The Mango Vol 1 Issue 6

Expanding Living Space The Russells enjoyed their Leopard, but

Life on the Water Prior to moving full-time on water, Steve

decided to try another boat with a larger interior for bad weather. The Endeavor has 850 square feet of interior living space, including three staterooms and three heads. It has windows on all sides – for visibility and, when open, ventilation. The galley is a dream, with an island, dishwasher, propane stove, microwave, wine cooler, two refrigerators, freezer and ice maker. The Endeavour has a boat lift on its stern, which adds length and causes the boat sometimes to be referred to as a 50. The boat’s beam is 18 feet. The ship’s helm is enclosed, which is nice when they travel through areas with pesky insects. The draft of the boat is only three and a half feet, providing quite a bit of maneuverability in shallow water. Two Cummins QSB 6.7 engines with 425hp each power the boat, fed by a 1,000 gallon fuel tank. The cat can go up to 18 mph, but the fuel burn is more economical at lower speeds, so the Russells typically travel at 10 mph. “It’s spacious and stable, open, with lots of living space,” Debbie explains.

worked as a boat captain and yacht broker. Debbie would schedule her vacations around Steve’s journeys, choosing the timing of her holidays based on the details of Steve’s travels. “Being on the water with him when he was making yacht deliveries, I would see these people in the morning . . . they were so happy! I wanted to live on a boat. I used to drive a lot. I don’t miss being on the roads. We don’t even own a car, and when we rent one and drive, it’s scary on the interstates.” Steve still works as a buyer’s broker, and when Russells chart their course they often do so based on what trop rock festival they want to attend – like Tampa’s annual Music on the Bay. There, thanks to Gypsies Palace’s shallow draft, they can take the boat right up to the beach. Recently, the Russells attended the Boatyard Beach Bash in Annapolis. In addition to enjoying the music and food, they also met up with friends, meeting for the first time in person. “I run two Facebook groups for cats, one for

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N o v / D e c

2021