Gowanus Wedding Bells: Boat's New Owners Have Cool Plans

We have more information about the boat formerly known as the Empty Vessel, which was moved to a berth north of the Carroll Street Bridge over the weekend, pretty much where she was located when first arriving on the Gowanus Canal. The former EV was "purchased" for $1 and its new owners are going to be living on it and, ultimately, turning it into:

an arts space/educational environment/screening locale... really we just want to hold alternative weddings on our roof...We are changing her name so that she isn't mistaken for the Empty Vessel Project and it's specific goals/intentions/owners. But we still don't have a proper name, perhaps we'll hold a boat naming contest. Currently we're more concerned with running a capable heating system before we move aboard.

One of the new captains, Sasha, reports:

Megan, my co-captain, freight-hopping companion, partner-in-mischief, and HOT girlfriend, and I were seeking a mutual dwelling and this boat floated into our view. We paid the EV kids $1 and were given the registration...we found her a berth in Carroll Gardens, 2 blocks up from where she's been.

Our goals for the boat:

• create an example of a nearly complete sustainable, off-grid dwelling
• create an open space to hold parties, meetings, screenings, pot-lucks
• hold alternative weddings
• make a sort of hobo hostel for traveller kids in search of a warm hammock...
  

Unfortunately, for the next six months or so she won't be accessible for public events as we'll be working on the first of our goals pretty intensively--winterizing her as a dwelling is the A#1 priority, and that's where you all come in. We need help

Meantime, the former owners of the Empty Vessel emailed to say that the transfer of the boat "is a tremendous success for us." The Empty Vessel Project itself will be moving forward without a boat, and they plan to publish a new book and hold a conference in the spring. Updates will be posted on the Empty Vessel Project website.

We're glad that we can stop checking to make sure the boat is still there every time we cross the Carroll Street Bridge and know that, by definition, any wedding that takes place on a boat on the Gowanus is very alternative. The still-to-be-renamed boat has a registry at Amazon and the new owners are looking into getting nonprofit status for the new venture. No website yet, but we'll keep you posted.