New Orleans to St. Louis by boat...anyone done it?

[Ron V]

Wondering if anyone has done it...I know numerous records have been set and broken, but don't personally know of anyone who has done it just for fun in a small boat. Like taking 3 days or so to do it in one of our boats. I know there are some treacherous sections of the river and lots of debris. If you do it in the fall and stay in the channel what are the odds of making all 1027 miles without taking out a lower unit on a floating log? Also how many miles do you have to be able to run without a fuel stop? Are there sufficient transient slips? Seems like there would be some pretty remote areas from Memphis south. Have a neighbor who has spent some time on the Mississippi up here in Illinois and said there are even some rural sections here where it isn't a bad idea to carry a gun in the boat because of robbers.

Not planning it...yet. One of my dream trips :D.

[300x Stoker]

Michael Reagan raised millions for the U.S. Olympic Committee in his “Assault on the Mississippi” powerboat trip from New Orleans to St. Louis.

[Da Bull]

It`s been done many times. Some for record`s and some for just a cruise. If i did it i think i would have to do it from St Louis to N.O. with the current (less gas). I raced in a marathon out of Greenville, Miss several years in the 80`s And that river is nothing to take lightly. Watch the rock dyke`s, sand bar`s and floater`s. Those are the three biggies. Take plenty of food and water.

DB

[David]

I like the idea. Years ago I read in an antique boat magazine about some guys going from Washington State to Alaska in a 16' Cedar strip boat. That expanded my idea of what is possible.

My version of the trip would be from Windsor (near Detroit) to our cottage near Orillia. Detroit river, Lake St Clair, St Clair River, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, home through the Trent Severn system.

[Sam Baker]

My Dad drove the backup boat during the Reagan run and he said it was crazy driving at night. They lost a couple of gearcases on wing dams, etc.

They ran short of gas in the middle of the night and had to call a gas station owner to wake him up to come in and open it.

[1BadAction]

Thats a ballsy idea, almost as much so as the palm beach to bahamas run in a 20' or less boat. :D

[Ron V]

What has had me thinking about it for years is the poster that I still have from 1985 or '86 that shows "Miss Oklahoma", the Concord with the 3.6 GT sponsored by Stillwater Marine that broke the record at the time by running it in 18 hours 43 minutes. My thought would just be to make the trip in a few days and enjoy the scenery and the ride. Toughest part would be getting someone to ride or fly down and then drive the truck and trailer back to St. Louis. Especially since they'd have to take their time doing it so they'd be within reasonable distance in case of a major breakdown.

I've got it figured at about 200 gallons of gas, maybe a little more. That's $800 just in fuel for the boat, plus another 100 gallons for the truck to get to N.O. and back...hotels for everyone, maybe a plane ticket, etc....it's got to be a $2000+ adventure any way you figure it. Would be the trip of a lifetime though.

Da Bull's idea of going with the current to save fuel might be the way to go. New Orleans might be a better place to party afterward anyway.

[T-REX]

Ron, I've run my 380 from baton rouge to tha gulf several times, and from New orleans to tha gulf quite a few times(I ussa work at East Bay, and would make those trips on my days off, kuz I knew I had a safe haven if thang turn'd bad)....

Tha river iz juss a big ditch...TILL YA GIT IN IT!!....Tugs, ships, current, jetties, float'in sand bars, float'in logs, iceboxs, cars, U name it.......

It wuz a fun exsperience tha first couple times we made it, but I kan't even imagine doin it at any speed(we cruised around 50)....Certian times ov tha yeer tha river iz kinna tame, but 90% ov tha time, it's not a purdy place to play!!!....JMO........

Juss ax ole Peero, He drives a tug up and down it quite offen....

U need ta find ya a girl an git married...Dat will eliminate all them krazy dreemz...Kuz when ya git married, ya kan't afford ta cross tha Mississippi, mussless take a trip down it!!!:eek::D

[WARLOCK]

Ron,
Overlooking your costs....I would have helped you, but I see nothing in your budget for BEER. Later, Dave

[T-REX]

Dave......U may wanna ride wit Ron...........THEYZ A BUNCH OV CAN LADIES IN ZOO ORLEENZ!!!!!:thumbsup::D:cheers:

[Da Bull]

THEYZ A BUNCH OV CAN LADIES IN ZOO ORLEENZ!!!!!



OK, I give up. Whats a Can Lady in T-Rex language?

DB

[benski]

It would be a good adventure, but like the rest of the hobby, not cheap. There are some cruising guides and a Coast Pilot or equivalent publication, that would probably help answer some questions. Good luck!:D

[Big Johnson V8]

I have friends who done it in a canoe awhile back, they say there are some very remote stretches and had to stop at an armycorp of engineers outpost for supplies.
If you want a example of conditions, run the Cal Sag channel from the lake through Alsip south:nonod: friges, railroad ties, 55gal drums, not to mention you have to stop every so often to knock the condoms off of the low water pick up.:mad:
All that said, sounds like trip. :cheers:.

[Ron V]

Good information guys....things like debris would be my biggest concern. I know how the Illinois gets and even the Fox...I knew the MS has to be the worst.

