
Houseboat Holiday HB 39 Elektrisch En Hy review
Houseboat · 39 ft (12 m) · Netherlands
expert score
Key specs
- Builder
- Holiday Houseboat
- Model
- Houseboat Holiday HB 39 Elektrisch En Hy
- Length
- 39 ft (12 m)
- Guests
- 4
Verdict
A compact, modern houseboat with strong liveaboard appeal, hybrid-electric propulsion, and unusual sauna-focused accommodation. It looks best suited to calm-water cruising and waterfront stays rather than fast passagemaking, with value driven more by amenities and novelty than speed.
Pros
- +Hybrid-electric drive with solar charging and generator backup
- +Catamaran, unsinkable concept for added stability
- +Sauna edition adds rare onboard wellness space
- +Air conditioning and Wi‑Fi improve liveaboard comfort
- +Reported autonomous cruising is suited to low-intensity leisure use
Cons
- −No verified cabins, berths, bathrooms, or crew layout in the listing
- −Performance figures are limited and top-end capability is not stated
- −Best suited to sheltered waters rather than open-water cruising
- −Year and length vary slightly across listings and sources
Houseboat Holiday HB 39 Elektrisch En Hybride + Sauna is a purpose-built modern houseboat with a catamaran layout and a clearly leisure-first design. The 12 m class length is consistent across multiple listings, and the unsinkable concept, solar charging, shore-power capability, and diesel-generator backup point to a practical, low-emissions approach to onboard living.
On the water, this is not presented as a high-performance cruiser. The available information suggests a modest electric propulsion setup designed for short self-sufficient runs in calm conditions, with handling likely optimized for stability and easy maneuvering rather than speed. That makes it more of a floating holiday home than a conventional motorboat.
Comfort is the main strength. Listed amenities include air conditioning and Wi‑Fi, while the sauna edition adds a distinctive wellness space alongside living, sleeping, and technical areas. Public listings confirm a 25-person capacity, but the exact cabin, berth, and bathroom arrangement is not clearly documented in the available specifications, so the layout remains somewhat opaque.
In value terms, this model will appeal most to buyers prioritizing novelty, liveaboard comfort, and low-intensity cruising rather than raw boating capability. The asking price sits in premium territory for the category, but the hybrid system, sauna fit-out, and houseboat lifestyle proposition help justify it for the right buyer.
