Houseboat remove pontoons to change boat to house

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by ambo, Mar 11, 2019.

  1. ambo
    Joined: Mar 2019
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 1
    Location: australia

    ambo New Member

    I am new to the forum. Have a 17 year old professionally custom built 13m x 6m houseboat with fibreglass catamaran pontoons. The wooden superstructure is well built like a house. This superstructure sits on floors joists the similar size to a house. The boat does not have any motors and has been used at a marina all of its life. What I would like to do now is to remove & dispose of the pontoons and strengthen the structure with additional floor joists to enable me to transport it to a block of land to allow it be converted to a residence. Has anybody done anything like this and if so, I would appreciate any advice.
     
  2. fredrosse
    Joined: Jan 2005
    Posts: 439
    Likes: 81, Points: 38, Legacy Rep: 56
    Location: Philadelphia PA

    fredrosse USACE Steam

    I have never done this, but I can tell you that a houseboat on pontoons is structurally more sound that common land based structures. Therefore your conversion transport work should not require anything out of the ordinary. 6 meters beam will of course require special flatbed trucking rigs, and over the road regulations will need to be consulted. Sewage and water connections will be the same as is found on mobile homes, there is plenty of that in the USA where I live, and I assume you have similar housing units where you are.
     
  3. ambo
    Joined: Mar 2019
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 1
    Location: australia

    ambo New Member

    Thank you very much for your reply and it's encouraging to hear your thoughts about the boat's structure. However, what we want to do is move onto our vacant block of land instead of it being housed at the expensive marina so would need to remove the pontoons.
     
  4. BlueBell
    Joined: May 2017
    Posts: 2,677
    Likes: 951, Points: 113
    Location: Victoria BC Canada

    BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

    It may be easier to remove the pontoons on land.
    No reason this wouldn't work just fine.
     
  5. JSL
    Joined: Nov 2012
    Posts: 811
    Likes: 64, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 41
    Location: Delta BC

    JSL Senior Member

    It will be a building so may be necessary to check your local by-laws to see that all aspects are legal.
     

  6. Dejay
    Joined: Mar 2018
    Posts: 721
    Likes: 138, Points: 43
    Location: Europe

    Dejay Senior Newbie

    Just out of curiosity, Why wouldn't a houseboat be more valuable "as is"? Or would you get almost the same from the pontoons alone?
     
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