Dreamboats: The Romance and Reality of Houseboats
Floating homes can be heaven on earth (er, sea), with incredible views and ocean-fresh air. But not everything goes swimmingly
Samantha Schoech
September 5, 2012
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design.... More
Everyone wants to live near the water, right? Looking up from a good book to watch a pelican dive right outside your window is a nearly universal dream.
And then there are the people who take things one step further and live on the water. Houseboats, or floating homes, as they are called when they are not boat-shaped, attract a quirky, artsy, adventurous type. But mostly they attract people with webbing between their toes. To live on a houseboat is to love the water.
I lived on a houseboat in Sausalito, California, for more than 10 years, and while it really was mostly the romantic fantasy we all think of, houseboat living has some drawbacks too. You are hull to hull with your neighbors; most houseboat docks are like pretty, upscale mobile home parks on the water, and it's close quarters. Berth rentals are pricey, much more costly than condo dues. You don't have any dirt; while you can garden on decks and balconies, everything is limited to containers. The homes rock; if you get seasick, this can be a big problem.
But none of this really matters when you are sitting on your roof deck, sipping a glass of wine and watching the pelicans dive while the sun sets.
Here are a few beauties to stir your own houseboat fantasies.
And then there are the people who take things one step further and live on the water. Houseboats, or floating homes, as they are called when they are not boat-shaped, attract a quirky, artsy, adventurous type. But mostly they attract people with webbing between their toes. To live on a houseboat is to love the water.
I lived on a houseboat in Sausalito, California, for more than 10 years, and while it really was mostly the romantic fantasy we all think of, houseboat living has some drawbacks too. You are hull to hull with your neighbors; most houseboat docks are like pretty, upscale mobile home parks on the water, and it's close quarters. Berth rentals are pricey, much more costly than condo dues. You don't have any dirt; while you can garden on decks and balconies, everything is limited to containers. The homes rock; if you get seasick, this can be a big problem.
But none of this really matters when you are sitting on your roof deck, sipping a glass of wine and watching the pelicans dive while the sun sets.
Here are a few beauties to stir your own houseboat fantasies.
For reasons of stability, houseboats are usually quite boxy. They also tend to have lots and lots of windows — all the better to enjoy those views.
The roof deck is another common signature of houseboats. This modern beauty in Seattle benefits from being in the city but feels like a retreat.
In a houseboat, you can be up close and personal with the neighbors on the dock but removed from the pace of the city.
Decks, docks, porches, balconies and roof decks are plentiful. Because houseboats tend to be small, outdoor living is an important part of this way of life.
A floating home on a canal in Malmo, Sweden. It's right in the heart of the city, with views out to the Baltic.
A converted tugboat. Now this is a houseboat: tiny, boaty and no frills.
Inside this tiny boat, all the rooms are defined by furniture, steps and imaginative dividers like this bead curtain, which allows light through but offers a sense of separation.
Outdoor living is all decks and docks.
Because floating homes tend to be smaller than their landlubbing counterparts, open, bright spaces work best. This open staircase allows light and air to move. And check out those high "portholes." They let in the light without offering neighbors a view inside.
Open layouts and lots of windows. Without all the windows looking out at the water, there's hardly a reason to live on a houseboat.
A room with a view. If you live on a houseboat, you have to get use to lookie loos kayaking by to get a peek.
As on an actual boat, storage and space are at a premium. While floating homes with a cement hull have a built-in basement, any and all clever storage solutions, like the multiple drawers built into both sides of this island, are most welcome.
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This was a nice introduction, but Linda was right and several classes of houseboats were missed including the aforementioned Canal Boats as well as converted Powered Barges (which are generally much bigger than either Canal Boats OR common houseboats). This particular article focused primarily, it seems, on houseboats moored at docks rather than more mobile varieties or remote moorings.
We had seriously considered purchasing an self-propelled Navy causeway barge at one point and converting it to our home-on-the-water. It measured 22'8" wide by 90' long - plenty of space for living indoors and out (on decks) for our family of 6. The plan was a 14' wide x 60' long lower level with 26' front deck and a 14' wide x 30' long upper level with 30' front deck on top of the lower level (these measurements allow for a 4-foot-wide walkway around the entire structure to allow easier access for maintenance). The lower deck would be uncovered while the upper level including the deck would be covered by solar panels.
The barge had a 5'2" deep "basement" that could easily be used for storage, including freshwater tanks, blackwater tank, rainwater catchment tanks and a greywater reuse system, as well as having a custom-designed forced-water micro-hydro power system that would operate during movement and in riverways with a decent current to generate additional power. Its draft was only 2 feet, allowing it to navigate even fairly shallow waterways.
With the solar, hydro and water systems, the barge would be able to moored up about anywhere it was legal to do so with or without a shore power/shore water connection. I wish we were still considering this, but a drowning event in the family has nixed it for good as far as my wife is concerned.
Also be forewarned that living on the water isn't exactly cheap, especially if you plan to move around like our design called for. In addition to the mooring fees noted in the article, vessels must be removed from the water every 10 years for maintenance. Water spray will wreak havoc on your houseboat's exterior (which is why marine-grade products should be used externally, which is an added expense) and if you are located or traveling in salt water, the wear and tear will exponentially increase. If you utilize a self-propelled home, like we planned to, fuel costs are NOT cheap. If you don't use a self-propelled unit, but want to move your home, tug services are exorbitantly expensive.
Think of it this way, especially if you are using a self-propelled unit as a base for your home: Your home is now movable and it can be both your main home AND your vacation home. But, it's going to cost as much to maintain, insure and move it around as BOTH of those landlocked homes combined would. If you can handle that fact, enjoy your new dreamboat!
With all that said, for a non-powered home, Dan Nelson's industrial, boxy design (1st and 9th photos) is TO DIE FOR. Absolutely gorgeous home that's right up my alley!