Hey guys, I am new to finding your channel and I really do love these videos of the trip up the Upper Mississippi. I just have a few things I'd like to comment about the mechanical and electrical issues you all had. First, relating to the issue with the genset, that cannot be a good thing the motor part of the generator spit out all that oil. Sounds like it blew the head gasket or something else major. I don't recall if you said you got the genset to light on the third day or not, if it did start up and all was well, that is good, but I was concerned that perhaps with all that oil all over the place, some of it got into the bindings of the generator side of the genset. If that was the case, you could have had a fire in the generator side. As to some issues you had with things not quite working properly at the dash, that sounds like issues with the 12v wiring. The wiring in the engine compartment looks to be a mess. I might suggest finding a buddy who is a master electrician, who knows 12 volt electrical systems, to have that person rewire the 12 volt system. Get the battery situation all cleared up. The wiring seems like one big spaghetti mess. You said when you were running the engines at higher RPMs on the second day, you had some white smoke from at least one of them, that is something that needs some checking up on. Finally, I think it was the port engine you said ran hotter than the starboard one, I would check the water hoses and the water intakes, they could be full of mud and other crap. River water has a tendency to do that. Check those on all three motors, and clean them out, replace all the hoses while you are at it and go ahead and replace the waterpump impellers, carry spares for each. Lean how to replace them and it might even be a good idea, replace the waterpumps. I offer all this up out of years of experience running boats on the Ohio River and elsewhere, along with time spent in the US Coast Guard to boot. A relatively recent boat was one big assed honking houseboat specifically designed for river running. One other thing that might be a good idea, at some point, go ahead and replace all the blower motors and bilge pumps, replacing those with higher capacity units than the ones it has. Well guys, I hope that I didn't piss you off by my noting some issues and offering some advice. I am just seeing things with this boat that reminded me of things I have experienced and had troubles with over the years. Take care you guys and keep having fun!
The cruise ship was built as a casino when Iowa only allowed floating casinos, which is why it's such a shit box. They stripped out a thousand slot machines to turn it into a cruise ship.
Win…Winona. Not Whynona :). Looks like a great trip. Have spent many of days and nights on pool 6. Sandbars are a cheap (free option) to beach and camp.
Its a cool town, I've driven through a few times and stopped at some garage sales. We didn't have the energy to walk into town from the marina this time.
Yea, been living in Montana since then (1984). I have a lot of good memories from there. Caught a lot of fish in that river. My grandparents had a dairy farm in Cream, up on the bluffs. Thanks for the video.
I ran the Lower Mississippi, the Atchaffilia and the ICW in South Louisiana. Great times. Never been on the Upper Miss. I hope you're keeping your radio on ch.16 and 23. Good Nav. info from USCG Group Keokuk Iowa.
Good stuff. The river up there is very pretty! I live in Ms. and the river is not as pretty down here, and a little more violent w eddies and currents. You tell a good story, you have a talent for that. Try slowing down your camera movements some, and stay on some of the interesting spots a second or two longer. I think it make it easier to follow along. But having alot of fun huh??
Very interesting that I just found your channel. My uncle had a blue 42 foot Gibson he co-owned with one of his salesmen that they kept in the East Dubuque marina for several years. He sold it to the other owner to but a 50 foot Gibson that we took a trip from Burlington Iowa up to East Dubuque in the late 90's. Wonder if that is the same boat you have. I grew up on those Gibsons both on the river and on Saylorville lake in Central Iowa. Lots of good vacation memories on those boats.
Viewing from Canadian Westcoast where we also are also choking down the smoke from interior wildfires! We also get a good dose of California fires when they happen Too. Thinking mainly of last summer! Do a raindance!!! CHEERS
We had to fit it into a 3-day weekend since the owner had to be back to work! That was partly why we were in a hurry trying to make each nightly stop in decent time.
I want to say it was in the ballpark of 6 gallons per hour, per engine. We weren't pushing it very fast since there were some engine hiccups, so we likely weren't being as efficient as we could have. Also going upstream and sometimes against the wind, in what's basically a floating box... We think one tank started with older gas since that engine had more problems, and that didn't help the fuel economy either. Lots of factors that can affect it!
