Everyone dreams of that perfect vacation home; the home away from home. For Jeanie and Tim Shafer, that home away from home is their 2004, 35 foot, Catalina named Latis. What could be more perfect than a “normal” vacation home? The answer would be, one that can move to wherever you want to vacation!

Latis, the name of their sailboat, is the goddess of lakes, which seems fitting as she is currently docked on Lewis & Clark Lake. Jeanie and Tim have had a boat for twenty-seven years, but they have only had Latis for the past 5 years. They live aboard most weekends and sometimes even stay overnight throughout the week. Whenever there is wind, the Shafers are trying to take her out. The dock around Latis is decorated as any yard might be. Flower pots, a grill. Other docks have tables and chairs out front. The dock is definitely a community, everyone friendly with each other and neighborly. They enjoy spending time together and have get-togethers that sometimes even happen outside of summer, when they are back in their homes on land. The grill boxes around where Latis is docked were actually designed by the previous boat owner.

They are such a community that Jeanie has a side project of repairing sails and making covers for things on the boats, such as cockpit table covers. She has an industrial sewing machine she can use and has done 55 jobs just for this marina. Tim and Jeanie also help organize the yacht races.

The top of the boat sits 10-12 people, and is spacious. There is a table so you can enjoy snacks and drinks up top. Everything is computerized, making it convenient to find the speed of the wind and everything else. Jeanie is the first mate. The boat has a hull speed of 8 knots. Latis sails like a dream, she finds a groove and the Shafers can put her into auto-pilot. Down below is like a camper with storage everywhere. The bedrooms feature real mattresses, and there are two bedrooms and a full bath. It is thirteen feet wide. The table in the sitting area actually comes off so there is more room. And the little table between the two seats comes down so there’s another seat. The kitchen area has a freezer and fridge, an oven, two burner stove, microwave, a two-sided sink, and even a wine cellar. Though, Jeanie said it’s not made to be a wine cellar but it works perfectly as it is right against the water and keeps the wine at the perfect temperature. The photo below is one of Jeanie’s, who also does photography on the side.

Even though the Latis is docked only fifteen minutes from the Shafer’s home, it still feels like a vacation to be on the boat. They love the community on the dock and enjoy spending as much time there as they can. The marina workers are always super helpful. The Shafers hope to retire to the Florida Keys someday, but for right now they enjoy their home away from home, on the water.