Kirsten Dirksen

Inspired by shantyboat youtuber, they built their budget floating homes

On a quiet stretch of the Tennessee River, Arthur and Steve have traded conventional life for something simpler: floating homes they built themselves, for a fraction of what most people pay just to park a car. Both were inspired by the same source — shantyboat YouTuber Martin Haseman's river journey — and both ended up on this same bend of water, chasing a life with fewer bills and better views. Arthur made a promise to himself decades ago: when he retired, he'd build a houseboat with his own hands and go live on the water. At 65, he kept it. He grew up a "river rat" on Alabama's Mobile River, and that childhood never really let go. So he moved into a 30-foot camper in a parking lot and started building — secondhand siding, homemade framing, a back porch he bolted on himself — board by board, until his shanty boat was livable enough to move onto the river for good. Now he lives almost entirely off the grid. A 5-gallon bucket and sawdust for a toilet ("smells like fresh cut pine"). Battery banks that carry him five days between charges. A griddle on the back deck for cooking. Under Tennessee Valley Authority rules, he can anchor on public shoreline for free — as long as he moves at least a mile every 14 days. So he does, cove to cove, storm or shine, chasing the best view in the state for less than most people pay for a storage unit. He's not out here alone. Steve traded a conventional suburban home for a budget floating home of his own — proof this quiet bend of river has quietly become a haven for people done chasing more. Today, Arthur and Steve rent slips at a marina here for just $280 a month — power, water, parking, and laundry included — where they can charge batteries, take a hot shower, and stock up on groceries before heading back out. Their excursions to live surrounded by million-dollar views cost them nothing at all. Martin's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ATAP...AnotherTime