[1] Forbes Island began as a houseboat residence on December 23, 1980, anchored offshore in Richardson Bay near Sausalito in Marin County, California.

It was created by Forbes Thor Kiddoo, who invested $800,000 in the floating dwelling[2] and built it between 1975 and 1980 using portholes from old vessels, seascape paintings, and a lathe to secure the wooden paneling and pillars.

A 1987 article in Islands Magazine noted that Kiddoo had intended to sell the houseboat,[2] but it was not until 1991 that the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission forced him out of Sausalito,[3] due to building regulations[vague].

The only "floating island" restaurant in the Bay Area, it measured 50 by 100 feet, weighed 700 tons, and had its own palm trees, waterfall, fake fireplace, 55-step lighthouse with Fresnel lens, and Tahitian dining room.

[5] The San Francisco Chronicle wrote of the dining experience: "Warmed by a faux fire, diners feast on filet mignon, mushroom risotto and sea bass while chandeliers sway with the ocean surge beneath them.