A
houseboat is a
boatA boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is...
that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a
humanHumans are bipedal primates belonging to the species Homo sapiens in Hominidae, the great ape family. They are the only surviving member of the genus Homo. Humans have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving...
dwellingDwelling - as well as being a term for a house, or for living somewhere, or for lingering somewhere - is a philosophical concept which was developed by Martin Heidegger....
. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually
moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power.
Australia
In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, especially on the
Murray RiverThe Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray", is Australia's largest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's...
and the sunny coastline of
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, there are many motorized,
pontoonA pontoon is a flat-bottomed boat or the floats used to support a structure on water. It may be simply constructed from closed cylinders such as pipes or barrels or fabricated as boxes from metal or concrete. These may be used to support a simple platform, creating a raft. A raft supporting a...
-based houseboats with two or more bedrooms; some of these houseboats have more than one level or multiple stories (floors). Some are privately owned as either a
primary residenceA person's primary residence is the dwelling where they usually live, typically a house or an apartment. A person can only have one primary residence at any given time, though they may share the residence with other people...
or a holiday
shackA shack is a type of small house that is in disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S...
. Many are also available for hire (rent) as self-driven holiday destinations with accommodation for four to perhaps a dozen persons. Many men enjoy gathering together to fish and drink alcohol in the safe passages of the
Coomera RiverThe Coomera River is a river situated in South East Queensland. The upper reaches of the river flow from the Lamington plateau and the Lamington National Park. Here are the spectacular Coomera Falls in the Coomera Gorge....
and The Great Sandy Straits near the world's largest sand island - Fraser Island.
Canada
In
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, houseboats are gaining major popularity in
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
, and
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
as there is an abundance of perfectly suited rivers and lakes for houseboaters to enjoy. Houseboats in Canada are generally motorised and used recreationally, rather than as a permanent dwelling. The
Rideau CanalThe Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
system is a historic waterway known for its picturesque setting and quaint villages. The town of Sicamous, on
Shuswap LakeShuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
, British Columbia, is said to be the "Houseboat Capital of the World".
Laos
In
LaosLaos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, houseboats are used to accommodate tourists on the
MekongThe Mekong River is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. . Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of ....
river. The houseboats are usually referred to as 'slow boats' and exist in wooden or steel variants.
The Netherlands
In
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, some of the finest and costliest examples of houseboats can be seen along the canals of
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
, which even has houseboat hotels. Houseboats are very expensive nowadays in Amsterdam because of the limited number of moorings; this expense has reduced the likelihood that the approximately 2,400 families that live on the inner waters of Amsterdam will find themselves confronted by new neighbor boats.
India
In
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, houseboats are common on the backwaters of Kerala, see below, and on the
Dal LakeThe Dal Lake is a famous lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of the northernmost Indian administered state of Jammu & Kashmir. The lake itself is connected to a number of other lakes of the Kashmir valley. It is well known for its approximately 500 Victorian-era wooden houseboats, originally built...
near
SrinagarSrinagar , is the capital of the northernmost state of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir that is situated in India-administered Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city is famous for its lakes and houseboats...
in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
.
Kerala houseboats
The houseboats in
KeralaKerala , is a state located in southwestern India. The state was created in 1956 on linguistc basis, bringing together those places where Malayalam formed the principal language...
, south
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, are huge, slow-moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips. They are a reworked model of Kettuvallams (in the
Malayalam languageMalayalam is one of the four major Dravidian languages of South India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Mahé. It is spoken by around 37 million people...
,
Kettu means "tied with ropes", and
vallam means "boat"), which, in earlier times, were used to carry
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
and
spiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
s from
KuttanadKuttanadu in Kerala, India, is the region with the lowest altitude in India, with 500 square kilometres of the region below sea level. Its elevation ranges from 0.6 m above to 2.2 metres below sea level. Most of the area is covered with water throughout the year. Kuttanadu is one...
to the Kochi
port||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and/or transferring cargo. It is usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. The best ports have deep water in channels or berths, and protection from the wind and waves...
. Kerala houseboats were considered a convenient means of transportation.
The popularity of Kettuvalloms has returned in the function as major tourist attractions.
Such a houseboat is about 60 to 70
feetThe foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion...
(about 18 to 21 meters) long and about 15 feet (about 5 m) wide at the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by
ropeA rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s of
coconutThe Coconut Palm is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m long, pinnae 60–90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the seed of the...
fiber; the usual wood is 'Anjili'. The roof is made of
bambooThe bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some are giant bamboos, the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants in the world...
poles and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew nut oil.
