A short while ago I noticed a new job title on a friends LinkedIn account. My friend Ben Jackson had become VP of Sales at Houseboats.com. I knew right away that I would be calling him eventually because the idea of renting a houseboat to share an experience on the water with friends and family was very appealing to me. Two weeks ago I finally made that call, and I am glad that I did. Houseboats.com has rentals at Lake McClure and New Melones Lake, they also have impressive rental inventory at Jones Valley resort at Lake Shasta including a massive 65' Houseboat "Titan" that sleeps 22 passengers.

The unit that we rented was the Eclipse model "Capicornus" a boat with many great amenities including a roof top hot-tub, full kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, 2 state rooms and lots of other great goodies. The highlight feature for my family and our friends was the roof top hot-tub. We arrived Thursday morning and departed on Sunday. It ended up being a very relaxing and enjoyable trip with some surprises along the way.

When we arrived at Lake McClure we checked in at the store. The store manager I believe his name was Jim greeted us. The staff was friendly and helpful from the time we arrived until our departure, it left a very good impression with our family and guests. Jim pointed us in the right direction and told us where to unload our luggage and supplies. Once we had loaded the boat and parked our car we were ready for our orientation process. The detail that was covered was impressive but operating a houseboat and all the related systems is not difficult but it is extensive. After orientation the staff offered to bring us to a good spot for the first day/night that was relatively close to the marina. It was really helpful to see how to properly beach and tie off the boat before attempting it ourselves.

Visit http://joesgonesocial.com/2010/06/houseboating-on-lake-mcclure to read more.