11/05/2007 11:01:45 PM
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Silverbackman
Junior Member
Posts: 1
Joined: 11/05/2007
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Are all houseboats capable of traveling across
oceans? For example can most modern houseboats travel from
California to Japan, or at least from New York to Britain?
Or are there certain houseboats designed for
ocean travel as well as normal sea traveling distances? If so,
where can I find such long-distance worthy houseboats?
Also, have they made any houseboats that run
on solar-powered electricity, or any other type of renewable
energy? It would certainly be great to have a houseboat that
doesn’t need gas or diesel and instead can run indefinitely
on solar power (the solar power obviously providing electric power
as well to TVs, laptops, fridges, ect.). If they do have solar
powered houseboats, are there any solar-powered ocean-going
houseboats?
Edited: 11/05/2007 at 11:02:36 PM by Silverbackman
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11/06/2007 05:38:18 AM
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Kahuna
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: 08/19/2004
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There are no houseboats even remotely capable of offshore cruising or especially, crossing oceans. If you want to cross oceans you need either a sailboat, or a trawler with a lot of ballast, deep draft and rounded bilge. The biggest hurdle to powered crossings is the amount of fuel required. Most long range trawlers carry thousands of gallons of fuel, and they have one engine, and they travel at displacement speeds- 7-8 knots. Crossings in those boats can take from weeks to months.
The most you can reasonably expect from a houseboat is to use it on the Intracoastal, rivers and lakes. A Pluckebaum can handle some light coastal water, but that's about it.
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1963 Pluckebaum 40' steel boat
Twin 502 MPI Crusaders
ZF 63A trans
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11/06/2007 05:53:51 AM
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stmbtwle
Admiral
Posts: 2142
Joined: 04/22/2003
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NO, and NO!!!
Some "trawlers" are capable of ocean voyages and some are pretty liveable. Otherwise a sailboat. Most powerboats simply don't have the range. Houseboats are not designed for open water, either.
Solar power? That's called a SAILBOAT, they've been crossing oceans for centuries.
Some diesels can run on biodiesel (renewable but hard to find), so in theory at least a trawler might fill your requirements.
Photovoltaic? Not yet. Someone recently crossed the Atlantic in a PV-powered catamaran, but generally there's not enough room on the boat to mount the panels needed to provide enough power for propulsion. Maybe in 50-100 years.
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Willie She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw
Edited: 11/06/2007 at 06:03:19 AM by stmbtwle
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11/06/2007 07:02:35 AM
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Pirate
Admin - super moderator group
Posts: 1346
Joined: 10/08/2002
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Offshore Houseboats limited range, Botel , Pluckabaum 40 ft Whitcraft. Harbormaster Coastal. These are NOT LAKEBOATS. The travels you are suggesting would require a yacht trawler with at least 2000 gallon fuel capacity maby more depending on destination. Most yacht owners even those in excess of 100 ft and capable of the voyage have them shipped. No solar boats, you would wind up adrift and a a wreck of solar panels. The ocean is not kind to excessive baggage. You really need a motorsailer. about an 80 fter and away you go.
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The pirate
Edited: 11/21/2007 at 09:51:41 PM by Pirate
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11/07/2007 04:54:16 PM
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stmbtwle
Admiral
Posts: 2142
Joined: 04/22/2003
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hmmm looks like we scared him off.
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Willie She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw
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11/15/2007 07:42:32 PM
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joetil
Admiral
Posts: 293
Joined: 09/10/2006
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This is the first houseboat I've had but we owned a 35' diesel flybridge/sportfish for 10 years and made about 20 trips from S. Fla to the Bahamas but my wife hated the boat so... now we've got a 50x15 Burns-Craft which she loves and I plan on taking to the Bahamas this summer. I plan on picking my weather so we'll have calm seas but I don't really forsee many problems. If the seas get too high we might just have to turn back. The deck is about 3.5' above the water line; we've had it 20 miles out in the gulf when we brought it home in 4' seas with no problems.
Am I crazy to consider taking this boat to the Bahamas? Is there something I'm overlooking? Please straighten me out if I need it.
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joetil
50x15 Burns-Craft in South Fla
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11/16/2007 02:46:08 PM
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TheJudge
Admiral
Posts: 282
Joined: 05/01/2006
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You can take any houseboat made and cross any ocean if you pick the correct weather window and have a fuel tanker to stand close by to pump more fuel in each day and rescue you when the weather suddenly changes or you can ship it over on a freighter. Where do these people come from? As to joetil wanting to go to the Bahamas, that can be done on the right day but I would not do it. Neither do I want to rollerskate through rush hour traffic but it can be done.
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The Judge Rules
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11/19/2007 10:27:16 AM
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TheJudge
Admiral
Posts: 282
Joined: 05/01/2006
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See what I told you. You can be lucky time and time again and then you will become complacent and the roof falls in.
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The Judge Rules
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11/19/2007 11:01:40 AM
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jimg
Admiral
Posts: 367
Joined: 08/13/2006
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First of all, send your wife and kids on over on a plane, then get
a few of us guys, like Zone man and Ted, maybe me, Bananna Tom, The
judge, maybe a couple more. Bring lots of Rum, lots of fuel,
good life jackets, and heck, let's go...... Nooooooo
PROBLEMS...........
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Riverliver
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11/19/2007 03:48:57 PM
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stmbtwle
Admiral
Posts: 2142
Joined: 04/22/2003
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I FLEW to the Abacos one year an saw several smaller, older houseboats anchored in one of the harbors there; I'm going to assume they got there under their own power. I've had friends make the crossing in a 25' single engine cabin cruiser; but one year the weather came up and they had to turn back, nearly losing one boat. A houseboat might (or might not) have gone down in the same conditions. I was invited to go along and I'm glad I didn't. Would I try it in MY houseboat? NO WAY!
