This article recently appeared on the Woodinville Weekly's web site. Unfortunately, about a week later, their site began to experience some technical problems. We've reprinted the article below for reference, until their web site comes back on-line. The original link was here. -- 8/10/2010
Take a tour of Seattle’s floating homes for a glimpse at a unique community
Admit it. You’ve always been just a bit curious about what it would be like to actually live on one of those houseboats on Lake Union. You drive past them and imagine life aboard a floating home in a community of inhabitants who share a common love of water, boats and wildlife. I know I do, and although I’ve kayaked past some of these unique residences, I’ve never been inside one.
That’s about to change, as I plan to take the Seattle Floating Homes Tour this September. The event, which is only held once every two years, provides an opportunity for the public to visit a dozen houseboats on east and west Lake Union.
This year, the theme is "From Funky to Fabulous – 100 Years of Houseboat Living."
According to Jann McFarland, who works for the Seattle Floating Homes Association, the self-guided tour features a variety of houseboats, ranging in size and style.
She says, "We want people to know that there are so many different kinds of houseboats here and that this is a community that is made up of a diverse group of individuals, from all walks of life, and all who take great pride in owning a floating home."
Each of the houseboats on the tour has its own fascinating history, architecture and art. There is a diverse array of innovative design and details that range from compact and whimsical to spacious and grandiose. On east Lake Union, three homes on the famous Log Foundation co-op dock will be available for viewing, including a restored circa 1930 vintage houseboat that has a margarita swim-up bar for hot summer days and a huge contemporary cement-hulled home containing an underwater room with a large round window where visitors can view whatever is floating by. It also boasts a climate-controlled wine cellar.
Another classic residence sits on the shell of an old barge accessible through a secret trap door in the bathroom. Viewers will be amused to learn the barge was once invaded by a band of delinquent otters.
Then there’s a home on the Tenas Chuck co-op dock, which has been designated a national Heritage Historical District because of the abundance of classic old-style houseboats located on the site.
And this is the first time in the history of the Floating Homes Tour that a home on Roanoke Reef (a distinguished community of newer custom-built houseboats) will be open to the public.
On west Lake Union, the tour will feature several distinctive homes, ranging from a small and cozy nautical abode built in the 1800s with its original antique bathroom still intact, to a sweeping modern three-level residence built over the past two years and only recently installed. The house has a collection of stained glass windows, some scrounged from old buildings and antique yards, and many made by owner himself, including a magnificent rendition of the story of the "Old Man and the Sea."
Also on display will be a former lumber-mill bunkhouse, built around the turn of the century, still in possession of its original footprint, cedar logs and ceiling planks. And there’s even a home with its own full shop and greenhouse attached – a rarity among floating homes anywhere.
"There’s such history here, beginning in the early 1900’s," comments McFarland. "Many of the homes started as simple one-room cabins floating on logs without plumbing or electricity. Over the years, the homes were remodeled or torn down and rebuilt and the area became a vibrant urban community." She adds, "We used to have a few thousand floating homes, but today, there’s only about 500. We lost a lot of them when the freeways went in and when NOAA was established."
McFarland has owned a floating home on Lake Union since 1971. She loves living on the water, while being right in the middle of the city. "All of us choose to live here because of the location and the unique type of lifestyle – a balance of urban and natural. It’s a close knit community, not only because we live so close to one another, but because we share the desire to have a relationship with the water."
What: 2010 Seattle Floating Homes Tour, "From Funky to Fabulous – 100 Years of Houseboat Living"
When: Sunday, September 12, noon – 5 p.m.
Where: East & West Lake Union
Tickets: $25 (plus handling fee), advance purchase is recommended due to capacity limits
Admission: Price includes bus shuttle transportation between Fairview Ave. East and Westlake Ave. North, and transportation by electric boat between the east and west shores of the lake.
To order: www.brownpapertickets.com or by phone at 1-800-838-3006.