Mississippi River

[Wrfkaratemonkey]

hey guys!

I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean and now live in Missouri by Hannibal. We have great places to boat and fish, one of which is the Mississippi River.

I am not sure how I feel about our “new” 16’ boat on the river though. Is it big enough? Is my (very strong and reliable) 25 HP enough?

I hear so so many horror stories and yet I see Jon boats heading to the ramps.

 

[roscoe]

It all depends on where you are on the river, the hazards in the area, the water level, and the barge traffic. Your boat will be fine in some areas and conditions, and dangerous in others.

Even a 25'er can be deadly in the wrong situation.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I thought the definition of the Mississippi river was that it was too thin to plow and too thick to boat in....

that being said, depending on where you are, that may be too little boat or too much boat.

 

[Silvertip]

A 16 foot boat with a "river-savey" operator is perfectly safe on the 'ole Miss. Stay out of the way of barges and other large craft, learn how to lock through, understand what the channel markers mean and you will be just fine. Go into this blind and you will get into trouble. Stay off the river during flood stage or higher water levels. The current will hurt you.

 

[Wrfkaratemonkey]

Thanks!

 

[JASinIL2006]

I boat on the Mississippi (up near Keokuk and Burlington) and see boats like that all the time.

You will want to watch out on windy days; in areas where the fetch length is great, you can get some pretty big waves that will make life unpleasant in that boat.

Watch out for barges; they are like trains. They won't/can't stop if you cross their path.

Also, be really careful around the locks and dams; you don't want to get caught by the current going over (or under) a dam gate.

Make absolutely certain you have an anchor that will hold in the river's current, especially in a small boat with single motor; it's your most important piece of safety equipment, next to your PFDs.

Finally, any sizable rain and/or flooding condition brings all sorts of debris back into the channel; sometimes, you can see entire trees floating downstream. Boating after heavy rains or in flooding conditions (even mild) calls for caution.

If you are cautious, aware and sensible, the river is a great place to boat. Have fun!