Barbara Angell faced a dilemma in 2008 when inspectors came to her Angell Cove Cottages and told her she had to move or demolish two screen houses she had close to Androscoggin Lake in Leeds.

The structures were in the 100-year flood plain, and unbeknown to Angell, not within the town’s lakeshore codes.

So she arranged to have the one used by guests moved, but was forced to demolish her personal-use screen house on her seasonal cottage rental property.

Jokingly, a friend asked her why she didn’t “just float the darn thing” and the idea stuck with Angell.

The next day she contacted a coastal boatbuilder and the Flozebo was born.

“My plan was to have a personal retreat when my cottages are all full so I could come relax and entertain,” said Angell, who also lives on the Angell Cove Cottages property.

After many brainstorming sessions, Angell started looking for the material to build her dream.

To keep cost down for the prototype, Angell used three salvaged pontoons for the floats and a variety of other recycled materials.

By the spring of 2009, the engineless Flozebo was delivered and launched on her property.

The floating gazebo even utilizes a solar panel to run exterior and interior LED lights.

Since there was so much interest in her idea, Angell patented the design and copyrighted the name. 

The economy hit Angell as it did others, so as of now, her Flozebo is the only one in existence. But she still sees a future when she can manufacture the structure and customize it for a customer base.

Angell has a lot of gratification in knowing she took a blockade to her enjoyment and turned it into a patentable design.

“There was a great deal of satisfaction that yes, I can have my personal space all within the confines of the shore-land zoning and the town’s criteria.”

So from Memorial Day to Labor Day — when she tows it across the lake to be trailered — Angell has her floating paradise.

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