Welcome to our About Us page.About Us page on IAN & MANON's houseboating journey.With 30 years of boating experience, and as houseboat liveaboards,
Ian & Manon's, the Who, What, and Why? Our Houseboating Experience Credentials The Reasons Why we Created a Website. Curious How we Started in Houseboats? Would you Like to Advertise on our Site? What's so great about Houseboat Living?When we mean EVERYTHING, we mean the everyday things like: IAN & MANON's, the Who, What, and Why? We're simple, hard working people with dreams. We have your typical interests, however we both are passionate about all kinds of houseboats & anything related to the houseboating lifestyle. I'm a lucky "captain" to have such a wonderful "admiral" to share all these great moments with! We both are lucky, and truly blessed as we get to enjoy, vacation, Our Houseboating CredentialsI guess you could say, we've gained some VALUABLE knowledge and experience along the way, and we managed to "learn the ropes" together. The Reasons why we Created a Website.Don't get me wrong, we need companies and corporate sites to sell us products, goods, and services, however we often just need some basic unbiased information first, in order to be able to make educated buying decisions. This is where the site blueprint got started, and how I decided that there's boaters everywhere who just want some simple down to earth, honest, real hard facts and tips. We created this site with a simple goal in mind, to share our knowledge and experiences, and to help and educate fellow houseboater's with some of their important decisions along the way. We sincerely hope that you enjoy, and take advantage of the website. Be sure to get our free Houseboat Insider magazine, it's informative and real. Possibly you have a business and you're interested in advertising on our website? You can take advantage of our special rates, and increase your sales and exposure with our Houseboat Business Advertising. You may very well have questions about building a site, and here's my gift to you, a toll free direct line to the SBI people who can answer them all. Curious how we got started with houseboats?Find out more on how it started for IAN, or how it started for MANON
More about us, from IAN "the Captain"A special thanks to my dad, as he was the one that started my passion for boats as a child, since I'll never forget my first trip to a marina. There was all kinds of boats, people, and activities. I knew at that moment, that this was a special place for me. The people were kind, friendly, and helpful, and I couldn't help noticing that the birds, fish, and wildlife all seemed to be alive, and the aroma of a nearby BBQ was inviting. Needless to say, I would always find myself going down to the docks, to go fishing, boating , or just to hang out and throw french fries to the seagulls (hmmm, poor seagulls, now I find out "trans-fat" is bad...) So, after years of boating, fishing, and hanging around marinas, I came to the realization that I hated packing the car on Sunday's, only to re-pack the car again on Friday, to come back for the next weekend.
In the back of my mind, I always wished that I had been brought up in a marina, however society dictates that we finish high school, get married, buy a house, then have kids, station wagon, a dog, and a white picket fence... you know the rest... All I knew was that I loved the smell of a marina, the ambiance, the people, the sound of water on the docks, the sunsets, the party's and BBQ's, and the peace and tranquility of the waterfront. In my 30's, BINGO, I had a brainstorm idea, it was time for me to go where I belong, living on a boat, no, living on a houseboat, and that's where the fun began... Well, that's enough About Us, and do feel free to contact us, with any questions, or inquiries... Best regards, IAN... PS, does this remind you of anything? Like to send me a note, IAN... More about us, from MANON, "the Admiral"Well finally, the captain let me “use” the keyboard!!! What can I say about us, I’m MANON, the Admiral, and I'll try and explain how it all got started... Let me start off by saying that, I NEVER in a million years, thought that I would be living on a boat, let alone a houseboat… On our first date, when I met IAN (the captain), I found it a little strange and bizarre when he told me that he lived on a houseboat, but, who am I to judge people, “different strokes, for different folks”. Being a “country girl”, I never imagined dating a man that lived on a houseboat, and neither did my family, nor my friends. It was around March, and the weather was cold, and guess where he takes us for our second date? Tim Horton’s for a “take out” coffee, and you guessed it, for a drive around the boat yard where the houseboat is stored for the winter. Wow, I thought to myself, does this guy know how to show a woman a GOOD TIME… (sarcasm…) As the day went on, he described what it was like to live on a houseboat. I could see by the tone of his voice that he was in heaven, just by the look on his face. He spoke of things like, the relaxing sound of the waves, the gentle rocking of the boat as you fall asleep, and the sound of the rain on the roof, the ducks and beavers that would come around the dock, the beautiful sunsets, and the peace and tranquility of being out on anchor. Sounds too good to be true… The following week, we spoke on the phone, and we mentioned that we would spend some time together on the weekend. I thought he would finally take me on a proper date, but NO, he tells me he can’t make it, because SPRING is here, and he has to prepare the boat on the weekends. I ask him if he would mind if I joined him, and he says, “Well, I really don’t need visitors, I’m trying to get some work done”I told him that I was SURE that I could help him!!!
So the off we go to the boatyard, and get a ladder to climb aboard, since it was on blocks. My first impression was, wow, a typical bachelor pad. It definitely needed a woman’s touch. By now I realized how we were going to spend weekends, preparing, cleaning, painting, wiring projects, getting the boat ready to launch. We had power and water on the boat while at the boatyard, so in my mind, why not SLEEP on the boat. He thought I was crazy, but, I saw a twinkle in his eye. I knew he was GAME for it. By now, a few weekends had passed, and we are now ready to launch the houseboat, and travel the 2 hour trip to the marina. Needless to say, I was STRESSED, since I had no experience being a First Mate, Admiral, Skipper, or anything else on a boat for that matter. IAN, had asked a friend of his Danny, to come along for the trip, so this way he would have some qualified help. I could tell that he was stressed, since there appears to be a lot involved in launching a boat. Little did I know that this maiden voyage would change my life forever. As the boat is backed into the water, and the engines were warming up, the captain pulls the boat away from the ramp, and starts to turn the boat towards the river, he realizes that Danny and I are not on the boat, but over on the visitors dock. Our first ride went without a hitch, the boat ran well, and I couldn’t get over the idea of bringing your home with you, as you go boating, just a MARVELOUS IDEA!!!It was here that I started to fall in love with the water, sun, scenery, and THE CAPTAIN!!! contact us, with any questions, or inquiries... Sincerely, MANON PS, does this remind you of anything? Like to send me a note, MANON... Like to return to the Top of the About Us page |
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