Overview
The Big Getter Voyage Map
click here to follow along
In the summer of 2008 I will be taking a pontoon houseboat down the Mississippi River from Minneapolis St. Paul to the Gulf of Mexico. It will be my home and vessel as I descend the mighty Mississip. This will be a healthy and relaxing trip, an adventure worth experiencing, and a good-livin-hell-of-a-time. For six years this trip has been living as a fantastical goal within me. I know the beginning is around the bend, and that makes me smile like I just lost my training wheels.
The boat is not traditional in many ways except for that it floats. It is a unique HPB (human powered boat) that in basic appearance looks like a hybrid between a cataraft on steroids and a traditional houseboat. There are four different systems of propulsion that can be operated individually or in conjunction with one another. Its primary form of power comes from two pedal-driven-propeller stations located at the stern on both sides of the boat. They resemble recumbent bicycles with a propeller instead of wheels. In addition, there is a set of oars for rowing on the front deck. The boat also has, for those occasions when the current is strong, sweeps that can be operated from the top of the cabin. Sweeps are long oars that resemble gigantic hockey sticks. They protrude fore and aft of the boat and are used for steering and lateral movement but not necessarily to gain downstream momentum. Lastly there is an outboard motor that can be used in emergencies, for safety and to make up lost time.
The 3-foot diameter inflatable pontoons are 22 feet long and are attached to a frame constructed from 2” Aluminum pipe. The frame also doubles as the skeletal structure, which supports a hanging floor, two side decks, a front deck and a cabin. Plywood that is cut to the right dimensions and fastened to the aluminum pipe forms the floor and decks. As for the cabin, it is waterproof nylon, canvas and mesh all sewn together and fitted around the aluminum pipe. Inside the cabin there are four berths, a living area, a kitchen and storage. Oh yeah there is a bathroom too, outfitted with all the amenities a camping king would expect.
From June through August I’ll weave approximately 1800 miles through 10 states to the ever-nearing Gulf Coast. Geographically speaking the Mississippi River is separated into two sections, the upper and lower, with the dividing point lying at the confluence with the Ohio River. Both section are as unique as they are long and will offer a river front glimpse at Middle America. One major difference of the Upper Mississippi is that it is a series of pools created by channel dams, while the lower half is free flowing. Due to this, the average current will be much faster downstream of the Ohio River. Along the way I will ‘lock through’ 27 locks, visit the homes of Mark Twain and Elvis, dodge barge traffic, and do some fishing and sunbathing. I intend to explore as much as possible, learn what I can and enjoy life to brim.
If you’d like to come, believe me, I want you to. In fact, I want as much company as possible. The cabin will sleep four, so I hope to have three others with me at all times. The invitation is open to everyone and anyone, family, friends, friends of friends, and especially to characters I meet along the way. There is an itinerary in the blog archive that will help you choose when, where and for how long you would like to join the adventure. Don't worry; I expect the trip will take me 100 days, so you'll have all summer to fit in a Mississippi get-a-way.
Navigation Tips
Once you have selected a blog from the blog archive you will have to scroll down to view it. ;)
Blog Archive
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2008
(131)
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June
(54)
- Day 1, 10 Miles - Rigging / Minnesota river 11 Mil...
- Day 2, 15.5 Miles - 1 Mile above Confluence to Wil...
- Day 3, 18 miles - Willies Hidden Marina to Prescot...
- Availability as of June 5th
- The Comments are Great
- Where to Mail Goodies.
- Day 4, 20 Miles - Prescott Island to 1 mile above ...
- Day 5, 1 Mile - 1 Mile Above Red Wing to Red Wing
- Day 6 - Lay Over in Red Wing
- What to Bring
- A Fine End to My Time in Red Wing
- Johnny Lawless on Lake Pepin
- Day 7, 30 Miles - Red Wing to Wabasha
- Day 8, 23 miles - Wabasha to 2 miles below lock 5
- Can I get some sun
- Day 9, 11 Miles - 2 Miles Below Lock 5 to Winona
- Day 10, 28 Miles - Winona to La Crosse
- The Big Getter Voyage Map
- Driving Through the Driving Rain
- Day Markers and Bird Houses
- Day 11, 21 Miles - La Crosse to 2 Miles Below Lock 8
- Day 12, 29 Miles - Below Lock 8 to Below lock 9
- Mechanical Beasts
- Day 13, 10 Miles - Below lock 9 to Prairie du Chien
- Put-in Sequence
- Day 14 - Lay Over in Prairie Du Chien
- Day 15 - Lay Over P.D.C. - There Aren't too Many o...
