Barge style houseboat

Actually, I was thinking about liability. I'm told that most marinas want to see some kind of insurance before letting you dock there. But, to digress, I've been wondering about the feasibility of a pointed barge hull. In the shape of an iron. It would be sort of like a pacific dory shape but with no rocker . I'm thinking that that might keep it from slapping if the bow is immersed. Any thoughts.
Obviously this would not be crossing to Nassau, but would that shape be of any advantage in the ICW?

 

Most marinas around here require a minimum of $350,000 in Liability coverage. Some of the swankier ones ask for a mil. All of the self-propelled barges I've seen in Europe (Tjalk, Skutze, Luxmotor, Frecinet, etc.) do have a tapered or bulbous bow. I'm no nautical engineer, but I assume there's a reason for it. ;-)

 

PS - You'd be surprised at how choppy the Atlantic ICW can get at times, notably around the estuaries and with a nice NE "breeze" coming in on an ebbing tide.

 

Rearic,
I built a RiverWalker several years ago (28'x10' instead of as designed). I currently use it as a charter/tour boat on the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan. Commercial insurance was a bit of a process to find but after a few rejections I got it. Costs $1000 per year, $750 is for passenger liability. The boat has been great, I started with an old 25hp tohatsu which pushed the boat fine but it was a hand full getting into my slip which is exposed to river current and wind (and is quite narrow). I put a 40hp Honda on last year which solved the close quarters handling issue and also cut fuel use to almost nothing. The square bow pounds if you are headed right into a chop and anything more that 3' waves is uncomfortable for most people. That's on Lake Michigan which usually doesn't get nice long swells. I just stay on the river if the lake is to rough.

 

Successful CONCRETE floating home Project(s) ( oh no not concrete again )

I watched an interesting "amazing engineering' documentary the other day of a 'floating village' concept.

They poured hollow square 'basements' in a dry dock, built a house on top, and floated and trucked the edifice to an inland lake in Holland.

I have tried to locate as many references as possible for interested people.
http://www.waterloft.nl/en/floating-homes-groningen/

http://www.bowcrest.com/dutch-barge-specialists/index.php/floating-homes/

I tried to locate the original documentary too, but not with much luck.




More info, floating concrete hull office, showing the hull construction with great beginners Archimedes principle explained


Another interesting floating home project in Holland, with the problems of compensating ballast when you put your books on one side of the house


Another unrelated example of concrete barges - real problems here to show why the dutch builkt their hulls in a dry dock



And now for the Ultimate in floating constructions - whole cities

 

Isn't it easier, cheaper, more green and much more practical to just build a house on land?

 

Not for the Dutch - they have reclaimed the heck out of their country ( most of the housing is below sea level ) and now they just have no more places to build.

One of those videos explains all that.

The benefits of floating homes I would look for
1) Ability to get away from obnoxious neighbours
2) Ability to move to better jobs areas

 

Oh, well, the Dutch. I guess they paid their dues pertaining to water and they pretty much have their **** in order as a general thing. And I guess the majority of the Earth is water, and humans are like rats as far as breeding and sustainable population, so I guess it's probably the 'wave' of the future.

 

Have you priced waterfront land recently
Brian

 

Here is another rather long extensive discussion on this same basic idea:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/retirement-houseboat-floating-home-23987.html


In general I think you will find that many marinas will not let a 'floating houseboat' in,...ordinances etc, etc. I just about abandoned the idea for the USA (in general), and went back to the basic idea that it had to be more of a 'boat structure' definition so it could be regulated as a 'boating vessel'.

We in the USA are not as forward thinking as the Dutch.... ...thanks Rwatson for those clips

On the other hand I am again looking at the prospect of floating homes in Thailand,...BUT not in the conventional manner of thinking. Have a look here:

Reasoning for Thai Floating Home