Houseboat?

[Paul De]

On 7/22/2019 at 5:27 AM, eddd said:

https://www.wuwm.com/post/milwaukee-boat-house-has-been-symbol-nonconformity-100-years

 

 

 

Haha, I haven't been following this thread cuz I never lived on a houseboat, but that house is a legend here. I live only a few miles away and pass it once in a while just to see it.  It went up for sell some years back and as you might expect it took a unique buyer with a sense of adventure.  Local news did a story and the walk through was interesting to see.  It is living on a boat inside including all the weird curves that make for limited and cramped cubby storage around the "hull"?.  The place was actually never a boat but stick built construction to replicate a boat.

 

Maybe slightly more pertinent to the topic is that the wife and I rented a 65', 10' beam house boat with another couple on the Mississippi.  With a seriously slow helm response it was a handful, sort of like piloting the Exxon Valdez, which made getting caught in a squall with 70 MPH winds a near death experience.  Too bad I can't put my fingers on the beautiful sunset pic we took on the top deck after the storm.  We all looked so relaxed, but we were actually wasted and still in a bit of shock after that harrowing experience.  We did get over it though and rented another 65 footer at Voyageurs National Park and that trip was very nice.  The two experience leaves me with this perspective.  If you do live on a houseboat do it on a permanently secured large square barge so you can actually live in a house.

[roadscholar]

18 hours ago, Marty Hill said:

Everglades city.  Nicest hotel with indoor pool is Ivey House.  I go there every year after Cedar Key.  Just around the corner is the Camillia Street Grill.  Indoor or on the water seating.  You and friend will enjoy both!  Bill W, Kali is great but there is a whole other world out there by bike or car.

  

 

17 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

Everglades City is a favorite stop when in so FL with an interesting if not checkered history.  It's as close to "old Florida" as is left IMO.  Susceptibility to tidal surge I think accounts for not much new development.  Lust after house on water where the one family (Uline?) buys up adjacent property as it comes for sale.

 

 

Thanks guys, sounds like the perfect spot to end a multi day adv ride (or drive) just as I'd imagined. My only recollection is a couple old episodes of Miami Vice when the boys had to go over there and check out some smuggling operations.. Actually I was headed there a couple years ago on my last scouting trip but had to abort when the alternator on my camper van gave up and nursed it to an Autozone in Naples. It took me 3 new batteries to get back to Jax : ) 

 

Showing people Old Florida is the main reason for the route (besides tying into the TAT) so again should be the perfect ending.. if anyone needs to go all the way, KW isn't hard to find. Good article about the history and even though it's 30 years old, I'd guess there's still a little excitement from time to time

 

I mentioned it once way back but if anyone's interested in a good read about pioneers settling in Florida and what it was like pick up a copy of "A Land Remembered", it's fiction but well researched and written,  if not fact certainly plausible.  

 

 

 

[Bill_Walker]

17 hours ago, Marty Hill said:

Bill W, Kali is great but there is a whole other world out there by bike or car.

Yes, and I've been to lots of it.  But not Florida, or a few other states.  I think my state total is about 38, mostly on MCs.  I've missed New England, Florida, Alaska, and a couple in the northern midwest.  

[Marty Hill]

New England and Alaska are really nice.  Fla., if you have spare time.

 

 

[Whip]

This is what I am thinking about.

[LBump]

1 hour ago, Whip said:

This is what I am thinking about.

 

Watch be doing on this 48 foot and 15 foot beam...??  That's a pretty good size for a single person...

[Paul De]

The 65 foot house boats we rented were easily managed by three when the weather was nice.  In bad weather, four people were barley enough, with the extra hands needed to help wrestle the boat when trying to tie off.   In any case you'll need at least one additional able person to  tie you off as you put into a slip as even light breeze will blow those high walled flat bottom boats around, so someone has to stay at the helm with the motor running until docked.

[Whip]

I ain’t leaving the dock

[taylor1]

That's no fun !!!  I was going to suggest that you make your way up the  ICW  to the Outer banks. I could show you some great places to anchor up with great views. Wild horses , light house, historic villages, and ladies sunning on the sand    LOL

[Marty Hill]

I'll bet it's loads of fun steering a barge 4-500 miles up the ICW.

 

[Whip]

1 hour ago, Marty Hill said:

I'll bet it's loads of fun steering a barge 4-500 miles up the ICW.

 

 

Doesn’t sound fun AT ALL!

[Bill_Walker]

16 hours ago, Whip said:

This is what I am thinking about.

 

5 hours ago, Whip said:

I ain’t leaving the dock

 

Good thing.  That boat has been remodeled for permanent residence use with shore-style appliances, none of which will likely work while it's in motion.  Parts might fall out, and that fridge might even travel across the floor!

Personally, I can't see the attraction of a boat that doesn't go anywhere, but YMMV.

[Whip]

I will have another boat for fishing and traveling

[taylor1]

I really did not look at the vessel that was being considered. I can say, that having made that voyage close to a dozen times in sport fishers to party boats, it can be a blast. 

[Marty Hill]

Did the ICW south from Jax in a 32 foot sailboat at night with another experienced sailor.  It was so unusual that it caught the attention of the USCG.  With a helo above, a swift boat with 5 very armed guys intercepted us.  After finding nothing but us and a rifle they stood down.  I showed them my USCG ID and spoke to the guys in the chopper and they let us go after about 45 minutes.  