A dumb thing I learned last year is that basically everywhere in the world uses red and green lateral marks, but which is on which side depends on where you are in the world. North and South America, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the Philippines is "red right return", and the rest of the world is the opposite.
Passenger vessels take first priority through the locks, then the river tows and other commercial traffic, then recreational boats are the last in line. I like boating the Ohio. Most of their Lock and Dams have two chambers and most of the lockmasters are good about letting pleasure boaters go through the smaller chambers pretty much when you get to the lock.
My camera doesn't have an external mic jack. I ordered one for my phone, but it turns out filming constantly with a Google Pixel melts the camera or something :-P
Love this boat .Had a Gibson for 4 yrs ! Best gas performance is to stay out of the 4 barrel and not plow the water plus you were fighting the current should avg about 3 mile per gallon but only about 1/4 mile per gallon wide open. When boat begins to elevate on plane any water in tanks flow to back of tank sucked up by engine.Inline water separators are worth the money on this boat.
That looks like such a cool area to boat. Between the cities are beautiful marshlands and wildlife. And a channel dredged and marked not to mention locks , just for you. The trip sounded like fun too.
I don't remember exactly, maybe in the neighborhood of 6 gallons per hour per engine? There were some mechanical and performance issues, like one engine having maybe older gas so it wasn't as efficient. We also didn't run the generator because of an oil issue, so we were using less gas that way. With older boats and engines the fuel use is going to very, but a good rule of thumb is: not cheap! :-)
Like a plastic storage bin! It has a little V-hull at the front but the rest is flat so it just bounces around. Fortunately you don't get much for waves on the river other than wakes from other boats.
So sorry that the world doesn't seem to know that it revolves around you. Yeah, large commercial boats on a schedule get to go first. Learn how to pronounce the names of the cities.
All in all this seems very smooth for a save it for parts boat video ......
"Fortunately the spotlight on the houseboat is one of the few working devices". Priceless! Great video, thanks!
Made that same trip in my pontoon. Had a wonderful time.
Man! What a cool trek! I’ve always wanted to do something like this! I’m a bit further south on the Mississippi. Keep on keeping on!👍
Hey guys, I am new to finding your channel and I really do love these videos of the trip up the Upper Mississippi. I just have a few things I'd like to comment about the mechanical and electrical issues you all had. First, relating to the issue with the genset, that cannot be a good thing the motor part of the generator spit out all that oil. Sounds like it blew the head gasket or something else major. I don't recall if you said you got the genset to light on the third day or not, if it did start up and all was well, that is good, but I was concerned that perhaps with all that oil all over the place, some of it got into the bindings of the generator side of the genset. If that was the case, you could have had a fire in the generator side. As to some issues you had with things not quite working properly at the dash, that sounds like issues with the 12v wiring. The wiring in the engine compartment looks to be a mess. I might suggest finding a buddy who is a master electrician, who knows 12 volt electrical systems, to have that person rewire the 12 volt system. Get the battery situation all cleared up. The wiring seems like one big spaghetti mess. You said when you were running the engines at higher RPMs on the second day, you had some white smoke from at least one of them, that is something that needs some checking up on. Finally, I think it was the port engine you said ran hotter than the starboard one, I would check the water hoses and the water intakes, they could be full of mud and other crap. River water has a tendency to do that. Check those on all three motors, and clean them out, replace all the hoses while you are at it and go ahead and replace the waterpump impellers, carry spares for each. Lean how to replace them and it might even be a good idea, replace the waterpumps. I offer all this up out of years of experience running boats on the Ohio River and elsewhere, along with time spent in the US Coast Guard to boot. A relatively recent boat was one big assed honking houseboat specifically designed for river running. One other thing that might be a good idea, at some point, go ahead and replace all the blower motors and bilge pumps, replacing those with higher capacity units than the ones it has. Well guys, I hope that I didn't piss you off by my noting some issues and offering some advice. I am just seeing things with this boat that reminded me of things I have experienced and had troubles with over the years. Take care you guys and keep having fun!
