Christmas Ships 2015

Christmas Ships 2015 Parade Of Boats On Lake Union

Seattle Lake Union Christmas Ships Are Back In 2015 –

Christmas Ships 2015

Map of Parade route on Argosy Cruise site.

Christmas Ships On Lake Union: The 2015 Argosy Cruises Christmas Ships are part of their Christmas Ship Festival has its Parade of Boats Night on December 18th. The Parade of Boats is a long standing Seattle Tradition and a huge party of holiday living on Lake Union. Simply put, the holidays would not be the holidays in Seattle without the Christmas Ships. The holiday boats parade route begins at Fisherman’s Terminal in Magnolia, goes through the Fremont Cut into Lake Union.  Northlake and Westlake floating homes are the first to see the beautiful parade of boats come into Lake Union as they make their way South along the west side of the lake before curving back up in South Lake Union and going along their way adjacent to Eastlake. Seattle houseboats in both Westlake and Eastlake have the very best vantage points, but there are a lot of parks along the way and throughout the Lake Union Loop making it an amazing site for all.

More thank just Christmas Ships Passing in 2015 – There are Performances, too!

The parade of Christmas Ships officially begins at 7:45 PM and ends just past Wards Cove at around 8:30.  There will be performances along the way including one at Fisherman’s Terminal from 7:30 to 7:45, so get there early if that is your vantage point. Another performance will be at the Fremont Cut from 8:05 to 8:25 so a great place to watch the parade from is the Fremont Canal Park or also along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Lake Union Holiday Tradition –

The Christmas Ships are a Lake Union tradition and a hug part of Seattle houseboat living and the Seattle holidays overall.  It is such a  lovely event that Argosy Cruises puts on. There is nothing quite like seeing the beautiful lit up boats parade through Lake Union and surrounding Seattle waterways.  The reflections and pure holiday spirit are invigorating and worth every effort in finding parking. The other thing I forgot to mention is that you can register to have your boat in the parade if you like.  There will judging as you enter Lake Union and there will be prizes for best decorated vessels in the following categories according to the Argosy site:

1. Peoples’ Choice Award (method of tallying votes TBA)
2. Best In Show
3. Best Seahawks 12’s Boat Theme
4. Best Santa, Reindeer Christmas Theme
5. Most Overall Christmas Lights with Holiday Spirit
6. Best Holiday Decorated Powerboat
7. Best Holiday Decorated Sailboat
8. Best Holiday Decorated Commercial Vessel
We are looking forward to seeing some of the creative Seattle Christmas Ships and can’t wait to be sipping our hot cocoa from our own choice spot on Lake Union.  Please let us know if you are interested in learning more about life on Lake Union or in a Seattle floating home.  We would love to show you our favorite Lake Union docks and Seattle houseboats. email: houseboat@cooperjacobs.com

Seattle Houseboats: Catching Up With The Seattle Floating Homes Market Sept 2014

Summary:  Great Choices Available unless you want The Sleepless In Seattle Houseboat.june2010b 275

All year long, the story has been low inventory, low inventory, low inventory.  Now we have inventory.  Typically August is pretty quiet for Seattle houseboats sales, so it was no surprise to see that August was slow again. The real surprise, though, was the whole new crop of Seattle floating homes listings that have come on the market.  We have some really cool choices right now which span into every price range.

The 2014 Seattle floating home tour was a success this year and definitely increased interest in this great community.  Add to the the Boats Afloat show this weekend and I would say life on Lake Union is about as exciting as it can be aside from The Fourth Of July! If you are entering the Seattle houseboats world or already a houseboat buyer candidate, then this is truly your time to buy.  Seattle houseboats sellers are motivated because the inventory increase has added competition for the sale of their home.  Buyers are able to pick up some great floating homes right now.

So here are the Seattle houseboats that have sold in the floating home world (both on market and off market that I know about):

1. Sleepless in Seattle:  All the buzz is about Sleepless.  The house where Tom Hanks resided in while Meg Ryan chased after him in the original stalker movie – before stalking was actually even a thing besides in National Geographic and horror flicks… The Sleepless in Seattle houseboat has an amazing main level and a very dated upper level which I am sure the new owner will remedy.  It has one of the largest floats on the lake and also one of the largest moorage spaces on Lake Union if you have a boat you want to tie up to your house. It is definitely worth the over two million paid for it.  We almost sold it a couple times in the last year or so for over two million so we weren’t surprised. I knew it had been sold a couple months ago and put it here in my blog, but was politely asked to not report it yet.  The secret is out.  It is sold. Over two million dollars and a great deal in my opinion for one of the Duck Tour’s favorite shout outs on Lake Union.

