House Boat Towing

So we have a house boat booked on Lake Ouachita this summer for a weekend and I am looking for the experts who have towed behind a house boat and also who have been to Lake Ouachita on a house boat.

Question one: Is there anything that needs to be done to the boat to tow it? This may sound silly but back in 2018 we broke down on Lake Hamilton (starter failed) and a fellow forum member rescued us and towed us a good distance at a relatively slow speed. While under tow I kept hearing a strange harmonic sound and we traced it to the proper shaft. As we were being towed water going through the propeller was causing it to spin (slowly) and it was making a sound that sounded almost like a harmonic sound but I wasn't sure if it was the shaft seal rubbing due to no water being pumped to it with the engine off. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it ok to just let the propeller spin as water flows across it even though its not getting lubrication water to the shaft seal?

Question two: Where are the best placed to park a house boat on Ouachita with good water for riding? I was looking at Pollard Creek but I am not sure how stumpy it is. Navionics shows "flooded timber" in the area so that makes me nervous.

We have towed our Mojo with the houseboat and have seen many others do the same. I did have to replace the dripless seal last spring, but was told that the transmission had shifted, causing the shaft to come out of center, ruining the seal. The shop indicated they thought the previous owner had hit something with the prop and not disclosed it. Houseboats will typically only go 5-8 mph, which really shouldn't cause issues though. If you get above 10 mph, you may have a problem but at these low speeds things should be fine.

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Originally Posted by Zog

We have towed our Mojo with the houseboat and have seen many others do the same. I did have to replace the dripless seal last spring, but was told that the transmission had shifted, causing the shaft to come out of center, ruining the seal. The shop indicated they thought the previous owner had hit something with the prop and not disclosed it. Houseboats will typically only go 5-8 mph, which really shouldn't cause issues though. If you get above 10 mph, you may have a problem but at these low speeds things should be fine.

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Ok, the house boat place said the boat does 8, i figured I would just keep it at 5 since we will have our boat plus 2 wave runners in tow and I am not in that big of a hurry.

One more quick question for you, did ya'll beach the house boat? and if so, how did yall control the Mojo being towed once you got up on the beach? you have someone on the back of the house boat prepared to catch the mojo or pull it in while other people tied off the house boat?

You will want to stop the houseboat out in the lake where you have plenty of room to drift a little because it take a bit of time to pull the ski boat in, get someone in to drive it, and untie it from the tow rope. Then the houseboat can go in and beach and tie up. After the houseboat is all tied up then you can bring the ski boat in and tie up the the houseboat. At least that is how we always do it.

Yes, the HB can probably do 8, but you have to run the engines at higher RPM, which means your fuel burn rate goes up considerably and your trip becomes much more expensive. I run ours around 6-7 since I am impatient and am typically running about 15 miles up lake.

I would be more worried about towing the wave runners than the boat, by the way. Read up on the towing requirements, since some models require you to pinch off the water supply since pushing water through the jet pump can cause the pump seal to leak, filling up the boat with water and sinking it. I know SeaDoo is very susceptible to this, but I don't know about others.

We beach our houseboat. Prior to bringing it in, we pull everything off the back of the boat. This is an absolute must, since even if you were to catch the boats as they come in, you still have spinning props down below and they will eat your tow lines quickly. A fouled houseboat prop will ruin your trip. Prior to beaching, take the houseboat to idle speed, pull in the boat and wave runners, and have them disembark. Have the wave runner people get on shore and help you set your anchor lines. Houseboats need very secure shore anchorage if you are going to have any kind of wind or wave action. Anchorage is my biggest concern every time we take the houseboat out. Every time you think things will be fine if you go light on anchorage, something will happen to make you realize it is a fools game. Last year I thought I would be fine placing just two anchors on each side of my boat, but lost both on one side in a wind storm. I was tied around big rocks and the rocks exploded. Causing me to start drifting. Fortunately, I had started the engines already and was prepared to counter the wind with my props. The only way you can do this though is with proper seamanship, keeping your anchor lines orderly and free from the area of the props and making sure there is nothing that would cause you to damage anything or any boats you might have tied to your houseboat.

Good luck on the adventure! We love house boating. In my opinion, there is no boating/lake experience better than house boating. There is also no experience more terrifying when things go bad, so be prepared for anything.

I started laughing reading this.
We all know if gas wasn't $10/gallon at the marina you would just drive everything at once but now it's how can I tie everything together and save my fun gas for when we park the house.

As far as towing you should be fine. House boats are slow but watch the chop while towing. If the rope is too short it can force the nose down crossing a roller.

^^ That is way we have also done it.

Been in some deep coves where we have a long line on the transom tied to a tree onshore. Then the bow was anchored.

