Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: houseboat advice?
|
Author | Message Text | ||
Richwon4 |
I have often considered doing this bu the price is terrible and then you have to rent a motor boat is what I was told. VNP is great, free camping at the mouth of the narrows and a few other places I supppose. Check out Makooda while you are up there. Good trip to camp & motor boat or housebout it if you have plenty of $. |
||
Sloth |
We rented from Voyageur Houseboats out of Crane Lake. We did a three night trip and ventured through Crane, Sand and up to the Kettle Falls area. We slept on the boat, and only landed on shore at night to have a bonfire and relax. No canoe for us, but we did rent a fishing boat, which we used a few times to chase some fish. A canoe would be great though to explore the endless coves, bays and islands that abound up there. There should be plenty of room on the top deck for them. The highlights were doing some hikes into the forest to remote lakes, Kettle Falls and the old hotel up there, and just the fun of being on the boat...We did all our cooking on-board, grilled etc....all the stuff you hear about with these vacations. The low-lights were...cold, rainy weather for about half our trip. I know, you can't do anything about it...but when it's cold, windy and raining..there are not a lot of options but stay on the boat and hang out. Make sure you bring movies, games etc. to keep everyone occupied. These rental boats also take a beating. Nothing too terrible, but expect dirty carpets, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements and the feel of a second-rate motel. Lastly, the cost. By the time we rented the boat, the fishing boat, the food plan (we opted for this instead of doing all our own shopping), taxes etc., not to mention the gas when we turned the boat back in..it was an expensive three days. There are a lot of other places I'd go first to spend that kind of money. I'm on the fence as to whether I'd do the houseboat thing again...I love the area, but we'd probably bring our own boat and rent a cabin on Crane Lake or head out to a campsite and use that as a fishing base camp...Just my $.02. |
||
luft |
I did it quite a few times in the early 90s with a group of friends and it was great to be able to share the expenses as the rental was not cheap. Fast forward to 2007- I surprised my husband and kids with a week on a houseboat for our 10 year anniversary. We loved it and the kids still talk about it and want to do it again. It is an entirely different type of vacation but still tons of fun. We towed a fishing boat and had fun exploring the lakes in that. I did see some canoes but they were the really large voyageur types and they were struggling on the big water. It is an expensive vacation. Rental, gas, propeller replacement costs :-) all add up. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. |
||
lundojam |
|
||
Grandma L |
|
||
jamotrade |
|
||
Sloth |
quote Slaux: "I've done it up in low ontario. w/ a group it's about 800 each. It is a blast & the boats we used were nice. Not the Hyatt, but very suitable for my workmanlike taste. " Yeah, I agree. As I mentioned in my previous post the accommodations are fine...just not great. These boats are rented by people who probably don't boat a lot..they're rented for parties, they're rented by groups of guys for a fishing trip etc....It's just a recipe that results in things getting broken, stained, smelly etc.......they get beat up. There were a lot of boats in the fleet that we used at the dock, and I asked the guy if I could check them out. He said yes, and all the boats I went into were in about the same shape. The folks keep them as clean as possible, but it is what it is. I don't have champagne tastes by any means, but it should be pointed out. I also cannot say it enough...make sure you bring movies, board games, cards...anything to pass the time if you run into in-climate weather. If you're confined to the boat during a thunderstorm or a cold spell there's not much to do except wait it out. We spent three nights on the boat and all told it was about $800-$900 (not including gas to drive there) per guy and there were 6 of us...it's expensive. Really don't want to discourage anyone from doing it...everyone who wants to should...it's a very unique vacation. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it. It was fun, but I don't want to sugarcoat anything. |
||
yoman84 |
Spendy for sure so not sure Id go back. I would rather apply the funds towards my BWCA gear instead. |
||
Jackfish |
|
||
Worried Melissa |
|
||
AmarilloJim |
quote Sloth: I'd recommend Deliverance and Cape Fear(1991) |
||
chillpill |
|
||
Jackfish |
quote Worried Melissa: "Hi! My family rented a house boat yesterday. I haven't heard from them. Is the reception bad out there? Im going crazy not able to talk to them to know they are all safe!!!" You dug up a four year old thread to ask a question like that when you could far more easily simply call the houseboat rental company? And they just went out yesterday? Good grief. I'm thinking Guest Paddler Melissa is just "funnin'" us. Or maybe, as Chillpill suggests, a bear swam out and ate the whole fam damily. :) |
||
PortageKeeper |
|
||
Slaux |
|
||
Exo |
|