“Why would anyone give you a houseboat to sail when you can’t even steer a canoe straight?” This was the question from my 11-year-old granddaughter. She had a point. On our recent canoeing trip together, I navigated straight into the banks of the river more than once. The prospect of me steering a 56-foot houseboat without incident was unlikely. Yet, here I was going houseboating for a week on Pennsylvania’s Raystown Lake. Along for the adventure was my friend, Vanessa, who was equally unqualified to operate a houseboat. However, she does have a much steadier hand when it comes to steering large objects … like cars, trucks and, in this case, a big sailing house.
Located in Huntingdon County, Raystown Lake spans 8,300 acres tucked into the wooded landscape of central Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains. Formed from the Raystown Dam as a flood control project for the Juniata River, the waters wind for 28 miles through the region. Despite its size, the deep blue body of water is a hidden gem. Driving the peaceful country roads to Seven Points Marina I kept a keen eye on the horizon in search of it. That first glimpse didn’t occur until I reached the marina. Sounds like the ultimate hideaway, right?
Seven Points Marina
Opened in 1947 by Jim Filson, Seven Points Marina is a family operation. With 947 wet and dry docks, pontoon rentals, watersports equipment and houseboats, this family knows its way around water. Thankfully, they also know how to educate boating rookies.
For novices, the adventure begins with a 30-minute video followed by a quiz. After passing the quiz, we boarded our houseboat for a thorough orientation provided by Jeremy—a very patient young man. In addition to manning the boat, we needed to know how to work the generator, ship-to-shore radio and various other controls scattered across the bridge. Tip: Take notes, you’ll need them later.
Before we knew it, Jeremy was guiding us out of the marina docks in Juniata—our home away from home. Then he jumped onto another boat and bid us farewell. I’ll admit, the first few minutes aboard a 56-foot boat without an experienced captain is a little scary, but it wasn’t long before we motored our way into a serene cove in search of a place to “park” for the night.
Learning the Ropes
Rather than anchoring in the middle of the lake, we decided it was best to find a cove where we’d be sheltered from the wind. Apart from steering the boat straight, learning how to secure it up by tying it to trees along the shoreline was the most challenging part of the experience.
With Vanessa responsible for steering it was up to me to scout for the best trees for our anchoring project. Spotting the perfect pair, I ordered the novice captain to run the boat ashore. Scrambling as fast as I could to get out of the boat and up on the embankment, I grabbed the ropes she tossed and successfully tied up the first one. Celebrating a little prematurely, I was horrified to turn around and see the boat floating away. Not wanting to report a missing boat within the first hour of our journey, I stopped celebrating and got to work on that second rope! No adventure is complete without a little drama, right?
Life on Board the Juniata
Disaster averted we settled in for Happy Hour—and more than a few laughs at our “Lucy and Ethel” antics. The Juniata was well-equipped with four bedrooms, a kitchen larger than the one in my New York apartment, a cozy living room, fore and aft decks, and a roof deck equipped with a hot tub and a two-story slide heading directly into the lake.
Life onboard the boat was bliss … sunning on the roof deck, grilling our dinners and exploring the bounty of coves around the lake. Water lapping at the sides lulled us to sleep at night while peaceful sunrises nudged us awake in the morning.
Motoring on a lake isn’t the only way to spend your days while houseboating. Kayak and canoe rentals are available providing a smaller vessel for deeper exploration. For the anglers in your group, just toss a line right off the side and catch your dinner. Home to 17 varieties of fish—the odds of catching something you like are pretty good.
With the boat moored securely to shore, it’s easy to hop off and hike one of the many well-maintained trails. And this is mountain biker heaven with the Allegripis Trail System providing 36 choice routes for all skill levels.
Things to Know Before You Go
Houseboating is a lot like camping in an RV or a well-equipped cabin. Appliances include a stove, refrigerator, microwave and a grill on deck. There’s also cookware, glassware, utensils and, most importantly, a corkscrew. For bed linens and towels, you can either bring your own or rent at the marina. But don’t plan on taking long hot showers; water onboard is limited to the tank capacity.
Although you’re given lessons on sailing the boat, the crew takes care of docking at the marina. Trust me, you don’t want to do this yourself.
Need supplies? Just radio the marina, make your request and motor on over near the marina for a boat to boat delivery.
Rental season runs from late April through mid-October with the summer months the most popular—and the lake the most crowded. Consider a mid-week trip in early fall. Crowds are smaller and the surrounding forest and mountains are at their most brilliant. Also, the water warms up later in summer but stays warm through late September making the two-story slide even more appealing!
Info: www.7pointsmarina.com