We are Chris Newton and Sandra Burkholder. Early in 2022 we bought a 34 foot 1991 Marine Trader trawler that we named Thataway. We gave up our condo in Toronto to live aboard full time.
We cruised Thataway down Lake Erie, through the Welland Canal and on to Whitby where we pulled out the generator and installed a 13KW lithium phosphate battery bank with 500W solar array.
With summer marching on, we left Port Whitby for the famous heritage Trent Severn Waterway with its 45 historic locks and beautiful canal system connecting Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. We met amazing boaters and others along the way.
With winter approaching, we pulled Thataway out of the water and left her snugged up in Midland, Ontario. In November 2022 we made our way to Georgia, where we are staying with new friends, Tracy and Daryl, who we met in Campbellford, Ontario. They were part way through America’s Great Loop and when they heard later that fall that we were looking for interesting winter accommodations, they generously invited us to stay in an apartment on their property in beautiful Roswell, Georgia.
We’ve been showered in southern hospitality and have been enjoying the temperate weather, the great hikes and good food, all while planning upcoming boat projects for the spring.
Chris is a professional engineer with a lifelong interest in renewable energy. He and Sandra operated a log home construction company in British Columbia Canada using wood from the Mountain Pine Beetle infestations in western Canada. They also built the first permitted earthship in BC, which they still own.
Sandra is a business advisor, assisting Canadian clients with government compliance issues. She holds a degree in Journalism and Public Relations and grew up in a family sawmill business in British Columbia .
Sandra and Chris have three grown children finishing university in the film, engineering and computer science fields in early 2023.