A boathouse (or a boat house) is a building especially designed for the storage of

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

s, normally smaller craft for sports or

leisure Leisure (, ) has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, Employment, work, job hunting, Housekeeping, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as ...

use. describing the facilities These are typically located on open water, such as on a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

. Often the boats stored are

rowing boat Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically att ...

s. Other boats such as punts or small

motor boat A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats". Some motorboats are fitted with inboard motor, inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, contain ...

s may also be stored. A boathouse may be the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

of a

boat club A boat club is a sports club serving boat owners, particularly those interested in rowing and yachting, but also kayaking, canoeing, motor boats and other small boats. See also * Rowing club *Yacht club A yacht club is a boat club specifi ...

rowing club A rowing club is a club for people interested in the sport of rowing. Rowing clubs are usually near a body of water, either natural or artificial, that is large enough for maneuvering the rowing boats. Clubs usually have a boathouse with racks t ...

and used to store

racing shells In watercraft, a racing shell (also referred to as a ''fine boat'' (UK) or simply a ''shell'') is an extremely narrow, and often comparatively long, rowing boat specifically designed for racing or exercise. It is equipped with long oars, outrigg ...

, in which case it may be known as a shell house. Boat houses may also include a

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

, bar,A Description of a boat house
or other leisure facilities, perhaps for members of an associated club. They are also sometimes modified to include living quarters for people, or the whole structure may be used as temporary or permanent housing. In Scandinavia, the boathouse is known as a ''naust'', a word deriving from

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

''naverstað''. These were typically built with stone walls and timber roofs and would be either open to the sea or provided with sturdy doors. The floors would be a simple continuation of the beach sand or rock, or they might be dug down to permit a boat to sail into the boathouse. The boathouse is also seen on riversides or lake sides.

Gallery

File:EdinburghBoathouse.jpg, Edinburgh Canal Society boathouse on the Union Canal File:Henley on Thames-Along the Thames.JPG, Boathouses on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of M ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

File:Boathouse_Row-wide.JPG,

Boathouse Row Boathouse Row is a historic site which is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the east bank of the Schuylkill River just north of the Fairmount Water Works and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It consists of a row of fifteen boathouses housi ...

on the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States File:Israeli_boathouse.jpg,

Racing shell In watercraft, a racing shell (also referred to as a ''fine boat'' (UK) or simply a ''shell'') is an extremely narrow, and often comparatively long, rowing boat specifically designed for Rowing (sport), racing or exercise. It is equipped with lon ...

s stored inside a boathouse in Israel File:Alexandra Gardens Boathouses.jpg, Boathouses on the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower st ...

in Alexandra Gardens,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia File:Naust i øygarden.jpg, Boathouses in western Norway File:09-07-27 Naust Gloppen.jpg, Log boathouse by

Nordfjord Nordfjord (—in contrast to Sunnfjord) is a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. Geography The region is located in the northern part of Vestland county in Western Norway. It centers on the Nordfjorden and it comprises Stad Muni ...

File:Steinnaust.jpg, Stone-walled Norwegian boathouse set into a hillside File:Closeup of boathouse 2.jpg, Closeup of the second boathouse at Topridge File:Knollwood Club on Lower Saranac Lake.jpg,

Knollwood Club Knollwood Club is an Adirondack Great Camp on Shingle Bay, Lower Saranac Lake, near the village of Saranac Lake, New York, USA. It was built in 1899–1900 by William L. Coulter, who had previously created a major addition to Alfred G. Vander ...

boathouse on

Lower Saranac Lake Lower Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, near the village of Saranac Lake, New York, Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York (state), New York. With Middle Saranac Lake and Upper Saranac Lake, a ...

in the United States File:Boathouse at Katja.jpg, Stone boathouse at Camp Katia on Upper St. Regis Lake, United States File:Boathouse at Camp Wild Air, Upper St Regis Lake, NY.jpg, Boathouse at

Camp Wild Air Begun in 1882, Camp Wild Air was the first permanent camp on Upper Saint Regis Lake, in the town of Brighton, Franklin County in New York's Adirondacks.Durham School Boat Club's boathouse seen from Prebends Bridge, United Kingdom File:Jona (SG) - Busskirch St Martin IMG 2222.JPG, Boathouse on upper Lake Zürich in Jona- Busskirch, Switzerland File:Zürichsee - Erlenbach IMG 2102.JPG, Boathouse on Lake Zürich in

Zollikon Zollikon is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Meilen District in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland known for being one of Switzerland's most exclusive districts. Besides the main settlement of Zollikon, which lies on the shore of L ...

, Switzerland File:Emmanuel College boathouse - geograph.org.uk - 991188.jpg, Emmanuel College boathouse on the Cam at Cambridge, United Kingdom File:Reed Point Marina Boathouse 2.jpg, Large boathouses in Reed Point Marina, Canada File:Reed Point Marina Boathouse 3.jpg, Another style of boathouse in Reed Point Marina, Canada File:2bootshausKRG.jpg, The floating boathouse of the

Kölner Rudergesellschaft 1891 The Kölner Rudergesellschaft 1891 (abbr. ''Kölner RG 1891'' or just KRG, transl. ''Cologne Rowing Association'' or often ''Koelner RG 1891'' in English media) is a rowing club from the German city of Cologne. Overview It is the second oldest row ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

File:Central Park - Kerbs Memorial Boathouse (48377218702).jpg, The Kerbs Memorial Boathouse on Conservatory Water in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

in Manhattan, New York City File:Art work of Toledo, Ohio - DPLA - 0a107364e8d8eb430ebc183d28c46463 (page 33) (cropped).jpg, Riverside Pavilion and Boathouse in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, 1895

References

3. Drower, George, `A boat's abode: boathouses of the River Thames', ''House & Garden'', March 1990, pp54-58 {{Authority control Boathouses