Houseboats?

[CraftyDiva]

Has anyone ever considered owning a houseboat? Drawbacks of course being no land to grow crops or raise critters (unless you own waterfront property and can dock on your own land) Kind of like RVing only on water, living where your whims and the waters take you. North in the summer months, south for the winter months. Thoughts?

Some aren't half bad.....................
http://www.thoroughbredhouseboats.com/843953.html




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[unregistered29228]

I knew an older man who lived on one for the last 20 years of his life. He loved it, being a retired Navy man. He paid a docking fee in the boat yard, and hooked up to utilities there too.

Beautiful boats on that link you posted, but for that amount of money I'd rather have some woods, animals and a garden.

Bear Grylls from Man VS Wild lives on a houseboat when he's not filming.

[Cabin Fever]

We love houseboating! That's WIHH in her favorite hammock.

[kwagner21]

my husband used to live on one. he loved it. will go on and on about how happy he was there, no taxes to worry about, if the neighbors ----ed you off, you pull anchor and move on. he is currently planning to build a pond to put his houseboat in on our place. just isn't happy if he isn't being rocked to sleep on the boat at night!

[Homesteader at Heart]

Gotta love it, Cabin Fever.

[Country Lady]

Cabin Fever must stay in trouble with WIHH all the time. I can just imagine what a mischievous child he was.

[Metagirrl]

My father bought one last year, docked on the Ohio River... his grand plan was to take it on a big adventure from Louisville to Memphis.... he did a test trip late last summer, and took it upstream 350 miles- about 1/2 way across Ohio. It's a 26 footer, that runs on two big Chrysler 308s.... and gets a whopping 1 mile per gallon - ouch! After the trip, here is what his wife reported to have learned:


1. Gas caps don’t float
2. 102 degrees is just as hot on a boat (without AC on the water) as it is on land.
3. Don’t swim in the Ohio (or any other) River….boats have no provision for holding bodily waste….it all goes into the river!
4. It’s okay to leave your boat unlocked in some places but in others, you had best lock EVERYTHING in and on the boat!
5. Most people who own boats don’t actually take them onto the river. They buy lots of beer and sit and drink on the boat’s deck every week-end!
6. Tugboats can push 15 barges (three abreast) carrying 1650 tons each…that’s a lot!
7. 98% of River People are nice….we subtracted 2% for the kids that stole our bicycles off the boat in Louisville.
8. Prescription glasses, even if they are expensive ($562), don’t float
9. There are still a lot of interesting people in the world; take for example Montana Ted who is traveling from Ripley, Ohio to Brownsville, TX with all of his earthly possessions in a small green canoe.
10. Mom was right, we should write a book of our adventures….we could save people a lot of money by sharing our experience with them!


End result- they decided that boating wasn't really "for" them... and the boat is now for sale... so, if anyone is interested in a 26 footer, drop us a line!

[Aeirios]

I lived on my sailboat for 9 years, always told myself that I would never move back on land, unless I had an opportunity such as I have now. Sailboat/housboat similar principal. Though I took my boat out alot more than most folks that had housboats at my marina. Houseboats can be a bear to handle in 15+ winds, and down right dangerous when the wind/water really picks up. I have talked to may folks enamored with the idea of living on a boat. Its not all sunshine and margaritas :baby04: You are way more at the mercy of the weather, even docked, than you would ever be on land. Be prepared to become an extreme minimalist, unless you can afford a huge boat. Maintance is something you can't and shouldn't put off, and you better learn to do it yourself otherwise your looking at alot of money going out. Privacy can really really be an issue when you are living aboard. Most folks that have boats in the marina will be seasonal weekenders, and they have no concept that your boat is your home. Sadly I found that most people when you add water = instant idiot Weather/cost/minimize/ idiots are your main points. You overcome these and your in the clear.

[Gercarson]

I vaguely remember reading some story a few years back about a man who lived in a flood area in Lousiana (someplace - like it) - he was a homesteader and grew most of his food. Every year his "cabin" flooded. This guy bought a barge, moved it to his land, built his house on it and when it flooded, the barge prtected his home. I have thought of that article often. So, house boat AND homesteading.

[MahemMary]

This is Chuckhole posting on DW's logon again.

Cabin Fever, you are in trouble.

We own a 38' sailboat that stays in the slip in Kemah, TX and we have 36.5 acres 130 miles north of Houston. Even though we spend more time in the country than on the boat, I can't give it up because I have been sailing since I was 2 years old. With that in mind, DON'T DO IT. Get the land. Have your roots first. Then get a boat later on.

The boat is 21 years old now and paid for (except for slip fees, maintenance, etc.). It was recently hauled out for a bottom job, rigging replacements, new exterior canvas, teak work, etc. The bill is over $7,000 and still rising. IT NEVER ENDS with a boat. That is why the DW and I both work and live in a big enough city to pay good wages and not in the country where we belong. At least I am an honest hypocrit.

[Ken Scharabok]

Old saying is two of the happiest days in a man's life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it.

Another one: A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

Don't know how to get in touch with them, but I understand some long-distance large tug-boats allow paying passengers.

[huisjen]

They asked:

Here's the deal: Your wife got tired of your boat building ways, and filed for divorce. She and her lawyer (who you think might be more than a legal advisor...) have got everything you own but your old "83 Chevy pickup. You lost your job during the brouhaha, and are now homeless, jobless, and almost broke. I say almost, because you have several thousand dollars in a savings account that she never found out about.

An old high school buddy who owns a marina on a large lake has offered you a job selling bait and has reserved a slip for you. You figure that with the little money you have, you can build a small houseboat to live in, keep it at the marina, and make just enough to feed yourself and make alimony payments. Now this floating palace needs to look cool on the outside (you want your ex to be jealous, don't you) and comfortable on the inside ( you might have a guest or two). It also has to be structurally sound (you may be here for a while) and maneuverable (it is technically a boat, after all).

You won't need a motor - you can get it towed if you want to move it by water. In fact, you have your eye on a quiet cove up the lake where you could have a bit more peace and quiet. You may want to go there later, so keep self sufficiency in mind.

I said:





http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/02/...002/08/dan.htm

[Liese]

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Old saying is two of the happiest days in a man's life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it.

Another one: A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

Having lived and sailed for 6 years aboard a 30 y/o wood sail boat and now living on a farm I'd say it's about the same ... a farm is a hole in the ground in which you pour money

Bob and I are already talking about our "retirement" from farming in 15 years

Anyone interested in building boats including house boats look up Dave Gerr's work.

[Jan Doling]

I, too, have lived on a sailboat and although I loved it, it can get old, especially during hurricane season when you always have to have a plan B (and C, D, E,F, etc.) and have to wash your clothes using the top of an igloo for a scrub board and only get a freshwater shower when it rains. Get the lboat first and escape to an adventurous life to get it out of your system, so you don't mind staying home with the critters once you buy the land. Also, homesteading as a senior citizen is more doable than sailing the seven seas.

When my parents were in their 70s they left the boat life for a condo on the beach. The first night there Daddy woke up, saw the palm tree outside his bedroom window and hollared, "Help! We're aground!"

[JGex]

I prefer my houseboat to be docked on a canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Got one rented for 2 weeks in March....

[Silvercreek Farmer]

My advice on anything like this is to start small, with a small investment, maybe a rental, or buy a less expensive used model that you could probably sell for what you paid for it, don't go in headfirst until you are sure it is what you want to do.

[Pigeon Lady]

huisjen,

That's great!!!

I love Duckworks magazine.

Did you win a prize?

Pauline

[Annsni]

We have a 42 foot sailboat and love it - but we do not live aboard. We do, however, cruise for 2 weeks at a time and that's enough for me. Even at a dock, as others have said, weather is always an issue. We had a storm come through last summer that just about made me a permanent land lubber - 50+ knot winds while we were anchored at Block Island, RI and there were boats breaking loose everywhere. I heard people left the marina because of damage that was occuring from hitting the docks and we ended up getting our anchor broken loose, got caught up with other boats and just had a horrible night. It took over 13 hours for the wind to begin to slow down - EXTREMELY rare around here.

The other night we had 50+ knot winds and we were home safe and sound in our house and I was fine. I'd SO much rather weather a storm at home than on the boat and, honestly, I'm not sure how well I'll do this summer on our cruises after last year. I'm kind of anchor shy at this point but we can't afford to hit marinas every night on a 42 foot boat (you pay by the foot and it's expensive). SIGH We'll see.

I'd never live on a houseboat even though you pay no property taxes and the view can be really pretty. 18 years of sailing and as nice as it is, I'd not do it.

[MushCreek]

I built a houseboat when I was 19, and lived in it on and off for two years. The first winter I made the mistake of taking it out of the water, figuring it would be warmer- WRONG! Two New England winters cured me of the whole houseboat thing.

[ibcnya]

I lived on a houseboat a few times, compliments of the Navy. Sailed around the world and back and went to a few exotic places along the way. Oh, by the way, the earth really is 2/3 water. Months at sea and no land proved it for me. But truly an awesome experience. Never felt like a speck of nothing like I did when I was in the middle of the Pacific with the milky way blazing across the sky and not a light on the horizon. Montana can't compare. 1,000 miles from nowhere and realizing that God is everywhere. Unexplainable really.......