To preface this discussion, I must point out that for several years I
have wanted to build my own houseboat.  I had carte blanche use of a 55

I coined a word in college back in the mid-late 60’s - "Imagineering."

Cargile Queen

I must also add that I have a 1500 square foot workshop (primarily
woodworking) and I work at a building materials supply store.  Both
these coupled with my ability to do woodworking projects, fiberglass
work, electrical work, etc., etc.  made my project more bearable and
enjoyable. ( I am also a life long bachelor).

I divided my boat into the following major areas and then listed what I
wanted to do in each area:
(1) Hull   
(2) Front Deck  
(3) Rear Deck   
(4) Top Deck   
(5) Mechanicals (engines, outdrives, fuel,water, electrical, sewage) 
(6) Stateroom  
(7) Head   
(8) Galley   
(9) Salon  
(10) Helm.

I knew I couldn’t accomplish every item in all these areas so I assigned
priorities - those that were absolutely necessary to get her on the
water and functional were on top.  Creature comforts and nice to haves
were farther down the list.  Unfortunately some of the lower priority
items were pushed up higher - but oh well that’s the way projects such
as this goes.

I devoted literally hundreds of hours and several thousand dollars
working on her.  I was very gratified with the results.  Many, many
people saw the progress as the "barge" as I called her was drydocked
next to a state highway.  I regret that I didn’t take many photos but I
was too busy!  Since launching I have taken hours of videos which will
appear in my web page in the near future.  The only work I hired out was
the carpet laying and the bottom painting.  The rest I did myself.  I
think my checklists pretty well outline what I did.  If you have any
questions, feel free to e-mail.  I hope to be writing an article for
publication on my project soon.  In the mean time - keep in contact.

Oh, by the way - launching went great, although it was a nerve-racking
experience.  There were too many well wishers around.  This is a small
community and the word got out that Harry’s houseboat is about to be
launched.  I almost missed it myself!  The shakedown cruise went well
and I enjoyed several weekends cruising, camping, etc. before the
weather got cool.  I will be participating in a "Parade of Lights" boat
parade on 19 December so should have some photos of that soon after
Christmas - I hope.  There were no major problems and the one small leak
I had at launching disappeared in about a week.   Keep in touch.

Harry J. Verburg, Jr.  and "The Dream Come True"

STATEROOM

This area underwent a complete redo. The bed frame, closet, vanity,
cabinets, paneling, carpeting, & window treatments were all demolished
and removed. NOTE: I removed three layers of paneling so figure this is
the fourth remodel of this room.  The stud cavities were previously
filled with Styrofoam so after floor & stud repairs were accomplished, I
replaced with new Styrofoam.  I am glad I did as the stateroom is
adjacent to my two 6-cylinder Mercruiser engines and the Styrofoam makes
an  excellent sound absorbing medium. I accomplished whatever wiring
(both 12 volt & 110 volt) was necessary and then applied 1/4" sheetrock
to all wall surfaces.  An upgrade vinyl covered paneling was then
applied along with appropriate trim-out.  The ceiling was in good shape
with Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) so did nothing here. Carpeting was
installed and a new bed frame with storage drawers below were built. The
water heater was previously installed under the master bed but removed
it.  I have since decided to replace the 6-gallon electric water
heater.  It will be little problem as I left all the wiring and plumbing
intact.  Instead of replacing the useless vanity and small closet, I
decided to fabricate & install two bunks.  The length was only 6 feet
but figured the lack of creature comfort for over 6-foot guests was well
worth the convenience of extra sleeping space. The convertor & invertor
units were reinstalled under the bottom bunk along with appropriate
gauges and switches.  The cabinets were all primed and then painted
medium blue.  (The theme color for my houseboat is blue - naturally!).
They were reinstalled along with matching metal miniblinds on each of
two windows.  No treatment has been added to the rear patio-door-type
entrance as it has obscure glass and is normally open during summer
months. Final trim out and the addition of a marine-theme bed spread and
pillow cases were added to the queen sized bed.  Four inch foam pads
were covered with blue lightweight canvas for both bunks. There is
plenty of storage space under the bottom bunk and am contemplating a
marine-blue canvass curtain to hide everything underneath.  Sleeping
bags are used exclusively on my boat, however; mattress pads and fitted
bottom sheets are added for comfort and cleanliness.  A lot of work went
into this area but it needed the most attention.  It has paid off as I
can lay on the master bed and gaze out the back door and take in all the
beautiful sights.

