Houseboating Advice

So we have plans to go house boating this weekend in the Shuswaps of BC and I am planning on bringing my Moomba XLV along to tow behind the houseboat so we can do a lot of riding. I couldn't be more excited, and it will be the one small break from the kids we as adults get each year.

I have never towed a boat behind a house boat, what advice can people who have done this give?

Specifically on towing, anchoring or mooring (I am most worried about this), and any other advice experienced houseboaters can offer would be great. Just trying to think ahead of situations that might arrise or ways to make it easier.

Grab some big bumpers:

Biggest thing you have to remember is your not as manuverable when your towing being if you have to stop in a hurry you have a boat up your rear. You can either tie up like the picture above or tie up to one of the lines coming off the back of the houseboat doing a 45 to the beach. Or throw an anchor out.

Done this many times at shuswap... been houseboating there for 7-8 years now.

I tow with a simple 45-50' line off the back of the houseboat railings. I use a quick release off the boat end just to make it easy to click on and off whenever. No big deal towing, just make sure its a strong enough rope.. braided tube tow ropes work fine. Just remember to take out the slack of the line first, but not like those houseboats really have enough torque to snap a line,.. just a safety precaution. And of course when just floating in the lake, keep an eye so your xlv doesn't swing around and smack the houseboat.. can happen in the busier areas of the lake with all the traffic.

Now for anchoring.. I don't recommend tying up right next to your houseboat like in the above picture. The houseboats are way higher than your boat and on most of them the walls come right to the edge (not like a walkway in the above picture with railings) so you end up smacking your tower and racks (if you don't have swing - aways) against the houseboat all night. And being a long weekend it will be BUSY... especially if you beach at Neilsen, Marble, or anywhere near the narrows. People race around so close to the beaches until dark so it makes a bit of a mess on the water

I always use an anchor with a anchor buddy (google it if you don't know) and throw the anchor off the bow of the wakeboat about 20' from the houseboat. It's usually 25-40' at that distance (100') from shore so you won't need a super long line. Then use your tow line on your rear eyelets above the swim grid to keep it attached to the houseboat. Makes it super easy to pull your way back to the houseboat then safely float away back to its anchor spot... So its either get an anchor buddy or you're swimming. Believe me, this is by far the safest way to keep your boat overnight.

If you can't find an anchor buddy in time for the weekend, here's an alternate way. Anchor beside your houseboat and tie up to the angled lines that you use to tie the stern of the houseboat to shore. (Like the large yellow line in the pic above). This way you are safely floating away from the houseboat as that line should be tight all night if anchored to shore properly. Downfall to this is you are def swimming before/after anchoring... and the water can be COLD first thing in the am


If you do go to the busy beaches, try and pick a spot inbetween two boats so there is a decent gap for ONLY your houseboat to fit into. People cram for spots on the beaches and you might end up with another houseboat right beside you overnight. Then when people try and reverse out in the morning, accidents happen. I had a houseboat hit my old I/O when it was anchored behind and sunk it on Marble Point about 6 years ago. So needless to say, I'm a light sleeper on a houseboat now... always up early to make sure to get my boat out of the way.

One last tip... this should be obvious but I've seen it done more than once! Don't try and beach the boat with the wakeboat still attached to the tow line... Seen a lot of crushed bows into the back of houseboats on the beaches. Its amazing that people don't know what forward momentum is!

Anything else let me know... I'm a seasoned vet of the shwap...

we've been houseboating for 10 or so years and have always tied up as right along the houseboat as pictured. However, we always put the houseboat deep in coves that aren't traveled and don't have to worry about wakes knocking the boat/tower/racks into the houseboat. It's not bad advice to try the anchorbuddy and moor your wake rig a little ways off the houseboat. It's not as convenient as being right at the houseboat, but if your houseboat is going to get pummeled by wakes all day long, it may be the better way to go.

Stuey, Dave and Joe thanks for all the great tips. Stuey especially, i appreciate all the advice, especially the specifics! I am going to see if I can find an anchor buddy this week before we go.

Question though, if you are only anchored 20 feet away from the house boat, and the anchor buddy allows the boat to reach the house boat, and a storm comes up what keeps the wakeboat from banging into the houseboat? I am a little paranoid about wrecking my boat by doing something stupid.

