Mike Rorie finished building his 20- by105-foot Stardust houseboat in October 2017 and proceeded to have a phenomenal season with the boat this past summer. This is their family’s fourth houseboat in 20 years and Mike said they had a wonderful experience building it and working with the team at Trifecta Ventures.
“The workmanship was beyond expectation because my wife learned that they could do anything and she figured out lots of stuff they could do,” laughed Mike.
This past summer, the Rories spent as much time on the boat as they could and ended up going pretty much every weekend. Mike and his wife have two grown daughters and their youngest daughter has two sons. Mike explained that part of the purpose of them upgrading from a four-bedroom to a six was because of their growing family and how they want the boat to accommodate their future.
Mike explained that they put everything they could think of on their Stardust and that they finished the boat at the same level that you’d finish a high-end home. From the woodwork and features to the kitchen, everything screams luxury.
“I have a great passion for houseboats,” said Mike, “and the level that we built this boat at is second to none.”
Stardust Cruisers
Stardust started as a stand-alone pioneer in the business of houseboats and has fought its way through the rough seas of the boating industry, always remaining above water. Plus the manufacturer holds the record as the oldest continuously-operating houseboat company. It is now part of Trifecta Ventures, but still continues to boast its own individuality as a company. Since its first steel hull construction in 1965, it has built more than 1,500 custom vessels to date, and continues to blow others out of the water with the incredible craftsmanship and design of its houseboats.
With its patented web frame design, it is able to further fortify the entire structure, and new hull improvements combined with direct drive or V-drive power configurations really give Stardust the upper hand, making it both easily handled and plenty efficient. Conveniently, Stardust also has its own fiberglass shop onsite and specializes in custom woodwork and cabinetry, meaning the work is always a fresh take on their traditional, stylish designs.
Date Founded: 1965
Location: Monticello, Ky.
Best-selling Model or Floor Plan: 18’ x 85’ Four-bedroom design
Smallest Houseboat to Date: 10’ X 30’
Largest Houseboat to Date: 22’ X 120
Hull Design: All Aluminum Standard Barge and Cruiser Style Hulls
Water Applications: Lakes, Rivers and Intracoastal
In-house Transportation: Yes
In house Interior Decorating: Yes
Looking to 2019
Stardust expects the current trending of yacht styles to carry over into 2019, and they also think clients who have visited boat shows like Fort Lauderdale and Miami will continue to bring their ideas to Stardust when building their customized houseboat. They are looking forward to a successful 2019.