Making a Shanty Boat, a North American Tradition

Making-a-Shanty-Boat

What’s the difference between a houseboat and a shanty boat?

Not much, and there’s a large grey area between, just like between “houses” and “shanties.” People have been building shanty boats for ages. And some of them, like this guy, start out their ideas with computer renders of a boat:

“Since I originally made my 3D sketches of the shantyboat, a few things changed, a few things forgotten about were remembered, and I’ve learned a lot about the boat’s construction. I wanted to reflect those changes in my 3D sketches.

“In these renderings, you can see the addition of the head which bumps out on the aft porch a bit. Also, of course, the motor well and Mr. Johnson have been added. Less evident is that I positioned the floor correctly 21 inches below the deck. I also resized and repositioned the windows.

“There you go. 3D rendering doesn’t make anything more real, but it does help me understand some of the challenges I’ll face when I start constructing the cabin.”

Anyone interested in shanty boats or old river culture in American (the focus of his blog), you should check out this link.

Find more from houseboat builders we’ve indexed in our Home Designers and Builders Directory. You can search the company’s name and look builders near your area. And to see more boat homes, click here.

Here’s some of his renderings of shanty boats: