Living on a houseboat - YOUR OPINION WANTED!

Renee, while I have never lived on a houseboat, I have been on them many times. My uncle has one and it is quite nice. It was pretty big, one story with a 'master' bedroom, and 2 other rooms with 2 twin beds in each. There is a wrap around deck, a bigger porch/patio and a main living room. I say it is almost exactly like your kitchen and living room now, with the patio being a little bigger than your sun/dining room (that we had pancakes in ) So, thats about the size and it was quite comfortable to stay in. He stays there most of the time, that is, when he's not camping in the woods hunting but thats another story.

He does stay there and likes it. It drifted away and had to be pulled back into the bay and redocked after Katrina but you will be inland so that isn't an issue. He did not stay in it for the storm and it was not damaged.

I do not know the details (age, sq. ft, etc) but I will find out and get back to you. I have felt comfortable there though and have friends that have a 2 story one also. It is their weekend home though.

Ok, got all that? Now, bear might have more info for you...

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Right up your alley...err, creek...

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I think it would totally kick ass.  You wouldn't have to leave home to a) go fishing or b) go for an open water swim.  Then again, you may not care much for choice "a".

Living on a houseboat sounds like alot of fun, but when you've got a leak on a houseboat, your problem is much more serious than having your basement leak.  I don't know if it would be cost prohibitive to rent one for a month just to check it out, but it may be worth it.  Waking up on Saturday mornings to high-speed bass boats zipping around the lake may not be your ideal way to enjoy the sunrise over a peaceful lake, but you'll never know until you give it a shot, right?

(Bass boats cruising the lake at high speed + nutty, no-regard-for-safety jet skiers + too much wine the night before) * early on a Saturday morning = potentially pissy Renee.

Let us know what you decide!

Living aboard can be the absolute best if you planwell and have the right attitude. Sort of sounds like tri life. Break your planning into two categories.
Marina
Boat

Choosing the right marina is half the challenge. Start by web surfing and follow up with visits. Some key issues are:
Can you buy the slip or are you going to have to rent. Buying the slip and paying annual dues is the best route if it's a modern and well run facility.
Does the marina cater to transients. Being landlocked, this may be a non issue.
Is the marina infested with wharf rats? And I mean the two legged variety.
Is the Dockmaster or his assistant available at all times?
Quality of service ie elec, phone, cable, water.
Shower facilities because sometimes you just need to have more space.
Are all boats insured.
Fire protection
Secure parking
 Now about the boat. Regular house boats are cool except when ex cons bent on revenge begin harassing you and seducing your daughter....wait that was only a movie. Anyway you may want to consider a sailboat (mid 30's to40' range) or a trawler.  It's all about space. Forget the heirlooms, forget the range with double oven, large laundry room, expansive bathroom. It's all about functionality and durability. Go for the quality. A boat and it's contents live in harsh conditions so learn to love stainless steel and mylar and kevlar and anything else that won't rust or rot. Learn to really hate mold and mildew.
Be prepared for small closets and low overhead.But...
Be prepared to live a most relaxed life with folks who are as interesting as any you'll meet. With the daily (or every couple of days) grocer trips and the economy of lifes scale you soon find living aboard is sort of like living abroad. For all it's shortcomings it's actually a simpler and rewarding way to live.
Most quality boats are finished in cherry or mahogany or teak. These woods, when combined with the right interior color, provide a rich yet warm and tasteful home.
Oh yea.. and boat chicks are soooooo cool. Good luck.

That's all you had to say. 

I don't want a sailboat. I want a house that floats. I'm not taking it anywhere; it will simply be my house that floats. I'm hoping to buy some property and build a dock and permanently dock the house. Fresh water lake.

I live a pretty simple life; I'm sure there's still more room to simplify. It will just be me and my cats (who I will have to teach to swim. Heh, that'll teach them or whichever one it was that took a poop in my closet this weekend.)

The thought of doing OWS just off my deck is super coolio. The area I have in mind is hilly, so that would be excellent training for running and cycling.

Thoughts on aluminum hull? Does aluminum ever rust?

I want a houseboat!

Once I'm settled, we can have a Houseboat Olympic Triathlon. Fried okra and Nehi Orange sodapop at the aid stations.

OH MAN! That's exactly what I'm talking about!!

Thanks, Harmony!!

Hey Renee,

There are lots of floating homes on Norris Lake near our lake house.  No pretense of propulsion.  Just a small house on floatation and moored in a marina.  I am not sure about the details of renting the space and the utilities from the marina.  You would have to have the gray water pumped pretty regularly which is inconvenient and and more expensive than a sewer.   These places all have power and air conditioning.  On Norris a lot of them are vacation rental properties.  You could come for a visit and check out the idea.

The biggest inconvenience for you will be that you have to walk a long way from your car to your residence and carry stuff like groceries.  Some places is may even involve a dinghy or fishing boat to get to and from the house.  This is true at Norris because the lake level changes a lot.  There aren't any walkways to the shore.

 I will take some pictures when we have our boat in the water again at the end of the March.

TW

So, Andy, BT heterosexual, what is the downside? What unexpected things can I expect?

My lifestyle: whatever I want it to be. Slightly unconventional. Lazy days. Easy squeezy.

Being able to hose down the floors instead of mopping would a bonus.

I found one of the marinas with a floating house for rent on line for you.   Check this one out.   This is about a mile by water from our place.  There are some two story floating houses at this marina.  Notice no walkway to shore.

http://indianrivermarina.net/floating_houses.php

Or, a full fledged houseboat.  These are available for rent too.  I used to keep my boat at this place.  These houseboats are very nice and well maintained.  Expensive to rent too.

http://www.sequoyahmarina.com/16_x_75.html

When are you coming?

TW

Heya,

my sort-of cousins live on a big floating house in a marina in DC. They love it, have been there for years. PM me if you want and I'll put you in touch. You'd like them--he's a corporate lawyer and she's a ferry boat captain. When he was three, my sort-of nephew gave me the grand two-story tour: "this is the head and here's the galley and here's the tower..." 

While I respect, honor, appreciate, and covet your sense of romantic adventure....I say caution.  Only because...my pink girly-girl friend....it seems a lot like camping. WHich is fine, if that's your thing.  But is it like camping?  And is that your thing?  I'm thinking beach house.....where you can house your perfume collection, paint your nails without the boat rocking and not have to tie anything down in case of a storm.  BUT-I like the idea, just maybe not the reality.