A floating RV that appeared on the Nicomekl River on Friday quickly became the talk of South Surrey, drawing attention from curious residents, online observers and federal regulators. Transport Canada says it is now assessing the situation after becoming aware of the unusual vessel. The homemade craft consists of an RV mounted on a barge built from steel, wood and empty barrels. While some residents were fascinated by the sight, others expressed concern about its presence on the waterway, particularly ahead of an annual rowing regatta expected to bring more than 100 boats to the river this weekend. By Monday, the man behind the project had come forward. Emilio Gilpo, a retired shipbuilder, says he designed and built the floating RV himself over roughly six months. “You can use it as a recreational boat or as a houseboat, something like that,” he told CTV News. Gilpo said his experience working in shipyards helped him tackle the unconventional project. “I used to work on shipyards at one time, so I understand the mechanics of boats and ships,” he said. He describes the floating RV as an innovative concept. “This is a kind of thing you never see here in Vancouver, right? So it’s something new. It’s an innovation,” he said. Gilpo said a crane was used to lower the structure into the river once construction was complete. He also said he received a bylaw parking ticket while assembling the project nearby. Despite speculation from some residents, Gilpo said he is not currently living in the RV. However, he said he would be open to using it as a houseboat in the future, depending on how the project develops. He adds that he’s a registrant with Engineers and Geoscientists BC and will be submitting the project to the association for further study. Engineers and Geoscientists BC told CTV News it was made aware of the project on Monday. “He’s registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, but our organization has no involvement in this project nor do we have any involvement in the construction of it,” said Dave Pinton, associate director with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Questions remain about whether the vessel complies with applicable regulations. In a statement to CTV News, Transport Canada said it recently became aware of the floating RV and is assessing the situation. Officials said they may follow up with the owner and conduct inspections or compliance verification activities to determine whether it meets marine safety and environmental requirements. The federal agency noted that people are permitted to build vessels for personal use, but those vessels must still comply with Canadian regulations. “Individuals may construct vessels for their personal use. Personally built vessels must still comply with all applicable requirements under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its regulations, including applicable safety and environmental requirements,” Transport Canada said. Transport Canada also noted that a vessel does not necessarily need a motor to fall under its regulations, but officials would need to inspect the craft to determine what specific requirements apply. For his part, Gilpo said he does not believe he has broken any laws, though he suspects requests to remove the structure could eventually come. He says he ultimately plans to add a motor to the vessel, but after receiving several complaints, he intends to move the floating RV to another section of the river.
