Houseboat 1/2 Sunk

There is always the possibility that there was a small fire in the bilge area that took out the pump, especially if they stored their insurance documents next to the loan paperwork down there, sometimes there is friction. I had a little experience working in the business, it does happen in the most in opportune times. I wish all the best of luck.
 
There’s a former rental in front of our boat - it’s a 46’ Boatel.

That’s the same boat I rented the last time we did a family rental. It was 2000.

That boat had fuel tanks so small it was hard to make it very far. We had to bring as many Jerry cans as we could fit for our personal boat.

There was no shade. A small back deck and wide open top deck.

The really old boats had 70 HP 2 strokes that drank fuel, screamed when running, stunk and ran temperamentally at best.

The newer ones had 60 HP 4 stroke that were fuel efficient but slow as molasses.

We did small groups back then but the guys always peed outside the boat as the holding tanks weren’t big enough.

They had a single (or maybe double) RV “fridge” that you couldn’t trust to keep things cool.

No freezer so you had to pack coolers with dry ice and limit opening them otherwise you’d face the wrath of dad.

I honestly don’t think those old boats even had a generator to power anything. And if they did it was an air cooled super loud unreliable unit.

Yes, we still had some incredibly memorable trips that I wouldn’t change for anything.

But I’ll take our current boat ten times out of ten.

Nostalgia is a funny thing.
 
Well said Marina Bum. I agree 100%. The more complicated a boat gets the more things there are to go wrong. And potentially not having any mechanically inclined folks aboard can spell trouble when a problem arises. Someone with boating / mechanical experience may see the issue and be able to nip it in the bud. Now we have boats that are piloted uplake and secured to the beach by professionals. Folks are ferried out and spend too much time inside the air conditioned comfort with way too much media distraction. For me the beauty of Lake Powell is getting out in a small boat and exploring places I never thought I would be able to take a boat when I was a youngster on the water. Fishing, hiking, sleeping on deck, watching the sunset & stars and a beach fire are part of all the things that make this place so special. Even dealing with high winds bonds friends and makes for lasting memories. Whatever happened to the NPS rule that I though existed that limited the size of boats? We just sold our 54 foot Myacht after 15 glorious years on the lake. A simple boat that gave us tons of pleasure and memories. Sold due to age & health issues but missing the lake so much. Surprisingly the boat went over to Navajo Lake. The three serious potential buyers I had were all going to take it to Navajo. The Aramark boat broker mentioned that he has seen quite a few smaller / older boats going over to Navajo in the past year.
 
Ryan said:
I’ve been going to the lake since 1978. I remember renting the old Kayots.

My folks first boat was a 50’ Boatel.

I personally have been partners on houseboats for about the last 20 years. From a 45’ up to the 75’ we are on now.

First, it’s the group that makes the trip. If your group is bad (lots of different ways that can happen) so is the trip.

That said I have no desire to go back to the old basic floating trailers I enjoy having space inside (especially when we stay in the slip) as well as the AC and other amenities.

It’s nice to watch the sports event that’s on TV if that’s your thing. To be able to get some work done with Starlink. And just be able to spread out a little.

But if that’s not your thing fine. Have at it.

And that’s what should be remembered about Powell. It can be enjoyed in different ways. Just because someone enjoys the lake in a different way doesn’t make it any better than yours.

Kind of a theme with many posts here…..

Also, of the many boats we have been partners on, I’d say less than half the owners were mechanically inclined. So that isn’t exclusive to any one type of boat.
Click to expand...
Change is a big part of life and by all means everyone should enjoy their National Recreation area however they like as long as it’s legal and they show proper respect for the rights of other patrons too.

Things have not changed for the better necessarily and I have much to say about that but this is not my post so I’ll start my own.

These big Super Boats do seem to sink with greater regularity than smaller craft, they are much more complex. We seem to see two or three a year sink and there just aren’t that many on the lake yet….but they are coming.
 
Marina Bum said:
I agree Rivergoer, properly maintained older steel or aluminum boats at this point might be getting a bad rap from insurers.

I think some of the failures of the new hotel sized boats are due to the scale of the boats and lack of operator involvement. The “Baby Adonias” are big and I think they are most of their market. They’ll set you back three million dollars new and there us a waiting list but the largest custom Adonia models are just massive floating hotels and can run ten million dollars or more. The scale of them is just massive if you stand next to or under them in dry dock; you can get lost onboard one.

