Bruce Pratt Bruce Pratt Bruce Pratt

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Living life on the water.

Welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Would you like a cup of tea? Okay then, Lets sit down for just a bit. I suppose one has to start somewhere, so I'll begin since you were curious enough to visit. After that I would like very much to learn a little about you.

I grew up in a little town in Massachusetts where I spent my childhood. Always a fan of the outdoors I moved early on to Colorado where I hiked and rock climbed extensively. It wasn't long before I began to feel the desire to make a long awaited dream a reality. A career with the piano. I gave up rock climbing (as well as most every other interest) and devoted myself completely to my studies. Countless hours spent at the piano began to pay off in what has become a continuing journey of personal and professional development. The unconditional support from my mom, my dad, and memere goes beyond words. The loyalty and love of my wife have allowed insurmountable difficulties to be overcome. Priceless to me is my two sons' love, which drives me to be the best I can be. And the family and friends that would always be there, still are. If nothing else I have learned how truly, "I am blessed." to have been given the opportunity to be completely surrounded with such good people.

I imagine that is about as brief an outline of my life as I could give. But where is the fun without sharing at least one story of adventure. Surely we all have them to varying degrees, and since they really are what helps to make us all unique, lets take a slightly closer look and share a bit more.

I have led what I feel to be a relatively interesting life thus far. However none of my adventures have brought about so much curiosity and so many questions as this one. Living on a boat. Therefor I hope to answer as many questions as possible within the next few moment. With experiences and memories of a section of my life that I hope is of some interest to you.
Life on a boat It's a different life. A paradise for some. For us it is our home. Forty one by fourteen feet, in which a husband, wife, son, dog, two birds and a ferret share and spend the majority of their time. The grand piano was the second biggest challenge we thought we faced to make an idea a reality. The first was the safety of our then one and a half year old, Elijah. We researched, chatted at local marinas, (where we learned we had not invented the idea of living aboard.) and visited many yacht brokerages where we posed as young adults who had amassed a fortune through my career as a concert pianist. (How am I going to pay for food this week?) With comments like, "Well, I'd really prefer to stay under two million, I don't like the idea of taking out a loan. But we shall see, maybe something will catch my eye that I couldn't resist." (Do you think they questioned the ninety five cavalier we drove in with?")

We sold our mountain cabin in Colorado and found an old (1965) boat in need of some little things: little things like paint, some engine work, a broken bimini, etc. Not a big deal, my father has done auto body for thirty years and a quick sand and paint would solve most of the problems. The first thing we learned? "A little work" and "will solve most of the problems" don't exist in a live aboards vocabulary. I think it is best to add "etc" a couple of times to every sentence when talking about doing anything to a boat (We just need to sand the boat, for three months, run to the store several times a day for supplies, hope the paint dust comes off the boat next to us easy enough, etc, etc ,etc.) That quick sand and paint for instance ended up in reality a four month project. I don't mean weekends or after work. I mean no days off, light to dark. My father was rumored to have gone out of business, basically closing his shop for the summer. And I would take a couple days before my tour to soak my hands and practice for a ten day tour in which I would have thirty five concerts. The day after my tour I would be once again holding an electric sander. There are too many stories to relive about the challenges that occur on a daily basis. Let me bring you from the past to the present simply by saying, we sanded etc., etc., etc.

Then a short time ago I finished draining the last of four hundred gallons of fuel from my tanks that I had filled two months earlier to make the trip from Hampton to Haverhill for the summer. (No winter docks in Haverhill you know, the water freezes.) You see, the ethanol added to gas recently, eats through fiberglass gas tanks. So I have to remove the old tanks and put new ones in. Just a little project though. Oops I forgot, the gas tanks are two hundred and fifty gallons each. How do you get the old out and the new in? I don't know, but a chainsaw may be in the equation. Also I called the Amesbury police to see if the boat that pumps out our septic holding tank is operational. Nope. Almost two weeks now since we first called with the request.

So what do we think of living on a boat? We love it. Challenges aside, this is a different world. Special in more ways then there are challenges I think. Reminiscent of a time of small towns where everyone new everyone. Within a half mile in just about about every direction is the bustle of the real world. Here there is peace and solitude. Friends offering a cold drink if you like. Or, often times people you don't even know offering the cold drink or a tour of their boat. The water. The rocking of the boat. Cool evenings sitting with friends you have know for years or maybe have just met a few hours ago. Music drifting around from various boats. A fishing pole cast out while enjoying the sun on your shoulders. Giving a hand to someone about to dock. Do you know them? It doesn't matter, happy to help just the same. Watching the blue heron fly across the river. Looking in the right spot as a fish lunges from the water at dusk, breaking the perfect reflection of the trees and sky before landing with a hard slap. The list is endless. I don't know if I had ever been on a dock before the idea of living on a boat presented itself. Now I can't picture not knowing such a wonderful life exists.

Well I seem to have forgotten I wasn't alone for a moment. Listen to me going on and on. I hope I haven't taken up all the time you have today. So please, now it's your turn. I still don't know anything about you.

__________BRUCE PRATT__________ _________Once upon a time.________

IF YOU REACHED THIS PAGE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE BRUCE PRATT'S WEB SITE PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK.



I am a concert pianist in Hampton looking to share my music and ideas with others. Maybe a music get together every now and again. I had been living on a boat for about three years after relocating from Colorado. And I say "had been", as in past tense due to the fact that I recently sank my boat. But I'm still smiling, probably due to the fact I had insurance and they will hopefully pay for the repairs. To answer your first question, yes I had a piano on the boat. The boat didn't go down far enough for it to get wet. Of that I find myself thankful.
If you want an idea of some of the music I enjoy you can visit my web site. (bruceprattjr.com) But basically baroque, classical, romantic, and early impressionism sum it up. I rather like small form but that is only at this moment. I hope to meet other artist in the area to learn from each other, maybe give a few lessons if I found the right person(s).I value my time imensely and cringe at the thought of teaching someone who deosn't feel the need to practice what they learn. From my own experience you really only teach yourself and know matter how proficient the teacher, ideas falling on deaf ears die there. A teachers job is simply to point out and show new ideas and possibilities to the student. It is the students job to apply what they have been taught.
They have just opened a new coffee shop on 1A in hampton. As far as a possible place to have initial meetings that may be an idea. Although it may take some covincing to have them bring in a piano. I'm sure I could work something out. By the way I should also point out my feeling that a good teacher often learns as much from the student as vice-versa. I have always found that interesting. Well if you have stumbled upon this, have and interest, and would like to chat feel free to post you comments.