This is something I have wanted to do for years - it does not really matter to me on what lake it is on. Never did it when kids were little and could not swim because I pictured them taking a dive off the side. Any observations/comments from those who have done it? Do you need to be experienced navigating a boat? Are there enough places to dock? What about supplies/food? Sorry to be so general - just started dreaming about 2003 summer since this one is already over-booked.

Gail,

We used to go houseboating when I was a pre-teen. It was a while ago, but I remember absolutely loving it. My family would rent a fairly large houseboat and go with two other families. I think the parents stayed in the regular rooms, and the kids camped out in sleeping bags wherever we wanted, usually on the roof. We would fish, swim, play in the water, just hang out. Then we'd barbeque in the evenings. As for experience, we had none. I don't ever recall there being much of a problem with navigation (they even let me steer a couple of times) or with docking. We pretty much bought our groceries up to the lake with us. There was a generator on board so refrigeration and other electrical appliances were not a problem. I'd say go for it. I've actually been mulling over the idea myself recently.

This has loooong been on my vacation wish-list, so i'll be eager to see the replies. Topping!

I've also been thinking about this for awhile... I believe that there are houseboat rentals available at the marina in Ivy Lea, a small village on the Canadian side of the 1000 Islands Bridge, just west of the bridge. The 1000 Islands is an incredibly scenic area and I think putting up and down the St. Lawrence River for a week or so would be a blast. There is at least one, possibly several, parks that are accessible by water only where you can picnic during the day and there are even places where folks with boats tie up together for Sunday morning services on the water. There are also some interesting towns to visit including Kingston and Gananoque. Hmmm... too late for this year perhaps but no too soon to start planning for next year!

Hi Gail - wonderful dream. My husband and I are avid boaters and love being on the water. Our boat is quite large and sleeps six comfortably and we have a bridge where the kids can use their sleeping bags if they choose to do so.

I think traveling by water can be both relaxing and stressful. The negative parts of boating are, making sure you are knowledgeable about boating and know the pro's and con's. IE: Make sure you know the weather at all times so you don't get in the middle of a lake with 8-10 foot waves with a low gas tank.

Use your charts and plan out your trip. Make sure you leave in windows for inclement weather. Call ahead and reserve a dock at a marina.

House boats are awesome, but remember-you don't go real fast in them, this is what makes it so relaxing.

Fuel for boats are expensive, but on the other side of the coin, you do not have to pay for hotels.

Bring bikes with you. When you get to a port you can use them to explore the town and also use them to get to a grocery store to buy grocery's.

Another suggestion~~~~make sure there are life jackets within reach. One for every person on board. A lake is huge and will show you no mercy.

Have a wonderful time and I hope your dream comes true. We love traveling by water and do one major trip a year. This year our trip is to get up to Montreal.

One last piece of advice ~~~ try to travel with another couple because docking a house boat (unless it has bow and stern thrusters) is pretty hard expecially when it is windy out. Quarters may be cramped, but the more the safer and merrier.

Cheers-

there are also rentals along the erie canal in upstate NY. when you get there they teach you about the boat and how to drive, navigate and where to dock. the houseboats on the canal only have a tiller to steer. i dont remember the name of the company but houseboatingworld.com may help! also a couple of years ago the NY Times did an article about houseboating up the canal and finger lakes. good luck!!!

Gail - sorry, its me again. Owen is right on. We did that trip last summer and it is incredible. You mentioned a lake, I totally forgot about the canal. This is a very relaxing trip, very slow-only 8knots. No matter what you decide hope your dreams come true.

There are also several outfitters in Minnesota and Wisconsin that rent houseboats to travel the upper Mississippi. Like so many of you, I've always wanted to do this. The scenery along the upper Miss. is fantastic and its laced with back waters.
I have heard that they only get 1 mile/gallon so fuel is costly especially going back up river!!

Man, I've got fond memories of houseboats. My buddy and I used to ride out on them on our jet-skis during the mornings when the men were out fishing and get free-bees from the housewives. They called us their bedroom pirates. A great time was had by all!

Just one more confirmation of the outstanding corellation between jet ski use and extraordinarily low I.Q.

TO BJ, as Carol mentioned you don't have to pay for hotels are stop and think about it, you don't have to play the expense for an airplane ride for a whole family.

I think if this is a dream and Gail has been planning for a long time,, than she probably has taken into consideration of the cost of fuel. Diesel is the only fuel they use on house boats,so you may get a tad bit more miles per gallon and another thing they should take into consideration is the length and width of the boat.

