Meet The Homeless Man Who Lives In His Canoe

Some people dream about living life on the open water. For Michael Richard Smith, this is his reality.

The 49-year-old lives in a 14-foot canoe; setting up shop on the Boston Harbour and rowing to small offshore docks after dark to pitch his tent and sleep.

Smith said he’s been bunking down in metro Boston waters for about two months now. While authorities are said to be keeping an eye on the unconventional camper, he technically isn’t breaking any laws.

Don’t worry about his safety though. He says about the possibility of getting robbed, “Anybody who would want to hurt me or take my things, they have to have a boat. And boat people stick together.”

Boston Police Department’s spokeswoman Cheryl Fiandaca says the harbour unit has offered him city services, but Smith declined. He did however accept a new life vest with reflectors and a whistle, she said. Police also told him not to operate his canoe at night because it doesn’t have lights.

Smith plans to sleep out in Boston Harbour all winter and prefers to concentrate on the beauty of his surroundings rather than the bareness of his accommodations.

Let’s give it up for the man whose creativity still showed even in time of distress!