St. Crispin House Boat

St.Crispin - House Boats

Work on building the houseboat began on July 1, 2008, at a boatyard on the outskirts of Kumarakom, our quaint little village. The boat was launched on January 1 2009. The houseboat has been built by veteran boat-builder Jainappan and his team of seven ace carpenters who hail from Kumbalngi village near Kochi.

A Bit About House Boat

Massive boats, pushed along by two or three oarsmen using long bamboo poles, are called Kettuvallams later become the hull of today's House Boats. Kettuvallams where the only means of transporting goods in a region that is criss-crossed by an extensive, and intricate, network of canals. Paddy, coconuts and shells dredged from the Vembanad lake were all transported by Kettuvallams.

The wood used to make Kettuvallams usually from the sturdy local tree called the Anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta) -- were tied together with ropes made from coconut coir. Coconut fibre was stuffed between the planks and the wood was coated by a black resin extracted from the kernel of the cashew nut and then mixed with several other ingredients, including fish oil. This was the traditional method of making Kettuvallams. Today, nails, nuts and bolts are used to build the boats

St. Crispin Is Born Again!

K.U. Crispin, who owns Kodianthara Heritage Farm House, is the 10th and youngest of the children of late Uppachan and Annamma Kodianthara. He was baptised by the late Thomas Tharayil, the bishop of Kotttayam diocese. It was His Grace who chose the name Crispin -- the saint from Vitterbo, Italy. A prosperous paddy and plantation owner of the Kuttanad region, Uppachan built one of the first motorized boats ever seen in Kumarakom. He used the boat to travel to his paddy fields and plantations and named it St. Crispin after his 10th-born.

It is in memory of the boat that his father built -- and to reaffirm his faith in the Italian saint whose namesake he is -- that Crispin has chosen to name his own houseboat St. Crispin. Pic of St. Crispjn moter boat need to fixed

Floating in Comfort

St. Crispin House Boat is being built to provide an experience that will combine privacy, safety, comfort, great hospitality, hygiene and warmth. House boat has two ducks. The upper deck having conference facility and a capacity to cater to 50 people. Both ducks have a double room with attached bath, a living area, music system and a sun duck. An ideal space for hosting parties and other events. Both the Ac rooms are capable of accommodating 2 adults and two or three children.

The two decks ensure that two separate groups can hire the boat at the same time - even as they maintain their privacy and exclusivity - at half the cost of hiring a full houseboat. Serving the people on board will be a well-trained staff who are skilled at their work. So, make your plans and enjoy Crispies hospitality with the professional touch.