June 2023
It was a trip to mark the start of summer… houseboating on the lake with a big group of friends and family. It was a bit of a crap shoot with the weather being so early in the season, but we lucked out. Some friends were able to score a sweet HUGE houseboat on a family deal with Twin Anchors Houseboats at Old Town Bay Marina. I was finally able to experience the legendary houseboating on the Shuswap that I have been hearing about for years. Dave has shared many fun and adventurous stories from living on a boat back in 2014 (see old posts), so I was really excited to see it for myself. We had the boat for a whole week. People came and went as their schedules allowed. Good times were had by all, and everyone finished off the trip in one piece 🙂
Getting there…
Dave was at the helm for most of moving the boat from place to place as he had the most experience driving a big boat like this….and because he LOVES it. We had another smaller fishing boat in tow for fishing, day trips and getting to the market to replenish booze and snacks as needed. The days we were on the move the weather was pleasant and smooth. It is slow going getting place to place on a beast like the Luna Sea but it the scenery couldn’t be beat.
Where we stayed…
Obviously, the houseboat. 🙂 We were set up on a Cruise Craft 6– The Luna Sea. It was decked out with 7 or so bedrooms with equal number of en suite bathrooms. It was niiiiiice. There were a significant amount of kids and dogs on this trip, so we were able to claim one of the top story rooms to be able to get away from the chaos. The boat was big enough to be able to find retreats when needed…essential if you are traveling with a large diverse group of people.
We first set up at one of the Provincial parks far up the Seymour Arm of the Shuswap on the west side. Because of the time of year, it was empty and we had the whole cove to ourselves (minus the one stormy night where a lame stag party had to tie up near us so they wouldn’t capsize). We enjoyed this spot for the majority of week, then moved the last night to a site near a cool granite beach that was closer to the marina on the east side of the lake. It was busier and pretty windy, but it served its purpose.
What we ate….
Not much to say here. We did some meals family style and others fend for yourselves between families. You have to bring all of your food because there are limited market options that basically have snacks and drinks. Aperol spritz were enjoyed for cocktail hours and beers/wine/coolers were a plenty. We treated ourselves to steaks, salmon, shrimp and risotto. BBQ was the main method of cooking but the kitchen on the boat was fully equipped. There was a long 12-14 person table in the main dining area we would usually share dinner at, which was a really fun time of the day to all get together. No one left this trip hungry or thirsty, that is for sure.
What we did….
All things summer!! Days were filled with lounging, swimming, paddling, hitting up the hot tub, fishing and finding places to hike. I woke every day with a blissful swim and float. It was so peaceful and a perfect way to start a day. The only longer hike we motivated to go to was to Abla Falls. It’s a beautiful place with well maintain trails and multiple falls.
Parting thoughts…
Houseboating on the Shuswap was amazing, and I look forward to doing it again. It’s hard to beat having all the high points of camping and boating but at the same time having beds, showers, refrigeration and a hot tub! Ideally it could have been a bit warmer, a few less dogs and kids, but overall, it was pretty idyllical week on the lake. The Shuswap is a gem and I’m super grateful to have in my life now.
-P.R.