2. Two floating homes on the 2025 Fairview Ave E Log Foundation dock also closed in the last 30 days. Slip M was a 625 square foot 1 bedroom and 1 bath houseboat built in 1930.  It was listed for $495,000 and after 428 days on market sold for 93.54% of its list price at $420,000.  Also on that dock was slip H – South facing 900 square foot floating home built in 1917, but updated.  We listed this one for $725,000 and it sold for full price 34 days later.

Seattle Houseboats Pending in Escrow – The Big news on the Lake and I mean big as in expensive and beautiful and amazing is that the Fairview Landing (2369 Fairview Ave E) Seattle luxury floating home listed for $2,950,000 is pending in escrow.  This is a lovely modern concrete dock with beautiful Seattle luxury floating homes and although this particular floating home is on the North side, the neighbors are amazing and so is the house. It’s a big sale on the lake and happy for the new buyers to have gotten on to this phenomenal gated dock.

What’s for sale now in the Seattle floating home world?seattle houseboats

Seattle houseboats for sale are in all price ranges right now – ranging from an unheard of low in Eastlake houseboats for $365,000 (1 bedroom on Tenas Chuck dock) to Roanoke Reef at $1,890,000.  We love the Tenas Chuck floating home for someone wanting to get on to the lake.

We also love 2017 Fairview Ave , Slip O – 2 bedroom home on a great dock for $617,000!  This one is so cute and appeals to many.  Good choice on one of the most well run coops on the lake. As far as the nicer homes go, we really love the house in Westlake listed for $1,299,000 at 2466 Westlake Ave N, Slip 7. You can have a FORTY FOOT BOAT tied up to your house there and it has been absolutely loved by its current owners.

seattle houseboatsAdditional reading about these Seattle houseboats:

Summary Of Seattle Houseboats

Seattle Houseboats Market Update Details

Please call or email me if you want to see anything listed on the lake  – or unlisted 🙂  We can show you any home listed by any broker and look forward to showing you some of our favorite spots on the lake. Courtney Cooper 206.850.8841

Lake Union Skylaunch Marina Takes Quick Action When Boats Go Up In Blaze

Seattle Boat Company’s Lake Union Skylaunch Marina was ablaze yesterday and CEO Alan Bohling issues a statement on Facebook:

It is too soon to tell the full extent of the damage from tonight’s fire, but preliminary reports indicate that fourteen boats were destroyed tonight at the Lake Union Skylaunch Marina. The initial boat ignited in flames was closest to Northlake Way. We believe that an errant fireworks from the hillside above landed inside a Skylaunch vessel. This spread quickly but with heroic effort of Seattle Boat Company staff, we have prevented a much worse potential circumstance.

Mr. Bohling went on to thank his employees on site and also the Seattle Fire Department for their quick response.  If only 14 boats were destroyed, then they definitely reacted well to this crazy fluke event.  According to Bohling, the Seattle Fire Department is conducting  a thorough investigation.  Boat owners affected by this fire will be contacted via email and telephone so if you don’t get an email or a call, your boat is most likely safe.

Lake Union’s Skylaunch Marina is fully operational today despite yesterday’s events and will be open during regular business hours.  Seattle Boat Company is an extremely reputable company and everyone we know who stores their boat there highly recommends them.   You can see more information on their services here:  www.SeattleBoat.com

Seattle Fireworks for 4th of July

FAMILY 4TH on LAKE UNION

Next week is the 4th of July on Wednesday. The Family 4th on Lake Union is presented by Starbucks AND Microsoft & the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce are major sponsors. Scheduled festivities begin at Noon when Gas Works Park opens up to the public. There are two entry gates, one at the North end of the parking lot and another at the South. Admission is FREE and there’s a security check at the gates so leave fireworks, animals, BBQ’s and claustrophobia at home. Millions of people gather around the lake to watch the fireworks show. To expand the viewing ability around the lake and new in 2012 is a viewing area and stage at Lake Union Park sponsored by Microsoft and listener supported radio station KEXP 90.3FM. The Star Bangled Banner will be performed by Vicci Martinez and start off the fireworks show. The synchronized music score with fireworks can be heard at both Gas Works Park and Lake Union Park. The fireworks are scheduled to begin a little after 10PM and this spectacular show designed by Eric Tucker of Pyro Spectaculars will be broadcast on KING 5 television in high definition.

