A Rocking Vacation

Houseboats Provide a floating home on the water

by Kate Hofstetter

Some of David Oliver's favorite customers over the 12 years he has been renting houseboats was a group of ladies, all school teachers, who decided they wanted to take a houseboat vacation on Smith Mountain Lake. Although they weren't experienced boaters, "they did just fine and they had a great time," said Oliver, owner of Parrot Cove Boat Rental at Hales Ford Bridge.

If you like being rocked to sleep while listening to water lapping against a boat, you may want to consider renting a houseboat for your next Lake vacation. Whether it's for a weekend or a week, rental houseboats are available at two locations on the Lake: Parrot Cove and Bay Roc Marina. Rental rates are listed on the marinas' individual web sites (see below) along with pictures and descriptions of the available boats. All houseboats come fully equipped with kitchen appliances and utensils plus gas grills for cooking out and deck furniture. They also have TVs and VCRs, and those ever-popular water slides. Bring food, clothing, linens and toiletries.

For overnight stays renters may dock at the marina or in one of the many coves along the shoreline. Gloria Burchette, who is in charge of reservations at Bay Roc Marina, said first-time renters are given a test drive on the lake until they are comfortable handling the oversized boats. They are also provided with a map that designates coves where there are no houses and, therefore, are appropriate for anchoring for an afternoon or even overnight. In case no one is in the mood to cook, the map also highlights area restaurants.

"Some renters," Burchette said, "prefer to come back to the marina at night to dock."  If they want, she added, they can stay in the slip for the whole time they are renting. Most people, however, want to get out on the lake and soak up the natural beauty. "They particularly like going to see the dam and mountains," she said.

 Oliver agreed that a favorite place for renters to drop anchor is at the base of Smith Mountain, near the dam. He also recommends to his renters that they may want to anchor in one of the many undeveloped coves along the State Park property.

Oliver's houseboats are powered by 115 hp Yamaha motors, which gives them a slow cruising speed. Plus, since they are made specifically for renting, they are built to be easy to operate, he explained. The 17 houseboats for rent at Parrot Cove were made by Oliver's boat building company here at the Lake. Parrot Cove gives renters a 30-minute orientation about boating safety and operation of the boat before they are approved to pilot the houseboats, and a map of the Lake is included in an informational packet.

The two marinas also offer smaller watercraft for rent that can be towed and used as a runabout while houseboats are anchored off shore. For the enjoyment of the younger crowd, tubes to pull behind the houseboat are also available for rent.

"Some bring their own boats or jet skis," Burchette added.

Houseboats must meet the same equipment criteria as other boats. That means life vests for everyone on board, proper fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Plus, whoever is going to be captain needs to understand the buoy system in order to safely navigate around the Lake.

"They start calling for reservations in February," Burchette said, "Fourth of July weekend goes first."

If a houseboat is rented for a full week, the holding tank for waste water and sewage will need to be pumped at least once. Besides the rental marinas, there are pumping stations at most of the major marinas on the Lake.

Bay Roc Marina

8360 Hardy Road, Hardy

540.890.2194 / bayrocmarina.com

Parrot Cove

16441 Booker T Washington Hwy., Moneta

540.721.5363 / parrotcove.com

Click on "boats" and follow the prompts on each website to view the houseboats and see floor plans and a list of equipment.