When something becomes the size of a floating hotel it would be a lot to manage. I guess it’s the American Way though, we are extreme. Bigger is better. More than my neighbor, the biggest, the best! I’m not saying good or bad there, it just seems to be how progress rolls I guess.

The old days when smaller twin pontoons boats with a simple cabin were appreciated or seen as something to aspire to seem to be a day gone by. They were simple. You had a bed, a bath, and a kitchen to keep you out if the sand. Later you might have had an air cooled generator and a swamp cooler. That was Luxury in the 80’s. You opened the windows and got out onto the beach for more space because your cabin and decks were tiny. They were more like camping support craft, you built a small fire on the beach at night even in the summer. Not so much for heat but for ambiance. You put your toes in the sand and had a cold canned drink in your hand. Personally I felt like the luckiest person alive at that point.

The new monster Super Boats are palaces by comparison and to me they are just another way to throw your junk out there and show off. People seem to party on the huge upper decks with commercial Kitchens and multiple Big Screen TV’s. Sports bar on the water type stuff complete with hot tubs and helipads! It’s very different these days, the windows don’t even open anymore. From what I’ve seen most passengers don’t hit the shore preferring instead the air conditioned sports bar upstairs. (It is nice, but different)

I miss the 80’s and 90’s on the lake and if that makes me an old guy missing the good old days then you may be right. But, the lake experience was a lot better then for a myriad of reasons and that’s not just because I was younger and the lake was full.

If you don’t remember Lake Powell and all the little “Boatels” back then you really missed out.
Click to expand...
I used to rent the 35 and 40 footers, add some friends. and have a great time. I miss those times
 
It's hard to note that these big boats are sinking with regularity and blaming it on the detached owners when the boats appear to have all sunk while transiting between the camp site and the marina and most of those boats must be piloted between the two locations. When Knockers sank, it was an inexperienced pilot who ran into trouble he couldn't solve. I haven't heard what happened on the two this summer.

I think people just want to enjoy the lake in more comfort.

I have been on nice boats and not as nice boats and like Ryan will opt for the nice one every time. I have slept on top of a boat when the temperature doesn't drop below 90F at night and reaches 110F during the day and I have to say it is really nice being able to shut the door, run the generator and AC, and get some sleep at night. This summer I had a generator issue and the water pump failed, leaving us without a generator for a night that didn't seem to cool down at all. It was a stark reminder of how good we have had it in this boat. I can fix most of what can happen on the boat if I have the right parts. I am not detached from the experience of Lake Powell. I just like to sleep at night, not worry about the ringtail cats climbing onboard, and have things work.

Do I climb up on the shore? Rarely. Do I spend time in the water? Maximally!

Let people enjoy the lake how they feel capable. It may not be how you like it, but it is how they like it. Some of you like fishing the lake in February. Enjoy it! If I ever make it in February, I will probably enjoy it then too, but for now it seems like a very cold time to go.
 
nzaugg said:
It's hard to note that these big boats are sinking with regularity and blaming it on the detached owners when the boats appear to have all sunk while transiting between the camp site and the marina and most of those boats must be piloted between the two locations. When Knockers sank, it was an inexperienced pilot who ran into trouble he couldn't solve. I haven't heard what happened on the two this summer.

I think people just want to enjoy the lake in more comfort.

I have been on nice boats and not as nice boats and like Ryan will opt for the nice one every time. I have slept on top of a boat when the temperature doesn't drop below 90F at night and reaches 110F during the day and I have to say it is really nice being able to shut the door, run the generator and AC, and get some sleep at night. This summer I had a generator issue and the water pump failed, leaving us without a generator for a night that didn't seem to cool down at all. It was a stark reminder of how good we have had it in this boat. I can fix most of what can happen on the boat if I have the right parts. I am not detached from the experience of Lake Powell. I just like to sleep at night, not worry about the ringtail cats climbing onboard, and have things work.

Do I climb up on the shore? Rarely. Do I spend time in the water? Maximally!

Let people enjoy the lake how they feel capable. It may not be how you like it, but it is how they like it. Some of you like fishing the lake in February. Enjoy it! If I ever make it in February, I will probably enjoy it then too, but for now it seems like a very cold time to go.
Click to expand...
I like you and Ryan very much, I’ve enjoyed both of you wording's a lot for many years.

