houseboat

hi please the cost of renting has gone way out of proportion please need plans for a 45 foot house boat to put on calm water can it be made from wood thanks if you can help please ellen:

 

Hi ellen9999. You don't say whether you intend to build the houseboat yourself - or whether the 'calm water' is fresh - or salt. But I can see no reason why it can't be built of timber. Earlier houseboats were - though they were mainly converted working boats at the 'end' of their labours (narrowboats, barges etc).

However it may be wiser to build the base upon which to add the 'house' structure from steel. There are several forum members who will give you better advice based on a wider experience. meanwhile welcome to the forum, and, as they say...watch this space...

 

Houseboats

The 45' TEIGN MOTOR BARGE http://www.selway-fisher.com/Mcover30.htm is not very hard to construct. I agree with Bergalia that steel for a floating house is a better option. Where i live the banks will only provide a mortgage for a houseboat when the hull is made from concrete.

When you want to stick with wood the selway fisher barge has the added benefit that it looks like a boat.

 

Concrete houseboat idea

When constructing the hull for a concrete houseboat you have to make heavy complex and expensive molds for the sides.

My idea is to cast the floor and sides flat on the ground (in sand) with pieces of rebar (steel reinforcement inside the concrete) sticking out where the sides and floor are going to meet. After erecting the sides and welding them to the floor cover the seems with concrete to protect the rebar against rusting and make it waterproof.

Much of this work can be done by a handy amateur.

Next step: Get the thing in the water.....

For reference some pictures of classic concrete houseboat construction:

http://www.woonbootplaza.nl/index.php?page=content&groep_id=90

 

https://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=7

 

This is Belle (RYD-47) and one of my designs. A houseboat that doesn't look like a floating travel trailer. She's 50' on deck with a 16' beam.



Contact me by email if intrested (click on my name).

 

Hey PAR - another classic. Beautiful lines. (Dammit - I'm beginning to sound like your sales rep...)

 

par that boat is beautiful is it all wood

 

i know i can do anything if i put my mind to it and i found this site by accident last night and i want to thank everyone who cares to share there knowledge with others you people are the best and by the way this is the only forum i have joined and hope to learn everything from here thanks a million ellen

 

Thanks Max, I guess that 30 dollar bill I sent you last month is beginning to pay off . . .

Yep, she's all wood.

 

Thanks PAR - Wooden US$30 bills are always welcomed by Australian Banks.....

 

I dont really know anything about the wooden boat market over there, but over here there seems to be a real abundance of old wooden boats for sale at the moment. I mean I bought mine last october its 56' long and approx 15' beam. Its made of 3" teak and the keel was laid in 1964. Shes old & worn but still very solid and only cost me £6000. I think I paid a reasonable price for Her when you consider what i got.
So all im saying is it may be possible for you to pick up a nice solid wooden (say for example) ex-working boat and convert it for a not unreasonable price rather than building your own from scratch.

 

Yea, but it had such a pretty grain . . .