 Houseboats
from United Safe Boating Institute,
Illustration by Bill Canfield
Houseboating Is Fun
Houseboating has become a popular vacation and weekend activity. A
houseboat can literally be your home afloat-but a home that moves.
Although houseboating is a comfortable, leisurely way in which to enjoy the
water, there are things you should know before boarding. To help you put
more fun and greater safety into your houseboating, the United Safe
Boating Institute offers the following advice:
About Those Brakes
So you've handled a sailboat or cruiser, have
you? That's very different from handling a houseboat, which averages 35
feet in length, goes between 15 and 20 miles an hour, and weighs about
five tons. Have "no brakes" means that if you goof, you may be the cause
of a hull-banging and paint-scraping experience, not to mention what can
happen to what you've hit. Remember, reversing your engine is the only
braking mechanism that you have for your houseboat.
Docking
Docking can be a real thrill, especially if you
forget about not having brakes. Ten thousand pounds of boat will not
stop short when power is cut. It's best to approach the dock while
heading upstream, or into the wind, since the houseboat is easier to
control that way. use only enough power to maintain steerageway (your
minimum speed with control). Remember, speed times weight can equal a
horrible crunch! At only two miles an hour, your houseboat can damage a
dock as well as itself. Approach the dock at no more than one mile per
hour. Practice working with minimum speed needed to maintain response
before your first docking.
Keeping Your Bearings
Unlike a smaller
motorboat, a house boat needs plenty of room and time to maneuver. In
fact, handling a houseboat requires practice: going through tight spots
like locks or into slips requires skill, quick action, and physical
strength-for fending off-on the part of at least two crew members. The
average houseboat operator is not a professional pilot, and great care
is needed to be able to master the vessel in all situations. Remember,
when you turn the wheel of a houseboat, the stern (or back part of the
boat) is the first to react. Thus, if the wheel is turned to the right,
the stern swings to the left. This may seem weird at first, because an
automobile responds in just the opposite manner. Before getting
underway, review operating and safety procedures with all passengers.
Locate safety equipment. Have a backup who can operate the boat if you
become ill or injured.
Some Rules Of The Road
Read and understand government regulations
governing the waterway on which you will be traveling. Know the marking
systems and the signaling rules. Here are some general basic rules: 1.
Approaching an oncoming boat, keep to the right. 2. Know proper
maneuvering signals and use them.
Refueling
The trickiest operation on a houseboat, strangely enough, is refueling. Smoking, naturally, is taboo during
refueling and all electrical appliances and light should be turned off.
Pilot lights on any appliances should also be turned off. If the boat
has built-in fuel tanks, keep all doors and windows closed to prevent
heavier-than-air gasoline vapors from seeping inside cabins and the
engine compartment. Fill all portable tanks on the deck. Ventilate
before starting the engine. The blower should always be run for a few
minutes and until all gas odors have left the engine compartment.
First Aid
A houseboat without a first aid kit aboard shows very poor
planning. Keep a well-stocked first aid kit handy, and remember to
replenish supplies as they are used. At least one crew member should
know first aid. First aid training should be an essential part of
training for all houseboaters.
Fire
Be sure you have the proper size fire
extinguishers (minimum size, five pounds) and know how to use them. Fire
extinguisher, by the way, are required by law to be on board. With an
engine compartment fire, the chance of explosion is present. If a fire
breaks out in the engine compartment, turn the engine off at once. Fire
in the galley is dangerous but preventable. Most galley fires are caused
when a landlubber cook puts too much food in a pan and doesn't take
into account the pitching and rolling of the boat. Use as little fat as
possible, and be sure that curtains near the stove are tied away from
the flame.
In Case Of Emergencies
Life jackets and
life preservers: Be sure you have the right size life jacket for each
person on board. Fit your life jacket snugly and know how to adjust it.
Remember, too, that because there may not be time to put on your life
jacket while you are still on the houseboat, you and your crew will have
to learn how to put it on in the water. That takes a bit of practice. If you and your crew are not good swimmers, think about wearing life
jackets while underway.