Kashmir houseboats
Unlike their counterparts in
KeralaKerala , is a state located in southwestern India. The state was created in 1956 on linguistc basis, bringing together those places where Malayalam formed the principal language...
, the houseboats in
SrinagarSrinagar , is the capital of the northernmost state of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir that is situated in India-administered Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. The city is famous for its lakes and houseboats...
, Jammu & Kashmir are usually stationary. They are usually moored at the edges of the
DalThe Dal Lake is a famous lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of the northernmost Indian administered state of Jammu & Kashmir. The lake itself is connected to a number of other lakes of the Kashmir valley. It is well known for its approximately 500 Victorian-era wooden houseboats, originally built...
and Nageen lakes. Some of the houseboats there were built in the early 1900s, and are still being rented out to tourists. These houseboats are made of wood, and usually have intricately carved wood paneling. The houseboats are of different sizes, some having up to three bedrooms apart from a living room and kitchen.
Many tourists are attracted to Srinagar by the charm of staying on a houseboat, which provides the unique experience of living on the water in a cedar-paneled elegant bedroom, with all the conveniences of a luxury hotel. Srinagar's thousand or so houseboats are moored along sections of the Dal and Nagin Lakes and the
Jhelum RiverJehlum River or Jhelum River is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...
, each decorated fancifully and named romantically and even whimsically. Like hotels, houseboats vary in degree of luxury and have been accordingly graded by the Department of Tourism. A luxury houseboat, like a luxury hotel has fine furniture, good carpets and modern bathroom fittings, while the ‘D category’ (the lowest category) of houseboats, like low-budget hotels, is spartanly furnished. Like hotels too, houseboats vary widely in their locations. Some overlook the main road, others look out onto lotus gardens and yet others face tiny local markets and villages, all right in the middle of the lake! All houseboats, regardless of category, have highly personalized service. Not only is there always a "houseboy" for every boat, but the owner and his family are never far away. The cost per day of hiring a houseboat includes all meals and free rides from the houseboat to the nearest jetty and back, as no houseboat on the lakes is directly accessible from the banks.
Every standard houseboat provides a balcony in the front, a lounge, dining room, pantry and 3 or more bedrooms with attached bathrooms. All houseboats not moored to the bank of the river or lakes provide a shikara as a free service from the houseboat to the nearest Ghat (jetty). Virtually every houseboat in Srinagar has been provided with a municipal water connection.
New Zealand
In
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
houseboating is developing as a holiday activity.
WhangaroaWhangaroa is a locality on the harbour of the same name in Northland, New Zealand.Whangaroa is 8km north-west from Kaeo and 45km north from Okaihau. The harbour is almost landlocked and is popular both as a fishing spot in its own right and as a base for deep-sea fishing.The harbour was the scene...
Harbour
http://www.whangaroa.co.nz on
NorthlandThe Northland Region , one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, is, as the name suggests, the northernmost of New Zealand's administrative regions. The main centre is the city of Whangarei.-Geography:...
's east coast is a land locked harbour that provides houseboating.
United Kingdom
In the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, canal
narrowboatA narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of England and Wales.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
s are used as homes and also as mobile, rented, holiday accommodation. Narrowboats were originally used for bulk transport of raw materials and fuel on canals constructed at the start of the
Industrial revolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
. Nowadays, the canal network is mainly used for recreation and is different to typical holiday locations, which are usually based in coastal or rural areas, because canals are inland and often pass through many former historical, industrial, urban areas.
In coastal regions of the United Kingdom, the beached
hullA hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull comes the superstructure and deckhouse. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
s of old boats and ships have been used as homes in the past, for example, Peggotty's houseboat of the 1840s in the novel
David CopperfieldDavid Copperfield or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850...
. Today in the very same area (
Hoo PeninsulaThe Hoo Peninsula is a peninsula in England separating the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway. It is dominated by a line of sand and clay hills surrounded by an extensive area of marshland composed of alluvial silt. The name Hoo is the Old English word for spur of land.-History:The Romans...
) there are hundreds of converted ships, barges and other boats being used as homes by many families.
The Houseboat Centre is located in
Hoo St Werburgh- Introduction :Hoo St Werburgh is one of several villages on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, England to bear the name Hoo. It constitutes a civil parish in the borough of Medway, which according to the 2001 census had a population of 7,356. The surrounding countryside is beautiful, and ranges from...
and is used as a reference resource by the UK media on Houseboat matters Substantiated claim.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7582687.stm
Over 15,000 people live afloat in Great Britain. They are found throughout the canals, rivers and coasts; in cities, in the country and in harbours. Some cruise continuously, some are permanently moored and the others mix cruising and mooring to suit themselves.
