I have thought that I would like to haul my 1980 H25 over to the river and explore that kind of sailing sometime. I would launch somewhere below the Keokuk dam. I have a 9.9 hp outboard on the boat. I have been told, however, that with currents and traffic, etc. doing that kind of trip with anything less than the power of an inboard is dumb. Any experience out there concerning this? Thanks, Dennis Bidney “Breezin”
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B. Smith
Tides and Currents
You should check the charts for the areas in which you intend to sail. If the tide flow indicator on the chart is showing a current greater than you can generate then you will have to go in with the tide, tie up when the tide is against you or risk being overpowered by the flow. Not a good thing!
You should check the charts for the areas in which you intend to sail. If the tide flow indicator on the chart is showing a current greater than you can generate then you will have to go in with the tide, tie up when the tide is against you or risk being overpowered by the flow. Not a good thing!
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Jerry
I do not recommend the exploring trip
I used to duck hunt the MS years ago in your area. I now am a licensed captain in New Orleans, and avoid the river as much as possible down here. It is a lot larger, but the currents are very similar. There are many partially submerged objects floating down the river and all are potentially dangerous. I have seen props bent and shafts pulled out of boats a lot bigger than yours. That 9.9 would not have much power in the main currents and eddys. Please reconsider.
I used to duck hunt the MS years ago in your area. I now am a licensed captain in New Orleans, and avoid the river as much as possible down here. It is a lot larger, but the currents are very similar. There are many partially submerged objects floating down the river and all are potentially dangerous. I have seen props bent and shafts pulled out of boats a lot bigger than yours. That 9.9 would not have much power in the main currents and eddys. Please reconsider.
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Mark
Hi Dennis, We sailed for 3 or 4 years on the Mississippi River at Dubuque, first with our Merit 22 with a 4 hp outboard and later with our Victoria 26 with a 15 hp inboard. Now we're at Lake Pepin (which is also the Mississippi River but a heck of a lot wider). In the spring one year with high water and strong current, my 4 hp, at full throttle, barely got me back upstream, but, except for spring flood season, the current is no real problem. In fact, it makes you a better sailor. True there is the occasional barge, but there is always room to avoid them and, since you sail at Saylorville, I know you're used to power boats and jet skis. No different on the river. The biggest problem with the Mississippi is flukey wind which can change direction 90 degrees or more in a couple seconds (due to the topography, especially with the high bluffs around Dubuque) or can die a quick and sudden death (not good if a towboat is bearing down on you) So....rig a preventer and/or keep a close eye on the boom, be ready to start the motor on short notice, and keep a close eye on traffic. River sailing is a blast, especially locking through. A couple more things to remember. With a 2 kt. current your speed over the bottom going downstream can easily approach 7 kts in your boat, but coming back up will only be about 3 kts. at best, so keep in mind it will take you twice as long to get back as it took to get wherever you're going (unless you're going upstream of course then the reverse is true) Stay between the bouys and you'll be in the main channel and have at least 8 feet of water, stray outside them and there are wing dams, submerged trees, logs, and a whole lot of other stuff that can snag your prop, rudder or keel. I learned this the hard way.
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Harvey Small
Best dammed sailing around!
We've been sailing the Alton pool of the Mississippi for a couple of decades, and there's some great sailing experiences on the river. The upper Mississippi is a series of dams and navigation pools starting up in Minnesota and ending with the Mel Price lock & dam just upstream from the confluence with the Missouri. (There's one more lock & dam at the Chain of Rocks canal, but it doesn't go across the river.) Once the spring flood is over, the dams go up and the current is minimal. Local knowlege is paramount! Current is strongest in the main channel, less by the banks. Sometimes there's even a countercurrent along the banks. The sloughs, islands and backwaters are fun to explore, but you don't want to hit a wing dam with your keel. The water ballast Hunters are great on the river, partly because the ballast is internal and the centerboard and rudder are hinged. When the wind and current are just right, we can tack back and forth across the full width of the river, sail for as long as we want and end up right where we started! Again, if we end up downstream, we may have to motor close to the bank to get back to our harbor, but we've never had any problem. We've sailed a Com-Pac 16 with a 2hp outboard, Macgregor 26 (daggerboard, not the 26X abomination) with a 6hp outboard and currently our Hunter 26 has an 8hp kicker. With a modicum of common sense we had sufficient power. So, ask lots of questions, evaluate the answers, and have fun!
