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The 36' Houseboat
"DRIFTER"
Copyright 2005 - 2011 Michael Kasten
THE CONCEPT
The Drifter 36 design was created for permanent living aboard. While designed to fit a moorage in Seattle's Lake Union, the proportions would allow the Drifter 36 to be used in nearly any marina. The ability to be moved under its own power allows the vessel to satisfy marina requirements, and to actually be a navigable vessel so it can be easily moved to a new location as needed. As such, it satisfies our criteria as a Nomadic Watercraft, as well as our criteria for a Nomadic Land Craft...!
In this case the available slip on Lake Union was quite narrow... but the requirement was to create adequate living space for a single person or couple, to have two stories, and to also include a roof garden...!
THE CHALLENGE
The size of the slip was the most challenging restriction. Here is why...
In order to gain sufficient interior space for the requested accommodations, our only choice was to build vertically, which created weight up high as well as windage. Yet another requirement was the potentially heavy roof garden...!
The windage created by the height of the 'house' combined with the weight of the house combined with the potential weight of the planters on the roof combined with the extreme limitation on beam gave us quite an interesting puzzle to solve.
Difficult..? Yes. Impossible..? No.
THE SOLUTION
After experimenting with several monohull shapes, it became readily apparent that no matter how deep we would make the hull it would not add appreciably greater stability. The reason for this is not so intuitively realized: By adding depth we were also adding volume, so yes we could add ballast and yes that weight could be located lower down thus lowering the center of gravity - both of which are righting forces - however we also were adding buoyancy low down - an upsetting force! It quickly became evident that with a mono-hull shape, we were chasing our tail...!
Then we investigated a 'tunnel hull' or semi-catamaran hull form and quickly realized we could add depth without adding very much to the total immersed volume. This allowed a deep location for the ballast, allowing us to lower the center of gravity without adding too much buoyancy where it was not wanted - i.e. low down.
A further benefit of the 'tunnel hull' form is that yet another requirement of the design could be accommodated: That the house boat be able to move around under its own power. The 'tunnel' thus allowed us to place two outboard motors aft and on center, and still have reasonably good water flow to the propellers.
Within the parameters set forth, we could not improve upon the results any further via other variations without seriously degrading one of the stated parameters. Thus I’m certain we converged upon the best solution.
As designed, the benefits of the resulting semi-catamaran hull are:
- Draft is not excessive (vs a true catamaran)
- Roll accelerations are gentle (vs a true catamaran)
- Course keeping stability is vastly improved (vs a simple barge shape)
- Large angle stability resulting from variations in the vertical CG is excellent (vs a simple barge shape)
- Grounding on an uneven beach is not at all problematic (vs a simple barge shape)
- When grounded at low tide most of the bottom is accessible forinspection / maintenance / painting (vs a simple barge shape
- Propulsion using one or more long-shaft outboard motors is favorable with regard to water-flow to the propellers (vs a simple barge shape)
- Wake under way is significantly reduced (vs a simple barge shape)
Of course this is not a vessel that is expected to travel great distances under its own power. The objective has simply been to allow the owner to move the vessel without a tow boat when desired - basically in order to have "portable waterfront property" during the mild summer months - a really great concept! Thus, the houseboat has a steering station on the roof with controls for the outboards, running lights, anchor, and so forth - a perfectly good motor home on the water.
Due to the combination of 'tunnel hull' and deeply located ballast, we were able to design the vessel to the IMO basic stability requirements for open water - quite an achievement for such a structure!
With a beam of only 12 feet, the hull itself could be transported by highway without much fuss, and it is of a proportion that would fit into most marina slips without paying a premium for extra width as is customary for a multi-hull boat.
The drawings shown here were developed to show the original concept to the owner. A fully detailed set of Building Plans have been developed for actual construction which further detail the interior, the structure, tanks and ballast. If they are of interest, please see our Plans List web page, and look in the Power Boats section for the Drifter 36.
