Journal
Notes from the water.
Practical field notes on life aboard, marina logistics, Gulf weather, and the small details that make a houseboat feel like home. No sales pitches — just the things we wish someone had told us.
Buying & Owning · Costs, financing, what to look for, comparisons, ROI.
Buying & Owning· resale · buying
Houseboat resale in the GCC — what holds value, what doesn't
The secondary market for UAE houseboats is small but consistent. Boats that hold value share specific characteristics; boats that don't share predictable failures. A study.
Buying & Owning· custom-build · buying
The mistakes new custom-build owners make (before construction even starts)
Most regrets in a custom houseboat trace back to decisions made before steel was cut. Five common patterns we've watched dozens of new owners walk into.
Buying & Owning· flagging · registration
Flagging a houseboat — UAE vs offshore registration
Personal preference, tax considerations, charter use, and resale. The factors that determine whether to flag your boat in the UAE or pick an offshore register.
Buying & Owning· buying · purchase
Buying new vs used in the UAE houseboat market
The 5-year-old boat at 60% of new price looks compelling on the spec sheet. The reality is more nuanced — depreciation, refit timing, warranty, and the things spec sheets don't show.
Buying & Owning· insurance · ownership
Insurance options for UAE-flagged houseboats
Hull, liability, charter, and the lines that get missed. A practical primer on what each coverage actually does, and what owners should compare.
Buying & Owning· charter · investment
Putting your houseboat in managed charter — what owners earn and pay
The charter-management arithmetic for UAE houseboats. Realistic earnings, realistic costs, and the trade-offs nobody mentions in the brochures.
Buying & Owning· finance · buying
Financing a houseboat in the UAE — what banks actually offer
A practical look at the marine-finance market for UAE houseboats — which banks lend, what rates look like, what they require, and the structures most buyers use.
Buying & Owning· costs · buying
Five-year cost of ownership — a worked example
One real-shape 15m houseboat, transparent numbers, year by year. The total cost of ownership across the first five years, and where the money actually goes.
Buying & Owning· comparison · buyers
Houseboat vs yacht — which one fits your weekend?
They look similar in photos and behave very differently in real life. A practical comparison: speed, space, running cost, and which one wins for which kind of buyer.
Buying & Owning· costs · ownership
The full annual cost of houseboat ownership in the UAE
Berth, fuel, maintenance, insurance, crew — what an owner actually spends in year one and year five, with worked numbers for a 15m boat.