Also been anchored in the middle of the cove. If it was big, we just tied the boat to the side, spun the houseboat around, and anchored.

Fun times. Where are you going?


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Originally Posted by Holdmybeer

I started laughing reading this.
We all know if gas wasn't $10/gallon at the marina you would just drive everything at once but now it's how can I tie everything together and save my fun gas for when we park the house.

As far as towing you should be fine. House boats are slow but watch the chop while towing. If the rope is too short it can force the nose down crossing a roller.

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Only $6.72 as of this morning! For us it is more about making sure we don't have to go into the marina to fill up. We have about 400 gallons on board for the week that has to supply the engines, generator, and boats (Mojo, Supra SE, and SeaDoo). Any gas we can save that isn't associated with play time needs to be saved, though my brother in law refuses to tow the SE. It's OK though since we use the SE and the SeaDoo to scout out the beaching locations and reserve the spot. Everything gets towed back though and I am always hopeful that I will get the Mojo back on the trailer with about 5 gallons left in the tank. Last year it was bad enough with my $1,300 gas bill at the marina after a week. Really not looking forward to over $2,000. I am being told that if gas is much more expensive, we may keep the houseboat boat in the marina and enjoy a slightly different kind of houseboat trip. I have never minded staying in the marina though. The chances of a moment of terror go way down, though the opportunities for smooth water are certainly much lower.

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Originally Posted by Zog

Yes, the HB can probably do 8, but you have to run the engines at higher RPM, which means your fuel burn rate goes up considerably and your trip becomes much more expensive. I run ours around 6-7 since I am impatient and am typically running about 15 miles up lake.

I would be more worried about towing the wave runners than the boat, by the way. Read up on the towing requirements, since some models require you to pinch off the water supply since pushing water through the jet pump can cause the pump seal to leak, filling up the boat with water and sinking it. I know SeaDoo is very susceptible to this, but I don't know about others.

We beach our houseboat. Prior to bringing it in, we pull everything off the back of the boat. This is an absolute must, since even if you were to catch the boats as they come in, you still have spinning props down below and they will eat your tow lines quickly. A fouled houseboat prop will ruin your trip. Prior to beaching, take the houseboat to idle speed, pull in the boat and wave runners, and have them disembark. Have the wave runner people get on shore and help you set your anchor lines. Houseboats need very secure shore anchorage if you are going to have any kind of wind or wave action. Anchorage is my biggest concern every time we take the houseboat out. Every time you think things will be fine if you go light on anchorage, something will happen to make you realize it is a fools game. Last year I thought I would be fine placing just two anchors on each side of my boat, but lost both on one side in a wind storm. I was tied around big rocks and the rocks exploded. Causing me to start drifting. Fortunately, I had started the engines already and was prepared to counter the wind with my props. The only way you can do this though is with proper seamanship, keeping your anchor lines orderly and free from the area of the props and making sure there is nothing that would cause you to damage anything or any boats you might have tied to your houseboat.

Good luck on the adventure! We love house boating. In my opinion, there is no boating/lake experience better than house boating. There is also no experience more terrifying when things go bad, so be prepared for anything.

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Zog do you write instruction manuals or "Installation Practices " by any chance in your job..........

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Originally Posted by HFarr

Zog do you write instruction manuals or "Installation Practices " by any chance in your job..........

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Lol! I am an engineer, but don't write manuals. I wind up writing long explanation documents for my clients to explain why they are spending so much money on something that doesn't benefit the bottom line. I guess it infects a lot of what I write elsewhere too.

The number of engineers on this site is overwhelming. It certainly makes helping each other out easier since so many can chime in and give different view point.

Being in Zog's shoes many times, I can appreciate his write up. I also learned that towing new seadoos can cause damage. So win win.

As far as the OP question, it look like he should have a kick-a$$ vacation coming up. Don't worry too much and just have fun. I know we are all ready for warm weather and the summer toys to come out.

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Originally Posted by Holdmybeer

I started laughing reading this.
We all know if gas wasn't $10/gallon at the marina you would just drive everything at once but now it's how can I tie everything together and save my fun gas for when we park the house.

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As Zog pointed out, minimizing fuel consumption is important if you want to avoid time/fuel-consuming trips back to the marina (50 miles each way in our case). The 250 gallon toy tank (as well as starting with the Supra and jetskis completely full) barely lasts us a week out on the lake. The 700 gallon diesel tank for the houseboat engines and generators is less of a concern for running out. But towing is also about convenience. I go about 50 miles up-lake (Powell) and the long journey is much more fun and convenient if everyone can ride on the houseboat while it tows the Supra (jetskis winch onto the stern of mine). Dragging a heavy wakeboat behind probably hurts the houseboat fuel economy but you still come out ahead.

