f it’s the weekend, you’ll find Debbie and Arthur Allen at home in their slip; that is, the boat slip where their 46.6-foot Carver motor yacht is anchored. “We love it here,” Debbie declared. “It’s home.”
The retired couple gleefully make their way down from their landbound Howard County house to the Anchorage Marina in Canton to climb aboard the cleverly christened “Nautiboy.”
Here, the co-captains host a mix of old friends and sudden acquaintances, welcoming them aboard with an adult beverage and an invitation to eat crabs.
The boat’s décor is intentionally a less-is-more theme, which works well with the view of the Baltimore skyline and nature’s incomparable combination of water, sun and sky visible from nearly everywhere on the boat.
With everything built-in, Arthur pointed out, “You don’t want to add things to move around.”
“You also have to keep it spare for [the opportunity] to get up and go,” Debbie added. If she made any changes, “it would be the carpet,” she said, pointing to the dark beige color. “I want something more neutral.”
The large boat comfortably sleeps seven, with accommodations including queen-size and long-twin beds in private quarters. In the captain’s quarters, the large bed dominates, but with room to move about. At 6-foot-2, Arthur can easily stand in front of the mirror in the roomy captain’s head to shave, a feat their smaller, previous boat did not allow.
Throughout, there are many amenities: full showers in the two heads, a laundry area with washer and dryer and a central vacuum system. In the main cabin, twin leather recliners dare you to leave once you’ve sat down. Built-in sleep sofas in the same space easily fold out to accommodate your decision to stay.
Storage space is plentiful and found throughout the three-level yacht, discreetly hidden beneath cushions, behind the glowing teakwood paneling and in cubbies.
In the galley, a sink, cooktop, full refrigerator and freezer, and an oven and convection microwave make it hard to believe why anyone needs to be anywhere else. “We have everything we need here,” Debbie said.
“The water de-stresses you. We always have company here. Half the people who come here have never been to our house.” Here, “it’s small, intimate and we’re all right here with each other.”
THE ALLEN STYLE
STYLE PHILOSOPHY: An important part of style is how you treat people. We like to entertain and when we do we have a lot of people over. You can’t always spend enough time with everyone especially in a big house like ours with everyone spread out in different rooms. That’s why we love our boat. It allows us to really enjoy our guests. Being with our friends is important.
STYLE SECRETS: We keep an eye out for the unusual, never expensive, just unusual. Whether it is a nice piece of art or a plate, it has to speak to you.
