Ahoy! A tugboat home chug-chug-chugs onto the market

Why live near the water when you can live on it? A one-bedroom tugboat in Sausalito, CA, has just floated onto the market for $1.8 million. Named Mirene, it was built in 1912 as an Alaskan fishing schooner, arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1975 in a derelict state, then was lovingly restored and lived in by Whole Earth Catalog author Stewart Brand. “Mirene is as fit as it ever was. At 87, I am not,” Brand says. “It’s time for younger owners.” Here’s more on this adorable abode from Compass listing agent Steve Sekhon.

Q: What was your first impression of the property when you saw it? “It’s like the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang of houses, immaculately maintained, so cheerful. My first thought was that this would be such an amazing way to live, on the water, with all of the amenities of a regular home that could, at a moment’s notice, be disconnected from the dock and deployed to travel.”

Q: What are the best parts of living in a houseboat? “A dynamic living environment that constantly changes [with] beautiful views; it feels like living in the wild while being four minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and 10 minutes to San Francisco. This is both a home and a piece of history that can move around the bay, host events, and return to its base in one of the most delightful communities on the planet.”

Q: What about the challenges? “Most houseboats tend to be smaller than most homes, and everything you take home has to be carried by hand or in a shopping cart. You also have to deal with the tides and the changing height of your home vis-à-vis the dock, which is fixed. There is currently only one lender that makes loans on houseboats, and they are more expensive than loans for conventional real estate purchases.”

Q: What’s been the response to this home? “There has been a healthy response from a wide variety of buyers considering the unique value proposition here. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity searching for the right person to become the new captain and steward of its next incarnation.”