Low Down Articles
Houses of the Gatineau Hills
Low Down Articles
Houses of the Gatineau Hills
Article 61 of 74
This article first appeared in the "Houses of the Gatineau Hills" column in the September 5, 2006 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Mississippi refit makes good Gatineau River home
By Nadine Doolittle
lt is not a Mississippi showboat or a floating casino, although with its giant red paddle wheel and steam stacks, the uninitiated have to be pardoned for mistaking the summer home of Alan and Melanie Hopkins for a tourist attraction.
The Chrisalis 2, (named for their children, Chris and Lisa) is a fully operational diese1-hydraulic that moves 4 to 5 miles per hour, is 70 feet long, weighs 35 tonnes and is believed to be the only working paddle boat in Canada.
Hopkins, an architect (other projects include the Wakefield General Store, Charles IGA and St. Mary Magdelene's in Chelsea) discovered the boat abandoned in Quyon in the early 1980's. "It was a logging scow. A one-story work boat." He'd done plenty of research and knew the design of the boat was a good one. "It had a raked bottom, which meant the water wouldn't come sloshing up over the deck went the boat was in motion."
Hopkins went to work stripping everything down to the hull, a project that took ten years to complete. The paddle wheeler is now an eflicient, comfortable "floating home" with five cabins, galley, fireplace, laundry, even a fully equipped office that allows Melanie and Alan to live comfortably on the Gatineau River from April to October.
"We're like Becky and Tom all summer, or sometimes Rhett and Scarlett," Melanie laughs.
Below deck, each guest cabin comes equipped with two generous-sized berths, a small sink and mirror, as well as built-in drawers and hanging space. The wood used in the cabinetry varies with each cabin-black cherry, apple wood, oak from trees cut on the property, and Doug Minnes' gift to the project, the butternut in the captain's quarters. The mahogany used in one cabin was salvaged from the packing crates the Hopkins used to ship their belongs from West Africa in the late 1960's. "I call the decor Victorian Caribbean," says Melanie.
Even with space at a premium, there is room for a cube freezer tucked under the stairs, and the galley kitchen is equipped with a microwave and toaster oven, all the couple requires during BBQ season. Deck level is filled with light and fully outfitted with a bar at one end and the helm at the other; the décor is deliberately Mississippi gambler. "The lights, the accessories - I couldn't use this style in my house but here on the boat, it works. It's a total fantasy."
Above is an open deck for sunning, dining under the stars or just watching the river.
Although moored for much of the season, the paddle wheeler does still function as a boat, but disconnecting power lines, cable and phone, and reconnecting again is a lot of work - a job "Becky" and "Tom" are only prepared to do once a year.
The Hopkins plan to stay on their houseboat for as long as their health will allow them to manage the almost vertical stairs between decks. "That's why we stay in shape," laughs Melanie. "We want to keep doing this for as long as possible."