A unique Airbnb opened in Fundy National Park a couple of weeks ago. “Jacob Boy” is a renovated, retired lobster boat turned into family accommodations that hosted its first guests on June 24.
Guests can hop onboard this Airbnb at West River Camping in Fundy National Park, 10 minutes from Alma, New Brunswick.
Melissa McMillan, co-owner of the campground, said her and her husband were thinking of ways they could incorporate accommodations similar to their high-demand geo-domes but family-friendly.
“My husband was looking for something more unique and I said, ‘well, we’re in Alma, we need to have a fishing boat,’” said McMillan.
She brought up that thought on a whim, not thinking her idea would come to life. The next thing McMillan knew, Scott, her husband, went out and tracked down a retired fishing boat in Alma.
Since West River Camping is located in a fishing village, McMillan said a fishing boat was fitting for the area.
The retired lobster boat was brought to their campground last September and they started working on the renovations this spring.
McMillan and her husband bought the West River Camping property in 2019 and opened the campground June 25, 2020.
They decided to start with two geo-domes that came with private wood-fired hot tubs. The campground also has a few rustic cabins on the property but they wanted to do more.
McMillan said there is a huge call for people wanting domes to stay in, but people also want to bring their kids and pets, which West River Camping’s domes did not accommodate. They created their “glamping” cabin, which also comes with its own private hot tub, just like the geo-domes.
Fast-forward to them wanting something more unique for families which led to a lobster boat.
Image: West River Camping Facebook.
The original registration hangs inside the boat, dating back to its roots of being built in 1988 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The lobster boat was later purchased by local fisherman in Alma. The McMillans bought it from locals in Alma so they wanted to keep its origins because it has connections to the area, hence keeping the name “Jacob Boy.”
The renovations took two months, said McMillan. Since this was an old fishing boat, there was cleanup that had to be done before the renovation process started.
The boat-themed Airbnb sleeps two adults and four children. The back deck of the boat features a picnic table and then another step down from the deck is a private hot tub.
The inside of the boat has a bathroom, and an adult bedroom and then leads into the wheelhouse, where the kitchenette is and the table is located.
The original helm of the boat is still there, offering the original boat steering wheel and gear shift for kids to play, “as if they’re steering the boat,” said McMillan.
Guests can then step down into the boat cuddy, which the McMillans kept all original other than a fresh coat of paint.
“The bunks that the men used to sleep in are now what the kids sleep in.”
The inside windows are the original ones that the captain used to look through. McMillan said one of the windows inside is cracked, but not jagged. They tossed around the idea of having the window replaced, but McMillan said to her husband that since it’s not sharp nor affecting anything in the boat and he said it would be cool to keep that original part of the boat.
McMillan said she is figuring out what she can tell people about the window.
“I’m going to ask kids as they come in or whoever to write a story for me to tell me what they think happened to that window,” said McMillan. “One little guy … already told his mom that it had to be a lobster [and] that its claw was so heavy.”
Reservations to stay in “Jacob Boy” are made through its Airbnb listing.
McMillan said they want to keep their campground “as unique and different as possible.”
Jessica Saulnier is an intern with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content sharing partner.
