Two Friends Spent 14 Months Turning a Sunken Pontoon Into a $140,000 Viral Sensation
Two Massachusetts friends spent 14 months transforming a sunken 24-foot pontoon boat into a solar-powered floating home that is now listed on Facebook Marketplace for $140,000.
Jake Doggett and James Little purchased a 41-year-old previously sunken pontoon boat for $4,000 through Facebook Marketplace, intending to use it as the foundation for a houseboat project they would document on their YouTube channel Salvage to Scenic.
The seemingly modest project, which they hoped would take a couple months and cost around $10,000, took more than a year and went viral along the way as boaters watched the rotted-out boat reluctantly blossom from near-wreck to showpiece.
The Boston Globe first profiled the pair in July 2026 while the project was still in its infancy. Doggett and Little walked viewers through the story of the vessel and how the original owner said the boat had been sunk in a river once before. The owner claimed the boat had been professionally repaired and was 'seaworthy.' The men did notice that it appeared to have a seemingly new motor, which improved the odds of a successful outcome, but Doggett and Little found a little more under the deck once they stripped it down the hull.
The two men, who have been friends since elementary school and grew up boating on Essex Bay, Massachusetts, hope to turn the ragged pontoon into a floating home for themselves.
It's not their first time fixing things up, either. In their profile with The Globe, both men explained they've been building together since they were kids—everything from go-karts, to potato cannons, to old trucks, and everything in between. Doggett previously converted an old junk yard into a camper and took it on a six month road trip around the U.S. which he documented it on his channel.
Salvage to Scenic YouTube
But, the pair quickly encountered their first major hurdle: the original pontoons were rated to support 5,000 pounds, while their completed design was expected to weigh 9,000 pounds.
So, the pair purchased additional pontoons to increase the boat's flotation capacity up to 20,000 pounds. They also acquired a new trailer to support it during construction after watching the original trailer bend like a plastic straw under the growing weight of the project.
As the project took shape and viewers began tuning in, Doggett even sold his truck and motorcycle to keep financing the project.
A Floating Tiny Home
The completed houseboat boasts around 100 square feet of interior space and includes a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen sink, an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, and a seating area with a table that lowers to form the base of a bed. Solar panels provide power for the vessel, which also features a wood-burning fireplace.
Doggett documented the process through his YouTube channel Salvage to Scenic with a final 45-minute YouTube video documenting the project racking up over 2.4 million views.
Houseboat Listed for Sale
Despite planning to keep the houseboat and share it into old age, the friends eventually decided to sell it after Little accepted a job in Florida.
That's when the boat's notoriety really took off.
“What everyone seems to be connecting with is how we felt compelled to follow through on a dream,” Doggett told The Boston Globe. “And there seems to be a lesson, which is that if you feel that, you should pursue it, because what you’re going to learn along the way is so rewarding.”
The quality of work may be part of the reason, too. The exterior of the boat is done in cedar shake with panoramic windows, a SeaDek roof, fore and aft security cameras, and a 600 watt solar system and battery bank. Inside, it boasts a woodstove with brass accents, a full convertible lounge made with real leather, stainless steel appliances including a three-burner range, and hardwood countertops.
It's propelled by a 50 horsepower Honda outboard with tiller steering.
Salvage to Scenic YouTube
The pair listed the vessel on Facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $140,000 intending to split the proceeds.
The listing attracted so much attention it was temporarily removed by Facebook because of suspicious activity. In other words, it garnered so many views that the platform was dubious if it was real.
While trying to find a buyer, both men decided sea trials would be in order and launched the boat into Essex Bay.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Doggett told The Globe as he steered a small boat through the Great Marsh and pulled up to their creation. “I get butterflies in my stomach every time I see it on the water. It’s a floating house!”
The boat is currently still for sale on Marketplace as of publication.
In the listing, Doggett explains the ideal buyer: "I built this vessel for those who want to appreciate nature from a new perspective and boy, what an extraordinary perspective she offers. It’s an opportunity to experience the ocean in a way you simply can’t find on shore."
Hard to argue with that.
Comments