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anybody ever built a houseboat? A barge with a camp built on it? Any info would be great, I am going to build one and sure wanna do it right, the first time. Thanks
What do you want to know?
I most important thing and the biggest mistake that I see people make is they find some old beat up barge that is pretty much shot and send a bunch money building a nice house on it. I have seem this many times and seen some of them sink, the ones that don't sink get hauled time after time trying to patch them up. I have a 50 X18 X4 barge with a 14X35 house. The barge is custom built to our design, It features 1/2 bulkheads for good access in the bilge which we also use for storage, it has an open deck, or actually a 14 X34 opening for the house and the house then was built on this opening with treated floor joists and treated ply. This gives you access to the bottom of the house for plumbing and other issues access to the bilge is thru a trap door in the house. The house was a two story but Katrina wiped the house of leaving just the floor, it is now an one story. One stories did much better that two stories in Venice marina, where we are. All but one or so got beached in the storm, those on floats were screwed, the float boats have no way of being lifted or moved but only one I know of was in one piece anyway, all the others blew apart. Stay with barge or build a float boat real cheap and simple so it won't hurt as bad if you loose it. About the barge, I would either go with an open top as we did or closed with a concrete slab for the house. On the closed top, weld a 4-6" combing for your house footprint then poor concrete and steel trowel finish to smooth and later after house is built, stain and varnish the concrete, several have done this and it looks great and is a good way to put a floor on an always wavy steel barge top. For the barge, we used 1/4 steel. Outside was blasted and painted with a marine vinyl and bottom was the old standard cold tar epoxy. one feature that deserves some thought is handrails, we put 3X3 angle iron clips every 6' feet or so and bolted on 4X4 treated wood posts. these get messed up from time to time up are easy to fix , steel hand rails are a maintenance headache corrosion wise. Most importantly, find a place for it. Houseboats are maxed out at Venice marine, no more room and Cypress cove is not taking any now that I know of. So Venice is maybe not an option. We have an approved sewer plant made by Mo-Dad in he bilge.
anybody ever built a houseboat? A barge with a camp built on it? Any info would be great, I am going to build one and sure wanna do it right, the first time. Thanks
What's the law on these things in MS? I believe they're starting to crack down on them in SC.
The laws will be different in different states and localities. Yes they are cracking down on the ones on the SC lakes. Not in marinas, but the ones where someone just built one and tied it to a tree or anchored it on public property.
I doubt many of these units have approved MSDs and holding tanks.
Ron, yes I don't know how many are on lakes, but I read about it being a problem on some rivers. A lot of partially submerged barges creating a hazzard. However, I may be building one soon as well if the economy doesn't improve.
Ron, yes I don't know how many are on lakes, but I read about it being a problem on some rivers. A lot of partially submerged barges creating a hazzard. However, I may be building one soon as well if the economy doesn't improve.
It's apparently a long time tradition on Lakes Moultrie and Marion. If I recall, they are giving them five years to get rid of them. And that was a year or so ago.
These aren't "homes" they are basically shacks built on a platform supported by oil drums.
Just as a technical point, as I'm sure you know, if you have a holding tank you don't need "an approved MSD."
You're right. I was thinking of the entire system as being an MSD. I know what I'm thinking, just not how to put it into words right now.
My point is, there are no pumpout boats running from shack to shack emptying the holding tanks (even if they had them), these guys are dumping their raw sewage into the lakes.
You're right. I was thinking of the entire system as being an MSD. I know what I'm thinking, just not how to put it into words right now.
My point is, there are no pumpout boats running from shack to shack emptying the holding tanks (even if they had them), these guys are dumping their raw sewage into the lakes.
Ron
Yeah, I was mostly JK. And I'm afraid that your basic point is all too true, with all sorts of anchor-outs/liveaboards, not just the houseboats, etc.
Finished, just waiting for launch day.
After launch in marina.
General info:
-Barge area is 20'x50', used dock floats for pontoons
-House area is 14'x30', one room with 3 sets of bunks, full kitchen,kitchen table, sofa. Bathroom is outside of main house area and takes up part of back porch.
-Porches are 10'x20' with 3' walks all the way around
-Use rain water for showering and dishwashing and raw water for toilet flushing. Have 4 - 8" PVC waterline pipe for water tanks (appox. 200 gal capacity)
-12V system for water pumps and some lights w/solar charge system
-240/120V system for lights, a/c, tv, etc.
-Does have an approved sewer system
-House is simply a metal building with finished interior.
-Propane RV water heater and stove.
Shoot me a PM or email if you need any more detailed info.
We constructed everything but the building ourselves.
Everyone seems to either build them on top of a barge or on pontoons, why are there so few that are built in a barge such as this http://www.macnaughtongroup.com/evening.htm? Would it not be more stable on the water and easier to trailer? Currently re evaluating our options after the hurricanes but used to enjoy a 10x30 tin shanty on home made pontoons (building was 10x18 with a large front porch).
Trailering, launching, retrieving a 10x30 house boat on home made pontoons is a hassle for us at the beening and end of each duck season.
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of its victim may be the most oppressive." ~ C.S.Lewis
Houseboat/camp 
