Southbound on the Mississippi

I benefited in my planning from this discussion, and am underway.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s36/reverse-great-loop-40026.html

I'm in Alton heading southbound and my current plan is to go down the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya. I'm travelling solo and slow. Happy for advice, guidance and concerns.

For those interested I post a daily blog.
https://boatingadventuresblog.wordpress.com/

Just spend some time digging through your blog; well put together!


Looking forward to following along as you progress south.

Good luck with your trip. It will be a challenge single handed.

Good luck with your trip and stay warm. Enjoy reading your blog!

Jeff F said:

I benefited in my planning from this discussion, and am underway.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s36/reverse-great-loop-40026.html

I'm in Alton heading southbound and my current plan is to go down the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya. I'm travelling solo and slow. Happy for advice, guidance and concerns.

For those interested I post a daily blog.
https://boatingadventuresblog.wordpress.com/

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Nice blog, Jeff. I will continue to follow. You just passed through some of my old stomping grounds.

Nice blog Jeff

We did this same trip about eight years ago and logged all our comments on Active Captain, I have not kept up with where AC is now so those may be lost. It was a great trip, only Greenville and Memphis are fuel stops and no fuel on the Atchaflaya until Morgan City. We anchored on oxbows and other river cut outs and had no problem with planning 100 mile days, our trawler speed was 8 mph plus current speed, which at times was as high as 7 so the 100 miles/day went by easily. Good luck, BTW I am planning a trip from FT Benton Mt on the Missouri to St Louis with my 1980 Bayliner Explorer.

Capt Montana said:

BTW I am planning a trip from FT Benton Mt on the Missouri to St Louis with my 1980 Bayliner Explorer.

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Now that sounds fun. I'm envious. Any low water impediments foreseen? If not already planned, the famous L&C Journal is a great reference.

Where are you going when you get to the end of the Atchafalaya ???

Just read a few pages of you blog and noted your A/C heat woes. I will bet anything that debris in the r/w side blocks up the strainer and reduces water flow. Then with the reduced water flow the system freezes up with outside temps near 0 C.

So clear the strainer frequently. The A/C will ultimately freeze in any case when the inlet water gets down to about 5 C, but it will run a little longer with no debris blocking the strainer.

Also note as the inlet water temp drops the reverse cycle loses efficiency, but still better than direct resistance heat until it freezes up, then you have to use resistance.


David

Thanks for the comments. WRT my plans, I'm going to leave my boat in LA somewhere and head home for a few weeks for the holidays. Then I have tentative plans to go down to the Florida Keys in January, then back to Mobile and up the Tenn Tom in Feb/Mar and back up the rivers to Chicago with some side trips along the way.

David, thanks for your comments re AC. I haven't been measuring water temperatures but they may be pretty low given the cold weather. The first time it failed I think it was because of debris, but when it failed in Alton I think it just froze up. It was -7C air temp. In any case I have a 5 kw generator and now have 4.5 kw resistance heat which is keeping things very comfortable. My circ pump also is somewhat suspect, I've ordered a top end rebuild kit.

Capt Montana said:

We did this same trip about eight years ago and logged all our comments on Active Captain, I have not kept up with where AC is now so those may be lost.

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I'm using AC and it's been very helpful. Lots of good stuff. I planned yesterday's stop well in advance using AC user reports.

Hi Jeff, Did you make Memphis safe yesterday afternoon?

Rogerh said:

Hi Jeff, Did you make Memphis safe yesterday afternoon?

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Yes, I'm at Memphis Yacht Club.

Jeff F said:

Yes, I'm at Memphis Yacht Club.

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Keep up the blogging. Fun to read about trips I hope to do someday.

Cheers and stay safe!

Sean from MN

Really look forward to your blog each day Jeff. Very interesting to follow your progress as nearly being onboard. Smooth sailing, Paul, from PEI

Good Morning Jeff, Are you going to head out today? Any luck on the generator? Have a great day!

Generator is fixed. Waiting for the fog to clear.

Jeff F said:

Generator is fixed. Waiting for the fog to clear.


View attachment 82897

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Great news on the generator. Have a great day and hopefully the fog will lift soon.

It is a nice simple trip including all the way to NOLA via the Industrial Canal. Switch to channel 12 for Vessel control below Baton Rouge(as noted on the charts).
This trip with the current is no fuel problem given the extra kick however a couple must guard potable water consumption as it is not readily available unless resourceful. Good anchoring is available most everywhere on the river on the off channel side. The tows command the River and if you get into trouble ask them for help they will help! When we went down they repeatedly told us that if we need help to call. Of course I'd only do that if a real serious need. Enjoy, we did.

All radio traffic on the ICW west of the Mississippi River is on 13.

Joe Pica said:

Good anchoring is available most everywhere on the river on the off channel side. The tows command the River and if you get into trouble ask them for help they will help! When we went down they repeatedly told us that if we need help to call. Of course I'd only do that if a real serious need. Enjoy, we did.

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Joe, thanks for your comments here. I've read many of your comments on the AGLA forum and they've helped me a lot.

By 'off channel side' I take it that you mean the inside of a bend. The water has been high and all the wing dikes are underwater. I haven't ventured in between the wing dikes yet, but plan to soon. I'm gaining knowledge and confidence as I go, and really enjoying it. In the meantime I've mostly stopped in slack harbours.

I bummed diesel off a towboat many years ago on the Illinois River, and have always had an interest in the commercial traffic and industry. It's been fun and educational listening and occasionally interacting with them. They know everything that's going on on the river.

kartracer said:

All radio traffic on the ICW west of the Mississippi River is on 13.

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https://tinyurl.com/ydfgx843


While small pleasure craft are not necessarily required to report to VTS however most Commercial traffic is and their movements are coordinated with the New Orleans VTS on VHF 12. Hence good to monitor when in the zone.
USCG Reference is attached.

Great blog, Jeff, thanks for sharing your trip. The youtube of the tow and barges making the turn was very interesting - respect those guys!

I will follow in your wake in a couple of years.

Symphony said:

The youtube of the tow and barges making the turn was very interesting - respect those guys!

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Oh yeah. I followed a big guy for a whole day watching him and understanding his interactions with other tows. And it was pretty much constant switchbacks. I figured out how to get the interesting vectors on the MFD showing so I could watch his drift. Just like in the video. I'd love to go on a southbound trip in the wheelhouse.

Cool,
When I anchor in the rivers with currents I look for a point and slide laterally down current of the shoal that normally forms off the point e.g. in it's current shadow. If suitable I anchor there for any float and loose barges. I ask the first Tow if where I'm am is out of their way (ie not a crew change bank). The upbound tows are hanging to the inside of the channel (less current force) while the downstream tows favor the outside for speed. Upbound tows will see you if lighted and they are not moving to the inside because of the point shoal.

Power Point on Lower Hope this works. Very simple for you considering you are almost finished.

https://tinyurl.com/ya6s7mwz

I traveled the Lower Mississippi in 2017 and I attach 2 Word documents you may find helpful.

Contact me if you can't see the attachments

Thanks for introducing this thread, Jeff. Look forward to following your progress here and on the blog. This trip interests me quite a bit.

Joe, I finally got good internet and looked at your deck. Looks good. I appreciate the humour. The water levels were much lower in your pictures. I'm only now getting a sense of the differences.

Mick, I've been reading your AC reviews. Thanks. I was chatting with the crew of the Kim King this evening, and they remembered you from last year.