Many HOUSEBOATS are currently FOR SALE.

Look for all the houseboat listings at Seattle Houseboats.

Contact Courtney Cooper at Cooper Jacobs Real Estate courtney@cooperjacobs.com if you have  questions about any of the houseboats FOR SALE.

2010 Seattle Floating Homes Tour Info Just Released!

Funky and Fabulous!

Ready to go see some great Seattle houseboats?

This year’s Floating Homes Tour is moving ahead at full steam with at least 12 homes on the tour.  Tickets go on sale Friday!!!

If you are interested in Volunteering for the tour, please contact me.  courtney@seattleafloat.com

This is a great opportunity to see a wide array of Seattle’s floating homes so don’t miss it!  Even if you have never thought about living on a houseboat, you should come see how amazing they are.  The tour only happens every two years and there are different Seattle houseboats each year, so it is always new and exciting.

***Update 7/16/2010** Here’s the link to get the tix: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120295

From the official post on the Floating Homes Association Tour Page:

“2010 SEATTLE FLOATING HOMES TOUR

“From Funky to Fabulous – 100 Years of Houseboat Living”

Sunday, September 12
12 to 5 PM

12 Homes on East & West Lake Union
Open for Public Viewing

The Seattle Floating Homes Association is pleased to announce their biennial Floating Homes Tour in 2010, themed “From Funky to Fabulous – 100 Years of Houseboat Living,” Sunday, September 12, from 12 to 5 PM.

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 16. Tickets can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets, by phone at1.800.838.3006, or in person at 220 Nickerson Street in Fremont (Open 9 AM – 5 PM Mon-Fri, and 8 AM – 4 PM Sat-Sun).  Tickets sell for $25 each (plus handling fee).  Capacity is limited, so advance purchase is recommended.  If there are tickets remaining, they will be available for sale the day of the tour, starting at 11 AM on East Lake Union, at the tour staging area at the foot of East Newton Street at Fairview Avenue East.”

Opening Day 2010 Festivities For Seattle’s Boat Season

Seattle, It’s Opening Day for the Boat Season. The Seattle Yacht Club has been putting on exceptional opening days of boat season for Seattle since even before the official 1920 date. This year promises to be no exception to the memorable events of the day. I am however a bit worried about the weather. So what’s the difference? It is Seattle anyway – we are used to getting four seasons each day lately! I do hear 30% rain tomorrow so bundle up and wear those rubber boots to take in the show!

Seattle Land traveling… Remember to plan your traveling around Seattle with extra time… The Montlake Bridge in particular will be closed for quite some time.

Here is the official 2010 Opening Day schedule from the Seattle Yacht Club (SYC) site:

8:00 a.m. Official Parade Boats start to assemble in Portage Bay
8:45 a.m. U.S. Navy Band Concert, SYC Lawn
8:50 a.m. Commissioning Ceremony, SYC Lawn
9:40 a.m. Parade Course Closed to ALL Boat Traffic
9:50 a.m. Official VIP Boats parade to moorage
10:05 a.m. Dragon Boat Exhibition Race
10:20 a.m. First Crew Race starts
11:30 a.m. Last Crew Race starts
11:45 a.m. All Crew Shells parade back through parade course
12:00 p.m. Official Parade begins
2:30 p.m. End of Official Parade (approximately)
3:00 p.m. Parade Course open to marine traffic (approximately)
3:15 p.m. Montlake Bridge resumes normal operations
4:30 p.m. Army Drill Platoon, SYC Lawn
6:00 p.m. Trophy presentations, SYC Lawn
6:30 p.m. Closing Ceremonies and Lowering of Colors

Want to take in the show from your own Seattle houseboat? How about checking out the current offering of Seattle houseboats for sale? Seattle floating homes start at less than $350,000 right now for a great Westlake houseboat. The prices go up from there, but Seattle houseboats are the ultimate in Seattle waterfront living and there are some really nice ones for sale right now. Many offer great moorage, too, if you are a boat lover.

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