Navigating the Mississippi to the Gulf

[Dockhand]

I will need a location that has a travel lift, to lift the boat off the tractor trailer.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dockhand

The boat is in SD on the Missouri River now, but there is no locks to get it through so I'll have to have it transported most likely to the Mississippi River. I'm heading to someway along the East coast, if I find a nice place I'll stay for a while. The more I look at this I'll be cutting over from the Mississippi to the Tenn-Tom. Since this will be my biggest trip ever I'll take any and all suggestions. J Clark H356 you offered info about this trip and I would gladly accept.

Once it's on a truck, the incremental cost to get it to the Kentucky Lakes and bypass the Mississippi all together would likely be worth the cost.

If the goal is really just transport to the east coast (as opposed to the journey), you might want to price up having the truck take it all the way to the destination. No question it will be cheaper but you will lose the adventure.

[seahag]

Completely agree with Valhalla here, and adding that you may be able to use a crane for that boat and not need a travel lift. But trucking to Kentucky Lake makes great sense for cost reasons plus keeping the adventure. Just keep the mast down until Mobile.

[J Clark H356]

Dockhand:I am at Lighthouse Landing on Kentucky Lake. It is all sail except 1 trawler who is ex sailor. LHL is at mile 24 just above the Kentucky Dam and lock. They have travelift and could get you back on the river. Also I think you could go with your mast up. Minimum clearance is 52 feet and I can give you a spreadsheet you can update each day that will give you clearance at each bridge to Mobile. I went down once mast up in a CaboRico 38. From LHL it is about 650 miles to Mobile. I have spreadsheet with all the Active Captain anchorages between LHL and Mobile. In our Hunter 356 it took us 10 days to Mobile with a stopover day at Columbus for laundry and food. We also have a blog I can give you that describes the trip that we have consolidated into a single PDF. If you have radar it is very helpful because there will be days when you will leave late morning if you don't. I also installed a Digital Yacht AIS that displays on iPhone and IPad and is very useful. You will need a good spotlight because you will get caught out at night due to priority for commercial tows at the locks. One day we had a 2-1/2 hour delay. We have a Bow mounted LED GoLight that we used a lot. It is remote control and uses very little power and I powered it off my nav light circuit.

I can also provide similar information along the Gulf Coast and West coast of Florida to Key West. After that, others can give you some guidance. I've been the entire route to Key West and return. Done a lot of sailing out of Charlotte Harbor in SW Florida last 15 years in my boat and others.

Send me a private message and we'll exchange emails and cell numbers. Looking forward to hearing from you.

[wasi1961]

Hi, new to here. Looking for info about putting my 1980 33 ft hunter on ghe Arkansas River at Conway, AR and then to missippi and out to gulf. Thanks

[Penguin64014]

I know that this is an old thread but I would like as much information about the Missouri River and Mississippi River as I can get. My son and I are planning to take our Tracker Grizzly 1860 with a 90hp Mercury from Kaw Point in Kansas City to the Mississippi River in St. Louis down to the gulf.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Once it's on a truck, the incremental cost to get it to the Kentucky Lakes and bypass the Mississippi all together would likely be worth the cost.

If the goal is really just transport to the east coast (as opposed to the journey), you might want to price up having the truck take it all the way to the destination. No question it will be cheaper but you will lose the adventure.

Or as another option, launch on the Illinois river and head East.