{"id":69190,"date":"2020-06-04T22:03:41","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T02:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=69190"},"modified":"2025-09-02T00:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T04:41:09","slug":"the-best-way-to-experience-maines-wild-side-a-floating-vacation-rental","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/69190\/the-best-way-to-experience-maines-wild-side-a-floating-vacation-rental\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Experience Maine\u2019s Wild Side: A Floating Vacation Rental"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we got closer to Rangeley, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/visitmaine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, I felt a sense of stillness and quiet uncommon to most parts of the northeast United States. My partner, our two friends and I pulled into the driveway at the address given to us by Rheanna Sinnett, the owner, and mastermind behind <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just Add Water Floating Camps<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As she came out to greet us, I couldn\u2019t help but appreciate the landscape surrounding me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sleepy town of Rangeley doesn\u2019t have much to offer aside for a few small stores, an abandoned ski resort, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rangeley Lake<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but that lack of amenities might also be the area\u2019s strongest appeal. Visitors head to Rangeley year-round to recreate, fish, ski, hike, and boat amongst western Maine\u2019s natural beauty. And while I had been in the area before, I wanted to experience it from a new perspective \u2014 the water.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A Beautiful Floating Vacation Home 2.5 Hours from Portland<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69192\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69192 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rentals\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69192 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rentals\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> Just Add Water Floating Camps&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just minutes after arriving and getting a quick tour of the Nomad \u2014 the houseboat rental which would be our home for the night \u2014 we were on our way to a secluded cove on the southeast side of Rangeley Lake. The sunlight illuminated the lake\u2019s surface as we cruised past docked boats, expanses of forest, and the surrounding mountains towards our destination.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69198\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69198\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69198 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rental maine\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69198\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69198 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rental maine\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-maine-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> We were on our way to a secluded cove on the southeast side of Rangeley Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sinnett, who purchased the 34-foot boat with the intention of starting a floating tiny home vacation rental in 2018, had been helping her parents run a rental and tour company on the lake since 2014. But with bigger goals in mind, it was time to put the next chapter into motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69197\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69197\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69197 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation.jpg\" alt=\"houseboat for vacation\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69197\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69197 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation.jpg\" alt=\"houseboat for vacation\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-vacation-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> Sinnett purchased the 34-foot boat with the intention of starting a floating tiny home vacation rental in 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI had just returned from a year-long deployment overseas in the winter of 2017-2018 and was looking for my next step,\u201d said Sinnett. \u201cMy plan was to build a small tiny house community and offer remote, eco-tour vacations in Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But having a flare for going off the beaten path, [my dad and I] started shaping the idea of \u2018floating\u2019 tiny-houses. And I figured if it didn&#8217;t work out as a business, I would have a super cool houseboat to live on various times throughout the year!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Transforming a Thunderbird into a Houseboat for Vacation<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69193\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69193 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes.jpg\" alt=\"Floating vacation homes\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69193 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes.jpg\" alt=\"Floating vacation homes\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-vacation-homes-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> &#8220;I figured if it didn&#8217;t work out as a business, I would have a super cool houseboat to live on various times throughout the year!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 42-year-old Thunderbird Drift-R-Cruz vacation houseboat, which Sinnett purchased in 2018, began its transformation to a floating vacation rental with the help of Rick Keith \u2014 a Falmouth-based houseboat builder. Keith, who specializes in designing and building what he calls \u201cEcoCat Power Catamaran OffGrid Amphibious Tiny Houseboats,\u201d worked side by side with Sinnett to help her vision become reality.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nomad retains its historic houseboat feel while incorporating a modern interior and appliances, an open-air layout (thanks largely in part to the pop-up hatch in the roof), and an outdoor deck with a grill and firepit. Since the Nomad\u2019s debut two years ago, Sinnett has added a second houseboat to the fleet \u2014 Roam.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69191\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69191\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69191 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rental\" width=\"741\" height=\"495\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69191\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69191 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental.jpg\" alt=\"Floating Vacation Rental\" width=\"741\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-350x234.