How wide does your houseboat need to be in order to build a second story in Oregon state?

Answer

Good day, to answer your qauestion about "how wide"?

I have been boating for over 30 years, and as a "houseboat liveaboard" for the last ten years, I can say that I don't know of any special requirements.

You would however want to look into the "physical capabilities" of the houseboat.

Things you want to look into are:

1) Hull bouyancy? Whether you have a pontoon hull, of a barge style hull, it can handle a certain amount of weight to be safe.

2) Center of gravity? The width or beam of a boat will play an important factor as to "center of gravity" which is important for capsizing. Don't forget to calculate the weight of the people and furniture on the roof.

3) Height requirement? Do you have any bridge, or height restrictions in your area.

4) Present cabin structure strength? You'll have to look into the strength of your present cabin structure to see if it can handle the "major" weight addition.

As you see there are a few areas to look into, and I hope that this gives you food for thought. My wife anbd I have a houseboat website that will answer more questions that you will have, so visit www.all-about-houseboats.com

Good luck with your project, IAN...