Folks have made the Atlantic crossing in a 10' boat, an amphibious jeep
http://www.collectorcafe.com/a...sp?article=420&id=1481 and a Cutter 30, so with enough planning and a whole lot of LUCK, I guess doing it in a houseboat might be possible. Personally if I had to choose I'd take the 10 footer.
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Willie She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw
Edited: 11/19/2007 at 03:58:59 PM by stmbtwle
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11/19/2007 04:57:35 PM
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BananaTom
Admiral
Posts: 968
Joined: 12/05/2006
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Now that is a cool story about "Half Safe".
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Banana Tom
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11/19/2007 07:37:49 PM
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Amelia
Admiral
Posts: 522
Joined: 02/03/2007
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Lots of ocean crossings in craft that only the truly insane would leave the dock in... Kon Tiki, RA, and my personal favorite, Son of Town Hall. Makes me feel ever so superior, with our own home-made efforts. This counter-culture collection of detritus was thrown out of New York Harbor as a public nuisance, I believe, and made it all the way to the Netherlands, and then to Marseilles, France without loss of life. Haven't heard anything about them since 2005, but it's a hoot. Weird folk! http://www.floatingneutrinos.c...0of%20Town%20Hall.html
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Amelia Edenton, NC
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11/20/2007 06:46:41 AM
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stmbtwle
Admiral
Posts: 2142
Joined: 04/22/2003
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I wonder how much flack they got from the local politicos during construction???
Maybe there's hope for the rest of us!!!
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Willie She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw
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11/20/2007 01:54:01 PM
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BananaTom
Admiral
Posts: 968
Joined: 12/05/2006
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A friend of mine did cross the Gulf of Mexico in a Sea Kayak, which can be viewed at
http://www.seacajun.com
He then paddled around it at
http://www.lacostadelgolfo.com
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Banana Tom
Edited: 11/20/2007 at 01:59:55 PM by BananaTom
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11/20/2007 07:00:33 PM
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joetil
Admiral
Posts: 293
Joined: 09/10/2006
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The reply about sending the wives over on a plane and taking lots of rum for the guys is just what we've done (many times), although the rum doesn't come out until wer'e safely on "the bank." Going to the Bahamas is only 65 miles away from our dock and not much of a challenge for a boat with a 300+ mile range. It's true that 65 miles can get really rough but you just have to pick your days. We've had to wait 3 days for good weather to come home but we always found fun things to do.
After you've experienced the beautiful crystal clear blue waters and picture perfect small islands and reefs it's hard to stay away. I wouldn't suggest that just anyone try this crossing but for the more experienced among us our summers in the islands have created memories that will last a lifetime for us and our kids.
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joetil
50x15 Burns-Craft in South Fla
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11/20/2007 07:47:12 PM
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Amelia
Admiral
Posts: 522
Joined: 02/03/2007
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I admit to harboring secret fantasies about total energy independence, quiet, clean, and, if not cheap, at least pre-paid, but I suspect we'll be doing well to manage a sunny weekend of camping-style comfort on the hook.
Here's a (rendering of a)houseboat, though, that really sounds like the one I want... unfortunately, it's a bit short on nitty-gritty details- like price and delivery date. I think if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. Pretty, though. http://www.solarsailor.com/solutions_rec.htm
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Amelia Edenton, NC
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11/21/2007 06:18:16 AM
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stmbtwle
Admiral
Posts: 2142
Joined: 04/22/2003
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Here's another; not near as pretty though. http://dsehybrid.com/
And another "solar" houseboat (100 years old no less) that might be affordable. http://yachtbroker.escapeartis.../635/index.html
It's near me, maybe I should check it out?
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Willie She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw
Edited: 11/21/2007 at 07:21:06 AM by stmbtwle
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11/21/2007 01:33:43 PM
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clarencio5
Admiral
Posts: 229
Joined: 09/03/2006
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One more input on this dumb idea. We had a 43 ft. Drifter
Houseboat on our way from Pgh. Pa to Florida. When we got to
Carabelle Fla. we waited 9 days to wait for good weather so we
could cross over to Cedar Keys Fla. It would be about 9 hours for
the trip.
We took off in good weather. Four hours later it turned to
crap. We decided that continuing on was better than turning
back. Soon we had 10 ft waves coming head on so we basically
was forced to head kind of toward Mexico at idle speed to keep from
getting turned over. The inside of our boat was in ruins and
the outside was having things torn off of it. I had my wife
and 2 kids aboard plus my German Shepherd.
To make a long story short----it took us 29 hours to pull into
Cedar Keys and as we pulled close (But not there yet) we ran out of
gas. We later heard that this area is known as
"Graveyard of the Houseboats"
Now what do you think can happen in an Ocean???
Captain Clarencio
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11/21/2007 09:51:01 PM
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Pirate
Admin - super moderator group
Posts: 1346
Joined: 10/08/2002
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Did the man who lost his gas cans happen to be and old marine on a 55 ft Kingscraft. I sold him the boat cautioned him and the same trhing happened to him.
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The pirate
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11/23/2007 01:07:34 PM
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clarencio5
Admiral
Posts: 229
Joined: 09/03/2006
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TED I don't understand your reply about the open waters from
Mobile to New Orleans?
This is all Intracoastal waters thru lakes, channels etc. All
very close to land. What am I missing here? From
Carabelle Fla. to Cedar Keys is the only time you leave the
intracoastal. waterways.
Thank You,
Clarencio
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