Moored along the Lake Washington Ship Canal between the Ballard and Fremont bridges, this little houseboat has a deeply maritime environment. It shares its dock with sailboats; neighboring facilities include industrial, working ships. So it's fitting that this houseboat truly resembles a boat, with more utilitarian-looking decks and gunwales—and a quirky oval structure sitting right on top. While many of the more boaty houseboats can be a little cramped, this one is bright and airy, using nautical-inspired woodwork to create a lofted floorplan with space to move around.

Coastal Seahomes built the vessel in 1984 under the name Pooh, but its current owner calls it Hobo, short for “houseboat.” The more nomadic meaning isn’t lost, although this home hasn’t moved around much. It was part of a batch of a dozen or so similar-looking houseboats built in Victoria, BC, but it’s been in the same slip since getting towed to Seattle soon after its birth. 

Inside, every surface is covered in cherry wood, and the curved design brings in light from 180-degree window banks. On the main floor, the ceiling beams fan out into a sunburst pattern above a lounge area, with a breakfast nook on one side and a small wood stove on the other. There’s a loft at bow and stern, but at the midsection of the oval, the ceiling opens up to the second floor, allowing light in from above.

Creature comforts are pretty decent here: The kitchen has a good amount of counter space for its size, plus a brand-new fridge built into the lower cabinets. It even has a full bath—tub and all—near the front entrance.

Upstairs, the bedroom loft at the stern has enough room for a real double bed, and built-in closets and shelves on either side make for surprisingly handsome and spacious storage. A small walkway connects that with an office space at the bow. This level has a full 360 degrees of windows—lining the curves on either side and the walls in between. 

A second ladder just above the first leads through a skylight hatch to the roof. There’s no railing or anything there—just a flat surface for laying in the sun and watching the water. The dock shares some additional grassy outdoor space back on land with a fire pit and barbecues.

The dock is located away from any neighborhood hustle and bustle, but for cyclists, it’s a pretty easy bike ride to Ballard (10 minutes), Fremont (5 minutes), or even downtown (20 minutes). A couple of neighboring breweries are within a few blocks.

Listing Fast Facts

624 West Ewing Street, Slip 3
Size: 450 square feet
List Date: 6/23/2023
List Price: $300,000
Listing Agents: Molly Cartwright, Windermere