Vacations are supposed to be fun, relaxing, and energizing for you and your entire family. You need to get away from your daily routines and get in touch with yourselves again. Spending more time in nature and open spaces will help you recharge your batteries and feel energized again. Renting a houseboat for a vacation is, therefore, a great idea.
If you’re thinking about renting a houseboat for your vacation, you need to start planning. The article below will help you plan your houseboat vacation and take you through it step by step.
Let’s take a closer look.
Early Booking
When it comes to organizing your vacation on a houseboat, it’s a good idea to start thinking about it early. The basic details that you have to work out in the early stage of planning are:
- the dates you plan vacationing on
- the budget you have
- the people that will be joining you
- the location you plan vacationing on
- traveling to the selected destination
Get in touch with the rest of the family or the friends you plan vacationing with. Together, make these decisions and book the houseboat as soon as possible.
Recreational boating is extremely popular in the US, with more than 87 million U.S. adults participate in recreational boating, so don’t wait up!
Once you’re done with these technical details, you can move on to a more detailed plan.
Get to Know The Houseboat
Before you even set foot on the houseboat, you need to know what to expect from it. Make sure that you ask the right questions and gather information such as:
- the size of the cabins
- the type of toilet
- the equipment that comes with the houseboat
Learn about your houseboat to be well-prepared once you kick start your vacation. This will also come in handy when you start packing.
Know all the benefits of your houseboat and how to use them, and your vacation will run smoothly.
Packing
You have to make sure you have everything you need on your houseboat, to have a great vacation. Once you ask for information about what equipment will be waiting for you on the houseboat, you'll know what to pack.
Make sure you’ve got:
- towels
- bed sheets
- kitchen utensils
- biodegradable soap, shampoo, and toilet paper
- life jackets
- garbage bags
- sun protection
Also, make sure that you pack a first aid kit if it’s not included, as well as the medication some of your family members might need along the way.
It’s important that you travel safely, and are prepared for any situation that might come your way.
Groceries & Meal Plans
You’ve got to eat while you’re out there on the water, but you’ll hardly find a grocery shop on the lake. This is why it's probably for the best if you plan your meals and bring all the food you need to the houseboat.
Here’s how to handle it:
- talk to everyone who’s coming and assign food duties
- plan your meals for the entire trip
- go grocery shopping
- cook some meals at home and freeze them, then bring to the houseboat
Of course, there will be those days when you’ll eat in a restaurant or a bar, but you’ve got to ensure there’s enough food on the houseboat for everyone.
Plan Your Route
Depending on the number of days you’ll be spending in the houseboat, and the type of a crowd you'll have with you on board, you should go ahead and make plans to make the most use out of this vacation.
Make sure that you:
- research the location you’ll be visiting
- find out about activities you can do on the shore
- plan hiking, swimming, cycling, and other fun activities
- think about the best lodging locations
You can go online and read testimonials or blogs from people who’ve previously visited the same location. Real reviews will tell you what activities to skip and which ones you have to try out.
If these tips help you out, write your own testimonial once your vacation is over and share it online. In case you need help with writing, look for writing services that can help you out.
Know your route before you head out and make sure that everyone has fun.
Safety
Finally, there’s one last thing you need to pay special attention to. The safety of all passengers is of utmost importance so make sure that you set some strict rules so that no one gets hurt.
You need to take this very seriously and make sure everybody else does as well:
- bring life jackets for everyone
- make sure the kids are wearing lifejackets whenever they’re out of their cabins
- have at least two people who know how to operate the houseboat, in case something happens to one of them
- learn how to and where to beach your craft
- learn about anchoring and safely exiting the houseboat
Also, if you're in a foreign country, you should learn the basic phrases for communicating with the locals. You never know when you might need their help. TheWordPoint can help you out with this.
Safety needs to be one of your top priorities so make sure everyone’s got it all figured out. Stick to the rules and you’ll enjoy an accident-free, safe vacation with the people you love.
Final Thoughts
Renting a houseboat is a great idea that will take you on an adventurous vacation with your friends and family. Still, all the fun comes after all the planning so don't skip this important phase of vacationing on a houseboat.
Use the tips we’ve listed above and turn them into a personal checklist. Once you’ve got all the points covered, all that’s left is for you to relax and have fun on the houseboat.