House Boat Plans

Living on the water is a way of life, and one that millions of people around the world enjoy in one way or another. To some, it is the only life they have known. For others, it is a deliberate adventure, a choice to deviate from the mundane daily existence of life on land. It may not be for everybody, but a significant number of north Americans, Europeans, Australians and others look on living on water as a leisurely lifestyle, whether as a permanent home or for occasional leisure at weekends and on vacations.

To enjoy life on the waterways, whether a river, canal, estuary or even large lake, you need a house boat, unless you want to spend the majority of time at sea, in which case an ocean going yacht is more the necessary type of boat. But what is a yacht with covered accommodation? It is, after all, a type of house boat, although some yachtsmen may be a bit offended to have their vessel described as such.

A house boat need not be a large luxury home moored in a prestigious location such as the Thames in London. It can be a small boat that is ideal for hobby cruising or just messing about on a local canal, fens, lake or river. They can be built by a relative novice in boat building, and house boat plans are well catered for in the boating magazines and on the internet. In fact, a small house boat presents an achievable challenge for a novice boat builder. Obviously, a canoe, kayak or rowing boat are easier, but a house boat with simple design is definitely possible.

Choosing a good house boat plan is the key to building your dream boat successfully. absolutelyfreeplans.com has some free house boat plans, while other sites will charge a fee, such as our featured plan supplier Plans4Boats. What type of plans you choose may depend on your level of skill, experience and expertise. If you can just pick up a free plan and run with it on your own, then that’s rgeat for you. If you need some level of support, then try to opt for plans or a plan which comes with detailed instructions, and which claim to be suitable for the novice boat builder with little existing woodworking skill.