I know it can get pretty rough too in the wide straightaways. There's a guy who lives in my town who has a XB2003 and has a house downstate. He runs the Burlington-Keokuk stretch and has also done some overnight trips from Fort Madison down to St. Louis and back. He said that sometimes he drives all the way down there (4-5 hours) and then the river is too rough to even run on.

Dave, we'd have to bring hard liquor instead of beer. If we put enough beer in the boat to keep you pickled, the boat will never get on plane with the SRX. Rex, ya sure know how to encourage a single guy to get married!!

[ar300johnson]

I regularly boat on the Mighty Muddy from the arkansas line 150 miles north ( south of greenville ms to helena ar).The river must be respected at all times but can as gentle as a lamb. there are several absolute rules. always say between the bouys. if you get outside of them you will f--k up. you can run aground or hit submerged rip rock jettys, pilings or snags stuck in shallow water. It is almost always a bad decision to boat when the river is on a major rise. This is when surprise logs and all sort of trash can ruin your day. however if the river has been falling for 4-7 days, you will only see a little bit of trash( no more than any other small river in good conditions). Tug boats and huge tows of barges( the most I have ever seen is 42 barges)cause major wakes especially when the tow is headed up stream. Slow down. Also from Baton Rouge south, you can see ocean going freighters. they throw really big wakes.If the wind is blowing 15 -25 kts, you will encounter white caps and 2-3' waves.on windward reaches. there are long stretches where there are not any services (gas beer ice food). Be sure you have a marine vhf radio.This could save your life. Do not stop in front of a downstream tow. they have no brakes and the current is almost always 3-4 mph. if you have trouble try to get out of the channel and get on the radio to let everyone know where you are. And i would definitely go downsteam.

Now for the good part. You get to see the river like it was when the explorers saw it. you will not see idiots who do not have a clue how to drive a boat or try to run over you . NO JET SKIES Almost no water cops. no speed limit. basically a hassle free relaxing time on the the river. you can listen to peace and quiet or you can turn your stereo up as loud as it will go. There are beatiful big sand bars that are several hundred acres or little bitty ones.. you can choose. also greenville ms is the home of the world famous Does Eat Place. They have the best steaks and hot tamales anywhere. then you end up in Nawlins. go in late august to early october depending on the weather, river stages, and when you can take a little time to relax and see one of this countries greatest natural treasures.

[blkmtrfan]

Check this out:

http://www.onlyinamerica.biz/

http://onlyinamerica.biz/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/map_revised_-_04_28_08.160110732_std.jpg

[Hot Shot Merc]

Ron thats interesting you post this because its been on my list of things to do some day for many years now.The only difference is I dont want to do it for a speed run just a pleasure ride adventure.You see I grew up in Iowa in a river town called Burlington and always wanted to make the jurney from the gulf to my dads dock in front of his house.Always thought that would be neet to map out,plot and plan.I would stay in the boat and at motels along the way and take my time doing it.I still dream of doing this one day.:cheers:

[JR IN JAX]

With all of the obstructions, it sounds like you would need one of the Rapids-Racer type aluminum-hulled jet boats pulling a fuel barge.

We have transited many sandbars, shoals and rapids on our PWC [Honda Turbos] but even getting 7 MPG they can't carry fuel for more than a 95 mile leg. The longest was Cedar Key around to the Suwannee, up to Branford and back in one day.

We have been over 100 miles [and back in one day] on the ICW and the Suwannee on both the boat and the PWC and it is a blast.

It does sound like fun.

[ar300johnson]

definitely need the fuel barge (with a omcV-8). just think how upset al gore would with a smoking premix 40/1 v-8 getting at best 2.5 mpg.

[OIA]

Ron:

I did it in a 17-foot Whaler, albeit 20 years ago. The biggest problem back then was a 400 mile stretch on the lower Mississippi with no fuel docks. May have changed since then. You may want to check out www.waterwayguides.com (http://www.waterwayguides.com) and see if you can map it out. We were forced to head east on the Ohio, then continue south down the Tennessee River through the Tenn-Tom Waterway to the Tombigbee River and Mobile Bay then the gulf to New Orleans. Smooth flat voyage. Some nasty critters in the water though so be careful.

You can check out the voyage at my website www.onlyinamerica.biz (http://www.onlyinamerica.biz) I wrote and recently (self) published a book about the adventure which started in Ft. Lauderdale, north to New York, west to Chicago and south to New Orleans.

Good Luck,
John Mirassou
Redondo Beach, CA

[JWS]

Aguy from Indiana it about 15 years ago in a new allison bass hull with a new pro max. the incredible part was he did it with his wife and 2 kids!!! He mad some kind of camper top for it and camped in the boat. Caziest chit I ever heard of. He didnt have any serious problems that i recall.

[OIA]

You gotta love it. The three of us did it when we were 24 and single. With a wife and 2 kids . . . Oh My. God bless him, and her. What a ball. I'm sure there were plenty of people who told the guy he was crazy. He did it anyway. Only In America!