Kelowna Houseboats
About This Company
Kelowna Houseboats is a small Okanagan Lake operator run by Captain Wade Koenig. Unlike the big Shuswap fleets, this is a one-boat outfit that rents hourly, daily, or weekly and will either let you captain the houseboat or recommend a captain so the group can stay on the sundeck.
The current public page is a Google Site (sites.google.com/view/kelownahouseboats) that still lists KelownaHouseboats.com, the same 250-862-6088 number, and KelownaHouseboats@yahoo.com. Guest write-ups from 2023 describe birthday and group charters with a clean bathroom, a prompt owner, and the option to extend a four-hour cruise on the water.
CanadaHouseboating.ca recommends Kelowna Houseboats for travellers who want a personal Okanagan Lake day or overnight rather than a 20-person party barge — call Captain Wade to confirm the launch point, inclusions, and whether you need a skipper.
Houseboats
Kelowna Houseboats operates one houseboat rather than a numbered model line. The current site states:
- Sleeps up to 10 people overnight
- Full kitchen for meals aboard
- BBQ
- Upper deck for cruising and sun
- Bathroom (guest reviews describe it as clean and working)
Day charters have hosted larger groups than the overnight sleep count — one 2023 review mentioned a party of 11 on a four-hour rental and said the boat felt spacious enough for more. The 2010 operator site also advertised boat tours plus separate boat and Sea-Doo rentals; the current Google Site does not repeat those extras, so ask what is still available.
No official floor plan, length, engine, hot-tub, or slide details are published on the live page. Do not assume Shuswap-style luxury amenities.
Rental Periods
The current Google Site lists three booking lengths and no public rate card:
- Hourly
- Daily
- Weekly
Guest comments describe four-hour birthday charters with the option to extend on the spot. Summer is the busy season on Okanagan Lake. Call or email Captain Wade for current prices, check-in time, and fuel policy — we are not publishing invented rates.
Other Options
Guests may captain the houseboat themselves or ask Kelowna Houseboats to recommend a captain for the cruise. The older official site also mentioned sightseeing tours (including tongue-in-cheek Ogopogo searches) and separate small-boat / Sea-Doo rentals. Confirm what is still offered when you book.
Experience Required
Self-skippering is offered, and so is a recommended captain. The current site does not publish a minimum age or require a written logbook of prior hours. If you drive the boat yourself, expect a safety briefing; if you want a hands-off day, ask for a captain when you call. Anyone operating the vessel should be prepared to stay sober and follow Transport Canada rules.
Licensing
Kelowna Houseboats has not published a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) rule on its current Google Site. If you self-captain, ask Captain Wade whether a PCOC or a temporary rental permit is required for your trip. If you hire their recommended captain, licensing is on the crew, not the guests. To get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, go to our preferred partner, CanadaBoatSafety.com.
Electrical Outlets
The live site confirms a kitchen and BBQ but does not describe shore power, generator wattage, or outlet voltage. Ask what you can plug in (phones, CPAP, hair tools) before you pack.
What to Bring
Bring food and drinks if you plan to use the kitchen or BBQ, plus personal items, sunscreen, swimwear, and a camera. The current site does not publish a packing checklist. Confirm linens, towels, ice, and life-jacket sizes when you book. Okanagan afternoons are hot; evenings on the water can still cool off.
Linens
Whether bedding and towels are included is not stated on the current Google Site. Ask Captain Wade before you arrive so you are not short a sleeping bag.
Pets
No pet policy is published on the current site or in the directories we checked. Ask when you book rather than assuming the houseboat is pet-friendly.
Additional Costs
No current rate sheet, fuel policy, damage-deposit amount, or captain surcharge is published. Budget for:
- The rental itself (hourly, daily, or weekly — confirm the number)
- Fuel if it is not included
- A captain’s fee if you request a skipper
- Taxes and any damage deposit
Call 250-862-6088 or email KelownaHouseboats@yahoo.com for a written quote.
Entry to/From U.S.
U.S. visitors often drive from Washington via the Abbotsford or Osoyoos crossings, or fly into Kelowna International Airport (YLW). Bring a passport or other document accepted by CBSA and CBP. Okanagan Lake stays in Canadian waters, so this is not a U.S. customs boating trip.
Other Rental Items Available
The current Google Site does not list extra toys (tubes, kayaks, Sea-Doos). The 2010 operator site advertised boat and Sea-Doo rentals alongside the houseboat. Confirm extras directly with Captain Wade.
Area Activities
- Swimming and sandy Okanagan beaches
- Winery visits along the Kelowna / West Kelowna / Naramata benches
- Downtown Kelowna dining and waterfront walks
- Fishing and birdwatching on the lake
- Day cruising toward Peachland, West Kelowna, or the mission shoreline
- Local lore about Ogopogo — fun for kids, not a wildlife guarantee
Local Weather
May to October weather for Kelowna, British Columbia, in half-month steps (days 1–15 and 16 through the end of the month). Air, precipitation, and wet days use Kelowna observations at the airport (climate ID 1123939), about 12 km northeast of the downtown waterfront and about 17 km from the West Kelowna address listed for this operator.
- Each tile is one half-month from May through October. Early is days 1–15. Late is day 16 through the end of the month. Every tile shows a value.
- Air temperature, precipitation, and wet-day percentage are 2021–2025 daily averages from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Kelowna (climate ID 1123939). High and low are the average of each year’s half-month mean, so each year counts equally. A year is included for a variable only when that half-month was observed on at least 80% of its days. Precipitation is the mean of each included year’s half-month total; missing days are not filled in. A wet day has at least 0.2 mm, among precipitation observations in the years included for that half-month. Days flagged missing are left out.
- Every half-month has observations on at least 80% of its days, so all five years are included. The largest gap in an included half-month is 3 days, in early July 2022.
- Kelowna A (climate ID 1123970) daily record ends 30 September 2005. These averages use Kelowna (climate ID 1123939), 0.1 km away at the same airport.
- Precipitation is liquid equivalent (rain plus the water in any snow), in millimetres per half-month.
- Sunshine is not biweekly. The 1991–2020 Kelowna normals do not publish bright sunshine, and the daily climate record does not include it. Each month’s existing normal is repeated on both of that month’s tiles. Those hours are 1981–2010 normals from Kelowna Airport (climate ID 1123970), not a 2021–2025 average.
- Tile temperatures are rounded to the nearest degree.
Contact Information
Call or email to confirm the launch meeting point before you drive over.
Location Address
Confirm the exact dock or parking location with Captain Wade. Do not assume downtown Kelowna Marina is the pickup without asking.