An unexpected sight unfolded on San Pablo Bay when a two-story house was seen being towed across the water, something even seasoned Bay Area fishermen found hard to believe.
On Wednesday morning, 57-year-old Zach Medinas was fishing with his crew when he noticed a house being pulled by a small recreational boat. “When I saw it coming, my reaction was like everyone else’s — what on earth is that?” Medinas shared.
A video circulating on social media captured the yellowish two-story house, which featured an upper-floor porch, secured to a barge as it was towed across the bay. Reports indicated the house was making its way to Oakland.
The peculiar journey began on the Napa River and concluded at Jack London Square in the Oakland-Alameda Estuary, where the house was anchored for safety.
Medinas, a Concord resident and owner of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures, spends a lot of time on the water. He mentioned that his crew could hear the US Coast Guard broadcasting a warning about the houseboat being towed in the northeastern section of San Pablo Bay. Given the windy conditions and rough waters, he expressed concern over the safety of the journey. “It looked incredibly dangerous and just totally bizarre,” he remarked.
His video rapidly gained traction online, racking up almost 140,000 views on Instagram by Friday, a notable spike compared to his usual fishing content. Some viewers questioned the legality of towing a house like that across the bay, but according to the Coast Guard, it was permissible.
Lt. John Thompson from the Coast Guard confirmed that the individual towing the house had the necessary safety equipment and was not operating commercially; rather, they were helping a friend move the house.
This isn’t the first time a house has made such a journey across Bay Area waters. In April 2024, another two-story home was transported by water from Redwood City to San Rafael, marking a trend in unique house relocations.
