Houseboat

[jay_merrill]

I am considering the purchase of a houseboat in the 43' to 47' range. Any that I would consider, would be of a conventional hull type, in either fibreglass or steel.

There really doesn't seem to much in my area that is worth anything, so I may have to consider boats as far away as Mobile or Pensacola. Although I have operated houseboats on the Indian River, in Florida, my experience with them is limited, and I have no idea how they behave in swells of any size. That being the case, I wondering how realistic it is to think in terms of cruising a houseboat back to New Orleans. Although there are plenty of places to duck into if things get a little nasty, most of a trip from those places would require cruising in the Gulf, just offshore.

Anyone have any experience with houseboats in this type of environment? Your thoughts will be appreciated.

 

[marine4003]

Re: Houseboat

Jay
Imagine taking a 500 sq ft Condo..placing a underpowered outboard on it,and there you have it, i've piloted BlueWaters before 44'...great boat for comfort,navigational ability....not so good. Generally there shallow draft and top heavy along with being way underpowered, cumbersome to say the least, so if piloted inshore no heavy current...no large wake..your fine,if you can have a decent seatrial you'll see what i mean, But the thought of living on the water,FAR surpasses any of the above minor details..Go For It.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Houseboat

I've had one in blue water before too. But it was relatively calm. No problems.
I don't know if I would want to be caught in a squall with one offshore though.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Houseboat

Jay, also watch the Jacksonville craigslist. there have been several nice ones up for sale. also Daytona.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Houseboat

I know there will be some nice ones on the east coat of Florida, but the transportation to New Orleans would get expensive. I'd really love to cruise the boat home at trawler speeds, so distance will be an issue.

I just missed a pretty decent boat that was located north of Tampa. It had been refurbished extensively, with interior upgrades, rebuilt engines (350s) and mercrusier outdrives. The owner had it on the market for some time at a price that just wasn't realistic, given the current state of the economy. Unfortunately, I didn't jump quickly enough when he lowered the price.

The problem with the boats in that area, however, is that there is a lot of open water between there and Carrabelle Beach, where the inland portions of the Gulf ICW begin. For the most part, I could probably run from one port to another safely, but I am curious as to what the capability of the boats is. If they can handle 2 - 3 foot swells, I could probably do the trip without too much time spent in ports, waiting for better conditions.

All of this said, I'm really not in a hurry to do this. I may just sit back and wait for the right deal in the right place.

 

[lkbum]

Re: Houseboat

If I were you, I'd be looking at a house boat like a Holiday Mansion. See Link..
http://www.holidaymansion.info/370_380_nav.html
These are easy to find use, fit the bill of a house boat, have a flyingbridge and the ones I've been on (coatal baracuda) would haul but (low thirtys with twin small blocks). The orginal company was sold a few years back, I'm gald to see this design is still being built.