‘Anne Rebecca’ houseboat was built on the hull of a fishing vessel

In late 2011, a shipwright bought a decrepit 1970s fishing boat. He cleaned up the ship’s hull to get it in working shape—including adding a steel tank from nearby Ballard Sheet Metal—then started building on top with salvaged boatyard hardware and lumber. It eventually became a one-bedroom house barge, full of visible wordwork and built-ins. He dubbed the house “Anne Rebecca” after his sister, who had recently died, and lived on the ship for quite some time with his partner.

Courtesy of Special Agents Realty

The Douglas fir and Alaskan yellow cedar used to build the majority of the boat—plus a little swamp cypress—shows in the gently curving ceilings and wainscoting extending to the sides of the kitchen counters. A built-in dining table booth is made of sawn oak.

Back behind the kitchen, a small guest bed or built-in bench hints at the bedroom construction above.

Up a ladder, a bedroom is completely furnished with built-ins; a high bed doubles as a dresser. Teak counters with cabinets below line the walls for storage and decor. Even from the bed, the water views are choice—the previous owner said he watched the fireworks from here last Fourth of July.

From a door in the back of the bedroom, one can exit the vessel directly, or crawl along the side to a roof deck with an even better view of the rest of the lake.

Anne Rebecca is on the market for $299,000. Moorage on the current slip near Ballard—just west of the Fremont Cut—is $650 per month.

• Anne Rebecca [SAR]