Houseboat 44 probably cost someone a small fortune when it was new. Â It’s not hard to imagine all the fun people aboard once had while cruising on Lake Lanier. Â Cookouts, swimming, fishing, time with friends and family, and maybe a bit of cuddling after dark.
Today, Houseboat 44 is a pile of abandoned junk near lake marker 44 that ran aground near a public park on Lanier.
It’s an eyesore and a vandalized playground for graffiti “artists” and kids on the loose. Â The vessel lacks “floating integrity,” which means it needs more than a coat of paint to be lakeworthy ever again.
Our pal, Executive Director of the Lake Lanier Association (LLA) Joanna Cloud, has other plans for Houseboat 44.  She’s been working with the LLA, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Hall County officials to rid the shores of this nasty obstacle.
On Friday, August 26, 2016, Joanna and her merry band will remove the boat before higher water levels in Lanier cause the shunned ship to sink and cause even more problems.
We commend Joanna, the DNR and all those whose combined efforts will make Lake Lanier safer and cleaner with the extraction of the second houseboat they’ve removed this year.
