Looking back, I believe it was because of these minor disasters, not despite them, that my group of friends and I were so taken with the experience. For the next five years, a summer houseboating trip—usually a late June or early July weekend—became a tradition. Then we all got busy during the dot-com boom in the mid-nineties and took a break.

Some of us got rich and some of us didn't, but I don't think it's a coincidence that the tech bust brought us back to our annual houseboating trips. As a generation, we were all swerving back toward our first principles—like community and friendship—in the same way that the tech writers were dusting off their half-finished novels.

So it was that in the summer of 2000 we met on Lake Don Pedro, a rambling reservoir in the foothills west of Yosemite Valley. We were pleased to find that, during our absence, the houseboats had gotten plush. What had once looked like a crappy RV bolted to pontoons now looked like a supernice RV with an actual hull. These boats had stereo systems, televisions with VCRs, wet bars, and trash compactors. They were also bigger: The one we rented that year was 59 feet long; the next year it was a 65-footer.

Last summer, I celebrated my 40th birthday on board the Millennium, the nicest boat in the rental fleet at Lake Don Pedro's Moccasin Point Marina. The Millennium is 70 feet long and 16 feet wide. Its two floors, with four private rooms, beds to sleep a dozen people, and two bathrooms, give it nearly 2,000 square feet of living space—more than my house. It comes with a satellite dish, two televisions, an eight-person hot tub, a gas grill, a dishwasher, and a water slide.

Sadly, my captaining skills, which had slowly improved in the late eighties and early nineties, have been dramatically outpaced by the increasing size and complexity of the boats. I counted more than five dozen switches on the control panel of the Millennium, operating everything from the generator to the running lights. Maneuvering this grand vessel—lumbering under the weight of beer, gasoline, salty snack foods, and whole sides of beef ready to barbecue—between generously spaced bridge pilings felt practically death-defying.

Because we've gotten used to upgrading each year, a few of us have our eye on Lake Powell. There's a houseboat available there called the Odyssey that is 75 feet long, with two gas barbecues, a 17-bottle wine cooler, and a fireplace. I visit the Web site once a day to marvel at its picture. I guess as long as the houseboat-rental industry continues to be willing to give me the keys to bigger, nicer boats, I will continue to drive them off into the sunset.

Acccess & Resources
Herman and Helen's Marina, Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California: Rent a houseboat ranging from a 35-footer that sleeps six ($518–$895 per weekend) to a 56-footer with a hot tub, fireplace, dishwasher, TV, and stereo ($2,125–$3,495). 800-676-4841, www.houseboats.com

Moccasin Point Marina, Lake Don Pedro, California: This 13,000-acre lake has several branches, which makes finding a private spot possible most weekends. Rent the top-of-the-line 70-foot Millennium ($3,395–$4,995 per weekend), or a boat ranging from 56 feet to 65 feet for $1,195–$2,695. 800-255-5561, www.moccasinpointmarina.com

Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, Arizona: At 75 feet, the Odyssey is one of the nicest boats in the country ($8,897 per week). And Lake Powell has some 2,000 miles of shoreline, so you can usually snag your own sandy beach or hidden cove. 888-486-4665, www.lakepowell.com