Person Overboard
Keep the victim in sight at all times.
Throw a floatable item (PFD, large plastic bottle, thermos jug, ring
buoy, etc.) to the person overboard and bring the boat around. Never
reverse, as the propeller may strike the victim. Approach the person
slowly and carefully in a manner that keeps them upwind of your boat.
Whenever possible, cut the engine until the person is back aboard.
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Five No-No's
1. No waterskiing. Although some houseboats
are powerful and fast enough to pull skiers, doing so is dangerous
because a houseboat is no maneuverable enough. It is also a
time-consuming nuisance to come about and retrieve a spilled skier. In
addition, the large wake produced is not only discourteous to other
craft but can be dangerous.
2. No Tinkering. Don't tinker with the fuel
system or the electrical and control systems. If something goes amiss,
ask a qualified technician to help.
3. No Operating Under The Influence.
Don't even think about drinking alcohol and operating your houseboat. As
skipper, you have to keep your wits about you at all times while you're
underway and even one drink (combined with sun, waves, and other
elements associated with boating) can impair your senses. Your
passengers and your vessel are your responsibility and alcohol and drugs
have been proven to be the cause of most boating accidents.
4. No Swimming
Near Your Propellers. Never forget the danger to swimmers which boat
propellers can inflict. Shut off your engines when approaching swimmers
and keep swimmers away from your stern. NO WAKE. Watch your wake because
you may upset small boats and damage others at docks, even a great
distance away. Remember, you are legally responsible for any damage
caused by the wake of your craft.
5. No Wake. Watch your wake because you may upset small boats and
damage others at docks, even a great distance away. Remember, you are
legally responsible for any damage caused by the wake of your craft.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
An alarming number of carbon monoxide deaths
involving houseboats have occurred because gasoline-powered generators
with through-transom exhaust systems were running and exhaust fumes
became trapped beneath the swim platform or simmers were in the water.
Turn off both your engine and your generator when people are swimming
near your houseboat.
Tow, Tow, Tow Your Boat
Although it is perhaps a
bit embarrassing, at times it may happen that you have to be towed. If
you are being towed, remember that the towline is under great stress,
and if it breaks it can whip and cause serious injuries. Be sure that
all crew members stay away from the line while your houseboat is being
towed. Many people will not tow you unless you provide the line. Be sure
to have a stout towline aboard for such emergencies.
Abandon Ship
You
and your crew must know where the nearest life jackets and life
preservers are located and how to use them. if it becomes necessary to
abandon your houseboat, remember, 1. Wear your life jacket
2. Go
overboard on the windward side 3. Stay clear of the propeller
4. Conduct
a head count
In The Still Of The Night
A new houseboater should tie up for the night at a marina or (with permission)
at a private pier. A novice might not know whether a cover or quiet
inlet will be safe. The boat can be left high and dry if the water
recedes out of that lovely inlet during the night because of the tides.
Locks and dams on rivers can also become a roaring torrent after a hard
rain upstream. If at dusk you can't reach a dock, anchor out of the main
channel or tie up to trees near the bank. When about 75 feet from your
anchorage, drop the stern anchor from the rear deck. Be careful not to
foul your propeller. When the stern anchor is secure, move in closer
and tie the bow line to some fixed object on the shore, or secure the
boat anchor into the shoreline. Remember, two anchors are required to
moor your houseboat adequately. Be sure the anchors you have are of
sufficient weight.
Some Final Thoughts
Arrange to take your houseboat out for a
half-day or full-day cruise before taking your vacation. This additional
"hands on" experience will better prepare you for your cruise. If you
will be suing patrolled waterways, register your itinerary with friends
or your marina, leaving emergency telephone numbers and any other
important information. Also, file a float plan (outlining where you'll
be on different dates) with someone. Don't hesitate to ask for help if
you need it. Your houseboat is your key to America's waterways, which
are enjoyable, relaxing, and very beautiful. Leave them as you found
them, free from clutter and litter. Have a safe and pleasant trip.
Some text on this page provided by the
United Safe Boating
Institute
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