This blog post is chock-full of insider tips and tricks to have you houseboating like a pro in no time. That's right, we are finally revealing our secrets! (Okay, so they're not really that secret; we tend to give our tidbits of wisdom and learning experiences freely.) We've already covered the basics in our recent blog post "How to Plan your Houseboat Vacation in 10 Easy Steps", but we've compiled a few more out of the box ideas that will make your vacation run as smoothly as possible.

Most of the following ideas use recycled items that are better for the planet, (and not to mention easy on the wallet.) There is a whole world of possibilities!

Here are a few ideas that can save your sanity:

• Fill an empty detergent spouted jug with water and place it on the back of the houseboat for rinsing sandy feet before re-entering the houseboat.
• Carry your dry cooking spices in repurposed tic tac boxes or a pill reminder tube so you dont have to bring bottles upon bottles of spices.
• Do it yourself campfire starters: roll dryer lint inside empty toilet paper/paper towel rolls for an easy-peasy fire starter for your campfires on the shore.
• Cut a water noodle, tie a rope through it, and place it around a plastic bin full of ice for a floating cooler while having fun in the water.
• Dont forget the aluminum foil! There are many uses for this, but one of the unexpected ways is to put it on the ropes of your houseboat and fan it out (you can also use pie tins for this.) It prevents any land critters from boarding your boat by the ropes that connect the houseboat with the shoreline while you're moored.
• Fill an empty water bottle with eggs. They'll take up little to no room in your cooler/fridge and you wont have to worry about the eggs breaking. Just shake up the bottle of eggs and pour into the pan for quick scrambled eggs. Other easy recipe ideas can be found here: Mealtime Tips 

There are many ways to get creative and have fun while planning the details of your houseboat vacation. Give us a call at 888-454-8825 and ask your agent for ideas, or check out our Pinterest board "Tricks of the Trade" for more ideas and how-to's.

Share pro tips of your own in the comments below!