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-696x465.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rental-629x420.jpg 629w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> The 42-year-old Thunderbird Drift-R-Cruz vacation houseboat, which Sinnett purchased in 2018, began its transformation to a floating vacation rental with the help of Rick Keith \u2014 a Falmouth-based houseboat builder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we watched Sinnett disappear into the horizon on her jetski after anchoring our home for the night, we became truly immersed in the solitude we were after. We lounged on the boat\u2019s outdoor decks, listening to the call of loons, watching fish chase bugs on the water\u2019s surface, and admiring the surrounding landscape. We had been left with a canoe, which we decided to use to access some fishing waters we\u2019d had our eyes on.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69195\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69195\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69195 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent.jpg\" alt=\"houseboat for rent\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69195\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69195 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent.jpg\" alt=\"houseboat for rent\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/houseboat-for-rent-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> As we watched Sinnett disappear into the horizon on her jetski after anchoring our home for the night, we became truly immersed in the solitude we were after.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We spent the night around the propane fire pit, grilling freshly caught fish, sharing stories and laughs with one another, and admiring the millions of stars above. The experience, which some may consider \u201cbuoyant glamping,\u201d was a unique and relaxing way to truly disconnect from daily life in a way that renting a traditional Airbnb doesn\u2019t allow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI love simple \u2018tiny\u2019 space living concepts, I love the water and I love bringing other like-minded folks up to Rangeley for a unique experience,\u201d said Sinnett. \u201cThe movement of the boat, the views from the water, falling to sleep with loons calling \u2014 you&#8217;re immersed in it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69194\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69194\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69194 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland.jpg\" alt=\"floating vacation homes portland\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69194\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69194 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland.jpg\" alt=\"floating vacation homes portland\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/floating-vacation-homes-portland-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> \u201cThe movement of the boat, the views from the water, falling to sleep with loons calling \u2014 you&#8217;re immersed in it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rangeley Lake is truly a special place and spending time <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the water is just an alternate space that facilitates a completely different way of being.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Floating Vacation Rental Experience<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there are plenty of outdoor activities to do around Rangeley, spending time on the Nomad or Roam is an experience within itself. The days can be spent paddling around the lake by canoe, fishing or simply relaxing on the boat\u2019s deck, while stargazing, sitting by the fire or playing games is a great way to spend the evenings.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do choose to spend time exploring the surrounding area, hiking a nearby trail or heading into town, that can easily be arranged. The season usually lasts from May through October, depending on weather and lake conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Getting There<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to Rangeley\u2019s remote nature, there is no public or private transportation directly to the town. From New York City, your best bet is to take <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amtrak<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greyhound<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bus to Portland, Maine, and rent a car. Both options often require a transfer in Boston. From Portland, Rangeley is approximately a 2.5-hour drive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for more things to do while in Maine?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out our articles about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/49638\/things-to-do-in-freeport-maine\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">things to do in Freeport<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/35020\/things-to-do-in-rockland-maine\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">things to do in Rockland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and some good <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/27774\/portland-getaway\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reasons to visit Portland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a great time!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we got closer to Rangeley, Maine, I felt a sense of stillness and quiet uncommon to most parts of the northeast United States. My partner, our two friends and I pulled into the driveway at the address given to us by Rheanna Sinnett, the owner, and mastermind behind Just Add Water Floating Camps. As [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":69196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[757,786,364,874],"tags":[12572,12570,12568,12569,12567,4331,12571],"class_list":{"0":"post-69190","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-activity-2","8":"category-boating-adventure-activity-2","9":"category-maine","10":"category-portland-maine-2","11":"tag-floating-camps","12":"tag-floating-holiday","13":"tag-floating-vacation","14":"tag-floating-vacation-rental","15":"tag-lakes","16":"tag-maine","17":"tag-maine-getaway"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":69196,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Floating-Vacation-Rentals-portland-350x230.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}