Fred and Linda Mangelsdorf, the husband and wife captains of "Young America" both grew up landlocked in the Midwest — Fred in Illinois and Linda in South Dakota.

Recently they tried out their sea legs — or maybe that's river legs — piloting their trawler on the Monongahela River. Neither had to be sold on the idea of living on a boat basically full time after both retired, she said.

A trawler, both said, just made sense. It's a livable boat that can navigate most waters. And the top cruising speed of 7 knots (around 8 mph) is perfect for people who aren't in a hurry. It was Fred, in fact, who started thinking about the Mon River and the Mountain State.

"I said, 'Hey, you can get to West Virginia by water,'" Fred remembers, musing over an old map of waterways. "Let's go there." Barry Pallay likes that "Let's go there" directive.

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