My opining is not only about detached owners, nostalgia for what was actually a far better time and my abhorrence for where things are headed. These Super Boats are not largely manned by guys who get dirty and know how to houseboat on Powell; those guys don’t fly in by helicopter to their already present and beach bagged boats. It’s not that the boats didn’t have failures it’s that no one with in the trenches experience caught those problems and made effort to correct them and save the boat before it sank including the (I’ll say it) incompetent captain who let knockers sink. He had options and he sailed her during a monsoon storm after noon something Mr Dave Taylor strictly discourages.

I still respect and admire you guys but I’d like you to see it from that perspective. If not it’s your prerogative and I still like and respect both you dudes!
 
Last edited:
These mega-houseboats run on A) Diesel and B) A LOT of it…700-1000 gallons depending on model and options. Then there’s also quite often a 300-500 gallon Toy Tank full of Gasoline. Just the toy tank alone holds what most rental models hold all tanks combined.

When one of these goes down, as far as potential hazardous spill it’s like the equivalent of 3 full-size rental boats sinking. And then there are the huge black water holding tanks.

As far as fuel goes, I can’t even imagine footing the bill just to gas up. APM is currently charging $9.48/gal for diesel. So one could easily blow through $10,000 just to fill ‘er up (including toy tanks). Last season we rented a Waheap houseboat for 10 days including fuel for a couple thousand less than that.

But, if you have a helipad on the roof I suppose that’s just pocket change. The scale is just off the charts, mind-blowing🤯

We all love the lake and enjoy it in so many various ways. I’ve always had so much respect for you guys that tent camp in Dec/Jan at the North end, total rock stars in my book👍
IMG_0333.jpeg
 
Rivergoer said:
These mega-houseboats run on A) Diesel and B) A LOT of it…700-1000 gallons depending on model and options. Then there’s also quite often a 300-500 gallon Toy Tank full of Gasoline. Just the toy tank alone holds what most rental models hold all tanks combined.

When one of these goes down, as far as potential hazardous spill it’s like the equivalent of 3 full-size rental boats sinking. And then there are the huge black water holding tanks.

As far as fuel goes, I can’t even imagine footing the bill just to gas up. APM is currently charging $9.48/gal for diesel. So one could easily blow through $10,000 just to fill ‘er up (including toy tanks). Last season we rented a Waheap houseboat for 10 days including fuel for a couple thousand less than that.

But, if you have a helipad on the roof I suppose that’s just pocket change. The scale is just off the charts, mind-blowing🤯

We all love the lake and enjoy it in so many various ways. I’ve always had so much respect for you guys that tent camp in Dec/Jan at the North end, total rock stars in my book👍
View attachment 36513
Click to expand...
Yep, and that is the everyday smaller Adonia. The latest 24 wide 110 foot long 4 story custom built models complete with full basement and helipad is at least twice the size of the run of the mill (pun) average Adonia Houseboat. I wonder if they’d hold twice the fuel? I was in West Canyon last year and one of those big boys was beached on the East side of the entry. Even compared to the high cliffs the scale of the craft looked enormous.
 
Rivergoer said:
These mega-houseboats run on A) Diesel and B) A LOT of it…700-1000 gallons depending on model and options. Then there’s also quite often a 300-500 gallon Toy Tank full of Gasoline. Just the toy tank alone holds what most rental models hold all tanks combined.

When one of these goes down, as far as potential hazardous spill it’s like the equivalent of 3 full-size rental boats sinking. And then there are the huge black water holding tanks.

As far as fuel goes, I can’t even imagine footing the bill just to gas up. APM is currently charging $9.48/gal for diesel. So one could easily blow through $10,000 just to fill ‘er up (including toy tanks). Last season we rented a Waheap houseboat for 10 days including fuel for a couple thousand less than that.

But, if you have a helipad on the roof I suppose that’s just pocket change. The scale is just off the charts, mind-blowing🤯

We all love the lake and enjoy it in so many various ways. I’ve always had so much respect for you guys that tent camp in Dec/Jan at the North end, total rock stars in my book👍
View attachment 36513
Click to expand...
A friend of mine teaches wake surfing at the lake. She mentioned that their gasoline bill for the surf boats runs $8,500 for a 10 day trip.
 
