Energy-efficient built-in engines and/or engine pods with emergency circuit  Patented solar railings© and fuel cell for energy generation  Innovation

Houseboats from HausbootGeist® are fully self-sufficient and do not limit your travel desires. Even narrow locks can be overcome, and the most beautiful spots in protected inland waters can be chosen for a stay!

Life on the water-

Individual and resource-saving!

Without restrictions, traveling on inland waters throughout Europe, through narrow canals and locks, under small bridges, to remote areas ... from Marseille to Oslo and from Rotterdam to Warsaw, both in the Danube Delta and in the Dutch lakes, canals, and "seas"... this is our dream. On the way to realizing this, we did not find the comfort associated with the technically sustainable equipment that is essential for us. So we built our dream ourselves and want to share it with you.

Our vision at HausbootGeist® is to live and travel without delivery restrictions, to be self-sufficient in terms of energy, and to have independent water supply and process water disposal, thus leaving behind the chains of conventional shipping technology. Enjoy the luxury of this freedom on our Houseboats, whether you want to use it as a vacation residence or as a permanent center of life. Everything is possible!

Enjoy luxury on the water – Houseboat INDIE

Welcome to your floating home! You can expect an elegant ambiance and generously furnished rooms. Additionally, light floors made of wood such as birch or brushed maple. The wooden floors are sealed and thus protected against stains such as red wine or tomato sauce. For the tiles in the bathrooms, we offer you a wide selection of a light material in an elegant tile look. Do you want to buy a houseboat? We are happy to advise you on the choice of materials and furniture.

Do you want to use INDIE as a charter boat or mobile home?

Plenty of space to live:

As you would expect from a master bedroom, the owner's cabin of the INDIE offers space for a generous double bed, a desk with ample storage space, sufficient closet space for the wardrobe, and shelves for reading in the evening.

An L-shaped kitchen with modern technology such as induction fields, indirect steam extraction, dishwasher, and a double-door refrigerator provides you with all the amenities you know from home.

Atmospheric ambiance thanks to a well-thought-out lighting concept:

The lounge with its large window front gives the feeling of becoming one with the water landscape. The large windows let in plenty of light and make it possible to enjoy nature with all your senses. Both in the owner's cabin and in the guest cabin, curtains or blinds can provide the desired darkening. In addition to the large windows, a lighting concept creates a cozy atmosphere. The light can be dimmed throughout the ship or in individual rooms.

Wellness oasis bath – pure relaxation!

One of the special feel-good elements on board is the sanitary facilities: In addition to the shower room, there is a second bathroom with a bathtub.

The wooden design tub measuring 1.71 m x 91 cm resembles a boat. There is a matching sink, also made of wood. While bathing, you can admire nature through the large outside window or protect yourself from curious glances with adjustable wooden slats. The shower room consists of a comfortable shower and a Grohe porcelain toilet with integrated odor extraction and bidet function.

Joie de vivre on the sun deck:

Let yourself be enchanted by life on the houseboat and discover the luxury of a unique lifestyle. But the sun deck offers plenty of space to enjoy nice weather, sun, and views. An integrated lounge area behind the upper helm invites the crew to socialize, have an aperitif, or barbecue. The large area for the helm allows you to celebrate with up to 35 people on board - even while cruising. So why not invite friends to your houseboat for your next birthday?

Fun on the swimming platform:

At the stern, there is a lowered swimming platform for swimming, aquajogging, or a small excursion with the electric rubber boat for shopping or walking. Additionally, two e-bikes would have space on board to explore the surroundings comfortably yet sportily during a shore leave.

The INDIE equipment at a glance:

A comfortable owner's cabin and a guest cabin each

A spacious living room with a sofa bed

Two bathrooms: one with a comfortable shower and porcelain toilet and one with a designer bathtub

CE certificate for 4+2+29 persons: 4 fixed sleeping places for long trips, 2 variable sleeping places in the lounge. In addition, up to 29 persons can be accommodated on the ship - especially on the upper deck

In total, up to 35 persons can be on board: the hydro stability is calculated for a maximum number of persons. It was assumed that 20-35 persons participate in charter events or deck parties. In such cases, there must be a seat (folding chair possible) for each person. In total, 6+29 persons can be on board - even while cruising.

Sustainable, safe, and innovative – this technology will inspire you!

The goal of our work is to use modern technology to fully enjoy the beauty and tranquility of life on the water in an environmentally friendly and resource-saving way. Electric propulsion is silent, full redundancy and bow thrusters give the safe feeling of never running aground, and solar panels and fuel cells make unlimited travel possible. The length and width of the hull are deliberately chosen so that you can easily pass through the locks, which are usually only five meters wide, even in remote areas.

With our electrically powered Houseboats, you have the choice of different engine options: either the classic variant with built-in engines; rigid drive shafts and rudder blades; or engine pods that combine rudder and propulsion. Extra safety is provided by an emergency circuit of the accumulator banks, so that they can be switched to the other drive if necessary. So even in the event of a crosswise motor or battery failure, you can safely reach the next phase goal with the houseboat.

Bow thrusters are installed in both hulls to simplify approach and departure maneuvers. The bow thrusters are operated by the battery bank of the technical equipment to remain redundant and independent of the main drive, at least in an emergency in the smallest frame that is still easily maneuverable. The cruising speed is the result of the drive power and will be approximately 13.5 km/h.

