NotSoThoreau

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I’m planning to move to Vancouver come spring. The problem is that the boyfriend has his son, son’s girlfriend and 7 month old baby already at the house. He has property on the river, but the trailer there is occupied. So we have been looking for solutions. There are a couple of old houseboats on the place, in bad need of repair. They can’t be lived in as there are no arrangements for sewage.

Enter craigslist, where he found an ad for a 1969 Chris-craft Aqua Home. This is a 46′ houseboat, designed to be lived in on water. It has two 327 engines and can cruise if you want. This one needs work, so the price was right. We had to wait a bit, as there was an offer ahead of us. That guy bailed out and we are now the owners of the boat (or will be when we finish paying it off over the next few years). The first problem is to move it down to the moorage that Lon owns. He knows someone with a tug who can move it. (The engines work but it hasn’t been started for awhile. Seems safer to have someone move it across river from the Oregon to Washington side.) Once we have it in place, we’ll start interior repairs. It had water leak into the walls, so there is panelling to be replaced. As soon as we can make it liveable, I start moving in. I am already spending weekends in town and commuting the long drive to Hood River on days I need to work. I take the dogs with me. It will be easier when I get the cats moved over and all my stuff. I have so much to do that it is dizzying. I’m still happy over it. I won’t pretend that there haven’t been a few bumps along the way, in this new relationship. It’s hard to start over. Still, he makes me happy and I think I am going to like river life. I am going to try and get some pictures in the next couple of days to post, so stay tuned.