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How long would the voyage be? Can anyone learn how to drive one? What would be some of the dangers? Is there a "speed limit" in the water? Piracy along the river? Something like this:
There are speed limits in certain places. Certainly possible someone might try to steal a boat like that if you left it unattended in the river, but I think that's the closest to piracy you'll get unless you are unlucky enough to run across drug smugglers. Even then it is unlikely.
You might have to get a boating license for each state you pass through. Commercial vessels entering the Mississippi have to pick up a pilot in Pilottown, Louisiana to pilot the boat into New Orleans. Not sure if personal watercraft are exempt. There might be ways around that by going upriver in Alabama or Mississippi. From Mobile Bay you can travel to the Tombigbee River then the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway to the Tennessee River among others. Not sure if any of those rivers would connect to the Mississippi though.
From Mobile Bay you can travel to the Tombigbee River then the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway to the Tennessee River among others. Not sure if any of those rivers would connect to the Mississippi though.
Yes. Kentucky Lake, through the lock, to the Ohio River and then to the Mississippi.
Thats a lot of money for some one with no experience to spend on such a boat,I'm sure some form of boating license would be required to drive it. Whats the purpose of going to Chicago? a little more info on that boat? 2009 Cigarette 42X powerboat for sale in Missouri
How long would the voyage be? Can anyone learn how to drive one? What would be some of the dangers? Is there a "speed limit" in the water? Piracy along the river? Something like this:
Is it possible? Yes! Would I personally recommend it on a boat like that? No! For a "new" used boat like that? No! For an inexperienced operator? No again!
That type of boat wasn't designed for long distance traveling and I'm sure would not have the fuel capacity to make any worthwhile runs to shorten the time. You would have to know your fuel burn and how far you could make it with some still in reserve. That would also be a lot of hours put on motors that really weren't designed for longevity.
As far as speed, there are lots of places that you would have idle limits, such as anywhere in the intercoastal if you take that such as the okeechobee waterway cutting through FL from Stuart to Ft Meyers. There would be plenty of places to open it up in the Atlantic and gulf but one thing to keep in mind is visibility (which those boats don't have much of) and the chance at hitting something at speed. Things come up quickly on the boats I operate at 30/35 knots and they are flybridge sportfishermen with plenty of visibility. One log can do a number on the struts and wheels at 30 knots on those rigs and have been known to do more damage to the hull as well. Hitting one in a "go fast boat" at 60 or so MPH could kill you!
As far as learning to drive one? Yea, anybody could learn as it's not rocket science but you really need to take a course and learn the rules of the road as well. And when it comes to the Mississippi river, there will even be another set of rules needed to learn as well. IMO, Miami is not really the place to learn to drive one if you have no experience as the intercoastal there is a highway and can be full of all assorted traffic, plus add the shipping coming in and out of the port and the currents of the intercoastal and a new boater could easily be confused and run into some dificult situations that require quick thinking that only comes with experience. Sure, it may be a good place to get accustomed to things as you should pick up a bit of experience there but at least have some experience of operating a boat before hand.
Please, it's called an offshore power boat...not a cigar boat. You don't need a license to drive one and surprisingly if driven with some common sense they are much better on fuel than an equivalent sized cruiser.
And Cigarette is probably my favorite boat manufacturer. Just beautiful craftsmanship .
Now navigating anything that distance is a whole different story.
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