Supporters rally behind floating camp after owners forced to pull out of Brunswick river

Maine law threatens family’s beloved floating summer camp

A 12‑foot houseboat that has floated on the Androscoggin River every July for the past decade is now a target of a new state regulation, forcing the Oram family to pull their floating camp out of the water and sparking a community‑wide petition to keep it afloat.

The Orams’ houseboat – a three‑room pontoon‑based cottage built by Dan “Houseboat Dan” Oram, a local construction worker – has been moored off Route 1, between Brunswick and Topsham, since 2016. It has no running water or electricity and the family has always carried in and carried out its waste. “It’s been sitting on this river for 11 years and I never had a problem,” Dan told reporters. “We’ve had so many good times.”

The vessel, which has a sleeping area, a Porta‑Potty‑style bathroom and a small kitchen, was first moored in Wyman Lake before being moved to the Androscoggin to view the Great State of Maine Air Show. The boat also serves as a memorial for the family’s 22‑year‑old son, Nicholas, who died in a car accident near their former home in Topsham in 2016. “I spent my son’s last year on this planet on that houseboat,” Dan said.

Under the 2025 law that Maine’s legislature passed to protect internal waters, the state defines “nonwater‑dependent” floating structures as those that are not powered by water. The law was intended to curb pollution, restrict access and simplify regulation of “floating camps,” which have been difficult to monitor. Because the Oram houseboat has no engine or water‑based power, the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) classified it as a nonwater‑dependent structure.

In early August, the Maine Department of Marine Resources notified the Orams that they could face fines of up to $500 per day if they did not remove the platform by August 10. The agency’s spokesperson, Jeff Nichols, said, “In early August, Marine Patrol notified Mr. Oram that because his structure meets the definition of a nonwater‑dependent structure he was in violation of the law.” Dan had previously believed the houseboat would be grandfathered in, but now faces an uncertain future. He is considering adding a motor so that the craft could qualify as a boat, but the cost and feasibility of such a conversion are still in question.

The community has rallied to support the Orams. An online petition titled “Save the Houseboat” has gathered nearly 3,000 signatures, many of them from local residents who recall the floating camp as a summer staple. One signer wrote, “My husband and I used to take our boat on the river and always enjoyed seeing this houseboat. It meant Summer fun had arrived! Always well kept and never in anyone’s way to pass through there. Stop sucking the joy from people just because you haven’t figured out a way to tax it!” Another posted, “My parents live near the houseboat. It’s basically a landmark!”

The petition and the story of the Oram houseboat first drew media attention from WMTW, but the Times Record has taken the story to a wider audience, underscoring the tension between new regulatory frameworks and long‑standing local traditions. The law’s proponents argue that floating camps can pose environmental risks and limit access for other water users, while critics claim it removes a cherished summer tradition and imposes a sudden financial burden on a family who has not used the vessel for commercial or commercial‑like purposes.

The Maine Legislature’s working group on floating structures cited pollution concerns and restricted access in its justification for the new law. The Oram family’s case illustrates the policy’s reach: a privately owned, non‑commercial floating home that has been part of the Androscoggin River community for a decade is now forced into the legal limbo.

Dan Oram is currently weighing his options. “I’m not sure what the future holds for our summer getaway,” he said last week. “We’ve had so many good times, and I want my family to be able to enjoy summers on the river again.”

Whether the Orams will be able to keep their houseboat afloat, or will need to redesign it to meet the new definition, remains to be seen. In the meantime, the river’s banks in Brunswick and Topsham continue to be watched for a floating camp that has become a symbol of Maine summers for one family and a touchstone for their neighbors.