Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

" JimH" wrote in message
. ..

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm interested in taking my family down the Mississippi River some
summer. So far I have almost NO boating experience, so I recognize
that I can't start with a big project; I'll have to learn the basics
before taking The Big Expedition.

Some people have advised me against going on the Mississippi
altogether. "Too dangerous."

Okay. What do I need to know?

Thank you for all serious replies.

Ted Shoemaker



Great advice so far.

A good link with a lot of information.

http://members.aol.com/americacruisi...roduction.html

That is a great site. Wondering if there is a similar one for Cruising
Europe?

-Greg

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Made the trip from Chicago to New Orleans many years ago in a 22 foot
sailboat and a 6 h.p. SeaGull engine. That includes the Illinois Ship
and Sanitary Canal and the Illinois River which enters the Mississippi
at Grafton, Il. As mentioned earlier, you have to watch the charts and
stay in the channel marked by buoys or run aground or hit these dams.
Stay well clear of the huge tug boats which throw up monstrous
wakes, especially when they are going upstream. The current is very
strong, especially on bends of the river, so we missed a few landings,
because we couldn't power against the current. There are big floating
logs and other debris, which can do a lot of damage. We had to rebuild
the lower transmission in Greenville, Mississippi and that was doing
well considering other boats with us who had gone through numerous
outboards. Don't expect a lot of marinas, but you must find a place to
get off the main flow of the river for overnight stays. You have to use
ingenuity, like tying up to barges, or seeking out sloughs (old beds of
the river). I thought the main Mississippi River was the most
interesting, especially from a historical viewpoint with towns like
Cairo, Memphis, and Vicksburg. To really enjoy this trip, you need
several months to see all the sights. Take with big fenders, or tires
to protect your boat when tied up next to the huge tugs inside the
monstrous locks. Not exactly a pleasure cruise and one I would not want
to repeat, but I'm glad I experienced it

I'm assuming a 32 foot powerboat with twin engines would have an easier go
of it. Correct?

-Greg

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

Dene wrote:


I'm assuming a 32 foot powerboat with twin engines would have an easier go
of it. Correct?

-Greg

Yes, as far as having enough power to fight the current. However, you still
have
all the other problems I mentioned. The water is very silty, so you will be
sucking
a lot of mud and debris into your cooling system, so be sure you can handle
that.
The floating debris can also do a number on your props. Issues of anchoring
and
finding marinas also hold for you. There are facilities in Memphis, St.
Louis, and possibly
some marinas have opened up since my trip years ago. I'm not sure what is
going
on with New Orleans, since the hurricane. I stayed there on Lake Ponchetrain,
which
I heard got hit pretty bad. You may want to take with some spares, like a
prop,
cooling system filters, etc. Consult a mechanic before taking off.

Sherwin D.

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

" wrote:

Hello,

I'm interested in taking my family down the Mississippi River some
summer. So far I have almost NO boating experience, so I recognize
that I can't start with a big project; I'll have to learn the basics
before taking The Big Expedition.

Some people have advised me against going on the Mississippi
altogether. "Too dangerous."

Okay. What do I need to know?

Skipper Bob has a book on the Great Circle route which includes the
Mississippi. I haven't looked at that book because we aren't really
interested in doing that, but his other books contain good
information. The books are fairly inexpensive and I would expect it
to deal with marinas, anchorages, fuel etc. Skipper Bob has/had a
trawler.

Thank you for all serious replies.

Ted Shoemaker

grandma Rosalie

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:13:37 GMT, Rosalie B.
wrote:

Skipper Bob has a book on the Great Circle route which includes the
Mississippi.

===============

http://skipperbob.home.att.net/publications.htm

Cruising From Chicago to Mobile
Cruising the Inland River system from Chicago on Lake Michigan to
Mobile, AL on Mobile Bay. Information on anchorages, free docks,
marinas, bridge and lock restrictions, and navigational concerns for
this route. Includes the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland,
Tennessee, Tombigbee and Mobile Rivers as well as the Tenn-Tom
Waterway. (2nd edition)

ISBN 0-9727501-5-0 $15

I haven't seen this one, but his ICW books are very useful.

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:13:37 GMT, Rosalie B.
wrote:

Skipper Bob has a book on the Great Circle route which includes the
Mississippi.

===============

http://skipperbob.home.att.net/publications.htm

Cruising From Chicago to Mobile
Cruising the Inland River system from Chicago on Lake Michigan to
Mobile, AL on Mobile Bay. Information on anchorages, free docks,
marinas, bridge and lock restrictions, and navigational concerns for
this route. Includes the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland,
Tennessee, Tombigbee and Mobile Rivers as well as the Tenn-Tom
Waterway. (2nd edition)

ISBN 0-9727501-5-0 $15

I haven't seen this one, but his ICW books are very useful.




Right boat and you do not need any docking places to New Orleans.
http://www.howardarneson.com/articles/fireonmiss.asp

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

" wrote:

Hello,

I'm interested in taking my family down the Mississippi River some
summer. So far I have almost NO boating experience, so I recognize
that I can't start with a big project; I'll have to learn the basics
before taking The Big Expedition.

Some people have advised me against going on the Mississippi
altogether. "Too dangerous."

Okay. What do I need to know?

Watch out for the Sand Bars............


Me Mark Twain had the same advice.......

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

Get some training from USPS ??
The only USPS that I know of is the United States Postal Service.

Ted Shoemaker

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

"Dene" wrote in message
...

" JimH" wrote in message
. ..

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm interested in taking my family down the Mississippi River some
summer. So far I have almost NO boating experience, so I recognize
that I can't start with a big project; I'll have to learn the basics
before taking The Big Expedition.

Some people have advised me against going on the Mississippi
altogether. "Too dangerous."

Okay. What do I need to know?

Thank you for all serious replies.

Ted Shoemaker



Great advice so far.

A good link with a lot of information.

http://members.aol.com/americacruisi...roduction.html

That is a great site. Wondering if there is a similar one for Cruising
Europe?

-Greg



Good question. Where in Europe are you from Greg and where in Europe do you
cruise?

I always wanted to rent a houseboat and cruise the Ohio River or to check
out the Ft. Myers area.

Mississippi River trip -- what does a newbie need to know?
 

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:41:58 -0500, " JimH" wrote:

I always wanted to rent a houseboat and cruise the Ohio River or to check
out the Ft. Myers area.

======================================

I live across the river from Ft Myers and can see it from my back
deck. You could cruise a houseboat in the river here but you'd be
better off getting a trawler so you could go out in the Gulf also. On
a windy day even the river could be a bit rough for a houseboat,
depends on size and freeboard.