- Day 15 - Lay Over P.D.C. - Father's Day
- Day 16 - Pikes Peak
- Comments
- Day 17, 17 Miles - Prairie du Chien to Frenchtown ...
- Day 18, 14 Miles - 4 miles above Guttenberg to Cas...
- Locking Through
- Warm and Unworried
- Day 19, 7 Miles - Cassville to Finley's Landing
- Day 20, 20 Miles - Finley's Landing to Dubuque
- Dy 21, 17 Miles - Dubuque to four miles above Bell...
- Midwest Nice
- Email from JL
- Day 22, 12 Miles - Luke's Landing to Bomb shell beach
- Blogosphere
- Buoy Betting
- Day 23, 15 Miles - Mile Marker 550 to Sabula
- Twilight
- Day 24, 15 Miles - Sabula to Clinton
- Availability as of June 25th
- Day 25, 17 Miles - Clinton to Princeton
- Prairie du Chien Newspaper Article
- Day 26, 17 Miles - Princeton to Moline
- Quad Cities
- Day 27 - Lay Over Moline
- Day 28 - Lay Over Moline
- Can I get twenty six fifty?
- Rusty the Singing Cabbie
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June
(54)
Day 15 - Lay Over P.D.C. - There Aren't too Many of us Crazies Left
Mark invited me to come along in his V-hull 14 footer for the afternoon and I was delighted. The boat ramps here in P.D.C. are all submerged so we headed for Mcgregor on the Iowa side of the river. Jumping wakes, surfing waves and cutting doughnuts so tight that the gunwales are almost submerged is what he is all about. Fishing doesn't interest him and I guess most of the folks up in these parts just don't understand that. "Gas is a bargain!" he says, "compared to what it will be in a couple of years, so I try to burn as much as possible right now." He's got a dry sense of humor and we got along great. Down stream a few miles we came across an old man in a tiny boat with a tent on top. I assumed he'd been out fishing for the weekend and lived somewhere close by. "Where are you going?" I ask him as we get close. "Home" he says in a weathered voice. "Well, how long you been out fishing?" I say. The old-timer rasps, "couple of weeks now." I sure wasn't expecting that answer so I asked him where his home was. "East Texas" he said. Well, that got my attention and we immediately started swapping stories. I told him of the Big Getter and he told me of building a catamaran and sailing it around the world. As he motored off Mark and I were admiring his spirit, ability and I commented on his age when I thought he was out of ear shot. Evidently his ears work just as well as the rest of his body because he yelled back, "You don't find many like you either." I got a good chuckle out of that and then he really made me laugh when he said, "There aren't too many of us crazies left!"
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7 comments:
priceless.
What an awesome adventure and a delightful blog! Sorry we missed you in Red Wing where we slip our boat. When you get below Dubuque, I highly recommend the Illinois side and Rock Slough below Nine Mile Island. The Ferry Landing marks the upriver end of a string of "Camps" inhabited by hospitable river rats from my home town, Galena, Illinois. If you can land at the Camp 19 dock, they'll feed you and swap all kinds of stories. Yell out for Larry, Marv, Phil, Charlie, or Randy.
Godspeed,
Bronwyn
let us know if there is anything on your wanter list that JB and Ace can bring. Love the Loveless poem. Well put and up true. Dont go scaring your mama. Love you, sue
This guy is right out of a Jack Kerouac novel. We love following the blog it is like having a virtual adventure. Love emily
I love it! I also love that you are as crazy as you are. Thanks for the invite. I anxiously await your arrival. Be safe. Everyone down here is worried about all the flooding and how badly we will be affected. I just smile and picture you floating in on top of it all.
Following you down Old Man River (virtually) ... great adventures ... wonderful reading. Hope you're enjoying Old Glory.
Kelly
(Tom's next-door neighbor)
Justus that't going to be you when you're 80!! Seriously this is all incredible- I am sooo proud of you ! You really made this happen. Proof you can do anything you set your mind to. Looks like my summer weekends got packed with work, weddings, and family stuff real fast- but I'm with you in spirit! Ride on cowboy!!
sari
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