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I’ve never gone house boating in BC before and neither has anyone I know. I am looking to get a group of my friends together to go house boating next summer and I would like some suggestions from experienced people.
Where do I rent them from?
What is the best time to book it?
How far ahead should I book it?
Where is the best place (the shuswaps is the only place i know of)?
What should I bring?
And any other helpful suggestions. Thank you.
Why don’t you search "houseboats BC" or "houseboat rental Shuswap" and see what you find? I’m sure the sites will answer some of your questions or you can email the companies for more info.
#1 by Karen L on November 22nd, 2009
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Why don’t you search "houseboats BC" or "houseboat rental Shuswap" and see what you find? I’m sure the sites will answer some of your questions or you can email the companies for more info.
References :
#2 by isotope2007 on November 22nd, 2009
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Shuswap lake Thompson Okanogan area in the interior of BC. You can rent from Sicamous or other places in that area.
There are rentals in Kelowna but the Shuswap offers a much more scenic vacation, more privacy with its little coves and beaches up and down the lake, waterfallls ir you feel like a short hike –
It has the longest shore line and opportunity to "cruise". Over 1000 kilometers to explore !! Good places to tie up and eat if you dont feel like cooking – pubs — great beaches and some completely pruvate
Quote " Virtually untouched by man, this magnificent H-shaped lake has distinct personalities because of its four arms. Many miles and sites of the Shuswap Lake are only accessible by water, leaving nature as it was hundreds of years ago. Shuswap Lake has over a thousand kilometers of scenic shoreline, unspoiled natural waters, clean mountain air, countless secluded coves and sun drenched beaches" End Quote
Be careful because a lot of these companies offer little more than being berthed on a small island and staying aboard a houseboat in a sheltered harbour
Lake Koocanusa which offers house boat vacations in the East Kootenays was created when they built the dam in Libby Montanna and its freezing cold !!
I would book before January if it were me – have fun and welcome to my part of the world !
References :
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/houseboating/index.html
http://www.houseboatholidays.com/
http://www.shuswap.bc.ca/Boatrentals.htm
http://www.twinanchors.com/
#3 by mstess on November 22nd, 2009
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I’ve done a week on Shuswap with Waterway Houseboats. Twin Anchors is good too. My only recommendation would be to go in mid summer (July 10-Aug 20) The weather should be excellant then. We went the first week of July. The weather was not too bad, but because of a wet spring, the lake was high, and there were no beaches. When we docked at night, you could see about 3 feet under the water the nice sand, and even the firepits.
I would book as soon as possible. The website will tell you everything you need to take
http://www.waterwayhouseboats.com/
References :
#4 by spottedrock on November 23rd, 2009
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All I can say is be prepared… a lot of the boats have seen a few too many wild parties. And they are getting old. Things won’t work (most commonly refrigerators and hot tubs), things will break, and most companies have only one or two service boats to serve a fleet of 60-120 housebosts.
Service calls are dealt with on a priority basis, so if you or the bost (mostly the boat) aren’t going to sustain major damage, you may well wait for days before you see a service boat.
And don’t expect a refund if things go wrong, you still pay full price even if your assigned boat isn’t ready when you arrive. If your boat breaks down your trip will be cut short and you receive no compensation.
Read the fine print… The company is responsible for nothing and can fine you thousands of dollars for some seemingly minor infractions of the rules.
You get what you pay for. Sometimes. The bargain boats are not really a bargain, more often they are a nightmare for the unwary tourist. The luxury models may be better, but not always.
Sewage systems do not work well and toilets may regurgitate their contents unexpectedly. You must be beached at night and although there is over a thousand kilometres of shoreline, but much of it is rocky and inaccessible. Houseboats are only permitted in certain areas, and unless you have a speedboat there are not many pubs or restaurants where you are permitted to dock.
Finally, expect delays. You will probably be late boarding, late leaving dock and late returning to dock. It’s not as simple as just boarding and sailing off on your own and then returning to dock when you are ready. Only one boat can dock at a time and it takes 20-30 minutes until the next one can be docked. When there are 60 boats returning in a day, you do the math……