THE LAYOUT
The interior is on two levels, and the entry is halfway between the two accommodation levels. A stairway is located at the bow end, which leads from the stateroom (bedroom) below, to the saloon (living room) and galley (kitchen) above.
The stateroom on the lower deck has a walk-in closet, plus an ample head (bathroom) with a big combination shower / tub. One of the best features of the stateroom is the fireplace at the bow-end, enclosed by the wrap-around stairway. There are plenty of windows in the stateroom for sunlight and views.
On the second deck, the saloon is intentionally quite open and has several big windows. The galley is large - actually bigger than many house kitchens! A breakfast bar is at one end of the galley. At the forward end, the saloon looks down through an open bannister - handrail into the stairwell and entry.
An interior landing is located half-way up the stairway, and is at the same level as the exterior fore-deck (entry porch). On the foredeck, the entry porch has a small seat opposite the ladder. The fore deck is covered by a balcony above that is large enough for two chairs and a small table - a good perch from which to keep an eye on the antics of dockside neighbors... A ladder leads from the fore deck to the balcony, and a second ladder leads from the balcony to the exterior top deck where a roof-garden is located.
The top "garden deck" is really the crowning glory of the whole affair. Wildflowers, green onions and cherry tomatoes if in the Pacific Northwest... In warmer climates maybe a Sago Palm or Pygmy Date Palm...
If it were my own house boat, the top deck would have a dining table with a Bimini / awning and a several comfortable chairs for nice weather, then maybe a small potted tree or two. In all likelihood, that would be my favorite spot aboard.
THE STRUCTURE
The "house" part is detailed for construction using typical high quality dimensioned lumber and plywood, with either drop-siding or sawn cedar shingles. The floors and house top make use of typical joists (#1 tight knot Douglas Fir or Larch). In other words, the house structure is basic and economical yet very durable high quality house-type construction.
The houseboat hull and exterior decks are intended for construction in fiberglass. Why fiberglass...? It offers the lightest overall structural weight combined with high strength and long life in the marine environment. Given that the hull shape consists of all flat panels the construction would be very simple, easy and fast. As designed, the hull scantlings are fully compliant with the ABS rules for fiberglass vessels.
As such, the hull structure is robust and very rigid. This is quite intentional, since one further request of the owner was that the houseboat be able to be beached during low tides - mainly just for fun, but also for periodically cleaning the hull.
THE BIG QUESTION...
I have been asked whether one would be better off to build a houseboat as a starter project, or to just go straight for "the yacht" as an eventual goal, say with some voyaging in mind - possibly in the form of an economical tug-yacht or trawler yacht.
It is clearly the case that a yacht will be more expensive to build than a houseboat (even after you include the houseboat's motive power, steering system, nav equip, etc., assuming the houseboat is to be mobile on its own). This is so primarily due to the amount of labor and the skills required for each, respectively. Being constructed of linear surfaces, the houseboat can be built very quickly. For example the female mould for the fiberglass hull can be built with inexpensive lumberyard materials. The house structure can be similarly economical in terms of labor, but will involve high grade wood and marine grade plywood.
My overriding thought with regard to the question of which type of craft one might start with (houseboat or yacht) depends on the eventual goals one has in mind. If actual living on the water is one's primary goal, then a houseboat can be a truly excellent way to experience that life.
To some extent the same can be said for a yacht, whether in the form of a trawler or tug type. One consideration is that in the case of an actual "live-aboard" yacht, the vessel's size should be something on the order of at least 15,000 pounds or more of displacement per person that is to be accommodated. If you assume two people as an optimum nuclear family, this means a live-aboard tug or trawler yacht for two should have somewhere around 30,000 lb or more as a minimum displacement. While it is quite easy to be onboard a vessel of half that size during an ocean passage or an extended voyage, it is my experience that if the vessel is intended for full time living aboard it will ideally not be smaller.
