‘DOCKERS’ – Living, Loving life on the docks
It’s like having a block party. That’s how Terry Oswald of Kansas City describes the phenomenon of living on his boat at Kelly’s Port. He is just one of many who prefer to be members of the exclusive “dockominium” club.
Oswald and his wife Betty don’t own a home here, a townhouse or even a condo. Their domicile at the Lake is their boat. Although they don’t actually live on their Regal 4460, they certainly spend multiple nights enjoying the camaraderie of the dock community.
Dockominiums are not unusual at the Lake of the Ozarks, though they are more prevalent along the coasts where yachts as large as many homes populate the marinas. At the Lake, there are a multitude of marinas designed to accommodate large boats for overnight stays. Most actually offer special amenities and weekend social events.
Technically, a dockominium is a marina-based version of a condominium. It consists of an undivided interest in the common elements of the marina coupled with a separate interest in a boat slip. The boat slip may consist of a cube of water extending to the land under the water plus the air above the water where the boat would be parked. The boat slips can be bought and sold the same as condominiums. Members pay monthly fees that are applied to the maintenance and administration of the marina.
At the Lake of the Ozarks, it’s less formal than that. Boat owners usually rent or lease their slips and either rent or own their boat lifts. That difference does not, however, diminish the fun that dockominiumites — or dockers as they’re called at Kelly’s Port — have.
In effect, a marina with a series of boat slips where 30- to 60-foot yachts and cruisers are moored is much like a suburban neighborhood where cars sit in driveways or are parked in garages. Cars/boats; homes/boats: A place to park and a place to lay your head.
“It’s a unique marina lifestyle,” Kyle Kelly of Kelly’s Port in Osage Beach explained. “You might have a boat owner who is a cattle farmer in Iowa next to a family from St. Louis. There are people from very different walks of life who otherwise might never meet.”
Kelly said some boaters want to be at the Lake, so they use the “docker” concept to get started. “A lot of folks eventually move into a condo or house, but they come back and hang out at the docks with friends they made while being here,” he explained. “It’s a good way to first get introduced to the Lake.”
Oswald said his family started with a 36-foot boat, but it was too small to accommodate family and friends.
“We wanted a live-aboard instead of a condo,” he explained. “A condo is just an apartment, and we wanted the ability to get to the boat, put it on the water and be on the Lake immediately. We just don’t want the hassle of a house or condo.”
Some of the more sophisticated marinas and docks at the Lake offer WiFi, basic cable television service, nighttime security, swimming pool, shower and laundry facilities, bar and/or restaurant, a convenience store and waste pump-out.
It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy.
Village Marina and Yacht Club in Lake Ozark has 210 slips that accommodate boats from 28 to 60 feet “for just that purpose,” owner Ryan Brick explained.
“Most are weekenders,” he said, “but we have one or two who live here all summer and even work off their boat, a houseboat.”
Most of the dockers just want to be on the water as quickly and as often as possible.
“Why tie up your money in a condo or house when the water is where you want to be? You could spend $200,000 and get a small condo and a small boat, when for the same amount you can get a very nice cruiser or yacht.”
Brick says each dock of boaters seems to have its own personality, and people often go from dock to dock in search of the right mix of people and events.
George and Linda Nielson, who own a 1984 Hillburn Custom houseboat, say, “We love our life of living on our boat at Village Marina. We love getting up in the morning and enjoying breakfast on the front deck. The Lake is always changing, and with the comings and goings of all the other boaters, there is never a dull moment.
“Who else can get up in the morning and fish for crappie in her pajamas? And, there’s no grass to cut. We can sit on the boat any weekend and it’s like being at a boat show, just watching everyone float by. It’s like a never-ending vacation.”
And the social life on the docks? To a large degree, it’s dictated by the age.
“Sure you party! All of us are a little past middle-aged, so we’re not doing our partying at three in the morning, and we’re doing more eating than drinking, but we sure do have a good time. I think many of our memories are centered around the fish frys and chili suppers that we enjoy with our other dock buddies.”
Like in many small communities, there’s a sense of closeness: Watching the neighborhood, sharing stories, having block parties.
“Dock life at the MarineMax marina is simply a great way for families to spend time together in an intimate setting that’s fun and family friendly,” noted Angie Cook, marina operations manager. “We have a great group of patrons that is very courteous and loyal. Several have been here for more than 10 years. Each dock is like a little community in itself. The patrons usually become very good friends and some even end up going on winter vacations with each other. I couldn’t ask for better customers or a nicer workplace environment.”
Like others, MarineMax offers a variety of amenities at its 189 slips. And themed parties are held monthly for marina patrons during the summer.
“This has proven to be a great way to get everyone together and allows our customers an opportunity to get to know each other,” Cook said.
Glencove Marine also offers dock rentals for short- and long-term dockers. Many of their customers are from out of state and stay for a week at a time or even longer. They offered a different perspective on why people choose the marine life over land-based property.
“My guess is living at a marina is less expensive,” Troy Sage, facilities manager for Glencove, offered. “Paying $300 a month for slip rental is probably a lot less than a house payment, and we offer full amenities like someone would get at their home.”
Being a “docker” is a unique life, one that offers the best of both worlds at the Lake of the Ozarks. Linda Nielson summed it up best:
“This is the life my husband and I dreamed about when we first started dating in high school. Yes, way back then we talked about living aboard a houseboat. We are so lucky to have realized our dreams. In fact, our boat’s name is “Lucky Enough” because if you’re lucky enough to live on the Lake, then you are lucky enough!”
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