Visit our Popular Forums

biker · 25-09-2017, 20:02

I need some help. I have lived on the Mississippi River for a very long time, and now I would like to travel the river from Minneapolis to New Orleans. I was thinking about using a 19’ to 22’ sailboat around 2,200 lbs.. Does it make any sense to think I could use the normal bracket on the back of the sailboat for a 10 or 15hp motor. I was thinking this would push the boat 10 to 12 mph for the 2,200 miles. I’ve been a boater on the river all my life but never on a sailboat. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! (biker)

belizesailor · 25-09-2017, 20:42

Biker, I too grew up on the Big Muddy...why a sailboat?

Really not much sailing to be done and a low horse power OB on a bracket where it maybe hard to handle at times would not be my first choice on the River.

I think a small power boat would be a better option.

**Jim Cate** · 25-09-2017, 23:44

No knowledge of the river, but you won't get a sailboat of that size up to 10-12 mph, even with a big outboard. The hull speed will limit you to something around 5.5-6 knots.

Jim

Aswayze · 26-09-2017, 02:26

I'll bet I know why he is thinking about a sailboat...

Ever looked at small power boats from a livability perspective? Powerboat manufacturers do not seem to look at weekending the way sailboat manufacturers do. You get a whole lot more "living" infrastructure in smaller sailboats unless you happen across a small trawler like an Albin 25 and even then, you are paying a premium for it.

I also live on the river (Missouri) and have enjoyed boating here as well. I have given thought to exactly what Biker is talking about doing and mentally settled on finding an Aquarius 23 for the job. Leave the rig and the cassette rudder at home, add a 6 hp Honda or Tohatsu and it would be an ideal mini trawler.

Fairly flat bottom but with enough of a keel to track.
Outboard right at the transom like a Jon boat.
Big enough galley to cook real meals
Separated head
Pop top
Light/beachable
Cheap enough that if I whack a wing dike and scratch the Dickens out of it I won't cry.

All that said, plan for 5 kts over the water + current. More than that and you are just turning gasoline into noise and you WILL NOT have the fuel range for that.

belizesailor · 26-09-2017, 04:15

Could be, but having grown up on the River (Natchez) and having run it from Vicksburg to Baratari....it sure is handy, and safer, to have some HP to work with.

Transiting the NOLA area by sailboat below, but this was a twin engine cat.

Click image for larger version

Name: image4.jpg
Views: 154
Size: 41.2 KB
ID: 156681

**GordMay** · 26-09-2017, 06:50

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, biker.

Iaangus · 26-09-2017, 07:41

I believe the channels are maintained to a depth of at least 9 feet and the rest of the river is unmarked. There are wing dams (piled rock walls projecting into the river perpendicular to the shoreline) to keep the water flowing in the channels and reduce shoreline erosion. The wing dams sometimes protrude above the water in low water and sometimes are well under water level when the water level is higher. Outside of channels lots of areas are also very shallow for various reasons. There are lots of low railroad bridges that will open for sail boats but depending on the train schedule you could have to wait awhile, same for the locks, you may have to wait. Floating on a raft with outboard motor installed is something done occasionally, some even have cabins built on them. There aren't many sailboats though with or without a mast.

Aswayze · 26-09-2017, 08:41

Correct, follow the signage stay in the channel and pay most attention to the daymarks on the shore since the bouys tend to get drug around quite a bit particularly on the Missouri or the Mississippi downstream of the Missouri confluence:

Crossing daymarks, trustworthy.

Bouys? Take them with a grain of salt

Debris fields can be a significant hindrance. This one was bank to bank deposited into the River at the confluence of the Chariton River compliments of a flash flood well upstream. Timing meant that we had to pick our way through it. Otherwise, it would have been a wiser move to tuck back behind a wing dike and wait this mess out.

I will again council for a smaller 4 stroke motor. "more power" may be better but keep in mind that more power = more fuel and once you run out of fuel you are drifting sideways down the barge channel headed straight for a rip rap wind dike. With of the flooding we have had over the years, and the subsequent lack of interest in rebuilding the same flooded out places time after time there just are not all that many places left along the flood prone rivers to get fuel. Again, this will be more of an issue down past the confluence of the Missouri river for you but it's an issue you need to consider. Travel at hull speed (about 5 kts or so) keep the motor running efficiently and RESEARCH your fuel stops. On my squareback canoe we could manage about 350 miles on a load of fuel and even with that, we ended up needing to scramble for fuel owing to one marina being closed on the day we passed by and the next not opening for many hours later when we passed it. Do your research, call ahead and know where you can go to shore and hoof it to a fuel station if needed.

Oh and in case it isn't completely obvious. FORGET SAILING. The river snakes around constantly so it would take a lot of work and you really would not want to have your keel down if you can get away with it.

Anything poking down is just asking to whack a log or dike. Just ask the Windfall crew here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTD2n7N5B-8

biker · 26-09-2017, 12:35

Everyone thanks for all the help, so many things to think about. First off I think sailboats are just cool and at some point I would like to go sailing but not on this trip. To save fuel and go the distance I was thinking about the smaller engine. I've been in a hurry most of my life but now I think its time to slow down and enjoy the view. I picked a sailboat because of the convenience of the living quarters. I didn't think about hull speed (thank you for the help) 6 knots is slow. Aswayze talked about the Aquarius 23 I have been looking at several boats like the Aquarius 23 but now I think I need to go smaller and lighter the Aquarius has a displacement of 2280 lbs. and a swing keel of 165 lbs.. I have looked at several boats (pictures only) but one in my price range was the Balboa 20. This boat has a displacement of 1700 lbs. and a 400 lb. swing keel which I would remove for this trip if I could. With a shorter boat and less weight would this help with the hull speed? One of the blogs that I read was a couple of guys made the trip in pontoon with a small motor and according to them they didn't have any fuel problems. The pontoon also did well with the wing dams and the currents around St. Louis. I have another question about the motor bracket. On most sailboats the bracket is on the side, could I leave in on the side or should it go to the center?

Drew13440 · 26-09-2017, 13:37

Max hull speed is determined by the boat's length at the waterline. There's nothing you can do to improve it except choosing a bigger boat.

Do not remove the keel from the boat. It provides ballast that stabilizes the boat and will help you track better through the water. Removing it may also make the boat unsafe. Small boat keels usually crank up to allow you into shallow water, a bonus.

The motor bracket is probably installed to the side so as not to interfere with the tiller. If you can figure out a way to connect the motor to the boat's tiller, you will have an easier time of it.

biker · 26-09-2017, 20:21

Thanks Drew, So how long of a boat would I need lets say with a beam of 8' and still being pushed by 10 hp motor that's not working that hard. Because I doing this solo I was trying to keep the boat smaller and lighter. Thanks again (biker)

River Cruiser · 28-09-2017, 10:21

I see a lot of boats coming through the marina where I keep my boat on the upper Mississippi River mm283. This time of year a lot of people going south to escape the winters in Minnesota and Wisconsin in about anything that floats. The one I saw that is similar to what you're looking for was a sailboat converted to a trawler, no mast or any of the rigging. It was 20' - 22' the guy had removed the old gas power unit and installed a 13 hp Kubota diesel, if I remember correctly he said it burned 1/3 gallon per hour. It had a cabin with a bunk, tiller steering, for a cheap way to cruise it looked pretty good to me.