Mississippi River Trip 628 Fantastic Miles

Stray Cat

Stray Cat

Active Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
2,344
Pool 10 Guttenberg, IA
Boat Info
2006 300DA Sundancer
Engines
350 Mags / Bravo III
9 days, 428 miles (round trip), 16 lockages, 5 days sunny, 4 days rain, nothing broke, got scuffed, or fell apart. I gained 7 lbs and can now scratch that trip off my bucket list.

I took a few of pictures of Lake Pepin where the lake was flat calm. It sure as hell beats the 5 ft. rollers that I have experienced here before. We shut the boat down, sat on the swim platform and took it all in. The best part of it....no sailboats! On our return trip Saturday, it was sailboat hell.

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One of the 8 Lock & Dams....This one Lock 8 with a 1-1/2 hr wait

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Cabana Joe's in Prescott...A good place to tie up to go to Muddy Waters!....C-J's was closed...and we weren't disappointed.

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I agree, great pictures. Did you get a chance to go up the St. Croix? I too would love to see more of your pictures when you have time (suppose you're busy on the treadmill)?
 
The week I was on Pepin in July, we had four straight days w/ 25 to 30 mph winds. Big water. So big we couldn't make it up to the St. Croix. I saw a houseboat trying to go north into the wind and he'd hid a big one every 8 or 9 waves and, no kidding, the spray would go about 8 feet over the top of his boat. He turned around.

We had a "check engine" alarm go off in the middle of the lake on the only calm day we had. Tunred out to be the idle air control valve/motor. The fridge crapped out. The windshield wiper fell off.

On the way up, we hit a huge hatch of mayflies on our first night at anchor. That night a storm w/ 60 to 70 mph winds and lightning hit.

On the way back, we were pulling into lock 5 w/ 25 mph tailwinds and 2 1/2 foot waves chasing us when a 52 ft. yacht came in behind us and sent a 4 foot wave over my transom dumping about 40 gallons of water and duckweed into my cockpit.

When we were approaching 12, I heard the lock operator on Ch. 14 hailing the coasties about a "vessel in distress". "They're paddling." "Above the dam." I radioed that I'd be there in three minutes. When I got there, the lock operator helped me locate the little fishing boat. A guy and his 12 or 13 year old son were paddling like crazy about 50 yds. above the dam with that 25 mph wind and 2 foot waves pushing them towards the dam. They both had a look of sheer terror in their eyes when we got there. We put a line on them and got them to safety.

Where was global warming? My wife had five layers of clothes on her on the trip back. In the middle of freakin' July!

I'm sure I'm leaving something out. This was the crappiest of our four trips from the Quad Cities to Lake City. I'd do it again tomorrow.

Dennis
 
randerson said:
I agree, great pictures. Did you get a chance to go up the St. Croix? I too would love to see more of your pictures when you have time (suppose you're busy on the treadmill)?
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We ran up to Stillwater, spent a total of 3 days of rain at Sunnyside Marina....our intent was to go above the bridge for a couple of overnighters on the hook, but the weather took a turn for the worse on Wednesday with tornado sierens, then rain - rain - then rain turning to wind and much cooler temps. There are some really nice areas on the 20 some mile stretch of the St Croix to anchor.

randerson said:
(suppose you're busy on the treadmill)?
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Yeah, treadmill, airdyne, bowflex. There is some damn good eating up river....We had a 9 topping pizza at Papa Tronnio's at Lake City...not to mention the pulled pork sandwich at Muddy Waters....and the beef tenderloin at Sullivan's...and the wallnut balls.....I should stop fartin in a few weeks.
 
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270SLX said:
This was the crappiest of our four trips from the Quad Cities to Lake City. I'd do it again tomorrow.Dennis
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Travel on the Mississippi is more than a vacation, it can be a down right adventure. Great job on the rescue!

We waited an extra day in Stillwater because we didn't want to beat the boat up for hours trying to cross it in 30 mph winds. That and locking through with the camper up in those winds would be like bumper boating in the lock chamber. We ran from Stillwater to Guttenberg in two sunny with light winds days. That earased the 3 crappy rain days from memory.
 
Loved reading all of this. My wife and I would love to do something like that. How many times have you done a trip like this? We just got a 1985 210 Cuddy Cabin. Needs a little work, engine is good. Should be ready by next spring.
 
85CaseyMay said:
Loved reading all of this. My wife and I would love to do something like that. How many times have you done a trip like this? We just got a 1985 210 Cuddy Cabin. Needs a little work, engine is good. Should be ready by next spring.
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You've got what you need to make a trip like we just did. I know of couples that have made the trip in a 21 ft bowrider (they stayed at motels). We updated our 7 yr old Quimby's so we had current phone numbers and marina info. Get your mechanicals in sound order and take to the water. I have taken dozens of motorcylce trips, though they were a lot of fun....the voyages we've taken by the river will forever be my most favorite.
 
So, when are you going to come down and visit us? We are at the 225RMM.

Love to here about other peoples river trips!

So far, we have only ventured 150 mile from home...
 
RiverRat said:
So, when are you going to come down and visit us? We are at the 225RMM.

Love to here about other peoples river trips!

So far, we have only ventured 150 mile from home...
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Fred, the scenery is much better going north! (I'm biased)

We have been thinking about a run south, but there just isn't the bluffs like up here. BUT, the small river towns are worth the trip.... I saw a lot of eagles on this trip, didn't get a one on film though...which is stupid.
 
Jeff, sounds like a great trip. Rain is not always a bad thing. We had rain a couple Mondays ago and anchored in a shallow area with the camper up and just relaxed with no other boats around. How much fuel did you go through?
 
Stray Cat said:
Fred, the scenery is much better going north! (I'm biased)

We have been thinking about a run south, but there just isn't the bluffs like up here. BUT, the small river towns are worth the trip.... I saw a lot of eagles on this trip, didn't get a one on film though...which is stupid.
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Well, possibly some time in the future we can plan a trip to meet in the middle somewhere! Your right about the bluffs we only have about a 20 mile stretch of them by me. I'd also like to make a trip up your way someday.... when ever I could get about a month off.

We only get the eagles down here over the winter, your lucky to see them during the summer when it's comfortable enough to sit and watch them.
 
beerman said:
Jeff, sounds like a great trip. Rain is not always a bad thing. We had rain a couple Mondays ago and anchored in a shallow area with the camper up and just relaxed with no other boats around. How much fuel did you go through?
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Scott, had we not had the wind that accompanied the rain, we would've anchored out to. Something about listening to rain on Sunbrella is relaxing too...but 35 mph gusts aint any fun at night on the hook.

I had a typo on my thread title, we ran 428 miles not 628...couldn't fix it either. We used right at 420 gallons of fuel. Our Mags burn 21 gph at 3650 rpm (or 1.1 mpg), which give a nice cruise speed of around 28 to 30 mph (non gps) We lose a little on the milage against the current, but gain it back coming home. Late summer current on the Mississippi, depending on the pool, is probably around 4 to 6 mph.
 
Great trip Jeff. I've been wanting to do that for the last couple of years, just couldn't put it together. Maybe next year. Post more pics if you have any ;)
 
Fred - if you meet half way - we would be game. I would like a trip like that - most likely a next year trip.
 
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