We have done a fair amount of traveling around the world, but one of our fondest memories is houseboating with our best friends on the Trent-Severn Waterway northeast of Toronto, Ontario, using Egan's rentals. None of us had any boating experience to speak of, but after a short orientation, we embarked on a 5 day trip. I agree you need more than two people to tie up, etc. The area I mentioned above has lots of lock you go through to get to the different waterways. We had a 40 foot boat, with a sunbathing deck on top. You could steer from the top or inside. We could tie up anywhere for the night, as long as it wasn't privately owned. We made reservations one evening at a good restaurant, tied up on their dock, got all dressed up and had a nice meal, visited an art museum, got back on the boat, changed into shorts and t-shirt and sailed off into the sunset! That night we took the boom box up on the sundeck and danced under the stars. The sound of loons in the morning haunts me still. We missed the soft lapping of waves for months afterward. Our boat had a kitchen, stove, microwave and barbeque on the lower deck outside for cooking our own reasonable meals. There are fancier boats in other locations in the States, some with hottubs, etc. that are probably a lot more than we paid. We split the $650 Canadian for five days for the four of us. Here is website for many different houseboat trips: http://www.houseboatingvacations.com/houseboats/index.cfm

Hi Gail
We did this last year with our whole family (nine of us) We went to Dale Hollow Lake on the border of Kentucky and Tenn. http://www.sulphurcreek.com/
If you are interested, rent the 80ft not the 70ft. The 70ft are older and in bad shape (ask about age and condition when renting) We are boaters also but since you are not, you would want to stay on a calm lake which this is. They will give you the run down on the boat when you board. Bring your own food for how long you will be there. (stop at a grocery right before boarding for meats etc)Once you are out of the marina, you will not come back until your time is up. You will have a ship to shore radio if any touble occurs. Point your bow and run straight up on land, slowly, when ready to dock, once your bow (front) is in the sand, tie off to trees to secure. You'll want to rent a small fishing boat with motor to pull behind you. Houseboats don't go fast and you will want to each morning take your trash to the nearest marina and pick up ice. Just don't let anyone swim UNDER the slide when docked. (There's a slide from the top deck into the water) With your generator on (air conditioning) carbon Monoxide fumes can cause problems for swimmers under the slide. Our family had a great time. We also pulled two wave runners behind us. Have fun!!

cd mentioned something extremely important. There is typically an open area underneath the boat where kids often want to pop up for air. The problem is that this area is (often) not ventilated properly and builds up an toxic level of carbon monoxide. I think safeguards are now being built in or added. Just be careful!

you can rent boats in the interior of british columbia.
or lake mead just outside of vegas was a really good trip.
make sure you get along REALLY well with the people you are going with. you are together non-stop. you can also rent a motor boat to drag along for water skiing.

Probably close to 30 years ago, we were on one of the big Thousand Island tour boats. We were on the upper deck, and suddenly the horn started going off madly. Up ahead, directly in our path, was a houseboat. It was going along, quite slowly, in the narrow channel, and completely oblivious to our approach.

Our captain was trying to slow down, but you don't stop one of those big boats in a hurry. The folks on the houseboat did finally understand they were in the way. They moved a bit, and we passed very close to them. The captain announced that he'd got their registration number and was going to report as soon as he had the opportunity.

I don't know the right or wrong in that specific situation. I do know that those folks in the houseboat almost got run over. And there wouldn't have been much left of their vessel.

I think the point I'm trying to make is the necessity to be very careful about the operation of the craft. Both in itself, and its relation to other boats and the land (shoal water, etc.)

In our case, right or wrong would have been something for the survivors to argue.

That said, I've got the itch to try houseboating, as well! Not in the Thousand Islands, though...

I remembered house boating when I was very young and loving it. Went again with extended family on two boats and it wasn't so much fun. The 'kids' had one and the adults had the other and people argued about how to do it, where to go.

My recommendation is if you go with someone else decide beforehand how you view houseboating. Some people think of it as a tent - you tie up and stay in one place others as a moving tent that moves whenever the whim strikes. It sounds silly but it would have improved my last trip.

If at all possible I recommend taking a motorboat along for water skiing and getting back and forth for groceries (or jet skis).

I still want to go again - but this time with people that enjoy putting around to see the different terrain. I think some of the canal suggestions sound wonderful - didn't even know it was possible - another thing to add to the list!

Go for it - you'll have a great time!

Traveling by houseboat is very popular in France. They built highways of canals right before the invention of the train. Now these canals are used for boating.

We rented a houseboat a couple of years ago in the Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota and a good time was had by all. Just be aware that if a boat sleeps 8, it doesn't sleep 8 comfortably, and plan accordingly. I think the highlight of our trip was when we saw a wolf chase a deer into the water not 50 feet away from us-amazing!

We actually went smaller...a Tom Sawyer like experience in a houseboat that slept 4 on the Sacramento Delta. what a memorable experience.I actually do remember leaving the dock bumping around (carefully mind you!) and by the time we returned we were docking experts! the Delta is great because it is huge and there are so many marinas and coves to explore. Where else can you anchot at a beach and have a freighter cruise by. It is amazing!