Houseboat vacations: for a relaxing time afloat, rent a nautical "condo" and explore some of the nation's great waterways

Travel America, May-June, 2003 by Ellen Clark

Houseboats always intrigued me, as what's not to like about a condo that floats. Self-contained, easy to maneuver, and stable, they struck me as a dandy place to spend a vacation, but it took a friend in Boston to actually get me aboard. He invited my husband and me to join his sister and two nephews for a four-day houseboating adventure on Lake Powell.

A 186-mile-long reservoir created by the flooding of Glen Canyon, Lake Powell is one of the premier houseboating places in the entire country. The lake begins at the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona, and extends into the heart of Utah. Along the 1,960 miles of meandering shoreline (more shoreline than the entire west coast of the United States), there are scores of cozy coves and sandy beaches, perfect for houseboat mooting.

Lake Powell is only one of dozens of houseboating locations around the country, however. From Alaska's Prince William Sound to the Florida Keys, folks can rent houseboats and leisurely tour America's waterways.

Some of these waterways, like Lake Powell, are manmade. Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, for example, was created in 1931 with the completion of Bagnell Dam by the Union Electric Company. With 1,300 miles of weaving, wooded shoreline, it is prime houseboating and fishing territory. Not far from Las Vegas, Nevada, 550-mile Lake Mead, created by Hoover Dam, is also a favorite with houseboaters.

Lake Cumberland in Kentucky took 11 years to complete. Wolf Creek Dam was created to interrupt the flow of the Cumberland River, backing it up over 100 miles and making it one of the world's largest lakes. Located in the foothills of south-central Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains, it is said to be the most popular houseboating destination east of the Mississippi.

Georgia's Lake Lanier was originally created for flood control and hydroelectric power, but with its green-hilled shoreline and great fishing, it is now one of the state's most beautiful lakes and a popular houseboating spot.

Lake Amistad, which covers portions of both Texas and Mexico, is the third largest international manmade lake in the world. A desert landscape, 10,000-yearold pictographs, and superb diving conditions make this a popular houseboating destination. California's Sacramento Delta, an area created by levees to keep the farmland from flooding, draws houseboaters to its 1,000 miles of navigable waterways, which amble by quiet coves and historic towns.

There are also plenty of natural lakes and waterways that appeal to houseboaters. The Thousand Islands region of New York State's St. Lawrence River and Vermont's Lake Champlain are lovely places for houseboating in the East. Midwestern vacationers can enjoy Wisconsin's Mississippi River and Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park. And visitors to Arkansas can houseboat on a number of lakes, including Bull Shoals, Degray, and Lake Ouachita. And these locations are just a sampling of the scores of waterways in the United States and Canada that cater to houseboaters.

One of the nicest things about houseboats is their mobility. Easy to maneuver, with shallow drafts, they can be piloted by amateurs and anchored close to shore or beached for overnight stays and easy access to towns and hiking trails.

Mind you, no one becomes an expert pilot after one brief lesson from the rental operator. However, during the orientation and shakedown session, you will learn how to get next to and away from docks and how to moor and anchor your boat. And this is enough to allow you to have a safe and fun trip.

Regardless of the expertise of the "captain" these boats are so stable that the ride is bound to be fairly smooth. We left the dock in a wind storm strong enough to carry off a small dog, but once we were under way, the boat was amazingly steady.

Originally houseboats were pontoon-or catamaran-type boats with raised wheelhouses, powered by outboard motors. Today, inboard or inboard/outboard-powered, aluminum hulled boats are the most popular, with sizes ranging all the way from 30 to 60 feet.

Our boat was a sleek 52-foot craft with four single bunks, two double bunks, and two convertible benches, a bathroom (head) with shower, and a fully equipped kitchen, complete with coffee maker and microwave. Other amenities included a boarding ramp, deck chairs, a gas grill, and a swim slide. What ours did not include were blankets, pillows, sheets and towels (though they could be rented for $17 per person per trip).

Depending on your interests and the time of year, consider bringing: fishing equipment, snorkels, inner tubes and rafts, playing cards, board games, and favorite tapes and cassettes. We had a running gin rummy game that garnered me about $6 and dozens of match sticks over the course of the trip.

Most houseboat rentals offer off-season discounts and special deals. Since we were renting off-season (from April through mid-May and mid-October through March on Lake Powell), and our friend was a return client, not only was there a reduced price, but the houseboat company included an 18-foot power boat free of charge. The smaller boat was easily towed behind our nautical condo and was great for taking day trips.