In 2004 Diane and Ted Greene made the radical decision to leave the Canadian winters and their professional careers behind. Their passion for boating led them to the decision to step off the corporate treadmill early and to pursue a life of travel and adventure. They took early retirement from their busy, fast paced careers to live a different kind of lifestyle.
   Photo Courtesy of Toronto Star

In June 2004, everything in their lives changed when they took ownership of their 65 foot trawler,  and brought it back to their new summer home in Toronto. After spending three summers on their previous boat the decision to become full time live-aboards was an easy one. “We preferred living on our boat surrounded by water” Ted candidly responds, “plus our new boat had lots of room for us and our guests.” The idea of the running a Boatel came about quite unexpectedly. The Greene’s envisioned the Boatel as a unique accommodation experience with casual elegance that made everyone feel at home.  Their idea was an immediate success with both travel writers and guests.

So rather than going to work in the fast pace computer business, they prefer to get up in the morning to make coffee and eggs benedict for their guests. “We try to do something special for all of our Boatel guests to make them feel at home,” says Diane, “our goal is simple -  to have people arrive as strangers and leave as friends”. Diane’s degree in hotel and restaurant management combined with 20+ years of sales and marketing experience along with Ted’s CMA and business knowledge has helped to turn Making Waves Boatel into a successful venture for the Greenes.

In October 2004, at the end of their first Boatel season, Diane & Ted untied the dock lines and embarked on an incredible journey to the Bahamas which they repeated the following winter. After spending two winters in the Bahamas and having travelled over 10,000 nautical miles, they now enjoy sharing stories of their adventures over cocktails with their Boatel guests. 

For Diane & Ted their dream became a reality. Obviously they have found the secret to chasing and living their dreams. They operated Making Waves Boatel (Boat + Hotel) during the summers at Ontario Place Marina in Toronto from June 2004 to October 2007 and travelled to the Bahamas during the winters. 

Now after a 2 year hiatus and time to complete a marine retrofit, the Greenes have moved to Toronto Harbourfront for the summer 2010 season and also resume their winter cruising in the Bahamas in the fall.

After 6 years amazing years living aboard, the Greene's have decided to put the  boat and the Boatel business up for sale. The decision is to move to a smaller boat however the Greene's will continue operate the Boatel until a new owner is found. Please contact the owner if you wish more details.