Back to OP's question, I've had no issues towing my Supra behind the houseboat at up to 10mph (top speed). I just make sure the rudder is straight. Zog is exactly right on the beaching/anchoring process.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zog

Yes, the HB can probably do 8, but you have to run the engines at higher RPM, which means your fuel burn rate goes up considerably and your trip becomes much more expensive. I run ours around 6-7 since I am impatient and am typically running about 15 miles up lake.

I would be more worried about towing the wave runners than the boat, by the way. Read up on the towing requirements, since some models require you to pinch off the water supply since pushing water through the jet pump can cause the pump seal to leak, filling up the boat with water and sinking it. I know SeaDoo is very susceptible to this, but I don't know about others.

We beach our houseboat. Prior to bringing it in, we pull everything off the back of the boat. This is an absolute must, since even if you were to catch the boats as they come in, you still have spinning props down below and they will eat your tow lines quickly. A fouled houseboat prop will ruin your trip. Prior to beaching, take the houseboat to idle speed, pull in the boat and wave runners, and have them disembark. Have the wave runner people get on shore and help you set your anchor lines. Houseboats need very secure shore anchorage if you are going to have any kind of wind or wave action. Anchorage is my biggest concern every time we take the houseboat out. Every time you think things will be fine if you go light on anchorage, something will happen to make you realize it is a fools game. Last year I thought I would be fine placing just two anchors on each side of my boat, but lost both on one side in a wind storm. I was tied around big rocks and the rocks exploded. Causing me to start drifting. Fortunately, I had started the engines already and was prepared to counter the wind with my props. The only way you can do this though is with proper seamanship, keeping your anchor lines orderly and free from the area of the props and making sure there is nothing that would cause you to damage anything or any boats you might have tied to your houseboat.

Good luck on the adventure! We love house boating. In my opinion, there is no boating/lake experience better than house boating. There is also no experience more terrifying when things go bad, so be prepared for anything.

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Thanks for this. We don't have a long drive, probably 10 miles max and most likely will be shorter than that. It's just a long weekend trip (friday-monday) so I am not too worried about fuel and we could definitely drive the Mojo separate, jet seemed more fun to have everyone together on the house boat as we travel across the lake.

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Originally Posted by MJHSupra

^^ That is way we have also done it.

Been in some deep coves where we have a long line on the transom tied to a tree onshore. Then the bow was anchored.

Also been anchored in the middle of the cove. If it was big, we just tied the boat to the side, spun the houseboat around, and anchored.

Fun times. Where are you going?


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We're going to Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. Not quite Lake Powell but this will be our first house boat trip. Took the wife years of convincing to try this one so hopefully she has fun and we can make it to Powell before it's gone.

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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

we can make it to Powell before it's gone.

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this is slowly becoming a reality.. it's ugly out here..... zog certainly follows the snowpack and understands its impact on powell/mead but the news here is painting a doom and gloom year again. we have had almost zero rain here and already over 90 for several days. granted our rain doesn't provide future snowpack but every little bit helps soak the ground/add a little to the lake pool and keeps evaporation lower.

pool companies having record years last year here, phx and cali don't help the cause AT ALL.

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Originally Posted by Holdmybeer

The number of engineers on this site is overwhelming. It certainly makes helping each other out easier since so many can chime in and give different view point.

Being in Zog's shoes many times, I can appreciate his write up. I also learned that towing new seadoos can cause damage. So win win.

As far as the OP question, it look like he should have a kick-a$$ vacation coming up. Don't worry too much and just have fun. I know we are all ready for warm weather and the summer toys to come out.

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Yep. One more engineer here too! And I can recognize one when I read one! LOL! Good luck and have fun on the houseboat trip!

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Engineers are NERDS!!!

Still waiting to drive a locomotive.


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Originally Posted by sandm

this is slowly becoming a reality.. it's ugly out here..... zog certainly follows the snowpack and understands its impact on powell/mead but the news here is painting a doom and gloom year again. we have had almost zero rain here and already over 90 for several days. granted our rain doesn't provide future snowpack but every little bit helps soak the ground/add a little to the lake pool and keeps evaporation lower.

pool companies having record years last year here, phx and cali don't help the cause AT ALL.

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Definitely not a pretty picture for Lake Powell, but rumors of its demise are overstated. IF you can get on the lake, the water is deep and large, but many of the facilities are high and dry. Our houseboat is at Halls Crossing which hasn't had an operable ramp since mid-July. Across the lake (2-3 miles) at Bullfrog, the last concrete ramp went dry around the same time and we had to launch off an improvised launch using an old submerged road until that went dry in December. They are currently extending a ramp to the low water mark, and we will have to wait until the water comes up to use it (probably mid-May). That may last until October, but could be dry again in June, depending on how the water level rises. The predicted rise is 40 feet, but last year they predicted 20 feet and we received 2 feet.