 

[Paul De]

3 hours ago, Whip said:

4 hours ago, Marty Hill said:

I'll bet it's loads of fun steering a barge 4-500 miles up the ICW.

 

 

Doesn’t sound fun AT ALL!

Yup, piloting a boat that size, even with a 200 HP motor, will definitely get you to appreciate how the Exxon Valdez ended up on the shoal.

 

If permanently docked is the plan, then maybe skip the powered boat and put a house on a barge.  Saw a bunch of these on my travels to the Netherlands. $$$ might get a little crazy though!

 

 

[Whip]

This looks interesting.

 

 

[TEWKS]

^Like More^

Now IIRC, you've BTDT with the RV thing, but lookie here! 

 

[Whip]

Interesting 

[Paul De]

Near perfect! A little like the story of evolution of life in the water growing feet to move onto land.  Perfect would be a  PWC/ Kayak and a GS1250 on deck!

 

Haha. Sort of makes me invision an RV version of the Amphicar. 

[TEWKS]

57 minutes ago, Paul De said:

  Perfect would be a  PWC/ Kayak and a GS1250 on deck!

 

That's exactly how I would envision it!  

[TEWKS]

5 hours ago, Paul De said:

Haha. Sort of makes me invision an RV version of the Amphicar. 

 

You mean like.... It sounds like it's not quite ready for prime time but a cool idea.

 

 

[Selden]

Following Eddd's lead:

 

[Whip]

Well, here I am.

 

[Whip]

[Whip]

[Whip]

So far I LOVE IT!!!!

[Whip]

...except for my luggage being lost in outer space. 

[Whip]

Just met the neighbors 

 

[Marty Hill]

I'll be there in a few weeks, how long will you be there?

[John Ranalletta]

2 hours ago, Whip said:

Just met the neighbors 

 

 

Don't harm the roosters. The iguana and boas?  Have at it.

 

Eat at Pepe's

[taylor1]

I always wanted to get one of Hemmingway's 5 toed cats when I was there  

[szurszewski]

3 hours ago, taylor1 said:

I always wanted to get one of Hemmingway's 5 toed cats when I was there  

Five toes? That’s just for starters - some have up to nine toes on a single paw (that’s half as many as a “standard cat” has total!). 

[taylor1]

OOPS  ,   I meant 6 toes   They say that mice don't stand a chance

[Whip]

[Whip]

On 1/12/2020 at 11:53 AM, Marty Hill said:

I'll be there in a few weeks, how long will you be there?

I will be heading back to the snow and mountains in a couple days. 
 

 

[Whip]

Thoughts after 4 nights.

 

I am not in a marina I am tied to a dock along an inter coastal water way or canal 50 yards from the Hurricane Hole marina with a great restaurant by the same name. 
 

I have been riding a rented bicycle to get around. 
 

I watch the Packers beat the Seahawk at the bar and LSU win the national championship. Friendly folks with good fresh seafood. 
 

I have ridden my bike to Duval twice just to hang out and spent a lot of time on the top deck reading or listening to music. The A/C units are very long and bothersome in the cabin. 
 

A wall of mangroves separates the boat from the bar which keeps the noise down but the mangroves are home to the very pesky noseeem bug. A very very small but mean biting bug. If you apply the right bug repellent they leave ya alone. 
 

 

 

[Whip]

One of the locals, more than four feet from noes to the tip of his tale.

[Whip]

My outdoor kitchen....there is an indoor cooking area as well.

[Whip]

Listening to Beth Hart

[TEWKS]

If you have time for one more dinner, you won’t be sorry if you try Elsiboneys  

[BamaJohn]

On 7/22/2019 at 6:03 PM, Whip said:

I think I may rent one for a week.

 

 

 

 

That would be wise...as for your other questions, there are too many variables, which prevents simple answers.  Try it by renting for a short time...it will give you answers to most of your questions and answer your most basic question of whether or not you like it.   Have fun!  jb

[Whip]

17 minutes ago, bimmer2 said:

That would be wise...as for your other questions, there are too many variables, which prevents simple answers.  Try it by renting for a short time...it will give you answers to most of your questions and answer your most basic question of whether or not you like it.   Have fun!  jb

I am doing exactly that at this moment.

 

see above

[Matts_12GS]

On 8/8/2019 at 6:48 AM, Marty Hill said:

Everglades city.  Nicest hotel with indoor pool is Ivey House.  I go there every year after Cedar Key.  Just around the corner is the Camillia Street Grill.  Indoor or on the water seating.  You and friend will enjoy both!  Bill W, Kali is great but there is a whole other world out there by bike or car.

  

Hmmm, only a couple hours from the new house... Marty, if you want company for dinner one night after CK, let me know, I'll ride over. 

[Matts_12GS]

3 hours ago, Whip said:

Listening to Beth Hart

Looks lovely. WX was looking a little sketchy earlier in the week. Sorry we weren't able to get down to see you. 

 

Now..., if you decided to extend your trip a couple days that might e different. 

[Whip]

Took a kayak to a need by marina for lunch.

 

 

[TEWKS]

Looks like a good place to spot a Manatee. 

[Whip]

1 hour ago, TEWKS said:

Looks like a good place to spot a Manatee. 

Didn’t  see any but warning signs are everywhere 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Whip

[Whip]

Hogfish sammie from the hogfish sammie champs. 

[terryofperry]

11 hours ago, Whip said:

Hogfish sammie from the hogfish sammie champs. 

 

One of the, if not the, best tasting fish in the sea. Excellent choice.

 

Terry