Anyone want to help?

Hmmmm? 2 side by side? A16' wide boat. Most houseboats are that wide, these days. So thats doable but it adds expence & complexity.. What about the idea of a I-beam frame, filled with concrete? That ballast added to the bottom of the container would form the major area of the hull & give it stability. Pulling the profile down, deeper than sitting on top of the waterline..
Of course, this type of basic stuff is where I need help. Adding 6,000 lbs to the bottom of the box & adding a 24" side deck just above waterline on both sides (making a 12' width) would still be topsy-turvey?

 

i suggest you price a second container angainst structural steel and concrete costs......personally i think cutting a container and laying it open folding a long side over and then welding a top plate around the edges on tops of the structural container corners cut before unfolding..and welding or bolting the bottom corners together where they meet..weld the doors in
gives 17'x41'x4.5' deep in 2 compartments for a lot less draft and tons more stabilty build houseboat on that..couple of i/o drives easy enough to fit
and id also say how many moorages are going to be 6+ feet of draft..along with stumps and mudbars and rocks ...cars...pileings...oh yea boats...railroad locomoives...the list is endless..

 

Ted,
I enjoyed the link. The e-book "architecture and the velvet fist of happiness" was inspirational, the 'facial prosthesis' was disturbing and funny both. That is truly thinking 'outside the box', so to speak. As far as containers on water goes, I believe that there may be no bottom to the containers other than the plywood floor inside and the beams every foot or so underneath that support the plywood. If the container was to be put into the water by itself, you would have to go to the trouble to make the bottom watertight. Sam

 

Sam Sam; I went to look at "bottoms" at the local supplier (who is NEVER there to question). I didn't find out anything. They are lifted & stacked, so I feel the btms must be strong. That aside, it doesn't matter. I want a design that is a hull. Then the crane sits the container down onto it. The container doesn't touch the water. It is a cabin, sitting down in a hull.
Redsky; I get what your saying (kinda). You want a form of contauner "salvage" to create a hull. Here... a container is $3200 del. I think 80' of I-beam, rebar, wire & 2yds of concrete can be cheaper. All that cutting and folding (the picture I see in my head) is confusing to me & sounds like more welding/bending than necessary, or maybe possible in a backyard.
I'll reread and try to get it. BUT it makes the container the hull & then you have to build a cabin. Bear with me, I'm not the brightist bulb.

 

If you make the hull with ferrocement, it is better to give it a slight curve both ways. It will make the panel stiffer and lighter.

 

I just saw a figure of 7 million containers per year arriving here in USA. We return only 2.5 million in our exports. Now that is a surplus!

 

Hi
How are you getting on with your container-houseboat project?

I have been reading up all the threads and am keen to see any photos of your project. It looks very doable - especially 2 containers side by side to prevent it from turning over and to give extra space.

Can you give us an update ?

Where are you located ?

Thanks