Cincinnati OH

Rxjoe

New Member
Oct 12, 2016
35
Cincinnati, OH
Boat Info
2015 Sundancer 280
Engines
Mag 350 Bravo 3
I assume this is the correct thread for the area. We just purchased a 2015 280. I grew up around boats and know the basics, also owned sea doo for 5 yeara or so. Never owned a boat and not overly confident in the docking of such a boat. I am confident in rulew of the road etc. Have alwayd boated on fresh water lakes but plan to keep on Ohio river.

1) anyone in the area? Definitly interested in new boating friends.

2) anyone know of a good person in the area that night do some private lessons on docking,anchoring etc in the area?

3) what are the biggest differences in a lake vs river?
 
The rivers more like driving on a road and a lake is like driving in a open field with people driving to their destination path from a to b. Spent years on the Ohio River in the East Liverpool / Pittsburg area as a kid on my dads boat and as a young boater .Ohio is a good place to boat if you stay in the channel no problems the Army Corp of Engineers keep it clear.Once you get out of the channel the bottom can come up on you real quick by shore. A set of charts for the river or a chart plotter will show you the sand bars and shallows.The thing about the river is bottom can change over time and the depth can vary depending on weather . One thing you will have to get use to is thing floating in the river like trees and wood depending if you go out after a strong rain.Give the river barges a lot of room they have to stay in the channel you don't they are like trains they don't stop very quick. If you plain on tight lining to shore give yourself at least 6 foot farther from shore because the rive will change depth on you.
 
commercial traffic and dams are the two biggest i can think of
 
As my screen name would imply, I live in the Cincinnati area. Just north of town. I've boated in the area for the last 15 plus years starting with a 20' Four Winns bow rider, then a 26' Four Winns, then a 290 Sundancer to my current 290 Sun Sport so I've done a little bit of everything. Oh yeah, had a Sea Doo at one point too. While I have boated on the Ohio quite a bit, it is not my choice of places to boat. Mostly, because of the style of boating we do. We prefer to do some cruising but ultimately we like to end up rafted up with friends in a no wake zone to spend the day floating in the water and sleeping on the hook. The river is really not conducive to that. First, I am not a big fan of swimming in the river unless you get way out from the downtown area of Cincinnati. Second, there are no no wake zones to safely raft up. You will get banged around by big wakes from BIG boats.

Plus, the weather has a HUGE impact on the river. Spring storms can render it unusable for weeks. If we, or parts east, get heavy rains the river will rise fast, get muddied up and carry debris down it and that can last a while easily spoiling a good weekend even if the sun is back out. This is often the case until June or so. Just a few feet of elevation can cause exponential increases in current. In the heat of the summer it can become quite calm and nice looking but still not may favorite water to jump in when it's hot out and you need to cool off. You have to be very cautious of barges especially at night. You can't hear them at the front because the tug is waay in the back and they use very little lighting. So, you could have a massive barge bear down on you with little warning. Quite dangerous at times. Stay OUT of the middle of the channel at night for this reason. BUT, having said all the negatives, there is a lot of fun to be had on the river when the conditions are right. Fun marinas, music, party in the park, fireworks, etc and lots to see and of course you can cruise as along as you like. Last, I have found that water patrol (there are several agencies from Ohio and KY) is quite prevalent and have been stopped more than once on a single day which I find exceedingly annoying. I will say this, if this is your first time boating on the Ohio you will enjoy the sights and activity. If you are like me, you may be looking for cleaner water and more socializing on the water rather than at the marinas before long.

Based upon the aforementioned, that is why we prefer the major inland lakes in the area. Cumberland being my favorite. Brookville is small but nice and loaded with good people and good restaurant and a short drive helps. I prefer to get on the water so I can get away from the crowds at marinas and restaurants.

Good luck with the new boat! Let me know if you have any other questions. I would think the selling dealer if it's local would send someone out with you. Otherwise, I'm always up for a cruise and can give my .02 cents on how to dock it and such!
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the info. The seller is not local. I have spent a lot of time on Norris and some time on Cumberland and Brookville.We really wanted to be the water somewhere close because we feel like we would use it more that way. We love rafting up out on the water as you mentioned but have had just as much fun at the marinas as well. We'll try it for awhile and see how it goes. I just think a 3.5 hour drive every Friday would get old. 25% of my time for work is driving as is.

The water patrol piece you mentioned would be annoying. I might take you up on that cruise in the spring.
 
RX, I agree with all that has been said so far, especially regarding barges. I boat on the Kanawha river and make my way regularly to the Ohio. My current boat was purchased from Sea Ray of Cincinnati and I made the trip back by water to Winfield WV. I enjoy being on the river and don't really mind getting in the water either. I figure with the constant current, there has to be some fresh water coming in! The current is another issue to deal with on a river that you don't encounter on the lake. Rafting requires being anchored, but then of course you have to be sure you are not in the commercial channel or you may get run over by the aforementioned barges. The current can also make docking a challenge at times until you become used to it. I have had many boats ranging from a 17 foot single IO to my current 40 foot twin inboards. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have if you want to PM me.
Rob
 
Can anyone tell me the best type of anode/zinc to use if the boat will be stored in the Ohio River? I know it is different for different types of water. I plan to have them replaced before spring.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,945
Messages
1,422,732
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top