Dock of the Bay - military couple lives on boat

Airman, August, 2001 by Lt. Carie A. Seydel

Berths and beaches have replaced beds and backyards for two officers living near Travis Air Force Base

On a summer evening in the San Francisco Bay, the sun kissed the horizon, and James Taylor's voice danced on the ocean breeze. Maj. Doug and Kathleen Engelke sat on the deck of a sailboat letting the tide wash away the day's concerns. But this wasn't a vacation or weekend getaway, it was the Engelkes' version of off-base housing.

Although it was a change of pace from traditional homes, the couple wasn't new to the idea of spending time on a seafaring vessel. Both practically grew up on boats and couldn't remember when their parents weren't spending family time on the lakes. But before the couple arrived in Northern California, life on the water meant an afternoon with an inboard motor and a pair of skis. In fact each of them owned a ski boat when they started dating.

Learning the ropes

In 1998, a week into their marriage, Doug asked Kathleen to slow the pace with a sailing lesson at the Travis Sailing Center on the north end of the bay. The staff at the military recreation facility took the students off the coast and taught them the ropes. Once the sun set beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, they didn't want to leave.

As a C-5 Galaxy pilot in the 21st Airlift Squadron, Doug was an expert in maneuvering monoliths. So several months later, the newlyweds sold almost everything they owned and invested in a floating giant -- a 50-foot Hans Christian cutter. For about the same price as a three-bedroom house near the base, they traded their driveway for a dock. It's been two years since the welcome mat hit the teak deck -- and it's been smooth sailing ever since.

Well, almost smooth. Kathleen, who was expecting their first child last month, got seasick in rough seas during her second trimester, so trips into open waters were limited to calm days. But with the view just outside the porthole, keeping their home called "Wonderful Life" and their dinghy named "It's a" in the marina didn't seem too intolerable. The names of the buoyant pair not only created the title of their favorite movie, they quietly advertised the couple's contentment.

Sea sights and sounds

Despite the fact the Engelkes lived in the heart of one of America's largest cities, the subtle seaside sounds made the bustling skyscraper backdrop seem surreal. Even the marina "neighborhood," with more than 60 other boats docked, didn't stir much beyond the gentle movement of the tides or an occasional screeching seagull.

The decades-old military recreation facility, operated by the 60th Services Squadron, has seen its share of saltwater. But the Engelkes and many of the 600 other club members fear if it were to dissolve, the picturesque property would no longer be available to military members.

"This is the last Air Force sailing recreation facility on the West Coast," Doug said. "We've got to do what we can to keep it going."

Volunteer skippers kept busy last summer navigating the yacht club fleet. For a fraction of the cost of renting a civilian vessel ($75 versus $300), military people could enjoy a day of bay breezes on one of eight 20- to 30-foot sailboats.

That's why -- when the couple wasn't sanding or varnishing the boat -- they sometimes sanded or varnished the yacht club facilities and boats. But they're not the only ones taking up the maintenance cause. Others formed a volunteer work force providing a labor pool for periodic weekend projects.

Doug takes this off-duty mission so seriously that he dedicated himself as the club's rear commodore. And despite the fact that they moved closer to Travis, mooring at a marina in Benecia until the baby was born, he continued to volunteer at the sailing center.

Pier pressure

The Engelkes' enthusiasm for the yacht club and the nautical lifestyle appeared contagious at Travis. Capt. Chip Primoli, another C-5 pilot, started looking into the idea of living afloat and discussed the plan with Doug.

Chip had spent eight months looking for an airplane to purchase without success. But while in Oregon, an afternoon on his brother-in-law's new boat got the 31-year-old thinking about an alternate purchase. He liked the idea of combining residence and recreation on the water. It was a visit with a college friend that clinched the decision.

"He was diagnosed with third-stage Hodgkins disease," he said. The friend had undergone chemotherapy and went into remission twice. "He'd been told several times he had only six months left to live, and was living a lifetime in what he thought he had left,"

On the drive back to Travis, Chip decided he wanted to live life to the fullest.

"I don't want to be 55, 65 or 70 saying 'woulda, shoulda, coulda,' "he said about living on the boat. "I'm not living the life my parents lived. They had four kids by the time my mom was 28. They kinda think I'm a nut."

So with Doug's help he researched options and instead of a sailboat, which can be difficult to maneuver, Chip selected a 38-foot PT trawler as his mobile mansion.