Lake Ouachita, near Hot Springs, Ark., has a lot to brag about with the number of impressive boats it holds. You’ll find pontoons, deck boats, houseboats and all kinds of power and ski boats taking advantage of the 40 thousand acres of water. Known as one of the cleanest lakes in America, Lake Ouachita has rare non-stinging jellyfish and sponges which are found in very few freshwater lakes. But the body of water has one more claim to fame; it’s home of the first-ever luxury deck boat built by Destination Yachts. Destination Yachts started in 1998 by owner Sheldon Graber. Graber had been in the boat building industry since 1991 when he started Myacht Houseboats, which produced trailerable houseboats. After selling Myacht to Tracker Marine, he began Destination Houseboats in 1998 with a 14- by 45-foot houseboat on a twin hull. Like a lot of manufacturers in the marine industry, the houseboat market was hit hard by the Great Recession but Graber’s solid product with Amish craftsmanship got him through it. “It was over 23 years ago on a July Fourth weekend that my brother Terry and I had a crazy idea to build our own houseboat and soon after started Myacht Houseboats,” says Graber. “The industry has changed and been through some very tough times, but we are still excited about the future with the introduction of our new Elite series houseboats and our new line of high-end deck boats.”
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