While the English Bay Barge is long gone, a new barge is coming for Vancouver's shore, on purpose.
Havn, the company behind the floating sauna barge docked in Victoria's inner harbour, has got their hands on a second barge and is planning to find it a home somewhere in Vancouver's waters.
Found on a remote section of B.C.'s coast, the old barge was a bit beat up (as shown in a video), but Havn is preparing to refurbish it.
"We are just starting...dreaming and working on system design," Havn co-founder Nick Van Buren says in an email to Vancouver Is Awesome.
The process will take a while; once the design is finished, it will take more than a year to execute it.
"It’s a massive job, we will spend three to four months in a shipyard restoring the hull and painting. Then we'll do the build-out of all the other items: floors, walls, electrical, plumbing, pools, saunas etc.," he tells V.I.A.
The company is actively seeking a location around Vancouver now, aiming to open the refurbished and relocated barge in the fall of 2026.
Sauna on the water
Havn's original location in Victoria is a distinct sauna space, offering a relaxing park-like spot in the middle of the city.
Amenities at the Victoria location include multiple saunas, cold pools for plunges, hot tubs, outdoor showers, a lounge, a cabin-like space, and more.
