Some online were calling it the Hillbilly Houseboat.
An obviously homemade houseboat turned heads in Port Huron on Sunday, Nov. 23, as it made its way on the St. Clair River near the Blue Water Bridge.
The houseboat consisted of a small, one-story modular building built into a wooden frame, floating on a series of plastic barrels, with engines on one end. The vessel appeared to struggle at times in the river’s strong currents, rotating as it navigated the water.
Lt. j.g. Samuel Rodriguez Garcia, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit, said Canadian officials notified the guard about the houseboat, and the U.S. Coast Guard sent one of its 45-foot response vessels out from Port Huron to meet it to make sure all was well. Coast Guard personnel encountered the pilot of the vessel, whose name was not released, and his dog.
“It is a Canadian vessel and certified under Transport Canada; that is their administration that takes care of that sort of certification,” Garcia said.
“We made contact with the master of the vessel, and he said they were fine. And they pulled into Canadian waters for the evening and then transited north out of the river.”
The houseboat had folks on the Aircraft and Marine Machines Facebook page fascinated.
“Trailer house on the water!” posted Dale Massey.
“Bro is livin’ his best life trying to send a trailer up the middle of the river with a kicker motor,” added John A. McNelis with a laughing emoji.
Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Homemade houseboat on St. Clair River turns heads near Port Huron
Reporting by Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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