British Columbia

Island Houseboats

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

About This Company

If you want vacations that your family will never forget them book with Island Houseboats but hurry, reservations fill up quickly and are first come, first served. Island Houseboats is located in the Cowichan valley on Vancouver Island, BC. The lake Cowichan is one of BC's best kept secrets. This pristine lake is adjacent to the famed Carmanah Valley and the Walbran old growth forests and has water so fresh you could drink it. Explore over 150kms of shoreline and truly get away from it all with an Island Houseboats Vacation. At ISLAND HOUSEBOATS you have everything you need for a truly unforgettable vacation so what are you waiting for?

Houseboats

Each Island houseboats feature the following amenities:

Maximum Occupancy 12 persons per boat.
1 Double bed at back of boat
1 Double bed in upper cabin
1 Double bed / Sofa
1 Double bed / Sofa
1 Double bed / Dinette
Full bathroom with (hot water) shower
Fully equipped kitchen:
Fridge & Freezer (Mid Sized)
Additional Jumbo cooler upstairs outside.
Cooktop and small oven
Dishes: Pots, Pans, Cutlery, Glasses, Plates, Bowls Cups, Utensils,
Full size BBQ with utensils
Top Deck Jumbo Cooler
Bimini Top or Unbrella table
Cleaning Supplies: Dishcloths, Garbage Bags, Toilet Paper
Slide from upper deck to back of the boat.
Deck chairs
Running / Heated Water/ Electricity:
Safety supplies & amenities
First aid kits x 3
12 lifejackets
VHF Radio, Flashlight
Fire Extinguishers
Safety Railings
Captains safety lesson with atemporary pleasure craft license
TV & DVD Player (NOT ON ALL BOATS)
Stereo system
Some board games, books, magazines
Hot tub rental addition $125 per-trip
Kayaks & Dinghy rentals $15 per-day
Security Camera on Parking Lot
Marina / Boat Launch.
Pots, pans, dishes, cups
all kitchen utensils
coffee makers
Garbage bags
Toilet paper

Rental Periods

3 Day weekend rental

4 Day midweek rental

7 Day vacation rental

The prices are the same the entire year and there are a lot of kayaks to rent and many activities to do.

Experience Required

Previous experience is not required. Upon your arrival A captains lesson is provided and you will be given a houseboat orientation. This will consist of familiarization with the lake (assisted by the map provided) and hands-on instruction in driving the houseboat. Transport Canada requires 2 people holding a valid drivers license and are over the age of 23.

Licensing

You do not require a boating license (Pleasure Craft Operator Card) to rent a houseboat. Be sure to ask any questions if you are not sure.

To get your Pleasure Craft Licence, go to our preferred partner, CanadaBoatSafety.com.

Electrical Outlets

There is a generator that can power small appliances (110 v outlet)

What to Bring

Island Houseboats can provide almost anything you can imagine but still you need to bring food, ice, bed sheets, pillows and don’t forget to bring all your documents and credit cards.

For a complete list of suggested items to bring check out the checklist.

What to Bring

Linens

There are 5 sofas/ double beds and they are very comfortable but still you should bring your pillows and bed sheets.

Pets

Pets are permitted but must be pre-registered at time of booking. A pet fee of $75 will apply with a Maximum of 2 pets only.

Other Rental Items Available

Kayaks
Dinghy

Area Activities

Watching the wildlife
Exploring
Photography
Kayaking
Boating
Fishing

Local Weather

May to October weather for Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, in half-month steps (days 1–15 and 16 through the end of the month). Air, precipitation, and wet days use nearby North Cowichan observations, about 24 km away (climate ID 1015630).

Air temperature

Avg high / low

Sunshine

Hours per day

Precipitation

mm per half-month

Wet days

Days with ≥ 0.2 mm

Each tile is one half-month from May through October. Early is days 1–15. Late is day 16 through the end of the month. Every tile shows a value.
Air temperature, precipitation, and wet-day percentage are 2021–2025 daily averages from Environment and Climate Change Canada, North Cowichan (climate ID 1015630). High and low are the average of each year’s half-month mean, so each year counts equally. A year is included for a variable only when that half-month was observed on at least 80% of its days. Precipitation is the mean of each included year’s half-month total; missing days are not filled in. A wet day has at least 0.2 mm, among precipitation observations in the years included for that half-month. Days flagged missing are left out.
Temperature and precipitation leave out late July 2021 (7 of 16 days) and early August 2021 (7 of 15 days). Missing days in an included half-month are not filled in. The largest gap in an included half-month is 2 days, in late July 2025.
Cowichan Lake Forestry (climate ID 1012040) daily record ends 28 February 2018. Lake Cowichan (climate ID 1012055), about 6 km away, reports only about 14–23 days a month, which cannot support a half-month precipitation total. These averages use North Cowichan (climate ID 1015630), about 24 km from Lake Cowichan.
Precipitation is liquid equivalent (rain plus the water in any snow), in millimetres per half-month.
Sunshine is not biweekly. North Cowichan does not replace the sunshine series. Each month’s existing normal is repeated on both of that month’s tiles. Those hours are 1981–2010 normals from Cowichan Lake Forestry (climate ID 1012040), not a 2021–2025 average.
Tile temperatures are rounded to the nearest degree.