Cabinitis: Whatever Floats Your Boat!

I’ve shared with you in the past that I am fortunate to own a cabin on a large, beautiful lake called Seagull Lake. So it might seem odd that my cabinitis has recently manifested itself in a bit of lake envy.

About 200 miles north of my cabin is a very large lake – a huge lake, actually – and because there’s very limited access, it’s also a very quiet lake. A lot of sheltered water and thousands of bays and islands make it a veritable paradise for adventure and exploration, albeit in a deep, deep wilderness. Years ago I took canoeing and camping trips on the same lake.

I was recently bitten again by exploration bug. But from years at our cabin, I’ve explored most of Seagull. So I started dreaming about exploring or rediscovering the massive lake to the north.

Obviously not wanting to give up my cabin on Seagull, I began to wonder if it was possible to put a small houseboat on the wilderness lake and use it as an outpost station for exploration, without the hassle of hauling boats, tents and camping gear (and mosquito repellent – lots and lots of mosquito repellent!).

So I began a casual search for trailerable houseboats. The Internet is wonderful, and as it turned out, there are a good number of companies that make these boats. Hmm ...

Then I?wondered:?Is there a location on the lake with an adequate launch site so I could get the boat into the lake in the spring and out in the fall? I imagined it would be no small feat to launch a houseboat.

And what about a sheltered bay where the boat could be anchored when we’re away? Even though the lake is remote, there are a few cabins on it, so this anchoring spot would have to be out of the way of the cabin owners.

Well, click, click, click, everything fell into place. I went ahead – to the amazement of my wife and others – and bought a small houseboat. Mind you, a trailerable houseboat is a far cry from the big beautiful houseboats that sleep 10. It’s not so large that you’d want to live on it for any great length of time – but for the occasional weekend or week of fun exploring the big lake, it should serve nicely. So, this summer, we will enjoy our cabin, plus wilderness expedition trips farther north with the houseboat.

We just finished outfitting and provisioning the new vessel. We had a ball! Next will be the challenge of getting the behemoth up to the lake. And then, of course, there’s getting it launched. That will be an interesting challenge. But what are sons and sons-in-laws for?

Besides, it’s all part of the grand adventure. So let the explorations begin!

Lars F. has refused the 12-step plan to control his cabinitis. Only his first name is used to protect his identity.