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My guess is the bathrooms are pretty much the boat kind, i.e., small with a shower but no tub. I could be wrong. Unless I'm buying Ken's version! BTW, Ken - I saw that show. I love the Travel Channel. That's what inspired me to think more about getting one.
Deb, I know the bathrooms vary a lot in motorhomes. Some have the toilet across the center hall from the shower. Some have a sink in the master bedroom. With us, Christa was a young teen and wanted to be sure she could lock her brother out so we wanted the shower, sink and toilet all behind one lockable door. You may not care but it's just another consideration.
I suggest you go to a lot with lots of houseboats for sale, and walk through them, just to get an idea of what's out there and what options there are.
Great idea, but don't dismiss the idea of just buying a boat with a large cabin. Same basic idea of living aboard and only paying dock fees instead of property tax, but now you have a seaworthy vessel. In this economic environment, you can get a pretty nice cruiser for 100 to 150K.
As for the cost, PLEASE leave the trite expressions aside and instead ask long-time owners if they will show you their annual expenses. Also, ask a maintenance yard or boat works to estimate the annual costs. Get a good idea of the yearly cost and then compare that to the cost of home ownership and taxes. People suffer under the illusion that homes ande cars are somehow maintenance free, while boats require daily repairs. In truth, thorough annual maintnenance can be budgeted and performed twice a year, with resulting reliable service. My boating breakdowns could always be traced to a failure on my part to do the needed maintenance. I think if you are willing to sink $4 to $5K per year into a maintenance budget, you will find the houseboat/boat will deliver reliable service. Please note, this does not include the cost of fuel, dock charges, and other consumables.
Deb,I just looked at the listing. Are the engines origianl equipment? 182 hours is VERY low use, but probably typical for houseboats. Thje owners should be able to give you all the service records, and the name of thier maintenance yard. Also, find out if the haul out at the end of the year and where they store it and how much that costs. If it stays in year round, how often do they have to pull it to re-paint the bottom. Also, it the hull fobreglass or aluminum?
Whatever you do, you would want to hire a surveyor as well as a certified Volvo engine technician to check this out before you buy.
Very good advice, LB. Thanks! I think that particular boat is in KY, which seems to be the houseboat capital of the world. That brings up another point. How much to transport a boat from somewhere else? I'm sure there are boat dealers around here that can answer all these questions.
Originally Posted by MsPerky,Mar 23 2009, 01:37 PM
Very good advice, LB. Thanks! I think that particular boat is in KY, which seems to be the houseboat capital of the world. That brings up another point. How much to transport a boat from somewhere else? I'm sure there are boat dealers around here that can answer all these questions.
Florida to Cape Cod cost me $1800 for a 26 foot Robalo. The House boat is over-wide, so it would cost more ona per mile basis.
Boat prices are crashing right now, that listing is WAY (x2 or more) overpriced for the current market and those things just are flat not built to last. I am a licensed yacht and ship surveyor and there is absolutely no way in hell I would ever consider purchasing (or allowing any of my friends or family to purchase) such a bastard contraption even if they had their heart set on it. If you are going to buy a boat, buy a real boat, not an RV on a barge. I would imagine mooring a 60+ footer anywhere near DC would be well in excess of $1k a month, just for starters. The construction on those things is so flimsy that I doubt you could get it onto a truck without major structural damage, so it would have to be transported by water (if connected to a major river).
My best friend's father was one of the designers of the comms modules for the apollo spacecraft as well as a chief scientist for the GPS program. After he retired they sold their house and bought a houseboat (for around $500,000 in 1998) as a liveaboard while I was out of the country at sea. Two years later they had to sell it for scrap value. Electrolysis had eaten away every metallic component, from the wiring to the plumbing to the engines and internal structural members. So even a rocket scientist can get snowed by a boat salesman.
Deb are you sure you want a 66footer? You can get a nice boat in the 40ft range that will have the same amenities and the maint and mooring fees will be much more affordable.
I personally do not have a houseboat but I do spend time on one every summer.
This one
I think it is 38ft and it does have a stand up shower on one side of the galley and the bathroom with head is on the other side.
Very comfortable boat for 2 couples to spend extended time on. Only downside is it gets 1 knot per gallon
I agree with Mike and Dave. I'd rather have a cabin cruiser than a house boat. I don't know abut DC, biut in Mass, the marinas all have vacancies and the owners are cutting some deals on the cost of slips for the season.
I would considering chartering, they have boats of all sizes and types pretty much anywhere there is water. You can rent for the day, week, month, or season. Bareboat or fully stocked, provisioned, even crewed.
I haven't heard this one for a while, but this thread made it pop into my head.
Remember this golden rule:
"If it Flies, F%*@s, or Floats, Rent."
03-23-2009, 07:10 AM
BTW, Ken - I saw that show. I love the Travel Channel. That's what inspired me to think more about getting one.
