Turns Out Sailing A Homemade Houseboat On The Great Lakes Isn't A Great Idea

On the face of it, the idea of a houseboat sounds pretty cool. You can float around various bodies of water, all without sacrificing many of the amenities of a land-bound home. In practice, however, houseboat life isn't all it's cracked up to be. For instance, look at the recent exploits of the Neverlanding: a homemade houseboat known by its thousands of online fans as the "Houseboat of Dreams." The vessel, captained by owner Steve Mylrea of Harrow, Ontario, recently dropped anchor at Michigan's Port Austin after facing travel difficulties on Lake Huron. He had hoped to make it to Chicago, Illinois.

According to the Huron Daily Tribune, Mylrea, his dog Mexicali, and the Neverlanding reached the shore on December 2. Unfortunately for Mylrea, the conditions on Lake Huron had become too difficult to navigate as winter set in. Temperatures dropped significantly, with winds of between 10 and 12 knots and waves as high as three feet or more expected, prompting him to put his voyage on hold for the time being. "Boats like that aren't made for the open waters of Lake Huron," said Sheriff Kelly Hanson, adding that, unlike the huge aircraft carriers stationed in the Great Lakes during World War II, and other vessels designed for harsher conditions, the boat wasn't likely to endure the trip had Mylrea continued. While this was a setback and solid proof for why houseboats aren't the best idea, Mylrea isn't deterred. In fact, he seems determined as ever to live his houseboat dreams.

Though houseboating across one of the Great Lakes, especially in the winter, isn't the wisest move, Steve Mylrea isn't about to give it up over this one hiccup. During a conversation with CBC News, the Neverlanding captain explained that he's felt a call to adventure dating back to his childhood. Thus, the houseboat is something of a lifelong dream come to reality. He's done what he can to make it as comfortable as possible for himself and Mexicali, while doing the proper research to run such a vessel and navigate across open waters. He even wants to attempt a trip to Madagascar when the time is right.

At the same time, Mylrea doesn't deny that houseboat travel isn't for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of labor and can become quite time-consuming. He also recognizes that sometimes, you simply have to make for the shoreline when conditions get too bad, like in the case of his Lake Huron pit stop. Still, he remains committed to living the houseboat lifestyle, even when the forces of nature make it a struggle. "All the people that, you know, come around, they take their picture, they ask the same questions, they do the same thing, and then they say all the same things about 'can't.' Can't, can't, can't. So I guess it's about...defiance," Mylrea told CBC. While the Neverlanding may not be a weird boat that makes you change how you think of water travel, it's quite a fascinating construction. Still, its uniqueness and the tenacity of its captain aren't enough to make houseboat sailing on one of the Great Lakes in the middle of winter a good or safe idea.