We've been sailing the Alton pool of the Mississippi for a couple of decades, and there's some great sailing experiences on the river. The upper Mississippi is a series of dams and navigation pools starting up in Minnesota and ending with the Mel Price lock & dam just upstream from the confluence with the Missouri. (There's one more lock & dam at the Chain of Rocks canal, but it doesn't go across the river.) Once the spring flood is over, the dams go up and the current is minimal. Local knowlege is paramount! Current is strongest in the main channel, less by the banks. Sometimes there's even a countercurrent along the banks. The sloughs, islands and backwaters are fun to explore, but you don't want to hit a wing dam with your keel. The water ballast Hunters are great on the river, partly because the ballast is internal and the centerboard and rudder are hinged. When the wind and current are just right, we can tack back and forth across the full width of the river, sail for as long as we want and end up right where we started! Again, if we end up downstream, we may have to motor close to the bank to get back to our harbor, but we've never had any problem. We've sailed a Com-Pac 16 with a 2hp outboard, Macgregor 26 (daggerboard, not the 26X abomination) with a 6hp outboard and currently our Hunter 26 has an 8hp kicker. With a modicum of common sense we had sufficient power. So, ask lots of questions, evaluate the answers, and have fun!
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Mike Pajewski
Sailed in the Quad Cities Area
Dennis, We lived in Bettendorf, IA and sailed the big river for several years on our H26 "Loon". Loon has the basic 8hp Tohatsu setup, and could easily handle the current except for early sping and after several days of severe weather. Then it took more time and fuel to go up river. Forget sailing upriver before late June unless you have a lot of free time. Get good fenders and long dock lines to deal with the locks. As far as charts, contact the Army Corps of Engineers in Rock Island, IL. They sell a map book (Not really charts like the saltwater guys are used to) that covers all the pools from Alton to Minneapolis. They are omly a guide as the nature of the river changes continuously. One week you will have plenty of room, next week you bump a wing dam. In fact there are no soundings at all. There are numerous hazards such as wing dams and lateral dams. Talk to the locals as to where they are (the map book gives a general location, but no depth) and what they look like from the deck. Typically, it will have eddies and change the surface appearance. I enjoyed sailing the river, and even though we have Lake Michigan to sail in, I miss the anchoring oppurtunities and interesting places to visit. One last word of advice, wear a life jacket. Every year 6-12 people would drown, and despite what mistakes they made to get in the water, none of them wore life jackets. Have Fun, Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
Dennis, We lived in Bettendorf, IA and sailed the big river for several years on our H26 "Loon". Loon has the basic 8hp Tohatsu setup, and could easily handle the current except for early sping and after several days of severe weather. Then it took more time and fuel to go up river. Forget sailing upriver before late June unless you have a lot of free time. Get good fenders and long dock lines to deal with the locks. As far as charts, contact the Army Corps of Engineers in Rock Island, IL. They sell a map book (Not really charts like the saltwater guys are used to) that covers all the pools from Alton to Minneapolis. They are omly a guide as the nature of the river changes continuously. One week you will have plenty of room, next week you bump a wing dam. In fact there are no soundings at all. There are numerous hazards such as wing dams and lateral dams. Talk to the locals as to where they are (the map book gives a general location, but no depth) and what they look like from the deck. Typically, it will have eddies and change the surface appearance. I enjoyed sailing the river, and even though we have Lake Michigan to sail in, I miss the anchoring oppurtunities and interesting places to visit. One last word of advice, wear a life jacket. Every year 6-12 people would drown, and despite what mistakes they made to get in the water, none of them wore life jackets. Have Fun, Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
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Crazy Dave Condon
Ray Trombino
Ray; Sometimes folks ask what is done when constantly going under a bridge to go sailing. You have a 25 foot clearence as a result of the railroad bridge to clear when you go out. What are you doing to make it easier? By the way, you may remember me and I am glad that you are enjoying your Hunter 260. Sounds like that you have certainly enjoyed it. Crazy Dave Condon
Ray; Sometimes folks ask what is done when constantly going under a bridge to go sailing. You have a 25 foot clearence as a result of the railroad bridge to clear when you go out. What are you doing to make it easier? By the way, you may remember me and I am glad that you are enjoying your Hunter 260. Sounds like that you have certainly enjoyed it. Crazy Dave Condon
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Ray Trombino
Love Our 260
Dave, We love our 260. We have had it 5 seasons, and enjoy it more each year. This year, we might add a cruising spinnaker. I just need to figure out the best way to run the sheets. I do remember you helping me when I first got the boat. Ray
Dave, We love our 260. We have had it 5 seasons, and enjoy it more each year. This year, we might add a cruising spinnaker. I just need to figure out the best way to run the sheets. I do remember you helping me when I first got the boat. Ray
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