House Boat and why I want one.

[Dan]

House Boat and why I want one. Michigan Mike posted this; http://motorbicycling.com/f28/mini-home-5574.html#post55550 (Really cool thread)

As I was replacing the the heater coil in an ancient electric oven that could tell storys from the Great Depression. I was behind it and only pulled it out enough to get behind. About 2 feet of space to work. Carol's mother had to clean behind the stove before I got the back off. LOL. So gonna have a glass of lunch. Then go down and finish removing the coil. And make a mess again...

My next (inlaw free) home

She is a sweet woman whom I love dearly. just venting.

OK, end of rant

 

[Dan]

Coil is out and shopping for the part. Day dreaming about that house barge. Sell hot dogs and drinks off the porch. Build a bike or two to sell to yacht folks. Boat people love MBs. Portable transportation thing. Great target market. Watch the sunset from a porch swing. Cold beer in one hand, Carol's in the other. Just about have Her talked into this. (not really but part of the day dream and her humoring me)

Not that we will any time soon as her Mom needs us around.

 

[hiker472]

Ya know that is one cool looking little house boat!!

I wonder though, what happens when a bad storm comes in and waves get real high? Thinking of a boat like that on Lake Superior in a bad storm would give me the eebie geebies!

But again, that is one cool looking house boat...........just think of it, no sewer bills, and when the microwave goes, dump it over the side like they do on the Mississippi!!
Just kidding!

 

[Dan]

Ya know that is one cool looking little house boat!!

I wonder though, what happens when a bad storm comes in and waves get real high? Thinking of a boat like that on Lake Superior in a bad storm would give me the eebie geebies!

But again, that is one cool looking house boat...........just think of it, no sewer bills, and when the microwave goes, dump it over the side like they do on the Mississippi!!
Just kidding!

LOL! years back the Coast guard got busted for changing the batterys on buoys and just tossing the old ones over.

The storm thing is a valid point. Those shingles would be gone fast much less all those "purty" windows. Would never work on any thing other then a lake in a valley. Have some thoughts on this. Deck would actually come up and cover the forward bulkhead and sides. Cambered roof. Telescoping second deck that could be lowered in weather or for transport. If a second deck at all. Could be just a patio sort of deal.

Dunno. But your 100% right. Now I have to figure out "pretty" for Carol with out getting us wet in the bad way.

I delivered a boat from CT to Puerto Rico that was meant for lakes, bays, sounds and rivers only. NEVER AGAIN!!!!! LOL, second day out almost died for the second time and thought NEVER AGAIN!!! We were still insight of NJ. Then things got scary. Miss them days

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

That houseboat would sure beat living in a van down by the river.

 

[TexasDav]

My uncle was going to loan me and my wife his pontoon house boat to stay in over the weekend once. My wife is deadly afraid of the water. He assured her that the pontoons were filled with foam and the boat was un-sinkable. I had just sat down in the captain’s chair after a long demo from my uncle on how to operate the boat. A ski boat passed right in front of me and its wake came over the deck in the front. My uncle said let off the throttle, this caused the boat to dive under the water, He yelled hit the throttle and this pushed the whole boat under water, We had just enough time to kick it out of gear and scramble to the upper deck as it was going down fast. We all, me my wife my two nieces, my uncle, and my aunt were hanging on the rail as we seen the props leap out of the water at the rear. And when we were up to our waist in water our forward movement stopped and we slowly came back up to the top of the water. My wife was not a happy camper and we did not stay on the boat.

 

[Dan]

Wow Dav. Glad every one made it OK!

I hate pontoon boats. Only way they can work well is in a pool with no other boats or wind making waves. When I first started with the floating hot dog cart/convenience store idea, Carol wanted to get one. Made sense. Roof and large flat deck. But they are not good. Always float even upside down. We took a ride on a tourist one on the Erie canal. Is a small river like body of water threw mountains. A small boat passed slowly and rocked our world. We ended up buying a lil 17 foot deep V boat.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

One of the best vacations we ever had was renting a house boat at Branson Mo. and staying out on Tablerock Lake for a week. In the day we would cruise around the lake and at night we would go up into a cove a tie up between two trees. It was a blast. The worst part was filling that sucker back up with gas when we brought it back. We burned a LOT of gas. We had some pretty good storms a couple of nights but didn't really bother us. We could could get up on the top deck and sunbathe in the day. At night we go out on the front deck and grill steaks. It was so ful and relaxing. I would live on a houseboat in a second if my wife would agree. But alas, women seem to want a permanent nest on the ground.............................

