It’s been a while since we’ve posted anything, but the house boat construction has finally begun! The design has been finalized and is still very similar to the drawing shown in the last post. The total foot print of the boat will be 12′ by 16′, which includes a 5′ by 12′ covered deck on the front, a 10′ by 12′ sheltered living area, and a 1′ deck on the back giving access to the bridals and ladder to the roof. The framing for the deck/floor/roof is of 2″ by 6″ rough hemlock and the walls will likely be made from 2″by4″ dimensional lumber. Still not sure about the siding.
I attemped to seal the bungs on the barrels just after acquiring them, thinking that 5200 would surely do the job, and covered the threads and the seals of the bungs with the stuff. What I was unaware of at the time was that NOTHING bonds to Polyethylene, which the drums unfortunately consist of. Of course these barrels are used for floats all the time, but the problem with these ones, having been used for food storage, is that some of the bungs are vented. So although the threads on the bungs may be water tight, the 5200 peels right off the bungs, and the vents will take on water. The new plan is to cap them with some rubber sheet and hose clamp. Any better ideas?
So now! The construction has begun on Peter Knowles’ Beach front property in East Lahave. Danielle’s father Danny has lent some tools and a helping hand on the project. Just the other day we started with the “skids” which will be used to support the house whenever it isn’t floating. The slanted beach at Pete’s is perfect for the launch. Since one end is propped up in the air over the beach, we will be able to slip an amount of logs underneath the skids, set the houseboat down on the logs, and roll it right into the water!
Stay tuned!