Cargile Queen Houseboat

ENGINE COMPARTMENT

The boat had been stored for over four years underneath a tree with
small leaves similar to an olive tree.  The engine compartment was
literally full of leaves and muck!  A thorough clean out was about all
it needed.  The two 165 horsepower Mercruiser 6-cylinder units both
checked out great with little work required here.  The 150 gallon welded
aluminum fuel tank was emptied, pressure checked and treated with a
gasoline conditioner.  I have had no problems in this area.  There are
two 100 gallon water tanks on the port & starboard sides of the engine
compartment.  This area required some attention.  One tank is for
drinking water and the other is for the head.  I draw no water from the
outside.  One tank still leaks a little so will empty the water, dry it
out and apply a coat of resin to the interior.  A new water pump and
pressure tank was added for the drinking water tank.  A new automatic
bilge pump was added along with a new bilge blower.  On launch day a
small leak started around the port outdrive area but that soon stopped
and I have had no problems except for some rain water intrusion.  (I
can’t figure out where this is coming from but with the little rain we
get here in New Mexico, I’m not going to worry too much about it.)  The
wiring harnesses were a mess but all were color coded and sorting them
out was not too difficult.  I did add some additional wiring through the
wiring chase up to the helm for various options there.  The power
trim/tilt units are currently non-operational but I have been told that
with a little work, they should function properly. Besides who needs
power trim on a 26,000 pound flat bottomed boat? A new marine battery
for each engine and two large Caterpillar-style batteries for auxiliary
power were installed along with battery switches.

GALLEY

Little work was done in this area but I plan a complete remake.  The
galley is fully functional but I want to upgrade similar to the look of
the one on page 26 in the November issue of Houseboat. A thorough
cleaning, plumbing & electrical checkout and carpeting was all that was
needed here. I use a propane stove and plan on the addition of a
microwave and range hood.  No refrigerator is on this boat.  My years of
experience in RV’ing has shown me that ice chests are more effective and
reasonable. I have one 60 quart chest for foodstuffs, two smaller chests
are for beverages.  So far it has worked out  great.

HEAD

Also, little work was needed here.  Systems checkout and cleaning along
with the removal of an antiquated medicine cabinet and the addition of a
12-volt light. New curtains and she is ready!  I plan on replacing the
medicine cabinet with a new unit.

SALON

I removed the useless couch and refrigerator/microwave cabinet.  Carpet
throughout was removed as well as the floor tiles underneath.  New
carpet was installed along with a new "bench/bed/storage" unit.  This
unit serves as seating for dining and lounging and folds down to make
another bed.  There is plenty of storage underneath.  I then built a
large closet unit with a bi-fold door.  Inside is the sewage treatment
unit, holding tank, electrical panel, and a closet.  Now it is full of
supplies & materials as I want to get a couple of storage pods for the
top deck.  The wall paneling was in pretty good shape so a coat of
Liquid Gold and some trim work was all that was needed.  As in the
stateroom, the ceiling is covered with FRP paneling.  I built &
installed two shelves for bookshelf speakers.  We currently dine off of
a card table but I want to add a removable unit with two pedestals that
recess into the floor.  I do not like a dedicated breakfast nook.  I
think it is a waste of space, besides I have a breakfast bar which works
great for snacks & refreshments.  A 3-foot wide unused wall space on the
port side will serve as a bar/storage area in the future.  Now it serves
as a storage area for chairs and the card table. Plans for the future
include 12-volt florescent ceiling lighting (I currently have 12-volt
high intensity lights which cast harsh shadows), the bar unit, dining
table, and a game table which will utilize the same pedestal floor
mount. The window treatments are bronze colored metal miniblinds.  A
little cleaning and they look great next to  the paneling.  They are
rarely down except in the winter and when the boat is not in use.

