Ray Walker is brutally honest when he describes his five-year houseboat renovation project.

“I thought it would be fun to own a houseboat and I could afford this one,” he says. But he adds, “I bought it mostly because I was crazy. I shouldn't have started it and when I got it stripped down it was worse than I thought.”

But now that the boat is finished and in the water, Ray is singing a different tune.

“It was something to do and I actually enjoyed it,” says the owner. “It was work, but now I get to use it. I couldn't afford to buy what I have now.”

His story is truly a houseboat rags to riches saga about a guy with no houseboat history and limited houseboat re-building knowledge.

See the complete, incredible transformation in the March/April issue of Houseboat magazine. Click here to pick up your copy, or subscribe today and never miss another issue!