Houseboat Lovers Unite

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

There seems to be an interest in houseboats in here. I have built a few and currently have a 60 footer. If you have one, are interested in getting one, or maybe even in building one... we can use this thread to discuss (and I can stop jacking people's threads with pics of my boat)...

Mine is a 60' with aluminum pontoons, steel frame. We built ours ourselves and so it's exactly what we wanted Huge decks, less enclosed space, nice bathroom with a shower.... no bedrooms, futons in the living area for indoor sleeping, lots and lots of space. We can accomodate 20 people with ease.

My boat took me a year and four months to build, but primarily that was because I built the pontoons. They took nine months. Can't mess those up because they are your foundation.

Pics to follow...

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Here are the first two boats I built... together in one cove. I came in on the end of the build on the blue one, then added 10' to the back, new ladder and handrails... awning. I completely built the yellow one. It was the first houseboat I owned. It was called WhozYoDaddy. This is like... 2001.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Here's the recent build. This was completed (its never really done, right?) in Aug, 2007. This pic is from this year, memorial day.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Some build pics... You can see the frame without the pontoons, and see how I had to push the pontoons under the frame. This was a nervous day...

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

It took two cranes to pick it up and set it on the trailer. It was a 48' lowboy, and the boat hung off the back 18'.



Driving down the highway with two pilot cars.


Then up the hill to her new home.. Pine Flat Lake, Fresno County, Cali.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Its a long way from WhozYoDaddy and the 1995 SLM, but we had a lot of fun on this boat too... It's still up at Pine Flat and I get to see her now and then.

[jbort]

thats kinda cool. What I want to know is the end of the joke that starts with......"so this monkey walks into a bar"

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

I knew that was coming.

[lohe]

Wow that looks like way to much project. Nice job I could never do something that big ( mostly the time factor) oh and money lol

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Comes from this.....
http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/751953346

[SPBFAN]

I like this one the best. I like how it sits out of the water a little more than the other ones. You want some clearance from the water to the deck so when you are in rough waters you do not get a soaking wet deck.

[murphini]

Good god, man.... is that a trampoline on the top deck and a dance floor underneath? Assume you have outboard or outboards to power it...

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

Good god, man.... is that a trampoline on the top deck and a dance floor underneath? Assume you have outboard or outboards to power it...

lol. Actually, the boat is amazingly agile for 60'. I power it with a little 4 stroke 115 merc outboard, and I can pretty well spin it in a circle.

[skippabcool]

That is just awesome BD

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

That is just awesome BD

Thank ya Skippa.