If the water level were to drop to dead pool in Glen Canyon dam, the water would still be about 175 feet deep at the dam, with the lake extending nearly 100 miles up the river from there, so the lake won't go away without a massive investment in creating bypass tunnels. The NPS is currently planning for facilities all the way to the bottom. They insist that Wahweap launches will be available all the way to dead pool, so there should be a way of launching somewhere, just not where I have my boat. They don't know what they will do up north.

Everyone should visit Powell at some point. The big difference between the lake now and the lake when the water level is up can be seen in the side canyons. They are much longer and more awe-inspiring when the water is higher. It's still worth a visit during these low water times though.

Back to your houseboat adventure; I don't know if you have driven a houseboat before, but if you haven't, just note that the engines are the big key for everything you do. Differential throttling will help you make that boat turn on a dime. Take a little time to figure it out before you need it.

Towing the boat is a good idea to get everyone and have a good bit of conversation along the way, but remember that houseboats generally have poor visibility and a lot of boats tend to ignore the problems they can cause for the houseboat as they move down lake. I have seen a lot of jet skis try to jump off the houseboat wake and come around right at the front of the houseboat for another try, so be very aware of what is going on around you since you can't stop quickly. Make sure you understand how the water systems work, since some boats have lake water and fresh water plumbed into the bathrooms/kitchen and we have had guests on previous boats not realize the difference when brushing teeth and drinking.

Have a great time! I am super jealous of all you southerners and your full lakes. It looks like the only boating I will be doing this summer may be at Lake Powell.

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Originally Posted by larry_arizona

Engineers are NERDS!!!

Still waiting to drive a locomotive.


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LOL! That's exactly what I thought as a little kid!! Perfect!

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ZoG you killed me with that guest brushing their teeth story! That would be worth having a hidden camera video of! I could see that getting all the hits!!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zog

Yes, the HB can probably do 8, but you have to run the engines at higher RPM, which means your fuel burn rate goes up considerably and your trip becomes much more expensive. I run ours around 6-7 since I am impatient and am typically running about 15 miles up lake.

I would be more worried about towing the wave runners than the boat, by the way. Read up on the towing requirements, since some models require you to pinch off the water supply since pushing water through the jet pump can cause the pump seal to leak, filling up the boat with water and sinking it. I know SeaDoo is very susceptible to this, but I don't know about others.

We beach our houseboat. Prior to bringing it in, we pull everything off the back of the boat. This is an absolute must, since even if you were to catch the boats as they come in, you still have spinning props down below and they will eat your tow lines quickly. A fouled houseboat prop will ruin your trip. Prior to beaching, take the houseboat to idle speed, pull in the boat and wave runners, and have them disembark. Have the wave runner people get on shore and help you set your anchor lines. Houseboats need very secure shore anchorage if you are going to have any kind of wind or wave action. Anchorage is my biggest concern every time we take the houseboat out. Every time you think things will be fine if you go light on anchorage, something will happen to make you realize it is a fools game. Last year I thought I would be fine placing just two anchors on each side of my boat, but lost both on one side in a wind storm. I was tied around big rocks and the rocks exploded. Causing me to start drifting. Fortunately, I had started the engines already and was prepared to counter the wind with my props. The only way you can do this though is with proper seamanship, keeping your anchor lines orderly and free from the area of the props and making sure there is nothing that would cause you to damage anything or any boats you might have tied to your houseboat.

Good luck on the adventure! We love house boating. In my opinion, there is no boating/lake experience better than house boating. There is also no experience more terrifying when things go bad, so be prepared for anything.

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I like it very much. Thank you!

_

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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

We're going to Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. Not quite Lake Powell but this will be our first house boat trip. Took the wife years of convincing to try this one so hopefully she has fun and we can make it to Powell before it's gone.

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You'll have to report back on your Ouachita trip, that's one I've been thinking about trying to set up myself as its not too far away from us. Would love to go to Powell, but the chance of that happening are a lot slimmer especially given the distance away. And like you kind of wondered about towing behind a houseboat. Figured it wouldn't be too bad just need good deck hands to play catch and help out when taking off and stopping.

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Originally Posted by RUGER761

You'll have to report back on your Ouachita trip, that's one I've been thinking about trying to set up myself as its not too far away from us. Would love to go to Powell, but the chance of that happening are a lot slimmer especially given the distance away. And like you kind of wondered about towing behind a houseboat. Figured it wouldn't be too bad just need good deck hands to play catch and help out when taking off and stopping.

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I'm sure I will make a thread post trip. Problem is the trip is not scheduled until Labor day weekend so we have all summer to wait impatiently. Hope the wife has fun and maybe we can move it to a week long trip in the future. I am a little worried that friday-monday just wont be enough time.