The sun was just getting settled high in the sky last week as Tom Ebeling settled into his spot on the couch aboard his houseboat, “Tomfoolery.”
Tom’s wife, Toni, cleared off the counter as she sipped her coffee.
They agreed, life is good.
The couple, who live in Clear Lake, Iowa, keep their houseboat at the “back dock” – a private dock behind Rainy Lake Houseboats. In the summer, it’s their home away from home.
The Ebelings talked about the 16 years they’ve spent on the dock and the friendships and memories made surrounding their beloved boat.
“We love the people,” Toni said. “They help make this the experience that it is... We all help each other out.”
No sooner had she said that when the couple noticed their neighbors on the dock, Brian and Kallie Briggs of International Falls getting ready to take their houseboat out for a weekend in Voyageurs National Park.
Tom got up to help guide the 72-foot Northern Hide-A-Way away from the dock. He waved as the vessel slowly disappeared behind the islands of Rainy Lake.
“Just like that,” Toni said, taking one more glance to make sure their friends were on their way. “Whenever someone needs something, someone is always around to help. It really makes it a close community back here.”
The back dock
The back dock – as houseboat and and other boat owners refer to it – is owned by the Dougherty family, who run Rainy Lake Houseboats.
“It’s a unique setup they’ve got back there,” Tom Dougherty said.
The original structure was built back in the late ‘70s and stood as is for about 10 years.
“The first one was made entirely out of cedar,” Dougherty said.
To accommodate more people, the dock was extended to almost double the original size – up to more than 500 feet.
“That dock has had a lot of people come and go over the years,” Dougherty said. “A lot of good memories.”
Those who spend a good chunk of their summer on the dock agree – the memories are endless.
While the Ebelings have almost two decades of history on the back dock, the Johnsons have them beat.
For 32 years Denny and Sandy Johnson of Ramsey, Minn., have made their Rainy Lake houseboat, “Perfect 10,” their late spring-early fall getaway. The boat has seen its share of upgrades and repairs, but is a treasure they value more than most.
“We love it,” Denny said. “This is paradise. What more could you ask for?”
The couple’s history on Rainy Lake dates back to 1964 when Denny first visited the area. He stayed at Rainy Lake Lodge as part of a business trip and has been hooked ever since. For the next 30 years, Denny has been part of a group – the Rainy Lake 8 – that has made consecutive trips to the lake year after year.
“I love the fishing,” he said.
When the couple purchased the boat from Billy “Lead Dog” Dougherty more than three decades ago, they were excited about the new investment.
“We were particular about a lot of things,” Denny said, noting there was a list of things that needed to be fixed. “Billy told us, ‘Stop. We don’t need to talk about that. You buy the boat from me, you will be happy. Just remember those words.’ And we have ever since.”
Laughing while her husband recalled the memory, Sandy added they asked Billy Dougherty about a key to the boat.
“He looked at us funny and said, ‘What do you want a key for? All that does is keep your friends out,’” she said with a laugh.
Close-knit
And the types of open-door friendships the Johnsons describe help make the back dock the special place it is.
“Every once in a while they throw a pretty good party back there,” Tom Dougherty said with a laugh.
It seems as though there is always some type of activity going on with the boat owners. From bean bag toss to late-night get-togethers, dock dwellers agree life on Rainy Lake is never boring – even if they’re not always taking part.
“It gets crazy on occasion,” Denny said. “It doesn’t bother us, but we don’t participate in all the late-night activities as much as we used to. In fact, we used to lead it all... We could really tell some stories.”
Top of the list
Many houseboat owners agree while the back dock provides a social camaraderie unlike any other, venturing out into Rainy Lake’s wilderness is toward the top of their list of favorite things to do.
“It’s an incredible park,” Bob O’Connor said of VNP.
O’Connor and his wife, Mary, own the “Vagabond,” which has rested on its back dock slip for about 10 years.
The couple said they enjoy everything Rainy Lake has to offer.
“We love boating, fishing, kayaking, all of it,” Mary said. “We love to introduce friends and family to this lake and have them share in the experience.”
Toni Ebeling agreed.
“There’s nothing like Rainy,” she said.
Good relationship
And because Rainy Lake and Voyageurs National Park is sacred to many of the back dockers, some of the houseboat owners have helped form or have joined an organization to keep their voices heard. The Voyageurs National Park Visitors Association, incorporated in 2000, has for many years been inactive, but is looking to regain momentum.
“We originally formed because there used to be a lot of issues with the creation of the Park Management Plan that caused us private houseboat owners a lot of concern,” Denny said. “We felt a need to try to protect our interests.”
For several years, the group hasn’t met regularly. Lately, however, with changes to the park’s reservation system, original creators like Denny and Tom Ebeling are hoping to re-spark an interest to keep the association informed and give members an understanding of changes.
“We just want to know what to expect,” Sandy said.
Denny agreed.
“A lot of the original members are no longer around so the plan is to elect new officers,” he said. “We want some local folks to be active so they can go to meetings... Just create a positive relationship with the park service and have some input in some of those issues.”
In addition, Tom said private boat owners are good stewards of Rainy Lake.
“We leave without a trace,” he said. “We enjoy the lake and want others to enjoy it as much as we have. We take care of our resources. We want to offer input from our perspective.”
