New, wide eyed, and excited for our first houseboating intergenerational trip next month

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Apologies for a delayed reply here….All the way from Labyrinth to the mouth of West you can find isolated areas for a protected campsite. Be very wary as you go into west as it is littered with underwater whales. A scout boat would sure be an asset to eliminate maneuvering a houseboat into some of these areas before determining if a good campsite exists or not. There will be so few people competing for campsites that you will find many wide open beaches everywhere with no neighbors.
Another area for consideration on a short stay would be the very NW area of Padre where you will find a couple huge beaches in areas that permit some hiking and exploring. There is a notch/pass where you can hike up and over to Gunsight bay to the west. At higher levels that notch is full of water for boat access between GS and Padre.
The POP chart shows almost a zero chance of precip next week, but as others have mentioned, anchor down like a hurricane is in the forecast. Have a great time and enjoy your gateway dose of the “Powell addiction” drug. 😎
 
Hi everyone,

We're back! Lake Powell is as wonderful as y'all promised; as beautiful and as mesmerizing. We had fair weather, clear days, anchors were dug well and the stars were breathtaking. My children had the time of their lives digging holes as deep as they are tall, and I took a short hike (about a mile roundtrip) with my older boy while the younger two napped. The whole area was wonderfully clean, too. We saw evidence of old campfires much higher up; it's astounding to see the difference in lake levels then and now. My son did not want to leave, but getting a ride on the marina buggy when we offloaded cheered him up.

However........
our houseboat was a nightmare. Shortly after we started the engine, the left propeller stopped working. So my dad made a u-turn using only the right propeller to get us out of the marina, rather than turning on the spot. Then, about an hour after we left the marina, the right engine failed. and we had to restart. This same engine would repeatedly fail on our way back on Thursday. My mom wanted to turn back and get another boat, but after some discussion we carried on.

The list continues. After we anchored, it turned out that the battery was low/weak/old/couldn't hold a charge. The fresh water and lake water pumps took turns to fail. The worst moment came when we realised the generator was faulty - it wouldn't run for more than 5-10 minutes each time. Often, it would turn on then shut down. I had to throw food out, since the fridge wasn't working. As it was after hours, we had to wait till the next morning to call the marina. Meanwhile, there was low-key tension constantly humming in the background of my mind, wondering if the gas would give out too, or the heater stop working in the middle of the night, and what I needed to do to keep the children warm if that happened.

We called the marina the next morning. Mechanic came just before lunch, fixed the generator (a wire had come loose), and things were more or less in order after that, aside from the battery, propeller, and right engine. I'll probably write in to Wahweap Marina after this. Just wanted to thank you guys first, for your pre-trip support, great advice, and experienced suggestions. Yous were a major reason why we had as superb a time as we did. Thank you all!
 
peachyfoo said:
On top of my deposit? I suppose I wouldn't say no- still waiting for a reply though!
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When it comes to Aramark experiences, the sarcasm runs deep around here (often well-deserved as you’ve learned from your trip report). :-) Put another way, don’t hold your breath, refunds are about as scarce as teeth on a frog.

So glad to hear you and yours found workarounds, didn’t let it spoil good times and really enjoyed the awesomeness that is Lake Powell!
 
Welcome to the club of people who have had issues with rental houseboats at Lake Powell. Unfortunately this happens to many people who rent from Aramark. They rent a lot of boats, and thorough maintenance of these items are not in their dictionary. I am glad you could work around these problems, and had a good Lake Powell experience.
 
Yes, poorly maintained rental houseboats are all too common. In my experience, the only way you get money refunded is by complaining right at the time you turn the houseboat in and actually asking for money back. And at that point the check-in person usually says they can’t do that, so you ask to see their manager. After a friendly conversation with the manager, you might get something back. Especially if you calmly tell them you plan to post your experience on WaynesWords or TripAdvisor.
 
Most people that rent anything, do not entirely tell the company they are renting from of all the problems, from fear of being charged for those issues. This could be said for rental houses, apartments, motorhomes and so forth. So what happens is that the Houseboat continues to go downhill. Many problems don't get diagnosed on the docks, only become an issue out on the lake. No excuses for Aramark, they continue to provide equipment that will break down on your trip. I have never met anyone that rented from them without some kind of issue.

Glad you trip was good otherwise and you made the best of everything.
 
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