Houseboats are quit simply houses that are on a boat, exactly what they sound like. But behind this simple and fun image is a lot of complex mechanisms that work together to make it possible to have a home on a boat, floating on water.
Boats have been used as cruise ships and a luxury travel method for some time now. Houseboats are major vacation attractions because who does not love a good time on the water?
Owning a houseboat means that there is a lot of maintenance and care that needs to be done in order to take care of a houseboat. Though it does sound like fun to say that you have a houseboat of your own, the work that goes into it can be tough.
Whether it is preparing the boat for harsh weather by winterizing it for the cold winter season, whether it is maintaining the engines of the vessel, or whether it is the cleaning or the beaching part – it can all be really difficult, especially if you are new to the field.
Wait, what is beaching you ask? Well let us answer that question before we get into more details about the process.
What exactly does beaching a boat mean?
Beaching is the process of putting your boat on the land or the shore. This is usually done in water bodies that are pretty shallow and not very deep such as on the edge of a lake or river.
Why is it necessary or important to beach your houseboat?
While enjoying a nice long cruise on your houseboat, you can enjoy the time as much as you want on the river or lake you are in. But it is a good idea to make sure you beach your houseboat before the sun sets in the evening.
How do you find the perfect beach for your boat to be grounded on?
A good course of action is to send a small boat ahead of your houseboat to search for a good beach for your houseboat to beach at. This is because houseboats are generally huge so letting a smaller boat first find the perfect beach works best.
Once it does find one, it can then direct the houseboat on how to reach the beach, the best spot on the beach to stay, etc.
What is the perfect beach for a houseboat?
The perfect beach should ideally have a lot of sand and should have a nice gradual slope up from the water as well. Park the houseboat in such a way that the front of the boat faces the water.
Beaching a houseboat basically means anchoring it so you have to also make sure you have a well maintained proper anchors which will normally be dug in on the beach.
The beach you will be beaching the houseboat on has to be some good sand and also wide enough. It has to be wide so that after anchoring your houseboat, you can set up your tents etc. and camp on the beach or at minimum give you some room to have a nice fire.
Make sure there are no dangers lurking nearby, be it on the beach or underwater before you ever go to beach your houseboat. It is important to make sure there are no large obstacles on the beach or underwater that would make anchoring or beaching the boat difficult.
How do you beach a houseboat? What is the exact process?
The first and foremost step for beaching your boat is to switch off the generator of your houseboat. As you are about to ground your houseboat, having a running generator might cause a few problems like sucking in the sand particles of the beach etc.
Speed required as you go towards the beach or shore is low and should not be very high.
Do not turn off the motors of the boat until you are sure that you have completely and fully anchored and beached the houseboat.
Now position your houseboats at the appropriate angle required. You will want to beach your boat with the rear of the boat going straight up on the shore.
Dig holes on the beach using the tools provided. These holes are needed for the anchors to go into and hold the boat secure.
If the weather is windy, there are a few tricks to beach your boat. Start working on beaching your boat from whichever side the wind is coming from.
But always remember, it is very important to double check everything. Make sure that the ropes are tight and are not worn. If they are too loose then your bought could work its way off the beach while you are sleeping.
Is it really very difficult to beach a boat? Is it as hard as it sounds?
To be honest, beaching a boat is not all that difficult. But if your question is whether there is a lot of hard work that goes into the process of beaching, well then, yes, it does require a lot of work.
It could turn out to be a challenge and drain your energy in the process because you will be digging holes, throwing ropes, tightening them down, etc.
It is a pretty tough job in regards to the physical aspect. Plus, the first step of finding the perfect beach can take up much more time than what you imagine it might.
After beaching, if you are moving away from the beach again, you will need to put everything back where it goes! You will have to put away all the things you took out to secure the boat such as the ropes, the anchors etc.
If you are on an exploring trip, then it might be a tad bit difficult for you to keep finding good beaches to anchor your houseboat as you keep moving in the boat night after night.
Conclusion
Once you have got the knack for beaching your boat, a good bunch of people you are travelling with, and all the necessary materials and supplies required, then you can be sure of having a good time on your houseboat.
So the next time you are on a houseboat and there is the question of beaching coming up, you will know exactly what to do. A safe houseboat is the ultimate result that beaching is done for.
So happy houseboating and we hope you find great beaches everywhere you go!
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