wannabakiwi

Fodor Friends~ I am hoping you can offer me some guidance on house boat rentals on Lake Powell. It is just my husband and I, however, with the dollar/euro challenge we have opted not to go over seas this year. We are looking at 5-7 days on a smaller boat, since it is just the two of us. Any thoughts on where to launch and with whom? We will hope to go in September. Cheers, Wannabakiwi

spirobulldog

The boats I have seen for rent are bigger and designed for 10 or more people. Price range is usually 1500-15,000 for 3-7 days. It is very expensive unless you have a larger number of people with you.

curmudgeon

You should try the "search this forum" box at the top of the page to find some older threads. I would agree that the typical houseboat trip tends to be a group (who bring along a ski boat or jetskis). The houseboats will burn a lot of fuel if you try to push the speed; they are meant for slow cruising.

lvk

The smallest houseboat for rent is 44': www.lakepowell.com/houseboats/explorer.cfm . Aramark is the only houseboat concessionaire for the Glen Canyon Nat'l Recreation area. There is also a marina at Antelope Point on Navajo land, but they (Forever Houseboats) rent the larger, more luxurious houseboats.

We did this last summer, (6 adults and 3 kids) and I agree that you are better off with more hands on deck. It would be quite a challenge with only two, unless you are both experienced with larger boats.

It is hard to realize how vast the lake is until you are there. The houseboats move very slowly, and unless you rent a speedboat for exploring (Rainbow Bridge, etc.), you will not see much of the lake. Of course this adds more $$$ to the cost of the trip. Fuel at the lakeside marinas was over $4/gallon last year, when it was $3 on dry land. I'm sure this year it will be closer to $5/gallon.

It is a very enjoyable vacation, I would not want to discourage anyone from experiencing it. As others have stated, it is a lot of work and expense for just 2 people. I cannot see it being any cheaper than a week in Europe.

I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have.

wannabakiwi

Thank you all for your thoughts. Yeah, I guess when you look at it as just my husband and I, it is really an expensive option. We have really had trouble in the past coordinating vacations with large groups of people, so we decided we would go anyway, since it is something we have always wanted to do. I did not think about the difficulty of managing even the smallest boat ith just two people. Can any of you help me then with a hiking, land based (perhaps short boat cruise) on Lake Powell? Do any companies do something like the Milford Sound, New Zealand over night or a few days cruise? I will refine my board search as well. Cheers,