 

[Dan]

Ilikea, I am finding offering storage space is a big help with what in my house has today became "The discussion" Also saying how it will always be warm is getting points!

 

[eDJ]

Where I live on the river there used to be a site several miles down from here near the locks
and dam were an old relic of a "Shanty Boat" rested. It had washed up, way up from the
normal river pool stage during the 1937 flood. It seems people have always enjoyed living on
the water in floating homes. Even today people have these big River Queens, and Gibson's tied
up in marinas for their weekend home. They rarely take them out anymore, just on memorial day, july 4, and labor day. Sometimes if the fuel isn't too expensive they will do the fall folage excursion but all of them navigate upstream as far as they can and then just drift back to their slip.

Nearly 100 years ago the shanty boats could pay a riverboat captain to tow them back up towards
Pittsburgh from where ever they were. Many of the would buy items at the glass factories along
the river and float down stream from town to town selling the stuff till they ran out and repeat
the trip. Some boats were barber shops, some photographers, some did sewing etc.

Here is a painting of an old shanty boat like I saw when I was a little kid. It was being used for
storage when I saw it but looked about like the one in this painting. (only sitting on blocks in a field)

A book I enjoy looking at in the Public Library is titled "Floating Homes" by Ted Laturnus.

But there are bunches of such books.

Here is the painting of the old Shanty Boat like was common from the 1800's up to the 1940's.

 

[hiker472]

What kind of hulls do all these floating homes have? Dan mentioned the drawbacks to the pontoons in which I have to agree with. I once worked at a resort and had to screw around with those things all the time and have to say that the worst thing about them is they are extremely heavy on gas. It seems to me that they would only be good if, along with a rudder, you put a big sail on it.

If another type of hull could be utilized for them so they would be more practical, then I'm curious to know what type it is.

What type did they use way back when?

 

[NEAT TIMES]

A MAN TOLD ME, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, GO TO 10 YARD SALES, YOU WILL FIND IT BY #10 OR BEFORE. THIS FORUM IS THE SAME, AMAZING, IT COVERS EVERTHING. THIS THREAD DAN STARTED AND MICHIGAN MIKE`S "MINI-HOME, REALLY HIT HOME FOR ME. ALL MAB`ERS LOVE THE OUTDOORS, AND SO MANY OF US ENJOY THE SAME THINGS. WHEN WE WERE KIDS WE RENTED THE WOODEN FLATBOTTOM ROW BOATS. WOULD ROW UPSTREAM TO FISH, IF YOU STOPPED ROWING THE CURRENT WOULD STEAL A LOT OF YARDAGE IN A HEARTBEAT. AND DRIFT DOWN AT THE END OF THE DAY. MY WIFE, 4 CHILDREN AND ME CAMPED OUT AND FISHED A LOT. HAD 2 SCHOOL BUS CAMPERS. BUILT THE LAST BUS CAMPER IN 1980, ITS STILL HERE. ANYHOW, I GOT MY DREAM BOAT IN MARCH OF 2006. ITS BEEN IN MY FRONT YARD ON BLOCKS, STILL IS, BUT I HAD TO SELL IT 60 DAYS AGO. THE NEW OWNER REDID THE BOTTOM PAINT. HE IS MOVING IT SOON TO REPOWER IT. HE ALREADY HAS A SLIP LEASED IN KEY WEST FL. FOR IT. I HAVE A 28 FOOT BOAT THAT I TRAILER, ITS SELF SUFFICIENT. I CAN CAMP OR LIVE ON IT, IF I DON`T GET A LARGE GIRL FRIEND. I HOPE THIS IS NOT TO BORING. I SOLD THE BOAT FOR 6,500. HAD 11,000 IN IT. YOU CAN`T BUILD MUCH FOR THAT. 48 FT X 13FT. IT HAD MINOR FIBERGLASS DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE IVAN. THINK THE INS CO. PD OFF 55,000. DAN PUT A LINK TO IT ON MICHIGAN MIKES THREAD "MINI-HOME". OH WELL, LIFE IS FULL OF COMPROMISE`S. ITS JUST NICE TO READ THE POSTS AND ALL THE INTEREST IN HOUSEBOATS. RON

 

[Dan]

Where I live on the river there used to be a site several miles down from here near the locks
and dam were an old relic of a "Shanty Boat" rested. It had washed up, way up from the
normal river pool stage during the 1937 flood. It seems people have always enjoyed living on
the water in floating homes. Even today people have these big River Queens, and Gibson's tied
up in marinas for their weekend home. They rarely take them out anymore, just on memorial day, july 4, and labor day. Sometimes if the fuel isn't too expensive they will do the fall folage excursion but all of them navigate upstream as far as they can and then just drift back to their slip.

