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A real houseboat story - can house boats bring peace and enjoyment?

by Bruce & Cindy
(Nicholson, PA)

A true houseboat story about how we Finally found

A true houseboat story about how we Finally found

Can house boats really bring peace and enjoyment, well here's our real houseboat story of how we "finally found it". We've been married 32 years and have spent much of that time trying to find what really makes us happy (other than each other, our kids & grandkids).


We both love the same type of recreation and have owned several makes and sizes of boats, motorcycles, kayaks, campers/motorhomes, etc. but have never found as much peace and enjoyment as we have since buying the houseboat last July. It's an old (1969) 34' Nautaline with an upgraded 318 I/O.

Last Saturday evening about three hours before sunset, we backed out of the marina slip and into the Erie canal (right turn into the canal, left turn opens into Oneida Lake).

With the throttle at 1,200 rpm's, we slowly made our way 6 miles east toward lock 21 then turned around and, with the sun just starting to set on the water dead ahead, both realized that we have finally found what we could spend the rest of our lives doing.

When we're on the houseboat, we don't talk about bills or birthdays or car repairs or any of the other things that rule our working days.

We simply relax and enjoy the things around us, like watching a large toad hop across the grass and settle next to the dock, or the largest snapping turtle we've ever seen swim right under us while sitting on the back of the houseboat, and I can't wait
to see the bill for all the rolls of film we've taken of baby beavers swimmimg around the marina, birds, other boats, etc.

Boating obviously isn't for everyone, just as many things aren't, but this Houseboat surely is "it" for us. Can't get the pix to upload.

Bruce & Cindy




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Reply - Answer
Well Bruce & Cindy, I appreciate and can totally understand how you feel, as my wife and I also realize that we have "finally found it".

For us there is no better place in the whole wide world as being out on the houseboat, just cruising or relaxing.

As for uploading pictures, they would have to be 800x600, and need to be either in the jpg or gif format. That's why I inserted the sunset picture from our end of the world :)


Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their own houseboat stories and experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats



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Comments for A real houseboat story - can house boats bring peace and enjoyment?

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Safe marina in Florida
by: docksidedale

Ahoy~
My husband and I own a 42 foot Sundance Houseboat barge currently docked in Bronx NY.

This boat, the Archangel, is our 3rd houseboat...each time getting a little bigger and better.

Now the kids and grandson live in Florida. St Petersburg, and we want to be near them without having to become landlubbers!! I still can't sleep on land!

So, first we would need a marina who allows liveaboards and working out the logistics of getting her from NY to FL.

If anyone has any info that would help us achieve our dream of warm weather and no more snow we would be greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Dale Eggers


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Dreaming about retiring to a houseboat
by: Don Trumps

I was born on a houseboat in 1947. During WWII my dad built two houseboats on cypress logs. One for his parants and one for himself. He married my mom and moved her into the houseboat where later I was born.

Now all these years later and after many twist and turns of my life, I find myself drooling over houseboats and dreaming about soon being able to purchase one and move my wife of many years to a life on the water.

We have been taking weekend trips and always to some place on the bayous of south east Texas and Louisiana. I am enjoying reading everyone's experiences of houseboating.

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The Good Houseboat Life - Life is Good!
by: Greg H.

Wow, I like this thread! This is the first year that my partner and I have been in the world of big boats. We started in June with a 1973 40' River Queen and two months later we had the amazing oppotunity to purchase a 1969 60' River Queen.

I have to agree that life is amazing on a houseboat...we really had no idea what a life changer it would be! We too forget all of the worries and stress that we face daily in our city lives and we live every moment now to head to the Marina and COOLshift!

We are in Michigan (only 2.25 hours away from our home but it seems like a zillion miles), so we have from April to November (yeah, we push our season a bit)! We are even beginning to plan for our future with COOLshift by thinking about moving her, in many years when we retire, to Hawaii and spending the rest of our time on COOLshift, on the water...

Life is Good and we feel extremely blessed!

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Life is Good on a houseboat!
by: Suzanne

We have been living on our houseboat for the past 6 summers and this is where I want to be.

This is our second year at a marina...the previous 4 summers we travelled and really enjoyed it, but now we are enjoying shorter trips and having a home base.

I just got back from watching the sunset, walking the dogs, and feeding one of the local swans.

Life is Good on a houseboat!

Reply - Answer
Thanks Suzanne for putting it all into words, and painting a beautiful mental picture for us all.

IAN from www.all-about-houseboats.com

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You are blessed!
by: Priscilla Talley

What a wonderful life you have! A happy marriage, kids and grandkids and now you are enjoying the peace and joy of being on the water.

Lucky you! GOD is good isn't he!

Priscilla Talley




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