YOUR HOSTS
In June 2004 everything in Diane and Ted Greene’s life changed forever when they stepped off the corporate treadmill and bought a boat. They sold their house, furniture and cars and embarked on an incredible journey. Diane and Ted picked up their new boat in Montreal and brought it back to Toronto to create Toronto’s only unique floating accommodation experience.
They gave up their work in the fast-paced computer business, to make coffee and Eggs Benedict for their guests. Diane’s degree in hotel and restaurant management combined with 20+ years of sales experience, along with Ted’s CMA and business knowledge has helped to turn Making Waves Boatel into a successful venture for them right from day one. Diane was brought up in New Brunswick with French-speaking parents, so she is quite comfortable speaking French with guests.
In October 2004, at the end of their first summer season, the adventure really began when Diane and Ted untied the dock lines and embarked on their first adventure cruising to the US and Bahamas, which they have repeated the numerous winters since. Now having traveled more than 30,000 nautical miles, they enjoy sharing stories of their adventures over breakfast with their guests.
A sign on the Boatel reads “Home is where the boat is.” For the Greenes’ summer home will always be Toronto where they are able to visit with their 3 children and enjoy their 5 grandchildren. Avid baseball fans, Diane and Ted can often be found at Toronto Blue Jays game whenever their schedule permits. During the summers, Diane is busy taking care of the bed and breakfast business, while Ted is a professional captain on cruise boats in Toronto harbour.
In 2016 Diane started making sterling silver jewelry from sea glass they found on the beaches in the Bahamas during the winter. You can purchase one of her one-of-a-kind sea glass pendants from her inventory or ask her to make you a one-of-a-kind custom piece. You can see her work on Facebook by following GreeneTurtleDesigns or see her work on her Etsy store.
In the fall of 2019 Hurricane Dorian devasted the northern Bahamas. Diane and Ted did a big fundraising drive and took almost $10,000 in much need supplies to the Abacos and they stayed for 3 1/2 months to help rebuild homes. Working with the homeowners was an amazing experience not soon forgotten. When they returned to Florida to the boatyard to do some routine maintenance, COVID rocked the world. They finished the work and headed north only to find out the New York Canal was closed and the Boatel had to remain in the US. After 14 months stranded in Virginia the Boatel has finally returned to Canada and is now listed for sale.
For Diane and Ted it was their dream to live on a boat in Toronto during the summer and cruise south during the winter, and they turned their dream into reality. Wherever they are, one thing is for certain; it’s not far from the water. In the winters Diane and Ted can usually be found at a quiet anchorage in the Bahamas doing what they love…following their dream. You can follow Making Waves Boatel on Facebook or on Instagram
Diane posted a blog post to answer some of the most commonly asked questions.