House Boats on Gowanus Canal

Four houseboats currently docked in Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, one of the country’s most-polluted waterways have so far shirked inspection from the city agencies who monitor safety regulations.

Three of these boats are occupied by “hipster twenty-somethings“, known in the neighborhood for throwing wild canal parties late into the night, and by “pretty girls sunbathing on the decks.”

The fourth houseboat, docked a little further South on the canal, is the abode of one Adam Katzman, an environmentalist who has been living in the 350 square foot “Jerko” for the past two years.

Katzman bought the boat for $1, before souping it up with a homemade rain harvesting and filtration system, solar panels and a “humanure” composting toilet; all in an experiment to live autonomously and without the aid of common modern technologies.

Katzman and his water-bound neighbors’ future remains unknown. While all the canal houseboaters have received permission to dock from the local property owners, none have yet to pass city Buildings and Fire department safety inspections to be considered legal.

Read more at Natural Buy