Shore Thing Story - Write.On Communication Services

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The London Free Press • Saturday, September 1, 2007
Mixing condo comforts
and easy docking spells
smooth sailing for
two area couples.
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SUNNY ESCAPE:
Inviting colours and
plenty of natural
light make the
McPhails’ sunroom
an inviting place
to relax and escape
— or a comfortable
perch from which
to watch the world
go by.
“We decided to buy
a boat and decided it
might be nice to have the boat
docked in our backyard.
And it made sense to have
grounds maintenance taken
care of and not worry about
it in the summer, so we
could go boating.”
BY JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON
Sun Media
M
any people dream of being
able to watch the water
from their balcony or patio or slip
the mooring lines and cruise the
waves by boat.
Two area couples have turned
their dreams into reality. Not only
have they both bought riverside
condos, but these homes offer
docking facilities right outside
their doors.
The McPhails are longtime owners of a condo on the St. Clair
River in Point Edward, while the
Bangharts bought their condo on
the Ausable River in Grand Bend
last month.
Both say the arrangement fits
their lifestyles to a T, combining
the turnkey convenience of condominium ownership with the ability to dock the boat right at home.
Retired teachers Dave and
Saturday, September 1, 2007 • The London Free Press
Dave McPhail
riverside condo owner and boater,
Grand Bend
Photos by MIKE HENSEN Sun Media
NEW DIGS: Terry and Deborah Banghart, above, look out from their condo’s balcony over the Ausable River. Nearby
docking facilities, below, give then a place to moor their 10-metre Chris Craft and easy access to Lake Huron.
Sharon McPhail bought their
condo 22 years ago, about the same
time they got into boating.
“We decided to buy a boat and
decided it might be nice to have the
boat docked in our backyard,” he
said. “And it made sense to have
grounds maintenance taken care of
and not worry about it in the sum-
mer so we could go boating.”
Located in Point Edwards (part
of Sarnia), Mariner Village is 25
years old and into its fifth phase. A
total of eight phases are expected
to be completed in the next few
years.
This project offers owners the
added benefit of dockage for watercraft. The $15,000 docking fee —
amortized over 20 years — is about
one-third to one-half of what one
would pay at a marina in the area.
The fee is on top of their unit’s
purchase price and condo fees.
About 20 per cent of the condo
owners in Mariner Village actually dock boats there. The others, it
seems, just enjoy the on-the-water,
low-maintenance lifestyle.
The McPhails have an 11-metre
Regal, a comfortable size of boat for
extended cruising. Part of the
attraction for them, and others in
the complex, is that they can weigh
anchor for a week or a month — to
Lake Erie or via the North Channel
to Mackinac Island, for example —
with no worries about lawn maintenance or security.
“There are always people
around, and if you go away,
there are people who come in on a
Photos by DEREK RUTTAN Sun Media
CONDO VETERANS: Sharon and David McPhail, shown here aboard their 11-metre Regal, bought their St. Clair
River-side condomimium in Point Edward 22 years ago.
regular basis to check on
things. It’s very secure,” McPhail
says.
But that doesn’t mean you’re
never on your own, McPhail adds,
saying life here offers as much
social time or as much privacy as
you want.
“We’re not under each other’s
feet,” he says.
“The way this place is laid out,
the way the traffic patterns move,
when you’re going to the parking
lot or to the boat, you’re not walking right under someone else’s
nose. Though the units are close
together, there’s a high degree of
privacy.”
Mariner Village offers 10 of its
15 designs as models. All are
named after waterbirds, from the
bachelor-style Tern, which offers
977 square feet of living space
for $197,000, to the 2,036 sq. ft.
“I’ve been going
to Grand Bend . . . since
I was a kid, and I was trying
to figure out a way to get up
there and stay. Cottages are
very, very expensive.
So, I thought, ‘I can buy
a boat!’ and I bought one,
then a bigger one, then
a bigger one and now,
a condo.”
Terry Banghart
riverside condo owner and boater,
Grand Bend
Trumpeter Swan, complete with
loft, for $485,000. This third-floor
unit’s price includes a “view” premium inherent in all homes on
that level.
There is underground parking
— one space per unit — with extra
parking outside. Next to each
space is that unit’s storage room.
Just before exiting to parking,
there’s a party room that is free
for residents to use for larger gatherings.
Ground-floor homes have large
walk-out patios, second- and thirdfloor units have balconies. Nearly
all have a view of the water.
Ground-level residents can literally tie up their boats at their
doorsteps.
In Grand Bend, Terry and
Debora Banghart, who live
and work in St. Thomas, are equally pleased with their new purchase.
With an eye to retiring in a few
years, the couple purchased a
condo at Harbour Gates. They
keep their 10-metre Chris Craft at
the docks in front of their unit on
the Ausable River, offering easy
access to Lake Huron.
Photos by MIKE HENSEN Sun Media
TOP-LEVEL TIME OUT: Terry Banghart, above, relaxes in his upper-level
unit’s living room. The balcony, seen at right, and the unit’s master bedroom both offer great views of the river.
LIVING IT UP: The living room in the McPhails’ unit at Mariner Village
opens on to the sunroom.
“It’s great! Since we’ve been
docking there, we got to know the
people,” says Terry.
“It’s a community there and the
people are very nice. We could see
that Larry (Weido, property manager) and the other people there
really take care of the place.”
For the Bangharts, it truly was a
dream come true.
“I’ve been going to Grand Bend
for 50 years, since I was a kid, and
I was trying to figure out a way to
get up there and stay,” Terry says.
“Cottages are very, very expensive. So, I thought, ‘I can buy a
boat!’ and I bought one, then a bigger one, then a bigger one and
now, a condo.”
But the complex’s charm
extends well beyond its moorings.
Of the 26 condo owners, Weido
says, only the Bangharts actually
dock there.
But there are signs this trend to
digs with docks is catching on
elsewhere, including Lake Erie’s
north shore.
In Port Stanley, Dave Taylor
and Gerry Koops already own
two sets of docks on Kettle Creek,
which offer boaters a place to keep
their vessels and recreational
space (fire ring, picnic tables, etc.)
for post-boating fun.
Recently, they bought the waterfront area of the Harbour Club
condos that back on to the river.
“We want to provide economical
docking for boaters on Kettle
Creek,” says Taylor.
Their plans include dredging
the creek to deepen the channel,
installing finger docks projecting
from the seawall) and cosmetic
refitting.
They also intend to redo the former boat launch office with washrooms and showers. And they’ve
talking with the condo corporation about offering incentives for
condo
owners
to
dock there.
And with many baby boomers
looking to maximize lifestyle
and minimize hassle, it doesn’t
seem likely that these lifestyle
communities will fade away
anytime soon.