Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Float Cabin Living

In 2001, Wayne and I discovered our float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC.  In the beginning, we could only be there on school holidays since we were both educators. Now we can be in our off-the-grid cabin home about 75% of the year in all seasons.

Coastal communities are linked primarily by the ocean, rivers, and lakes. In the water world, floating cabins were traditionally used for logging and fishing camps. Today on Powell Lake, they are recreational getaways for locals and visitors from around the world.

Our cabin is built on a 40X40 foot cedar log float. The cabin is 675 square feet including a great room for our kitchen and living area, guest bedroom, storage room, bathroom, and a large loft bedroom. We use solar, wind and thermoelectic power augmented with a gas generator in winter. Our stove, refrigerator, and lights use propane. Our wood stove provides heat, we get our water directly from the lake, and our toilet uses composting technology.  It's a simple living arrangement that brings us a lot of pleasure.

Here are some links for more information:

Off Grid Float Cabin
Hole in the Wall
Float Cabin Living
Float Cabin Construction
Powell River Books

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or use the e-mail link in my profile. -- Margy

14 comments:

  1. Your cabin sounds great and wonderful that you can spend so much time there. Carver, ABC Wed. Team

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  2. I've often tried to visualize your cabin...but this is far beyond my imagination...it is so neat looking, and those cliffs behind you are magnificent! I remember you telling me you put a bench up the hill with the granite wall for a back rest, but I never envisioned this! How fabulous your floating home is, not just the building but where you are docked (is that what you are, or moored?) Absolutely fantastic:)

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  3. The first photo, when enlarged, is a fabulous advertisement for the beauty of life on a lake. It's gorgeous, with the reflections in the water and everything. One of these days, Margy, I might get to see it for myself.
    K

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  4. Sounds like heaven to me! (We're small space people ourselves!) And being on the water is perfect.

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  5. Such a great place to live, in such beauty and a practical home to live in.

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  6. Great use of space. And what a view!

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  7. I love being by the water. My favorite moment was 5 a.m. in Galveston, TX, sitting on a dock as the tide came in.


    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  8. One of these days I might just get up your way for a visit. Of course, I'd stay at a hotel/motel or some such.

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  9. that looks like heaven.

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  10. Looks like a nice place!

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  11. What a great choice for C and for a place to live!
    Must be paradise!

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  12. Thanks everyone for stopping by and commenting on my ABC Wednesday post.

    Lise - We are anchored to the rock wall and lake bottom with steel cables. Our water lot is leased from the BC government, so we aren't able to move to other locations. But we love it here, so that's not a problem.

    Kay - I do hope you can make it up our way on one of your BC visits.

    Leslie - We have plenty of nice places to stay including hotels, motels and B&Bs.

    Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy