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House for Sale: On Boston Harbor

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(page 2 of 2)

Today, it's a small but truly comfortable home. The one bathroom and three bedrooms -- including the large master bedroom, which opens to the lower of the two outside decks -- are on the first floor. The second floor has a good-size, comfortable living room with lots of windows overlooking the marina boats and harbor. It opens to the upper deck, where we enjoyed the view for a while and where Paul has his electric grill and Anne her veritable greenhouse of flowers. Also on the second floor are the dining area -- large enough to seat 13 for Thanksgiving dinner last year -- and the well-equipped but smallish kitchen (reminded us of a ship's galley).

Eventually, our conversation with Paul and Anne had to get around to why they were selling. (They're asking $190,000, furnished, less a few family antiques.) "We love the place and will surely miss it," Paul said, but then indicated that because he's now in his seventies and is occasionally a little unsteady on his feet due to his medication, he feels maybe they should move onto solid ground. Anne agrees. And, yes, you can feel this house move. We loved feeling the gentle motion of the water beneath us. For us, it was soothing, relaxing ... but, of course, it would not be for everyone.

We should add that the marina is actually a gated community with a guardhouse you pass before parking your car near the docks. (Each dock is gated as well.) The Sweetnams pay semiannual fees to the marina for docking rights, electricity, town water, and so on. For new owners (not grandfathered) it might be around $9,000 a year. But you have to realize that's for everything. (No real estate taxes, for instance.)

Now, maybe some one of you will jump at this opportunity and make a deal with the Sweetnams in time to be on board for Christmas. No, you wouldn't be alone -- last year there were 17 "liveaboards" out there at the marina in December.

Can you picture the Christmas lights at the top of all the masts? Can you imagine the shining city across the harbor? Might you be standing for a few minutes out on the upper deck on Christmas Eve, bundled up against the chill, a tasty hot toddy in your hand, a Christmas turkey in the oven, listening to someone playing "Silent Night" on that old organ you now own?

You know, we came within a whisker of buying this place ourselves.