houseboats
 

who here owns one or a timeshare/shared ownership?
would love to see some pics,
where, what do you like dis like about it/ owning it?

sundance one on a bullfrog bouy at powell.
54'
1984
skipperliner
damn, labor day needs to come faster.

Epic, your timing is funny because we are just starting a search to potentially buy a houseboat. I'd also love to see some pics, feedback, as well as recommendations on what to look for when buying a boat. We're also struggling a bit with the thought of delta (much closer) vs a lake like Shasta or Oroville (nicer, but long drive) for a weekend getaway. We're looking for something int the 50 foot range. Love to see some pics and feedback.

This is great timing. We are looking for a rental at Shasta or Bullards or Don Pedro.

we go to Shasta every summer and just rent one. Split 3 ways, this is much less of a headache than owning one...

wade_lewark
Where do you reccomend? We have never been there before.
Thanks in advance
Don C.

I purchased a shared ownership of a 2006 75' Sumerset in 2007 and have had 3 incredible trips in September aboard the boat. After doing a significant amount of research, www.sunrisepeak.com had the best overall package for my needs. If the boat has a knowledgeable group of owners who respect the vessel, shared ownership is a fantastic way to go.
Our group rented the previous year and was extremely disappointed in the quality of the houseboat through Wahweap. Antelope Marina would be the way to go for a rental. The cost of the shared ownership pays for itself in about a three year period. It simply takes a commitment to use the boat each year, kind of a nice way to twist the arm to spend a week on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

34' Nautaline in St. Croix Falls, WI
 

We've had our boat on the St. Croix River above the Taylors Falls dam for 9 years now. It is a nice getaway to bring friends and go ride. The best part is towing the Mastercraft up river while driving from the fly bridge listening to some tunes getting ready to ride with some buddies. God I miss the river right now, stupid winter.

KTM525... Try Jones Valley. I like their boats. It's a bit tough to get in/out of the marina (the road is super windy), but it's proximity makes parking the houseboat easy. You don't have to drive too far to get a good spot with nice water to ride in.

Oops.... back-up. I'm thinking of the wrong resort. Jones is great for the big, big boats. I'm brainfarting on the marina we went out of last. I remember Jones being significantly more expensive when we shopped.

Silverthorn Marina. We got the Queen 1 a couple years back. Nice boat.

nick,
 

I am digging that houseboat man. That looks like the perfect weekend pad!

Yeah Silverthorn is a pain in the ars to get in and out of, but prolly much cheeper than Jones Valley. Jone Valley does have the Titan though, that thing is SICK!

That is a gorgeous houseboat, if you don't mind me asking how much are you paying for your share and maintenance?

Yes, it is!

Just a quick search

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/boa/1624329597.html

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/1615794370.html

I owned 1/3 of a 16x72 Sumerset for two years. It was a flip project, so a little different situation. I loved it. I was out on it a couple times a week all year long. It's the ultimate mancave, and they're awesome for families with little ones. Kids have real bedrooms to nap in, and mom & dad still get to be at the lake.

That being said, it is not cheap and I certainly don't miss the payments. We paid around $1300/mo just for insurance, slip, and utilities. They are also extremely nerve-wracking to drive anywhere except the wide-open main body of the lake.


What it looked like when we bought it.

What it looked like when we sold it.

http://austinhouseboat.files.wordpre...8/img_1595.jpg

Hey guys. We're going to look at a couple of houseboats this weekend. I certainly appreciate any thoughts/feedback on the pricing, boats themselves, and things to look out for. These 2 boats are obviously at different ends of the spectrum. I'm leaning more towards something like the lower end option (though it's more difficult to get financing for an older boat), but the first one certainly looks sweet. Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but appreciate thoughts/feedback here...

Option I:
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/19...eboat-96102562

Option II:

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/19...eboat-96510855

We got to Antlers Resort in Lakehead, they are a good bunch of people and their boats and cabins are well priced. http://www.shastalakevacations.com/

Pics on the ads aren't coming up for me here at work, so I can't tell what they look like, but here are my comments.

$119k is a lot for a 1996 56x14 in this economy. We didn't get a whole lot more than that for our totally refurbished 1995 72x16 last October.

They need a haul-out service and new bellows every 5-7 years ($5000). Ask how long it's been.

Look carefully for any issues in the roof - soft spots, lumps where they shouldn't be, rotting gutters, etc.

Stick with an aluminum hull if you can. Otherwise you're looking at a bottom job too every time it's hauled out. Plus aluminum hulls are made to beach, which is what you want to do if you're staying somewhere for more than a couple hours.

You will want at least one thruster with anything over about 40', preferably in the bow. Unless the wind is 100% calm, they are scary to drive around docks without thrusters. Thrusters cost about $15k to add one later.

Get a recommendation for a good hull surveyor, and have any boat you're serious about surveyed. Cost was $15/foot for our survey.

thanks for the insights Trace. The boat you re-did looked amazing. This one is a '96, but it definitely looks nicely upgraded (or well-taken care of) as well.

I think we're going to look at those two, and then for comparison sake, look at a few on a lake. Our friends have one at Lake Oroville and highly recommend lake vs. delta. Unfortunately, not much available on the closest lake to us (Berryessa), and nothing that's appealing at all (that I can find anyway).

those are nice boats. I picked mine up, because, the owners bought her new and she is in above avg. condition. I also get three weeks a year (at least one prime summer week). Not much luxury. But my wish list was not a floating hotel sweet, but basicly a floating camp site.
But Those look sick!!!