Going down the Yukon?

[KTP]

Thanks for the responses, but the mosquito problem is kind of scaring me off from doing this, unless we did it in the late fall as one poster did. I hate being really hot and soaked in DEET.

[lazydove]

The insects are not a problem on the Yukon-River. Get yourself a bug-jacket and a headnet for the few days that they can be a pest. A few insect-coils for the evening around the campfire. No need to bathe in DEET. There is a breeze on this river sometimes even a bit too much of it. This keeps the bugs down and you comfortable. Don't give up on this great river.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by KTP

Aluminum or steel?

I had a fiberglass Rogue River type boat and my friend bought a guide-model aluminum Mackenzie River boat. Whereas the fiberglass boat would easily slide over rocky shoals, the aluminum boat would stick to the rocks and not slide over them. When we dragged the boats around log-jams, I could easily drag the fiberglass boat loaded with all my gear and anchor. The aluminum boat needed large sticks or small trees as "rollers" under it.
We coated the aluminum boat's sole (bottom) with Glove-It and problem solved.

Bottom line: Have a good coating of something tough and slick on your steel or aluminum bottom. On older wood boats, we used a sheet of formica on the sole.


A long-shaft "mud motor" is not good for rocks and makes steering much too slow.

[ninethlife]

Been there - done that. 2nd mate on Yutana tug and barge one season from frozen river breakup to river refreeze. Problem 1; Trees horizontal on the shore hanging over the water. They are mostly unavoidable and deadly in a 5kn current. Problem 2; Reach over, grab a glass of water, let it settle, 1/8 inch of fine sand in bottom. How will your engine react? Our tug had a centrifugal cooling water filter about 6 ft wide, 8ft tall. It spun the sand out before entering the engines. About every couple hours you could see the engine room attendant walk over and dump a bucket of sand overboard. Giant horseflys that draw blood biting through your shirt's sleeve. No-see-ums that get under your eye-lids, in your ears, up your nose. I never went back the 2nd year. Sorry to post so negatively, but I think a safer adventure would be to climb Mt Everest without oxygen (or shoes).

[arcticmonkey]

canoed a bit of it... magnificant river... as I pondered your question a few came to mind... time factor number of people going... its a big river experience on a big river would be handy... I like the look of the oregon drift boats if time and money are not a factor...ya can't rush the river