The internationally patented solar railings© of our Houseboats make it possible to transform the sun deck into a cozy lounge. With plug-in poles, awnings, and special brackets, the 38.5 m² area under the unfolded solar panels on the upper deck can be used both as a sun deck and as a party deck. For this purpose, the solar panels are folded aside and folded – a variant that guarantees the greatest possible freedom of movement on deck, even during embarkation and disembarkation maneuvers. In addition, the solar panels can be optimally aligned for solar harvesting. If necessary, a small area at the bow can also be covered with thermal solar energy instead of photovoltaic panels to support the heating of the process water.

Equally unique and a further contribution to your safety is our integrated traverse©. To date, ships have used a crane with a heavy traverse in combination with lifting straps that are pulled under the hull. A technique that is very well possible for a single-hulled boat.

In our catamarans, however, this creates strong forces that act laterally on the hulls and the connecting structure and can cause micro-cracks and structural damage. To exclude this, we have built a kind of cage that is part of the load-bearing structure of our Houseboats. This allows our Houseboats to be lifted out of the water at any location with a suitable mobile crane without having to bring in special hoists first.

To compensate for the wind attack surface of our Houseboats, the side plan of the underwater hull forms a counterweight to prevent drift. Therefore, the draft must also have a corresponding minimum size. In addition, we placed great importance on low resistance at a high total weight during the design. This is achieved through narrow hulls with a suitable draft. The four outer bow and stern supports at the corners of the main deck are wing profiles that effectively guide the wind around the structure. As our simulations show, the wing profiles have a supporting effect due to their physical properties to stabilize the ship diagonally from the front or rear, even in wind, and to keep it on course.

In addition to the wind behavior, the line tear and thus the water resistance were also determined using the CFD simulation ORCA 3D Marine. These simulations resulted in the special hull shape of the INDIE, which is specifically tailored to the needs of our Houseboats.

Energy-efficient built-in engines and engine pods with emergency circuit

Patented solar railings© and fuel cell for energy generation

Innovative wing profiles that stabilize the boat in windy conditions

The integrated traverse allows safe lifting with a mobile crane©

External dimensions of: 14.80 x 4.80 x 0.90 m (L x W x D)

Maximum speed: 13.5 km/h

Sustainable Houseboats: discover the beauty of nature without burdening it!

Ahoi! Do you want to know how relaxing a day on the water can begin? Imagine standing on the bow terrace of your houseboat, the morning mist conjuring magical shapes on the shimmering water surface before you, and the first rays of sunshine drawing fine golden lines on the moss-green water. A coffee mug warms your hands, and fish swim beneath your feet. Your houseboat INDIE behaves whisper-quiet. Because the solar panels and the fuel cell charge their batteries silently, and without natural emissions.

Why is the houseboat INDIE sustainable?

We are fully connected to nature. Therefore, our houseboat integrates into its environment without disturbing it. Neither do the operating sounds drive away the fauna you want to observe, nor do they leave traces that would pollute the flora.

Self-sufficient living thanks to our INDIE solar railings©

In designing the INDIE (certified according to design category C/D), we were guided by the desire to create something new. Something that helps preserve the beauty of this world for our children and grandchildren. The internationally patented solar railings© of our Houseboats make it possible to travel through Europe with purely electric propulsion without having to refuel every two days. The large surface area of solar panels makes it possible to extract sufficient energy from sunlight for propulsion and pleasant living on board. If the sun is not enough to ensure progress, a fuel cell is available to charge the batteries.

Be 100% independent on the water:

Our European nature is so beautifully green because it rains enough. Unfortunately, the rain also minimizes the effect of the solar panels, so there must also be an energy source available on days without sufficient sun. Therefore, you have other innovative ways to generate energy on the houseboat:

Anchored in flowing water, the ship's screws can be driven by the surrounding water to generate energy

In addition, an optional hydroelectric power plant can be lowered into the water in the middle of the stern

A fuel cell based on methane is also available. This can be used day and night to charge the batteries. The performance of the fuel cell is sufficient to be able to drive at all times, even without solar radiation

Innovative water filtration system for clean drinking water:

Water is not only the medium on which we want to move and live, but it is also an indispensable elixir of life. To avoid constantly having to dock at a port to refill drinking water, we have found a system that transforms any river or lake water into drinking water in its purest form. So pure that it meets the strictest food regulations in the world: the German drinking water regulation.

The system is certified by the German authorities and filters even heavy metals and other harmful substances from the water to guarantee you fresh, clean drinking water at all times. Optionally, this system can also be designed for brackish and salt water.

Sustainable sanitation:

What would all our efforts be worth if we could not also dispose of our wastewater in an environmentally friendly way? Therefore, our Houseboats are equipped with a sewage treatment plant for ships – also certified by the German authorities.

The sewage treatment plant on board cleans the wastewater under specified conditions. The purified water is thus discharged in freshwater quality. To support this process, you will not find typical ship toilets on our ships, but modern porcelain toilets with direct odor extraction and bidet function.

The sustainable benefits of INDIE at a glance:

No exhaust gases due to purely electric drive

No vibrations that could drive away living beings from the underwater world

No environmental damage from brackish water, thanks to the boat's own sewage treatment plant