Their Christmas tree is a few branches of fir, garnished with ribbon and plunked into a chrome-plated vase. Ornaments dangle from red beads strung behind a banquette.
Inside all is snug and cozy. Outside is the expanse of Belle Isle. "It takes a certain personality to live aboard a boat, but I never feel closed in," says Chuck Knowles.
"We have this huge island just outside," Margi Schneider tells Laura Berman of the Detroit News.
Knowles and Schneider — husband and wife, captain and mate, a team for 17 years — are home for the holidays and all other days on their 35-foot catamaran.
As the only full-time residents of Belle Isle, their lifestyle on board combines the rustic elements of tight quarters and limited water with the privileges of the Detroit Yacht Club, including a restaurant, athletic club and hot showers.