I always tow my boat and often tow my brothers along side. I tow right up the slough we ride in. Most folks are considerate and will slow down for me, but for those that don't, it's just a little roller coaster, the boats never hit.

Once we're anchored with the houseboat, my wakeboat gets tied up to the houseboat with those big orange round buoys (15" rounds) between them. Once in a while we'll get someone roll past us, plowing their boats thinking they slowed down for us. Those are the worst wakes but no issues then either.

Those 15" round buoys I think cost me about $50 each at West Marine.

By the way, when I'm underway like this, I'm lucky if I'm doing 5-6 knots. My houseboat is 40 yrs old and the little Chrysler 318 will only push up the slough at 8 knots on plane. I can come back to neutral as fast as I want, there's just too much drag with the wakeboat, I've never had it close to coming up my rear.

I agree, tying up against the houseboat isn't ideal. Running an anchor a ways out (100ft-ish from houseboat) with a bungee rope (tied to a buoy and carabiner to bow eyelet) is way better. Then take the rear eyelet or pylon and tie a rope from that to the back of the houseboat allowing you to pull the butt end of the boat back to the houseboat for loading and unloading. This setup fixes a few tie up issues including: Waves/rollers rocking the houseboat and ski boat into/against each other, people walking in/on and around your boat all day jumping in and out of your boat since it's so easily accessible, crap spilling from the top deck into the boat's cabin area including drinks, spa water, etc. I included a pic of my example with my boat pulled in for loading/unloading. We keep two knotted loops on the line from the boat to the HB...one for all the way out and one for loading the boat.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: make sure you find a nice protected cove. If you can, get out on your boat before picking up the HB and scope one out. Then when youre on your way - just cruise straight there and setup.

OK, those pics are just rediculous. That water looks sooooooooooo good. I am even more excited now. Thanks for ALL the great tips everyone. I am feeling better about the whole anchoring thing.

Keep the tips coming if you have them. I am going to bring all my old boards so friends don't have to use my Heat Molded Ronix boots.

Levi... don't worry about the boat crashing into the houseboat when anchored 20' out. let me make it clear that i mean 20' from your swim platform to the houseboat... so you are actually throwing the anchor 45' (the distance of your bow to the back of the houseboat) from the back of the houseboat. Yes the bungee will allow you to pull the boat to the back houseboat deck, but even big storms or lots of traffic won't push the boat that far back. The anchor will keep it roughly centered around that spot so you should be able to move a bit in every direction without worry.

Nice thing about this setup is I usually clip a small buoy to the top of my anchor line.. that way I can zip off, go for a pull, and come back and quickly clip up again.

I'm sorry to tell you that you won't find quiet coves like the above pic... unless you maybe extend all the way down Seymore or Antsey arm.. thus the reason for needing an alternative anchor method. The lake will be pretty busy. But you can usually find good water to ride before noon and after 5 if you are near shore. The lake tends to get chopped up mid-day everywhere..

Hey Stuey, thanks for explaining that better. Ya, I know it won't be like "in the photo's" but I am hoping for some glass and least a few times during the week. Forecast says +28 and low winds all week, so that good. Plus with school starting back this week I am hoping it will be a lot slower out there. All of us on the houseboat are married with kids andfor everyone, this is our 1 week break from the kids each year so it will be so great just to relax and do a lot of riding.

Originally Posted by stuey

Levi... don't worry about the boat crashing into the houseboat when anchored 20' out. let me make it clear that i mean 20' from your swim platform to the houseboat... so you are actually throwing the anchor 45' (the distance of your bow to the back of the houseboat) from the back of the houseboat. Yes the bungee will allow you to pull the boat to the back houseboat deck, but even big storms or lots of traffic won't push the boat that far back. The anchor will keep it roughly centered around that spot so you should be able to move a bit in every direction without worry.

Nice thing about this setup is I usually clip a small buoy to the top of my anchor line.. that way I can zip off, go for a pull, and come back and quickly clip up again.

I'm sorry to tell you that you won't find quiet coves like the above pic... unless you maybe extend all the way down Seymore or Antsey arm.. thus the reason for needing an alternative anchor method. The lake will be pretty busy. But you can usually find good water to ride before noon and after 5 if you are near shore. The lake tends to get chopped up mid-day everywhere..

i suggest tying your wake boats to the lines that go to shore...double purpose.