Larger houseboats hitting roadblocks in Annapolis

By KATIE ARCIERI, Staff Writer

Published 08/17/08

In a city where buying waterfront property can mean spending millions of dollars, here's one way to find an affordable home with a view: For a starting price of $172,761, Bay Yacht Agency in Annapolis will sell you a 55-foot houseboat.

Paul W. Gillespie — The Capital Rudy Vereen, sales manager for Bay Yacht Agency in Annapolis, shows off a 55-foot houseboat.

That includes a full kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a front porch, but no engines.

Whether these products are even allowed to float on city waters, however, remains in question. A city law on the books since 1984 is designed to prevent the proliferation of the behemoth houseboats from taking up Annapolis waterfront.

As a result, the houseboats marketed by Bay Yacht Agency...

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Amy - 2008-08-18 09:44:13

The last few lines of the story explain it all....

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Don Williams - Davidsonville, MD - Karma: Neutral

One question.. - 2008-08-17 19:58:58

If there is no motor on a houseboat, how does this solve the problem of pumping out? If you cant get the "boat" to a pump out via engine, does the occupant have to run up to shore to the marina bathroom EVERY time? All the marinas I have been to in my 8 years of boating, never had a pump out at each slip. Please enlighten me.. seems like a major problem to have a house boat and not be able to pump out the wastewater tanks. Imagine how much more worse the water quality will get with sink and shower run off into the bay, especially all the small estuaries and creeks. I am all for having houseboats if the wastewater issue could be delt with, I think houseboats can be tasteful and beautiful.

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Amy S. - Crownsville, MD - Karma: Bad