This houseboat might be small, compared with others on the water and on land, but it is packed with ecological accountability.
Jane Thompson designed her 756-square foot spot, which is part of Sausalito’s Sept. 14 Floating Homes Tour, with an eye toward nature. Countertops in the kitchen and bathroom are made from paper pulp — and before construction began just after Thanksgiving 2017, Thompson and a friend carved the heads of wheat that were imbedded in the concrete and now show at each corner of the barge.
Thompson’s tiny floating home, one of the newest houseboats on the tour, is moored at the newest dock in Sausalito, the Van Damme.
Twelve homes will be open to visitors during the tour, which is sponsored by the Floating Homes Association, a non-profit volunteer organization representing the owners and residents of floating homes at five Sausalito marinas.
Thompson’s home is rich in artistic detail, right down to the tiles on the entry landing and bathroom. Thompson used exterior pavers with an ocean-floor design created by noted Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.
The dimensions of the houseboat might seem small, but for Thompson, it’s a definite upgrade from the boat she lived on for several years before constructing her new houseboat. She took advantage of the open space around her by adding double sliding doors in the kitchen, dining area and living room — doors that almost disappear when opened onto the waterside deck.
Downstairs is a bedroom, bathroom and laundry room — and a door rescued from a Vallejo recording studio, still bearing the name “Studio 1050A.”
Thompson houseboat
Address: #8 Van Damme
Owner/Builder: Jane Thompson
Square Footage: 756
Number of Stories: 2
Tickets: Prepaid registration is $50 per person; $55 on tour day
Time: 11 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Sept. 14
Location: Tour events are anchored at the Kappas Marina Green, 100 Gate Six Road, Sausalito, where there will be live entertainment, food and refreshments for sale, and artists and authors from the community offering their creations for sale. The tour is the primary fund raiser for the association and also benefits other local non-profits, including Sausalito Village and the Friends of the Marin City Library.
Other homes
Check out the other homes featured on the tour:
- Floating on a dream
- “White Elephant” houseboat focuses on whimsy, eclectic art
- Houseboat is a salute to modern Danish art and Hawaiian wood
- 4-story ‘Dragon Boat’ houseboat will be open to visitors
- Romance is only part of this houseboat’s attraction
- Floating museum celebrates Denmark, old San Francisco and Jimmy Carter
- Landlubber transforms houseboat and himself
- Summer always in season on this Sausalito houseboat
- Colorful floating home suits a ‘pair of docs’
- Contractor takes his floating home ‘by storm’ to build his dream
- Transforming tiny floating home into a weekend getaway