Nearly 100 years ago the shanty boats could pay a riverboat captain to tow them back up towards
Pittsburgh from where ever they were. Many of the would buy items at the glass factories along
the river and float down stream from town to town selling the stuff till they ran out and repeat
the trip. Some boats were barber shops, some photographers, some did sewing etc.

Here is a painting of an old shanty boat like I saw when I was a little kid. It was being used for
storage when I saw it but looked about like the one in this painting. (only sitting on blocks in a field)

A book I enjoy looking at in the Public Library is titled "Floating Homes" by Ted Laturnus.

But there are bunches of such books.

Here is the painting of the old Shanty Boat like was common from the 1800's up to the 1940's.

The first ship I worked on was the "M/V New Orleans" A Mississippi river cruse ship (pretend paddle wheeler) There was an older gentleman who lived on a small row boat. Cool lil boat that he had rigged like a covered wagon. He would winter in New Orleans. In the spring any of a number of tow boats would tow him up to Minnesota. He would then just drift back down. I am sure he is long gone now but wish I had gotten to know him. Bet he had some storys to tell. Think that is where I first thought about living on a boat.

 

[Dan]

Hiker, the one pictured at the top of thread is a barge hull and would need a good sized boat or small tug to move it. But the hulls can be any kind but even the most efficient would just eat gas. I get 3 miles to the gallon on a 17 foot V hull. If I ever hit it rich, would want exactly what you mentioned. A Dutch sailing barge. Some are amazingly beautiful homes.

This one is too big but great price, https://www.yachtworld.com/core/lis...1192105568000&photo_name=Photo+1&photo=1&url=

This one is a better example, Richmond upon Thames Daily Photo: Dutch barge applying for British citizenship - # 176

Hmmmm, have to show Carol those pics.

Ron, lets go halves. Could be a traveling convenience store, MB shop and tree service!

 

[NEAT TIMES]

DAN, WHEN I MOVED TO FL, I HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOTHING, 18 YRS LATER, I STILL HAVE MOST OF IT!! I CAN GIVE HALF OF IT. DAN, LIKE I POSTED YESTERDAY, SO MANY OF THE POSTS HIT SO CLOSE TO HOME. LAST MONTH ON CRAIGS LIST, I BOUGHT A FOLDING BICYCLE WITH A FRICTION DRIVE FOR $200. WITH CARRY BAG ETC. THE DECAL ON MOTOR MOUNT IS (ISLAND HOPPER). HE POSTED A PICTURE OF A STAINLESS STEEL MODEL OFF A WEB SITE. WHEN I GOT THERE ITS BLUE. ASKED HIM IF SS, HE SAID YES. AT HOME A MAGNET STICKS!! BUT ITS A FIVE SPEED CASSETTE. IT DOS NOT RUN REAL GOOD, THE PRIMER BULB IS ROTTED, HAVE TO REMOVE CARB TO FIX. BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD BUY. MORE PRECIOUS BILL MONEY SPENT. HE SAID AS YOU DID, THEY ARE NICE FOR BOATERS AND ITS A GOOD MARKET. HE HAS A 40 FT BOAT. IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE A PIC, FAIRRACING WILL DN SIZE IT FOR US. THE MOTOR LOOKS SMALLER, BUT HAS THE 78MM CLUTCH. PS POSTED THIS BEFORE I VIEWED THE BARGES. IF YOUR GOING TO TRAVEL FAR THE SAIL IS THE TICKET. IT SEEMS THAT I TRAVEL AGAINST THE WIND!!

 

[Dan]

DAN, WHEN I MOVED TO FL, I HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOTHING, 18 YRS LATER, I STILL HAVE MOST OF IT!! I CAN GIVE HALF OF IT. DAN, LIKE I POSTED YESTERDAY, SO MANY OF THE POSTS HIT SO CLOSE TO HOME. LAST MONTH ON CRAIGS LIST, I BOUGHT A FOLDING BICYCLE WITH A FRICTION DRIVE FOR $200. WITH CARRY BAG ETC. THE DECAL ON MOTOR MOUNT IS (ISLAND HOPPER). HE POSTED A PICTURE OF A STAINLESS STEEL MODEL OFF A WEB SITE. WHEN I GOT THERE ITS BLUE. ASKED HIM IF SS, HE SAID YES. AT HOME A MAGNET STICKS!! BUT ITS A FIVE SPEED CASSETTE. IT DOS NOT RUN REAL GOOD, THE PRIMER BULB IS ROTTED, HAVE TO REMOVE CARB TO FIX. BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD BUY. MORE PRECIOUS BILL MONEY SPENT. HE SAID AS YOU DID, THEY ARE NICE FOR BOATERS AND ITS A GOOD MARKET. HE HAS A 40 FT BOAT. IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE A PIC, FAIRRACING WILL DN SIZE IT FOR US. THE MOTOR LOOKS SMALLER, BUT HAS THE 78MM CLUTCH. PS POSTED THIS BEFORE I VIEWED THE BARGES. IF YOUR GOING TO TRAVEL FAR THE SAIL IS THE TICKET. IT SEEMS THAT I TRAVEL AGAINST THE WIND!!

Very cool! Would really like to see pic. Have a half thought out idea for a MB designed just for boaters. Want it to double as a generator and fold. (12V) Yachts folks are usually more wanting portability and less concerned with price so is a great market.

"WHEN I MOVED TO FL, I HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOTHING, 18 YRS LATER, I STILL HAVE MOST OF IT!!"

LOL!, cracked me up

 

[NEAT TIMES]

Dan, Will Take Some Pics Today And Send To David. Thanks For The Reply!! Ron

 

[Large Filipino]

I wonder though, what happens when a bad storm comes in and waves get real high? Thinking of a boat like that on Lake Superior in a bad storm would give me the eebie geebies!

In a storm just pull it into your fortified garage boat!

 

[eDJ]

Dan wrote:

The first ship I worked on was the "M/V New Orleans" A Mississippi river cruse ship (pretend paddle wheeler) There was an older gentleman who lived on a small row boat. Cool lil boat that he had rigged like a covered wagon. He would winter in New Orleans. In the spring any of a number of tow boats would tow him up to Minnesota. He would then just drift back down. I am sure he is long gone now but wish I had gotten to know him. Bet he had some storys to tell. Think that is where I first thought about living on a boat.

You've got my curiosity going on this. About what year was he doing this ? About how
many feet long was his row boat ? Did you notice it having a motor of any kind ? Did it have a
pointed bow with a semi round bottom ?

I've seen some rather long John Boats which are flat bottom row boats about 18 ft long and 5 ft
long and can imagine one fixed up like what you describe.

Most interesting thing I've had happen yet since I've lived here on the river is when I was
mowing my lower yard by the water a kid was rowing an aluminum canoe down river. He pulled
over to talk to me asking how far to Cincinnati which was where he was going. In past years
there have been many small home built stearn wheel boats which were replica's of steam packet boats that people lived on travel by here enroute to Marietta, Ohio for the regata there. They
were powered by small Diesel motors running a wheel with a chain drive. Many of them used Perkins Diesel engines from the UK. They tend to last a long time and are dependable. I've seen some
work barges where they were building bridges that had a 4 cylinder 4 cycle Diesle that looked like a
portable welding rig but was bolted up to a large outdrive like an outboard motor would use.
I'd say this could drive a small barge with a house of some form bulit on it. I once pondered
that barge with a short school bus converted to an RV on it using that Diesel/outdrive. A guy
could have his motor bike on the front of the bus, and pull the barge up to a boat launch to
drive off the barge onto land. He'd just need some one to man the barge and a palace to dock the barge while he went touring with the bus and bike.

Yep, I think of those things too...even though I still live on the water.

 

[NEAT TIMES]

DAN,, I AM STARTING THE POST AND DAVID WILL ENTER THE PICTURES. THE BLUE FOLDING BICYCLE IS THE ONE I BOUGHT, GOOD NITE, CATCH YOU TOMORROW.