While perusing the web, we came across a really cool story done by WABI TV 5 news that we want to share! While it may not be about an engine-whirring, wake-making houseboat, it’s a close and interesting cousin.

Say you want a summer home that’s modern but homey, stationary, and with a view worth big bucks. Say you also want to think outside of the fiberglass reinforced panels most houseboats are made of. Steve White of Belfast partnered up with Chad Walton of Brewer-based Snap Space Solutions to fashion a floating house out of—of all things—shipping containers.

Steve, who co-owns Front Street Shipyard, successfully combined his yacht building experience with Chad’s experience building custom homes out of uncommon materials. Between the two of them and Steve’s significant other, Lisa Heidel, who helped design the interior, this one-and-only house boat was brought to its final roosting spot at Belfast Harbor.

“I had seen a container house design that was similar to this one, and then I started thinking about wouldn’t it be great to have a house boat right on the water, and so the two ideas sort of came that way,” explains Steve.

Though its genesis may have been simple, the execution was a little more difficult.

 “A lot of the obstacles we try to overcome is to take that small feel out of it when we build it, by putting windows in, having enough ceiling height so it doesn’t feel tight and small,” says Chad.

Along with creating a spacious atmosphere, calculating the weight was another problem. Lisa explains, “We wanted the stone fireplace and the granite added weight so we had to measure and weigh things.”

It looks like they more than accomplished the goal. The house, safely afloat, has two bedrooms, a large open kitchen, and their stone fireplace, all set in bold red and tranquil white tones to create a modern interior that rivals many boats. Complete with a roof deck and patio, even the most hardened houseboater would be quick to step on board and check it out.

It’s great to see the houseboating bug spread to folks like Steve and Lisa, who love the water life enough to balance a summer home in it.

“This is just really nice to live in, easy to take care of, and just fun to be here, relaxing to be on the water,” enthuses Steve.

You can view the entire news feature here: http://wabi.tv/2014/08/27/belfast-man-builds-houseboat-shipping-containers/