Waterworld one step closer to reality

by Mark Rothfield on 25 Nov 2011 Bring on the year 2050! By then, apparently, my little home set three kilometres away from the coast will finally become a waterfront…

That’s if you believe the climate change doomsayers.

The local councils where I live are already giving home owners a hard time because of supposedly rising water levels. It got me thinking – houseboats are the way of the future.

I’m a fan of the humble floating McMansion, actually. Where most boat designers think from the outside in, houseboat architects think from the inside out.

It makes terrific sense to have walk-on domestic appliances and furniture, rather than expensive custom-built components.

You get a toilet with water in it that flushes like the one at home; you get an oven that can heat more than one muffin. You can sleep easy on a Captain Snooze mattress, comforted in the knowledge that your home will rise with the impending tide.

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A Swedish company has gone one step further, building what can best be described as terrace-houseboats. The Marinstaden in Stockholm is built on pontoons – eventually there will be a neighbourhood of 61 houses connected by two floating streets.

A 16-unit apartment development will float on a single 18-metre x 60-metre platform.

The boating industry may be doing it tough at the moment but in 40 years time the runabout may replace the family car.

That’s if you believe the climate change doomsayers…