Liveaboards come from all walks of life: families to pensioners, professionals to artists to boatbuilders. Some live in narrow boats, some in sea-going craft, some in houseboats. Their homes may be owned (possibly with the aid of a loan) or rented.
Liveaboards are attracted to their lifestyle for many reasons, including:
- economies of combining home with pleasure
- closeness to Nature
- camaraderie
- escape from day-to-day pressures of life ashore
Research has shown that liveaboards are not a sub-culture; actually they are a very diverse group. Often they have a strong sense of their local community and its environment. Substantiated Claim.
http://www.rboa.org.uk
There are a number of residential houseboats/moorings in the London Port Health Authority (LPHA) District. Although a significant number of houseboats are permanent floating residences, many are occupied only at weekends and seldom move whilst others may periodically leave the moorings for short cruises.
The various moorings stretch from Broadness Creek and Benfleet Creek in the lower part of the London Port Health Authority District up to Twickenham in the upper part. Many of these are Port of London Authority (PLA) licensed moorings which also have Riparian Local Authority planning approval for their existence, whilst others have neither. Substantiated claim.
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Transport_and_streets/Marine_and_waterway_services/Port_health/pollution.htm
United States
In the United States, houseboats are gaining in popularity. Recreational houseboating in the United States started in the late 1940s when people were looking to stay on the water for longer periods of time.
Lake CumberlandLake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles and the lake is spread over 65,530...
in
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
is considered the birthplace of houseboating in the USA. Today one can find motorized houseboats with over of living space.
Seattle,
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
is home to a relatively large collection of floating houseboat neighborhoods, particularly in
Lake UnionLake Union is a freshwater lake entirely within the Seattle, Washington city limits.-Origins:A glacial lake, its basin was dug 12,000 years ago by the Vashon glacier, which also created Lake Washington and Seattle's Green, Bitter, and Haller Lakes.-Name:...
and
Portage BayPortage Bay is an arm of Seattle, Washington's Lake Union and is part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Its western limit can be said to be the Ship Canal Bridge, which carries Interstate 5 over the water; North Passage Point Park and South Passage Point Park sit on opposite shores between the...
. The earliest houseboats in Seattle were recorded in 1905, and peaked with over 2000 houseboats in the 1930s. There are currently approximately 500 houseboats in Seattle. Most houseboats are designed and built for inland lakes and waterways only. Renting houseboats has also become popular. In addition, houseboats have been used for
commerceCommerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer. It comprises the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities...
; on the
Northern NeckThe Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster,...
of
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
, Chesapeake National Bank had a floating bank branch called the
Boat 'n BankThe Boat 'N Bank of Kilmarnock, Virginia-based Chesapeake National Bank was the nation's first floating bank branch. A converted houseboat, the floating bank provided banking services to seafood houses on the Northern Neck of Virginia. The bank claimed at the time that it was the nation's first...
that provided bank services to
watermenWatermen are river workers who transfer passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in Britain and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway, but other rivers such as the River Tyne and River Dee, Wales also had their watermen who formed guilds in...
.
Sausalito, CaliforniaSausalito Sausalito Sausalito (from Spanish: sauzalito "small willow grove", from sauce "willow" + collective derivative -al meaning "place of abundance" + diminutive suffix -ito; with orthographic corruption from z to s due to seseo; early variants of the name were Saucelito, San Salita, San...
, also has one of the most noted collections of float homes that were owned at various times by the likes of famous musicians, film stars, authors, and other notables, from the hippie era until even today. Like many areas where float homes have taken hold, battles have brewed between float home owners, local and state government, and the local establishment (which includes land-based home owners). Float home owners had fought established land-based tax schemes whereby float home owners sought relief from real estate taxes. The state won the battle with the shadow tax allowing the state to make the case that property beneath the float home was improved by the shadow the float home cast upon the bottom.
For recreation
Houseboating is a very popular recreational activity for groups of people of all ages aboard houseboats of all varieties ranging from more modest 30-40 foot boats to -plus luxury houseboat models. Houseboating is appealing due to scenery, proximity to other outdoor activities (hiking, boating, beaches, etc.), and potential to move the house for a change of view or neighbors.
Houseboating lakes
Houseboating on
Lake PowellLake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24,322,000 acre feet of water when full...
is a popular vacation option since the
Glen Canyon DamThe Glen Canyon Dam is a dam on the Colorado River at Page, Arizona, USA. It provides water storage for the arid southwestern United States, to generate electricity for the region's growing population, and to provide water recreation opportunities...
impounds water from the
Colorado RiverThe Colorado River , or the Red River, is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains...
to form almost of shoreline.
