- Houseboat Vacation Holiday - William Lower
Houseboat rentals are growing in popularity. Many people consider houseboating as the best of both worlds: being on the water and being in a cottage. Even people new to boating can quickly learn how to safely operate the boat and provide their family with a vacation that is memorable for the right reasons, not memorable because of mishaps.
Houseboat rental companies will ensure that even novices know how the boat operates and will instruct on the boat’s specific handling and operations. No matter if a person is new to houseboating or an experienced sailor, there is one thing any boater should make certain not to leave behind on the dock when casting off: Common sense.
Houseboat Rentals Come Well-Equipped
Some houseboat rentals will include navigational equipment such as a GPS with current nautical charts in the database. Some do not. Regardless, having current paper charts on boat is strongly recommended. Depending whether the trip is planned on a lake, in a river or through inland waterways, it is important to know where you are at all times.
In some regions, such as the 1,000 Islands in the St. Lawrence River, it can be difficult to tell where one island starts and another stops. Is that coastline ahead the mainland or an island? Is that Canada or the United States? Is the channel between two islands deep enough for the boat? Charts will tell. The naked eye will not. Seeing a bird standing on the water is entertaining but trying to get up for a closer look might be left to binoculars. Birds don’t walk on water. But they do on rocks.
Houseboats Holidays are Slow and Easy
Houseboats are not speed boats. Just as they don’t go forward quickly, they cannot go in reverse quickly either and the reverse gear is your brake. Houseboats have relatively low power and are quite heavy. With forward momentum, it takes distance and time to bring a houseboat to a full stop. With so much weight, even hitting a dock at extremely slow speeds can cause notable damage.
Docking is a skill that improves with practice. However, most marinas do not appreciate boats ramming their docks while the captain learns or refreshes his or her docking skills. Before docking for the first time, practice bringing the boat to a full stop while the boat is out in the open water with nothing to hit. Dock into the wind or current otherwise either of them could push the boat past the target cleat and into something that is preferable to avoid, such as half million dollar sailboats.
Be Safe and Have Fun Houseboating
When researching houseboat rental companies, here are a few things to ask:
- Is a small craft boating license required? (They are often not difficult to get. In Canada, the short exam is based a lot on common sense.)
- Does the company offer insurance and if so, how much does it cost and what does it cover? And more importantly, not cover?
- Is there someone on call for emergency service?
Most houseboat rental companies rely on referrals for new business so they want their customers have an enjoyable vacation. No doubt, a houseboat vacation can be an unforgettable experience. From Florida’s inland waterways to the rugged landscape of the St. Lawrence seaway, houseboating provides a unique vacation experience many people return to year after year.
William Lower - William (Bill) Lower is an award-winning advertising professional with over 25 years experience in Canada and the United States, having ...