HELM

I added a new marine radio, CB radio, and a CD/Cassette/ AM-FM car
stereo unit.  An additional instrument panel was added so that I can
monitor the voltage of the batteries.  A control for a spotlight is
planned for this summer. A new air horn was added along with the
terminals for additional wiring coming from the engine compartment.
Steering, transmission, and throttle cable were in good shape so nothing
needed here.  Sorting out and some rewiring was needed on the main
instrument panel.  Future plans include a scanner, instrument panel
light dimmer and --- that’s about it.

BOW

Minor fiberglass work was needed to repair a long crack in the floor.
Carpeting was added along with new railings and Bimini sides.  A small
floor hatch was added for bilge access.  The boat has four compartments
in the bilge, all which are accessible but do not have pumps in them
except for the engine compartment. Two new drain scuppers were added to
drain off any water in this area.

SIDE WALKWAYS

This was an aftermarket addition started by the previous owner.  I added
the guard rails along with carpeting and some 12-volt lighting. I
installed a bump rail along the entire perimeter utilizing a
commercially available wood-polymer product.  It is heavy but very
durable and absorbs bumps, bangs, and crashes great.

REAR DECK

Some radical deck work was required due to rot out and delamination of
the plywood and fiberglass.  Removal of rotted plywood, replacement and
refiberglassing was required.  Similar work over the port water tank is
planned for next summer.  Painting with non-skid medium (silica sand
spread with a flour strainer) finished out the deck.  A 4.2 kilowatt
generator shares the rear deck space.  It is a noisy unit but the price
was right and I plan on a solar-voltaic unit soon.  I use the generator
only for charging the batteries, making coffee in the morning and using
the microwave.  A rear canvass awning is also planned for the near
future.  I’m not quite sure how I will do this but will probably use an
off-the-shelf RV unit.  A swim platform was added covered with the same
wood-polymer product used as the bump rails.  Twelve volt lighting as
added for safety, visibility and ambience. I used off-the-shelf RV porch
lights with removable lenses.

TOP DECK

The previous owner had the deck covered with a product called EPDM.  It
is similar to the material that an old tire inner tube is made of,
except thicker (about 60 mils).  It is great, easy to repair but is
black and absorbs a lot of summer heat.  I plan on coating the top deck
with an elastomeric roof coating that the manufacturer recommends to
help reduce cabin heat in the summer.  Some minor repairs and the
addition of the Bimini sides completed this area.  Automobile storage
pods is definitely planned for the future as storage space is becoming a
premium commodity.  Sleep pads or futons will be available for warm
evening sleeping or lounging.  A Bimini buggy top along with some
pontoon boat seating is a possibility when the budget permits.

HULL

Some minor cosmetic fiberglass work was required prior to the
application of antifouling paint below the water line..  This was
accomplished just prior to launching.   The previous owner had installed
a new bow hook and two bridle hooks.  I now have no fear of her breaking
loose from the buoy.

IN RETROSPECT

I wouldn’t recommend this type of project of anybody.  I am talented in
many areas and working in a building materials center certainly helped.
I wouldn’t change much, a result of my intense "imagineering."  My
"Dream Come True" has been put through the paces since launching in late
August.  I have had a lot of experience in small boats and in RV’ing
over my 53 years which have definitely paid off.   There is a lot of
work yet to do but she is fully functional.  For you curious ones, I
paid $18,000 for her, put in about $5,000 in the remodeling project, pay
$2,000 a year for buoy fees and $1,200 a year for insurance.  Is it
worth it?  YOU BET!  I have utilized her almost every weekend, including
Christmas day.  She is on a 36,000 acre lake called Elephant Butte
(check your search engines ) and is only 2-miles from my home. I get
about 5 gallons of gas consumption per hour with both engines at 1200
RPM.  I have had her up to 3500 RPM but what’s the hurry.  She puts out
a 2 to 3 foot wake at this speed, which I estimate at 15 to 20 knots. I
won third place in a boat parade before Christmas and fellow boaters are
always asking to see/talk/meet with Harry of "The Dream Come True."
Please e-mail me with any questions, advice, etc. and check my web page
as I will be constantly updating it. Any of you are always welcome to
stop by and visit or call.  The far future: a larger craft - maybe 65
plus feet.  For now and at least the next several years, she will get
lots of attention and use.

Yours in Boating; Harry

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