Andy Canoutas 



floating at the Masonboro landing among sailboats 

 and motorboats. 



Living in a floating home is comparable to its con- 

 ventional counterpart, but most residents say it's 

 even better. They have electricity, running water, 

 televisions and telephones. And there is air condition- 

 ing and heating. As a matter of fact, Andy Canoutas 

 says he doesn't miss anything after seven years on the 



water — not even a 

 yard. "I got so tired of 

 cutting grass," says 

 Canoutas, an attorney 

 in Wilmington. That 

 was one of the reasons 

 he built his floating 

 home in the first place, 

 but there were others. 



"I love the water," 

 he says. And, "the peo- 

 ple here are very uni- 

 que." 



About 40 people live 

 at the boat yard year- 

 round, says office manager Steve Lee. The resulting 

 community is a hodgepodge of professionals, retired 

 people, natives, world travelers, singles, couples and 

 more. Everyone is different, yet there's something 

 that binds them all together. 



"Everybody's interested in the same thing," says 

 Bob Pierce, an 80-year-old Pittsburgh, Pa., native 

 who moved to Wilmington four years ago. It's the 

 water, boats and nature that draw them to the docks. 



"It's like a constant nature show," says Suzan 

 Perry-Canoutas. "It's so peaceful out here." 



Being able to look out the window and see changing 



scenery, sunrises, sun- 

 sets and exotic birds is 

 what she enjoys most 

 about living on the 

 water. It's not unusual 

 for her to see dolphins 

 playing, pelicans diving 

 or fish jumping in the 

 water. A few years ago, 

 some otters came to live 

 on her back porch. And 

 when the season's right, 

 she and her husband go 

 shrimping, crabbing or 

 shellfishing in sur- 



Bob Pierce 



rounding waters. 



Kitchen-window viewing goes beyond normal bird 

 watching at the Bennetts', too. 



"One day we had an octopus hanging on the side of 

 the boat," recalls Ryerson. "It would move on the 

 side of the boat as it ate the barnacles." He and his 

 wife, Mary Jo, watched the 10-foot creature for hours 

 as it inched down the boat. 



Because they live on the water, most of the boat 

 yard's permanent residents say they are more con- 

 scious of the weather and seasons. They can sense the 

 season's change by noting wind directions, moon posi- 

 tions, differences in water color and the types of birds 

 flocking around the boat yard. 



Bonds such as these add to the community spirit at 

 the boat yard. 



"Everybody is real close," says Suzan. It's like a big 

 family. And to them, any time is a good time to get 

 together. 



Twice a month, the family meets for community 

 dinners. Then there are parties when people leave the 

 marina, when they come back, for good weather, 

 birthdays and any other "excuse" they can think of. 

 Once the boat yard even held a birthday party for the 

 17-year-old cat of one of the residents. Of course, all 

 the other cats and dogs from the marina were invited. 



Halloween and 

 Thanksgiving are two 

 annual celebrations you 

 wouldn't want to miss, 

 says Ryerson. Crazy 

 costumes are a 

 trademark of the Hal- 

 loween parties. And at 

 Thanksgiving, the food 

 and fellowship come in 

 generous proportions. 



Probably the most 

 special time of year at 

 the boat yard, however, 

 is Christmas. Each 

 year, boat owners have a party and decorate a tree on 

 the waterway with "personalized ornaments" that say 

 something about themselves. When the tree is finally 

 lit, "You can see it beautifully from the waterway," 

 says Ryerson. 



If you're thinking that Masonboro Boat Yard is the 

 Shangri-La of the South, there are a few disadvan- 

 tages to living on a floating home. 



One is that it might blow away. During Hurricane 

 Diana, the homes were either tied to the dock or 

 moved back from the open water. Most of them sur- 

 vived the storm with little damage. The heavy rains 

 soaked Andy and Suzan's ceiling, while the winds 

 knocked away their steps, a few of Bob Pierce's win- 

 dows and 24 of the Bennetts' tomatoes. 



Rough water can be a problem at other times of the 

 year, too. Although he doesn't have much trouble 

 with pictures and plants falling from the wall, Andy 

 says it's hard to get his balance upstairs or in the 

 downstairs shower when the house is swaying. 



Mildew and cold walks down the dock in the winter 

 were two other annoyances residents mentioned. And 

 then there's the matter of putting things away. 



"Storage is a tremendous problem," says Mary Jo. 

 Ryerson is constantly putting up new shelves, 



R. Ryerson Bennett 



