The Aquatic Life

	Cruise Control

I don't like to admit it, but the only reason my friend, who refers to the ocean as "sexy," comes to visit is to catch a glimpse of the river flowing two blocks from my house. She blames her Greek heritage.

Greek or not, humans have always been drawn to water, which has prompted much of classical literature, precision war strategy and various nautical disasters. But we always come back, mystified by that vast expanse of liquid, often wondering what lies beneath. (I, for one, spent hours at the beach as a child searching for mermaid tails.)

The occasional cruise holiday is such a tease, knowing you'll have to return to homes firmly planted on less tantalizing terrain. While few of us would advocate a Waterworld scenario, especially one with a fatalistic, sun-bleached Kevin Costner, many of us have entertained wild dreams of a life on the high seas.

Finally, two innovators are taking water living to a new reality.

Oceanfront Property

Although it looks like a grand cruise ship, the Magellan will be a home address, not a vacation spot.

"We see it as the perfect marriage between travel and living," says Teri James, a representative of Residential Cruise Line. ...