Overview
The Big Getter Voyage Map
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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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July
(37)
- Day 29, 25 Miles - Moline to Fairport
- Day 30, 5 Miles - Below Fairport to Muscatine
- Day 31 - Lay Over Muscatine
- Day 32 - Lay over Muscatine
- Day 33, 30 Miles - Muscatine to Mile Marker 426
- Day 34, 25 Miles - M.M. 426 to Burlington
- Fireworks and fictitious characters
- Day 35, 20 Miles -Burlington to Dutchman Island
- Day 36, 19 Miles - Dutchman Island to Keokuk
- Shad Flies for a Quarter
- Day 37, 10 Miles - Keokuk to Below the Dam
- Day 38, 20 Miles - Keokuk dam to Canton Dam
- Day 39, 20 Miles - below Lock 20 to Goose Island
- Quincy Interview with NBC
- Day 40, 12 Miles - Goose Island to Hannibal
- Hyfte
- Day 41, 23 Miles - Hannibal to Louisiana
- Day 42, 28 Miles - Louisiana to MM 255
- There are more than a few of us out here
- Day 43, 25 Miles - MM 255 to the Illinois river co...
- Day 44, 17 Miles - MM 220 to Alton
- Day 45, Lay over in alton
- Day 46, 27 Miles - Alton to St. Louis
- Day 47, 22 Miles - St. Louis to Hoppies MM158
- Hoppies
- Day 48, 37 Miles - Hoppies to St. Genevive
- Day 49, 31 miles - St Genevive to MM 89
- Day 50, 36 Miles - MM 89 to Cape Girardeau
- Day 51, 56 Miles - Cape to 3 Miles below Ohio Rive...
- If you are my mom don't read this
- Day 52, 56 Miles - Below Cairo to MM 894, near New...
- Day 53, 5 Miles - Lay over in New Madrid
- Day 54, 43 Miles - New Madrid to Caruthersville
- Day 55, 40 Miles - Caruthersville to MM 806
- Day 56, 30 Miles - MM 806 to MM 776
- Day 57, 40 Miles - MM 776 to Memphis
- Day 58-60, Lay over in Memphis
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July
(37)
Day 53, 5 Miles - Lay over in New Madrid
It was the first night in four days that I hadn’t had trouble. I woke up happy and ready to deal with the motor situation. Randy had called his friend Clement, who had extended every kind of help possible. He came down to the boat ramp after making several phone calls to local mechanics. “It sounds like if the spring in your starter isn’t busted you should be out of here in no time,” he said. We pulled out the starter and opened it up. The starter cord recoiled all of a sudden and we realized that all that was wrong was a loose bolt; something that was easily fixed and required no mechanic at all. Man, was I glad to have that taken care of. It seems like a while since I was greeted with all the hospitality that has been so prevalent on the trip, but New Madrid was thick with fine characters, good stories, and a willingness to help. After Clement helped fix the engine and Dave had given me a set of Allen wrenches, a camera man from the local TV station came by and we spent about 2 hours bullshitting and conducting an interview. After John the cameraman left I was visited by several groups of locals. I befriended lawyers, detectives, goal plant employees, and contractors. It seems that everyone cruises around in glorified golf carts and after drinking a beer with Sam, Bobby D. and Frank at the boat ramp I hopped in Teddy’s golf cart for a tour of town. We checked out every street at mach 10, and somehow the handgun between the seats made me feel like not wearing a seatbelt was expectable and safe. Teddy was a fine man and excitable in that kind of puppy dog way. He seemed only to have an ‘on’ switch and we continued our tour of town until Kathy and Kyle, my two friends from Texas called to ask where I was because they were at the boat but I wasn’t.
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1 comment:
I knew I forgot to tighten something when we put that motor on :)
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