A change of pace

The long-term idea was to run the charter for 5 or 6 years. But in 2012 Paul’s doctor told him to change his lifestyle and reduce his stress levels.

‘I sold my business, but we couldn’t get onto our charter for 18 months. We saw no point in sitting around, so we made the decision to move to Brisbane with a mind to take the charter out of service… but the problem with that is that there would be no money. So instead we decided to buy a boat and live aboard permanently, and keep the charter too.’

Paul and Kathy bought Moor R&R in April 2014, and although second hand, the boat had been little used and was still only 6 months old. They made the move from Adelaide to Qld, moored the boat at Raby Bay in Brisbane, and prepared to change their lifestyle and live aboard full time. After making a few tweaks such as adding a water maker and solar panels, Kathy and Paul and their 3 cats moved on board in October 2014.

Goonies get together

‘It was Greg Harding that suggested the first Lagoon Escapade. We met at Sid Harbour, about 14 boats altogether, and The Multihull Group joined us with ‘refreshments’ and goodies. There was such a great feeling from that first get together, it was brilliant… and after that, people wanted to stay in touch.  So I created our Facebook page, Lagooned in Oz, with Greg, Sue, Kathy and I as the administrators.

‘We now have about 80 or 90 boat owners, and every couple of days we get a new request from someone wanting to join. We want to keep it to a relevant community though, so the page is for people who have Lagoons or are thinking of buying a Lagoon, in Australasia. This keeps it focussed on what’s going on locally. Someone might post about where you can tie your dinghy at Runaway Bay supermarket on the Gold Coast, post maps of secret spots, or weather updates… And I’m pretty sure that Lagoon people know where every Dan Murphy’s is on the east coast!

‘After the brilliant Lagoon Escapade in the Whitsundays this year, we spent some time at Lizard Island. On the way back down we stopped at Cooktown, but we got a notice on the dinghy and threatened with a fine. It was suggested we tie up on the mud flats with the crocs..! This is the kind of advice we can share on the Facebook page so people know what to expect on their own adventures.’

‘Our Lagoon is very spacious, it gives us the ability to live onboard very well – it’s supremely comfortable. We’ve been on the boat full time for over 3 years now and have only slept off the boat for 3 weeks. We don’t think of it as a boat – it’s home.’

The secret to a happy life

‘The best thing about live-aboard life is that you don’t have to mow the lawn..! And when we’re sick of the view out the back door we move and go somewhere else. If somewhere isn’t fun, you move on. We’re fully mobile.

‘But in reality, the best thing about our lifestyle is not the boat or location, it’s the people. There is a whole community of Lagoon owners, and the Lagoon events have connected us with so many wonderful people.

‘We lived in Adelaide for 40 years, and are very social people, we used to have huge parties at our house. But we hear from and catch up with people we’ve met through the Lagoon group more often than friends we’ve known for 40 years… This lifestyle, it’s all about the people you meet.’