"Then we came home, and we saw all the water damage … It didn't feel like home anymore because all of our stuff was gone, which was a good thing, because if I'd walked in and gone through all our destroyed stuff, it would have been hard," he says. They figured they might as well continue their vacation, so they took another month off in Buenos Aires, he recalls, where they "coped." Tucker would have to move to a rental apartment. The insurance company had told them there would be no point in rushing home because they'd take care of uprighting the house and hiring a restoration company to remove and store the contents. Tucker learned the details when they returned from their vacation more than a month later. The fireplace filled with water, sooty water soon ran throughout the main floor, and furniture and even the refrigerator got tossed across the room.
#STAY AFLOAT IN A WAY CROSSWORD FULL#
There was already a full roof top garden on the house, and once several feet of snow piled up, the whole house fell to one side.
It couldn't take the weight of snow that had accumulated in the major snowstorm that year, and, being top heavy, simply toppled over. His previous 25-year-old floating home in Coal Harbour wasn't as stable because of its height and width. With an allowance from the marina, they made the house 20-feet wide instead of its former 18-feet width, giving it greater stability. On the upside, engineers have ensured this one shouldn't tip over. "It's the only floating home in the marina that has sprinklers," he says. They spent more than $550,000 in construction costs alone. McClelland says he's in debt by about $150,000 because city regulations for the new floating home meant significant added cost that they hadn't factored into their plans.
The moorage fee is $1,000 a month, and in lieu of taxes, there is an annual live-aboard licence fee of about $1,700. McClelland's moorage lease at the marina, which will convert to year-to-year. "In a condo, you might meet one or two neighbours, whereas here, you get to know everybody that goes down the dock."Īs well, the floating home is more secure than the average house, with 24-hour marina security that operates as a gated community. "But the big thing is, there is a tremendous sense of community and people are very helpful," she says. During a windstorm, your house can get tossed around.Īs well, there are additional costs, such as higher insurance and moorage fees. When it's low tide, the ramp is steep, so you have to plan moving in with big furniture items during high tide, when the ramp is low. Because you can't park at your front door, you have further to walk with groceries and garbage. Some people can get motion sickness, but they usually adjust, says Ms. People worry about dampness, even though the houses are well insulated and there's good airflow. The uninitiated always have a bevy of concerns. Realtor Ricki Willing, who specializes in floating homes, says the buyer will probably be someone who uses the house as a secondary, recreational property, or someone who's done their research and fallen in love with the floating home lifestyle. "It's the first time in years that a new floating home has come up for sale in Vancouver," Mr.
#STAY AFLOAT IN A WAY CROSSWORD WINDOWS#
There are multiple windows in every room, and high-end appliances in the kitchen. The house has two bathrooms with features like granite sinks, marble tile floors, glass enclosed shower, separate tub, as well as den, and two bedrooms, including a master bedroom that is big enough for a king size bed. They'd considered living in the house before selling it, but realtor friends said they'd get a better deal if they sold it brand new. McClelland, standing in his pristine living room, with bamboo floors and floor-to-ceiling view of the marina. "It's a bit like a knife in the heart to come down here and see it," says Mr. Now that it's finally in place, the couple is putting the house on the market for $750,000, and they haven't even lived in it. Tucker can no longer afford their dream home. At Coal Harbour, there are also 20 residents who have licences for live-aboard boats. There are a total of six such homes in Coal Harbour, and 12 on Granville Island. It is one of the city's few remaining floating homes, and part of a uniquely scenic and village-like lifestyle, among boat owners and other marina residents who wave to each other along the docks. The 110-tonne house, designed by architect Russ Chernoff, is more than 1,100 square feet and has three contemporary levels, with cedar and shiny corrugated siding, a roof-top deck and one of the best views in the city – surrounded by boats, ocean, mountains, Stanley Park and downtown skyline.
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