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2 years ago
Best fun we ever have! We live near by year round and we enjoy the water park often! So fun! So funny! We've been enjoying the water park for years. Since my kids were very young. They loved it then and they love it now even as teens. ... I mean, I'm 40 a lame (typically) but, I even love to bounce off this shit! 10/10 would recommend read more
16 years ago
UPDATE: Some time after I wrote my first review of this company, the owner Brant contacted me and voiced his concern about my poor review, and my bad experience with Sunshine. He mentioned that he's addressing all the safety concerns that I listed (which is the reason I was incensed enough to write the review in the first place) and he seems like he's trying really hard to make things better. I can't say for sure that all the necessary changes have been made, but maybe they have. I'd advise that if you go houseboating with these guys, make doubly sure your boat has had an oil change, and that you have cell coverage on the lake. Then you'll most probably be fine. read more
Business owner information
Brant C.
Business Owner
HI Sive, Brant here from Sunshine Houseboat Vacations. As president…
9 years ago
We just completed a 4 day excursion and I feel that Sunshine Houseboats needs a vast improvement. The boat which we had was the largest of the fleet and according to the website was the 22 passenger Suntastic. It's actually called the stubble jumper which is more appropriate. It is and old unit, the water heater didn't work the whole trip. We broke down once requiring a mechanic to come out and change the starter to get us started then another time where a mechanic had to come out and fix an alarm that kept going off. Each time we started the engine we were not sure it would start because the batteries were not charging properly. The boat is just old, the front of the fridge had fallen off and just had the insulation liner on it. During a windstorm the boat started rocking and a wooden panel above the fridge fell off and hit one of our passengers. "Queen beds" we're basically 3 inch thick mats. One of them was over a transformer that keptbuzzing. The Beds in the "Cuddies" we're basically mats on the floor under the other beds. The kids climbed in there but it would be tough for an adult. One of the bathrooms had a toilet seat that looks like the ones you see in an outhouse,it is so stained it cannot be scrubbed clean. Speaking of cleanliness the overall unit was not cleaned properly. It was given a quick wipe down before we boarded. We had 17 people on board, 5 of them kids and it was crowded so I can't imagine 22 adults. For 1500.00 dollars a day it was a disappointment! The only positive was the staff. They were very helpful and trying to do the best they could with what they had to work with. Steve Martin Greenwood BC read more
15 years ago
This year, as we have the last 2 years, we have taken 60 staff from all over the province for 3 days of fun at Lake Kookanusa with Sunshine Houseboats. Once again another great experience. Brant and Diane (the big chiefs) always go the extra mile. We took care this year not to do any damage, which I can say was appreciated by Brant! Only hitch again was our own with a false alarm emergency call we had to make in the middle of the night. Brant and Malcolm took an hour and half boat trip in the pitch black at 1am to come to our rescue! I dont think they slept that night. This event is one of the highlights of the year. Def. worth checking out Brant and Diane's operation. Good times to be had. Leighton Healey, Calgary read more
More info about Sunshine Houseboat Vacations
4140 Abbey Road
Newgate, BC V0B 1T7
Canada
Directions
(877) 489-2610
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.sunshinemarina.com
Hours
What time does Sunshine Houseboat Vacations open?
Sunshine Houseboat Vacations opens at 9:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
What time does Sunshine Houseboat Vacations close?
Sunshine Houseboat Vacations closes at 5:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.Sunshine Houseboat Vacations is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PMSat-Sun Closed
Other Amenities
Does Sunshine Houseboat Vacations have free WiFi?
Yes, Sunshine Houseboat Vacations has free WiFi.
From the Business
Specialties
We are located at Lake Koocanusa, one of British Columbia's most beautiful natural playgrounds. Whether you are into the adrenaline pumping excitement of powerboating and watersports, a relaxing day fishing in the sun, late night campfire songs and star gazing, or swimming at dawn to the lyrical call of loons, with 1 houseboat for every 10km of shoreline, Sunshine Houseboat Vacations is perfect for you.
History
Established in 1999.
Sunshine Houseboat Vacations Ltd. was founded in 1999 by Brant and Dianne Cullum, residents of Cranbrook, BC. The couple had a vision to offer houseboat charters on Lake Koocanusa stemming from some thoughtful insight during family camping trips to the lake. To begin, four original Three Bouys' Suncruiser craft were purchased in Sicamous and transported to Lake Koocanusa. The first marina was established on a small piece of land located opposite the Elk River. This location helped the company establish its personality. As word spread about the area, charter bookings grew and brand new state of the art houseboats were added to the fleet. To accommodate growth a new location was secured and Sunshine moved to Gold Bay in the spring of 2006. In 2010 Sunshine will operate a fleet of 20 houseboats, from their full service marina located on 4 hectares of land and 3 hectares of water. Sunshine is a thriving and growing tourism business on Lake Koocanusa
Meet the Business Owner: Brant C.
I am a previous business owner of a local business in Cranbrook for 10 years plus before opening Sunshine Houseboats on Lake Koocanusa. I have been happily married to my beautiful wife Dianne for 41 years. I am a family man of 4 daughters and 7 grandchildren. I enjoy outdoor activities such as sno-boarding and hunting. I also enjoy pool and traveling. My passion is to sit on the deck at the lake and enjoy the pristine view of Lake Koocanusa.
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
4 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
14 years ago
I spent a weekend on the lake for my first houseboating trip ever this last month. I was thouroughly impressed with the entire weekend. The lake was astonishingly beautiful, the beaches were well maintained, most other boaters on the lake were extremely curtious and made way for everyone else on the water. I have had no prior experience operating a boat larger than a 17 foot fishing boat and was a little nervous at first. I was given a full rundown on everything that i need to do, and was shown a booklet should i forget some procedures. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful with everything that was needed from the initial walkthrough of the boat before we left shore, to the second we pulled into the dock, we were guided into the marina and all went extremely easy. The boat itself seemed to me to be quite spacious and relaxing. It was large enough for the entire family. Rarely were we waiting for one another to move before we could move on, even through the what was expected to be narrow hallways. The kitchen and bathrooms were stocked with all the essentials that you wouldnt think to pack for yourself which was really nice. My favorite moment of the entire weekend was rounding up firewood for a fire with my little nephew, roasting some marshmallows and then all the adults retiring into the hottub on top of the boat. A few drinks, great family, and an amazing view of every sparkling star in the sky. Thank you for providing an amazing, and extremely unforgettable weekend. I look forward to possibly doing it again next year. read more
16 years ago
I've had nothing but great experiences with this company. I've been houseboating with them twice over the years - and my friends have been many more times. The owners Brant and Dianne are some of the friendliest people you could meet and their staff have always seemed helpful and professional. Sounds like the other reviewer here had some bad luck with their boat - but we never had a problem and we were out on the lake for days at a time. The boats I've been on were modern and very clean when we got on. I was too busy having fun to notice if we had cell service at all the beaches, but it's probably best to park your boat before 7pm anyways. Koocanusa is awesome for houseboating - tons of places to park your boat, beautiful beaches for campfires, boccee, swimming, sunset watching, you name it. It's pretty much summertime paradise. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place to family & friends. read more
13 years ago
I rented a houseboat this summer from this place. They were great and very helpful considering we showed up late and they still got us on our way! It was the highlight of the summer! read more
10 years ago
Great people, great service, beautiful lake, no mosquitos, hot!














