A two-storey houseboat that captivated onlookers for days with its resemblance to Pixar's "Up" has finally reached its new destination. The wood-shingled house, built on a floating barge, has been spotted drifting around San Francisco Bay since Sunday.
The US Coast Guard confirmed they were monitoring the private relocation of the houseboat, which originated from the Redwood City marina. Evictions forced by lawsuits from nearby residents had dwindled the marina's once vibrant houseboat community of over 100 residents.
This particular houseboat was the second-last to depart Redwood City and finally arrived at its new home at the Commodore Marina in Sausalito on Tuesday. The slow trek across the bay took longer than expected due to tidal and weather conditions, according to Sausalito resident Phil Hott.
"It was up a twisty channel, so you have to have the tide right and you have to come down without the wind blowing you into the bank," he told NBC Bay Area. "These things are very heavy. Then it has to travel through the bay. And the winds and the tide change, and the current is going out. You don't want it to drag you out to the Golden Gate Bridge."
The next step in the process is that movers have to actually wait for another high tide to ensure the waterline is high enough to swap the old houseboat for the new one.
"It's all about timing," Hott said. "When it comes in here, you have to have a tide over a certain height. You don't want it to get halfway and stuck."