Lake MeadLake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by Hoover Dam, it extends 112 mi behind the dam, holding approximately 28.5 million acre feet...
, the largest man-made lake in North America, about 30 minutes from
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
,
New Bullards Bar ReservoirNew Bullards Bar Reservoir is a large reservoir in northeastern Yuba County, California, at an elevation of in the Tahoe National Forest and about 30 miles northeast of Yuba City, California. The 969,600 acre-foot reservoir is formed by New Bullards Bar Dam on the North Fork of the Yuba River, a...
in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 45 minutes from
Nevada City, CaliforniaNevada City is the county seat of Nevada County, California, USA, located 60 miles northeast of Sacramento and 28 miles north of Auburn...
, and Lake Shasta in the mountains just outside of
Redding, CaliforniaFor the city in Pennsylvania, see Reading, PennsylvaniaRedding is a city in Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA...
, are also popular spots for houseboats. Houseboating is also common in
Lake CumberlandLake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles and the lake is spread over 65,530...
, Lake Amistad,
Trinity LakeTrinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is a lake on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California, The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake has a capacity of 2,447,650 acre-feet , making it one of the largest reservoirs in...
,
Lake MohaveLake Mohave is a reservoir formed by Davis Dam on the Colorado River, which defines the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States. The lake lies at an elevation of near Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, AZ, about downstream from Hoover Dam. The lake and adjacent lands forming its...
and
Lake Mead National Recreation AreaLake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are its two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. These lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while the surrounding desert rewards...
. In
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, houseboats have also become a major part of the great South Bay on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
Unofficial houseboats
Many owners of
yachtA yacht is a high end recreational boat. It designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power boats. Yachts are different from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. It was not until the rise of the steamboat and other types of powerboat that sailing vessels in...
s do not sail them often; and some use them exclusively for shoreside entertaining. A few yacht owners who can afford the cost of a comfortable yacht but temporarily lack a long-term onshore home may choose to live on a yacht. In some jurisdictions, this is illegal, but some such people have escaped notice by living quietly.
Venezuela
In
MaracaiboMaracaibo is the second-largest city in Venezuela after the national capital Caracas and is the capital of Zulia state. Based on the 2001 census information, the estimated population of Maracaibo in 2007 is 3,200,000 inhabitants....
,
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
, there is a big house called La Casa Barco, which was built by a former captain of the Venezuelan Navy in the XX century, so the legend goes. The building resembles a real ship with its anchors, lifeboats, and radars, floating on water. It is located in the neighborhood La Estrella. Nowadays La Casa Barco has become a city icon for tourists.
Zimbabwe
In
ZimbabweZimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers...
, specifically on
Lake KaribaLake Kariba is the largest, man-made lake and reservoir by volume located on the Zambezi river, about halfway between the river's source and mouth, about 1300 kilometers upstream from the Indian Ocean. The lake lies along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe...
houseboats have been in use since the creation of the lake in the late 1950s/early 1960s. This is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious ways to experience the Zambezi basin and all the associated wildlife, as it is possible to view a lot of game as they come down to the water for drinking, and to cool themselves down.
Carbon monoxide from gasoline-powered generators
Many houseboats use gasoline-powered generators. The carbon monoxide exhaust from these generators has caused problems for some houseboat inhabitants. The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S...
, in tandem with the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and the U.S. Coast Guard, performed a number of evaluations on air quality, particularly
carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, yet very toxic to humans. It consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, connected by a covalent double bond and a dative covalent bond...
(CO) levels, on houseboats beginning in August 2000. Since that initial investigation, over 600 boating-related poisonings in the United States have been identified with over 100 of these poisonings resulting in death. Over 250 of the poisonings occurred on houseboats, with more than 200 of these poisonings attributed to generator exhaust alone. Major houseboat and generator manufacturers have begun working with these government agencies to evaluate engineering controls to reduce CO concentrations in occupied areas on houseboats.
See also
- Cabin cruiser
A cabin cruiser is a type of power boat that provides accommodation for its crew and passengers inside the structure of the craft. A cabin cruiser usually ranges in size from 25 to 45 feet in length, with larger pleasure craft usually considered yachts. Many cabin cruisers can be recovered and...
- Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging and/or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
- Live aboard
Liveaboard can mean:*Someone who makes a boat, typically a small yacht in a marina, his primary residence. Powerboats and cruising sailboats are commonly used for living aboard, as well as houseboats which are designed primarily as a residence....
- Boathouse
A boathouse is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports of leisure use. These are typically located by open water, such as on a river. Often the boats stored are rowing boats...
, a house to store a boat.
External links