A couple of weeks ago we had a good laugh about which grandpa fills which side on the 31 Sea Ray. 100 gal on each side. Port has the power steering so runs for our striper trolling. Starboard tank supplies the gen. I picked starboard — 1.5 gal less than port, saved 4 bucks! Anyway, the twin 502’s get about 1 mile/gal, so we have plenty of range, toured up to Reflection and several canyons in between. Real chump change compared to the giants. I just hope everyone is having fun their own way. Having run up and down the lake for 5 decades in sport cruisers, you couldn’t give me the slow, stationary houseboat life. Even when we rented the bare essential HB in the 70’s, I kept our young crew on the move.
Only the magnificence of Lake Powell can justify a multimillion houseboat!
 
We talk about these captains making bad mistakes, and that is true. But I think we have people that don't see the small issues before they become big issues, I know it is semantics. Imagine what half of society would do if they didn't have tire inflation lights in their vehicles now, people need idiot lights for everything, super sad.

This weekend some longtime friends and I watch an old video of our families on Powell, 1985 we think. Rental out of Bullfrog, 48 or 50 footer, 18 people on it, lots of teenagers. We all sept outside. Wouldn't change those memories for the world. Fast forward to today and we own with Laketime, and I wouldn't change those memories either. Some things we still keep simple, but it is nice sleeping with the AC on.
 
Last edited:
Marina Bum said:
These big Super Boats do seem to sink with greater regularity than smaller craft, they are much more complex. We seem to see two or three a year sink and there just aren’t that many on the lake yet….but they are coming.
Click to expand...
Are more boats sinking, or does it just seem like it because social media makes it easier to find out about?

20+ years ago if a houseboat sank at Lake Powell, I probably wouldn't even know about it unless I was there to see it happen.
 
The newer Adonia boats are so high on the sides that strong crosswinds really effect them. A few years ago I was taking my houseboat from one side to the other at the opening of Great Bend on the San Juan River. My timeshare houseboat was a 14 foot by 65 foot single level boat with a shade cover on the second level. I read the crosswind early and lightly steered the boat into it, but it really woke up the other people on the boat. I would guess that the boat tilted about 18 inches as it was recovering. I don't know how the taller boats today would handle this.
 
Marina Bum said:
I like you and Ryan very much, I’ve enjoyed both of you wording's a lot for many years.

My opining is not only about detached owners, nostalgia for what was actually a far better time and my abhorrence for where things are headed. These Super Boats are not largely manned by guys who get dirty and know how to houseboat on Powell; those guys don’t fly in by helicopter to their already present and beach bagged boats. It’s not that the boats didn’t have failures it’s that no one with in the trenches experience caught those problems and made effort to correct them and save the boat before it sank including the (I’ll say it) incompetent captain who let knockers sink. He had options and he sailed her during a monsoon storm after noon something Mr Dave Taylor strictly discourages.

I still respect and admire you guys but I’d like you to see it from that perspective. If not it’s your prerogative and I still like and respect both you dudes!
Click to expand...
I understand what you are talking about. The boat becomes a floating hotel rather than something the user is engaged with so the trip becomes more of a private luxury vacation rather than the trip most of us love. Both Ryan and I are up north so we don't see the big boys and the approach to the lake on our end as much, so clearly we don't see as big a difference in the attitude. I just don't know that it make a difference in what has been going on with respect to these boats sinking.

It does seem strange to me to go out on a lake in a boat where you are incapable of piloting it, anchoring it, dealing with issues while afloat, etc., especially in a remote area like Lake Powell. We have owners on our boat who are helpless when it comes to managing a mechanical problem and they rely on subsequent users to fix their problems and demur from fixing things that occur prior to their trip and will cancel their week if there is a problem that will impact their ability to go or will simply stay in the slip. Weird way to go, in my opinion, but that is what they know.

I see this attitude in those that go with us though. We have got all the kids good a participating in anchoring and docking the boat. However, nobody seemed interested at all in dealing with the mechanical issues or piloting the boat. Finally, this summer one of my nephews took an interest in the boat maintenance tasks and followed me around as I checked fluids, completed some troubleshooting, and worked on the generator. It was a real breath of fresh air to have someone who was not just told to be there but was genuinely interested in being there and in learning and who was paying such close attention he stopped me from making a mistake that would have required me to go back a step. It gave me real hope that we may have a next generation who wants to continue to go and pilot and be engaged in the boat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top