After two months of delays due to big floods, Monday begins a great Ad Venture.** I will be beginning my trip home with my new to me Californian 34LRC.** Boat name: Ad Venture.** My wife is a freelance advertising designer, thus the name.* I've *never boated this stretch of water.** I expect the Ohio to still be a few feet over flood stage, but down 15 to 20 feet from the crest early this month.* The Mississippi will still be a few feet over flood for the first 100 miles or so.* My experience* on the Miss. close to home is that the driftwood, and worse junk gets snagged fairly quickly when the waterlevel is dropping.* Current is my biggest concern.* I have to make roughly 225 miles over the ground with no fuel available, after I leave the lake.* Fighting a 6mph current for 125 miles of that* makes that a bit of a challenge.* I plan to carry a 55 gal plastic barrel of diesel for insurance.** I look forward to seeing the Birds Point levee that the Corps Of Engineers blew up to protect Cairo Il. from the flood crest, the St. louis Arch from the water etc.* I'll post pictures when I get back, or sooner if I can secure a Wifi signal.
I'll be travelling with my 83 y.o. Dad.* My Mom passed away a couple months ago.* After 53 years of marriage, getting my Dad out, will do him good.* My wife, couldn't get away for 2 weeks, and still have happy customers when she got back,* So it's Dad and me.* He can be a professional grump, it will be interesting.
I bought the boat in January in Nashville.* I spent two days on it in late February running it to Kentucky Lake.* I spent two very busy days on it last weekend checking things over, washing, packing, installing more battery capactity, and learning how things work.* It was time well spent.* I will be carring tools, but I have never taken a cruise of this length, in a boat that is so new and unfamiliar to me.* If it breaks or acts up I am going to have to learn quick how to get thru it** I think I have thought out all the contingency plans, but I'm going to find out.* Let the Ad Venture begin.