Building a "houseboat"

[the1much]

o.k.,,,if i help ya,,you cant tell people im a computer guru,,hehe ,,,under user cp,,,once you go there,,look at the list on the left,,bout 3' down,,theres a "edit options" click that,,,,then bout9 ' down,,hehe,,,theres all ya private messaging options,,
and i dont blame ya for not going to lake ontario,,,what a waste of water,,,bunch of "go fasts" and dirty.
need any more help,,,jus pm or email me hehehehhe

[the1much]

and PPPSSSssssssst,,,lazy,,,,,,email them plans to me,,,ill explain them as well as i can to him hehehe ,,over the phone of course hehe

[alan white]

Originally Posted by Bruce 01

Alan, thanks for your thoughts, they are good ones.

My original idea a few years ago was to buy the smallest cuddy cabin I could get, around 20 feet. But they all come with big motors and I am not interested in going 30-40 mph, with all the gas-sucking to boot (canal limit is 10 mph). And there really is no "living" space on a small cuddy anyway.

I want something simple, cheap (everything used except probably the motor), cheap to run, easy to maintain (no wood hulls) and I can't spend years making it.

The only big water around here is Lake Ontario, and I have no interest in going there.

You need a displacement hull, one that is not designed to plane, but which is very efficient at low speeds. Not so common any more, but you could easily build one. The most easily driven hulls are sailboat hulls. If you found a hull designed to be (initially) stable without a ballast keel (a "centerboarder"), the hull, even if stripped of its sailing parts, would make a good platform for canal-boating.
In fact, there are many boats out there whose hulls are fine, but can be had for cheap because of damage to the rig, deck, etc..
A 25 ft hull about 8 ft wide would make a good candidate for conversion.
It would have an engine installation (preferrably inboard diesel or outboard four-stroke), water tankage, fuel tankage, stove, toilet, etc., etc., to salvage, not to mention cleats, lines, fasteners, and so forth.
You could get such a boat for $2k if you shop around.

A.

[Bruce 01]

Originally Posted by alan white

You need a displacement hull, one that is not designed to plane, but which is very efficient at low speeds. . .
A 25 ft hull about 8 ft wide would make a good candidate for conversion.
It would have an engine installation (preferrably inboard diesel or outboard four-stroke), water tankage, fuel tankage, stove, toilet, etc., etc., to salvage, not to mention cleats, lines, fasteners, and so forth.
You could get such a boat for $2k if you shop around.

A.

Well now we're getting somewhere! The sailboat hull is a very good idea and I am going to seriously consider it. There are zillions of sailboats in my area. Thank you!

[the1much]

my "retirement" house and my "perfect" boat,,is gonna be me, on my sailboat,,(with no sails) on my private pond (less then 50 acres) hehe

[PAR]

I have a design for a 28' LOD, 7' 6" beam houseboat that was intended to work the narrow and shallow waters of south Florida. It's light weight, very trailerable and super easy to build, using mostly Home Depot/Lowe's building materials.

It's flat bottomed with a little rocker, has a flat transom, though could wear an elliptical transom for some style. It's powered by a 30 HP outboard, travels at displacement speeds only and sips fuel like a bird (about a gallon per hour).

The house structure is straight sided, the roof is a simple, common crown all made glue and screw, so epoxy and fiberglass work is minimized. It has no side decks along the cabin, but does have a fore and aft deck area for berthing and getting a tan or fishing. Flip down side decks could be arranged while at dock or on a mooring, but folded up for transport.

[rwatson]

Have a look at the Fast Motor Sailer - info at
http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/fms.htm

this is a Bolger design - this owner used a large motor, but you can put smaller ones on it. Being plywood, not rocket science either but will outlast most builders with little maintenance. The sailing rig is minimal, and optional.

The plans are only $US300 - if you can get in touch with Mr Bolger (slow replying to letters, but wont use email)

Phil Bolger, P.O. Box 1209 Gloucester MA 01930

I think it is a great size for towing, efficient accomodation layout, and simple to build.

Might suit.

[Bruce 01]

Thanks for your replies, PAR and rwatson, but I have no interest in building an entire boat.

[mucco99]

Looking for plans to incorporate 80 55 gal plastic barrels to build a float that i could build a house on

[partgypsy]

If you don't know anything about boat building, find a project hull and build whatever suits your fancy on top.
Try Scruton Marine in Ontario. They have lots of funky boats and they may have one to suit you. If you scrounge around just about any marina, they usually have something "interesting" in the weeds. Good luck.