House Boats

[Stoneman]

Looking for a little input on houseboats. I really want to make the trip to Powell, but I won't be able to pull that off this year-too late/expensive to plan at this point. I was thinking about making a maiden voyage somewhere closer/cheaper as this will be the first time--just to make sure that we'll like it before we take the big plunge next year. I know the views won't be as nice, but I was thinking about Mead or Mohave. Can anybody offer some advice?

[xpjim1]

Lake Mead is way better than Mojave in my opinion. Seven Crown resorts out of Echo Bay has the budget boats, Go north out of Echo Bay there are nice coves to set up camp. Calville Bay has the expensive luxourious boats. Go to Boat show and Seven Crown ussully has a boat there and gives a discount for booking at the boat show.

[ragboy]

Looking for a little input on houseboats. I really want to make the trip to Powell, but I won't be able to pull that off this year-too late/expensive to plan at this point. I was thinking about making a maiden voyage somewhere closer/cheaper as this will be the first time--just to make sure that we'll like it before we take the big plunge next year. I know the views won't be as nice, but I was thinking about Mead or Mohave. Can anybody offer some advice?

Look at forever resorts, I really like their houseboats. Also, been to powell, mead, mojave, delta, and just about any lake within 12 hours of L.A. on houseboat vacations growing up. Shasta was by far the best, and whenever we could, we went back. I would say powell was second. Delta the worst. Just my opinion. It is the reason I moved to northern california. Also think about a cabin, right on the lake at shasta or trinity. Boat in slip. Much cheaper, and you don't have to worry about the houseboat, just a thought.

Lake Oroville is a less populated lake, and also now has forever resorts houseboats. The marina is Lime Saddle marina, and is my home marina. If you want more info, feel free to contact me. I also have TONS of pictures of oroville.

[Razzman]

I would agree with Rags on Shasta, a house is better. We rent the same place every year at Shasta, 5 bedrooms / 2 bath / huge dining area & living room / deck & hot tub / parking / sleeps 16 for $3000 a week and you can walk to the lake in 5 minutes. You can't touch a houseboat anywhere near that and you have all the room in the world.

[Stoneman]

Thanks for the info. Last year we spent a week at Naciemento, which had it's fair share of problems (and that's a whole different story), but the highlight was the huge house we stayed in with 3 families-6 adults, 6 kids and a dog. It was great. A house anywhere sounds awesome, but I'm thinking Shasta would be one hell of a haul from SD as just getting to Naci was bad enough. So that's why I was looking at the desert lakes. Any other input would be greatly appreciated. BTW, Go Chargers!

[Big Wave]

We have done 5 house boat trips on Mead, 1 on Powell and one on Shasta. Poweel was by far to most scenic and beutiful. Also had alot of people out.
Shasta had a ton of people on the lake and a lot of law.

Mead has alot of space and you can get away from other people and have coves to yourself most of the time. I would also say Mead is 3 or four times better than Mojave when it comes to smooth water and crowds.

When comparing 7 crowns and Forever rents, Forever is worth the extra $$$$ if you can afford it. The boats are much nicer and they have way fewer probs with the boats and if you do have a prob. you call them on the radio and they come fix it.
Anyway you look at it hoseboating is a great vacation.

[ragboy]

Y, after doing a forever houseboat, hard to go back to 7 crowns. Unless it has gotten a lot better, it has been a while for me.

[G-MONEY]

I live in so cal and 90% of our trips are to the desert lakes. Powell it the only time I have ever been on a house boat because thats the only way to do it. I know that Mohave has off peak season rates for houseboats and I think Mead offers the same but not 100%. If you are going to do a house boat trip on Mohave go through Cottonwood Cove and go north on the lake. Mead I would go out of Echo Bay like Jim said. To be honest the only lake IMO to do on a house boat trip on is Powell.

[xpjim1]

Seven Crowns is definately budget but the cost is 1/3 of forever resorts. We houseboated on mead from 1993 to 2000 with Seven Crowns. Only had one major issue with the houseboat which they refunded all our money at the end of the week. Since then they have supposedly updated all the boats. We stopped houseboating when we bought a house Havasu. After the Coldwater Reunion we talked abuot a June Houseboat trip on Mead again. In my opinion you need 2 familys because the loading, unloading, setting up the houeboat is a pain and alot of work for a week. We never moved the houseboat from the cove we found and just used the boats and seadoos to get around.

[xpjim1]

Another Idea if you want to houseboat on Powell is to buy into an older boat shared ownership. Use it your week and then sell it for the next year. Works out less than renting. Several of my friends have done this. I am trying to convince some of my friends to go in with me, lots of interest from them but no takers

[ragboy]

Seven Crowns is definately budget but the cost is 1/3 of forever resorts. We houseboated on mead from 1993 to 2000 with Seven Crowns. Only had one major issue with the houseboat which they refunded all our money at the end of the week. Since then they have supposedly updated all the boats. We stopped houseboating when we bought a house Havasu. After the Coldwater Reunion we talked abuot a June Houseboat trip on Mead again. In my opinion you need 2 familys because the loading, unloading, setting up the houeboat is a pain and alot of work for a week. We never moved the houseboat from the cove we found and just used the boats and seadoos to get around.

The 2 family thing is one of the reasons we had gone to renting a cabin or a house. Had a couple bad experiences where there could have been a murder by the end of the week. ;-) Mostly family though.

[G-MONEY]

The 2 family thing is one of the reasons we had gone to renting a cabin or a house. Had a couple bad experiences where there could have been a murder by the end of the week. ;-) Mostly family though.

Thats the only problem, you have to go with people you like. I remember as a kid we went to Powell with 5 families and 2 houseboats at the end of the trip you could cut the tension with a knife.....But still and unbelievable week and a good learning exp. The next trip we only went with one other family and everything was smooth sailing.

[xpjim1]

When we houseboated we shared the house boat with the same freinds for 8 years. My friend and I had it down, shopping lists, supplies securing houseboats, boats and seadoos. Never had an issue. But it is very important to go with people you get along with and they all have a good work ethic. Some family members want to go houseboating with us, which I will not do because I know one of us would not be returning.

[Big Wave]

Seven Crowns is definately budget but the cost is 1/3 of forever resorts. We houseboated on mead from 1993 to 2000 with Seven Crowns. Only had one major issue with the houseboat which they refunded all our money at the end of the week. Since then they have supposedly updated all the boats. We stopped houseboating when we bought a house Havasu. After the Coldwater Reunion we talked abuot a June Houseboat trip on Mead again. In my opinion you need 2 familys because the loading, unloading, setting up the houeboat is a pain and alot of work for a week. We never moved the houseboat from the cove we found and just used the boats and seadoos to get around.

One thing we learned on our last HB trip before we bought the house in Meadview was that Forever will arange to have high school kids out to load and unload the boats for you. They work for tips. We ended up paying a group of 5 kids $100 to off load 4 families off 2 boats. It was by far and away the best money I ever spent.
The kids acted like we over paid them.

[xpjim1]

Echo Bay used to do that also. Not sure if they still do, they started doing that the year we stopped houseboating. With the lake down now, its a long walk from the parking lot to the houseboat.