With those thoughts in mind, if one envisions a life on the water with occasional travel then my own preference would tend to favor building the houseboat as a first step. This is so for reasons of mitigating the long-term damage inflicted upon one's personal finances by regulations, rent, mortgage interest, property taxes and shore-side utility bills. It is especially beneficial to eliminate the involvement of banks and government officials..!
It turns out that a houseboat of this type can qualify as a self-propelled "boat" and therefore need not be considered under building codes applicable to fixed or floating homes. The result of this loophole is that construction can proceed without undue interference or government red tape. What I mean is that local building department officials need not be involved, since code compliance for self-propelled marine craft is not within their purview. A less obvious but equally important result is that the project can also avoid the burden of having periodic 'progress inspections' by bank minions, which would tend to force a rigid time-table upon your project. The upshot of these subtle but critical factors is that your houseboat project is able to be accomplished in relative privacy without external interference, but will still result in a perfectly viable habitat..!
Once settled into the houseboat, organizing the build of a modestly sized sailing or power yacht as a second step would be a natural. Possibly the yacht could be something along the lines of my 32' tug yacht Terrier which is quite economical to build, operate, and maintain. The bonus here is that as a "traveling" vessel, the yacht can be considerably smaller than would be required of a full time live-aboard.
In this way you would have a comfortable and economical place to live whilst constructing the yacht. It is possible that the yacht could be built on a floating platform adjacent to the houseboat, or nearby... When completed, you'd have a portable houseboat as a home base... plus a capable small tug with which to pull it around. To me, that would be ideal...!
For an expansion of the inherent rationale behind these notions, please see my articles on Nomadic Watercraft and Nomadic Land Craft.
WHY A HOUSEBOAT...?
We have an excellent story from the 'Cabin Boat Primer' - a guide to shanty boating during the late 1800's and early 1900's. It was written with drifting in mind - primarily drifting down rivers, and especially along the Mississippi River system.
The 'Cabin Boat Primer' describes a way of life in such a way as to put you already on the path to making it your own - a particular gift of the author. In that sense, the book is very much in the vein of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. It is also the spirit of Laubin, Whitman, Kazantzakis, Fletcher, Slocum, Moitessier.
Certainly things have changed since the beginning of the 1900's but the spirit of 'cabin boating' remains the same. There is much among the following brief words that can be equally well applied to all of our boating pursuits...
Shall we listen...
- The main thing is patience; the next observation; and last of all, skill.
- There is no reason why life on a cabin-boat should be lived in rags and tatters. They do not lead to comfort.
- The boat will cost from $25 up, and a fit one for two persons $50 or more, in all probability.
- One should look further before paying more than $100 for an ordinary river house boat, unless it is new, in first class condition, of good wood, and far up the stream.
- The true cabin boater is also a philosopher.
- Troubles come to mean something in the way of a cause for congratulation rather than dismay.
- Reasonable care should be taken to ward off trouble.
- Always find a good landing, as regards wind and water.
- Never tie to a wobbly stake.
- Never let the wood pile or oil can get low.
- In one sense of the word, shanty boating is simply finding new lands to travel and a new view-point from which to see the land.
- To no-one does the mockingbird sing so beautifully, or the huge trees seem so majestic, or the geological formations appear so attractive as to the man in a cabin boat.
- Raymond Spears, 1913
It is interesting to note that those words from 'The Cabin Boat Primer' were penned during the very same year as the creation of our "beloved" Federal Reserve Bank. It was also the year of enactment of the US Income Tax. Shiver me timbers, what a horrid year...! Soon afterward came prohibition and the first world war... Clearly an inauspicious time...! Much has changed since then, not least of which has been the value of our money....! And so it goes.
Think of the Drifter as an affordable habitat for our very troubled times...
For more information about this or any of our other yacht designs please inquire.
Please see our AVAILABLE BOAT PLANS web page.
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