I'm in the early stages of planning for a trip from Chicago to Miami
in a power boat via the Mississippi (not during hurricane season).

It would be my wife and I with occasional guests. I'm thinking of
taking the trip on something like the Cruiser Yacht 3470.

Any comments on the trip? Size of boat?

You might find it a more tolerable trip to go down the Mississippi only to
the Ohio River then a short ways to the Tennessee River, the take the
Tenn-Tom Bigbee Waterway to Mobile. Very little fuel available on the lower
half of the Mississippi and lots of barge traffic.

Sounds like good advice. Thanks Rick.


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 10:50:15 -0500, "Rick" wrote:

You might find it a more tolerable trip to go down the Mississippi only to
the Ohio River then a short ways to the Tennessee River, the take the
Tenn-Tom Bigbee Waterway to Mobile. Very little fuel available on the lower
half of the Mississippi and lots of barge traffic.

It is a very tough trip for gasoline engines. I know a few who have made 1200 -
1500 mile trips with gas engines, but most of them either repowered after
making it or sold their boats. Diesel engines are much better for those 200
mile days. Diesels thrive on heat, whereas gas engines die. Plan on a long slow
trip with gas engines. 50 - 100 mile days tops.



"Listen to the live broadcast of 'Nautical Talk Radio' with Captain Lou every
Sunday afternoon from 4 - 5 (Eastern Standard Time) on the web at
www.959watd.com or if you are in Boston or Cape Cod set your radio dial to
95.9FM.

There's about 2,000 boaters that have made the great loop cruise (6,000 +
miles) without selling their boats at the end. Gasoline engines with fresh
water cooling and good heat exchangers run very cool - proper maintenance is
required to keep through-hulls and cooling lines clean, but actually the
long runs are better on the engines than short weekend jaunts to a nearby
cove. Raw water cooling requires more maintenance, but in the fresh water
rivers cooling systems will be o.k.
The salt water will kill off any algae in the cooling system at the end, but
a haul out in Miami and a good cooling system cleanout is advisable with raw
water cooling.

(Mike) wrote in message ...
Sounds like good advice. Thanks Rick.


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 10:50:15 -0500, "Rick" wrote:

You might find it a more tolerable trip to go down the Mississippi only to
the Ohio River then a short ways to the Tennessee River, the take the
Tenn-Tom Bigbee Waterway to Mobile. Very little fuel available on the lower
half of the Mississippi and lots of barge traffic.


This is the way to go. Very little if any recreational traffic goes
down the Mississippi, past St. Louis. Too much commercial traffic;
too much current and debris. Just plain dangerous the further south
you go. The TennTomBigby is known as the snowbird route, as most all
recreational traffic follows this. If memory serves, Quimby's has the
TennTomBigby in its cruising guide. It's a long trip.

Shane