom’s arms when you’re a kid.”
‘I didn’t think I’d ever get over not having space.’ ROD PAGET