I love seeing the houses on the river.
The cruise ship was built as a casino when Iowa only allowed floating casinos, which is why it's such a shit box. They stripped out a thousand slot machines to turn it into a cruise ship.
That explains a lot! It certainly had the speed and turning ability of a building!
Win…Winona. Not Whynona :). Looks like a great trip. Have spent many of days and nights on pool 6. Sandbars are a cheap (free option) to beach and camp.
Lol. And it's "Al" ma, not "All"ma...☺
Was hoping to see more of Alma. I lived there until I was 8. If I remember right, it's Lock and Dam No. 4 you'll go through. Go Alma Rivermen!!
Its a cool town, I've driven through a few times and stopped at some garage sales. We didn't have the energy to walk into town from the marina this time.
Yea, been living in Montana since then (1984). I have a lot of good memories from there. Caught a lot of fish in that river. My grandparents had a dairy farm in Cream, up on the bluffs. Thanks for the video.
I ran the Lower Mississippi, the Atchaffilia and the ICW in South Louisiana. Great times. Never been on the Upper Miss. I hope you're keeping your radio on ch.16 and 23. Good Nav. info from USCG Group Keokuk Iowa.
16 and 14 for the locks. In AK the CG channel was 22A and they'd announce on 16 if they had anything for 22A.
Nice video, thanks!
Good stuff. The river up there is very pretty! I live in Ms. and the river is not as pretty down here, and a little more violent w eddies and currents. You tell a good story, you have a talent for that. Try slowing down your camera movements some, and stay on some of the interesting spots a second or two longer. I think it make it easier to follow along. But having alot of fun huh??
Very interesting that I just found your channel. My uncle had a blue 42 foot Gibson he co-owned with one of his salesmen that they kept in the East Dubuque marina for several years. He sold it to the other owner to but a 50 foot Gibson that we took a trip from Burlington Iowa up to East Dubuque in the late 90's.
Wonder if that is the same boat you have.
I grew up on those Gibsons both on the river and on Saylorville lake in Central Iowa.
Lots of good vacation memories on those boats.
Dubuque is a fun area, I've been down there a lot but I've only done a little boating nearby.
In the last video a lot of oil blew out of the generator, I find that troublesome. I wish I was along for the ride. Take care.............
Thanks for the vid, could watch hours of this.
Viewing from Canadian Westcoast where we also are also choking down the smoke from interior wildfires! We also get a good dose of California fires when they happen Too. Thinking mainly of last summer! Do a raindance!!! CHEERS
“Stupid Cruise ship thing” lol 😂
That old railroad bridge reminds me of the end of Green Eggs and Ham.
There is no old railroad bridge in lacrosse
The Swing Bridge is in La Crescent, and is one of the older bridges on the Mississippi johnmarvigbridges.org/La%20Crescent%20Swing%20Bridge.html
Hope you visited the Great Alma Fish Float🏆🎣
Nope, too dark to even see it when we came through the lock!
Waiting for number 3? We boat on Lake Pepin. Good video's.
I should have Pt 3 out tomorrow!
You are fortunate to have time for vacation.
We had to fit it into a 3-day weekend since the owner had to be back to work! That was partly why we were in a hurry trying to make each nightly stop in decent time.
Eye opening alot of people never get to see upper Mississippi.
I've never seen the lower Mississippi!
@@saveitforparts that makes two of us
It might have been cheaper to have it hauled up instead ! Lol. Most definitely faster !
Tech question, How much fuel does one of those big boats guzzle down per mile, or Hour, or for that trip per mile?
I want to say it was in the ballpark of 6 gallons per hour, per engine. We weren't pushing it very fast since there were some engine hiccups, so we likely weren't being as efficient as we could have. Also going upstream and sometimes against the wind, in what's basically a floating box... We think one tank started with older gas since that engine had more problems, and that didn't help the fuel economy either. Lots of factors that can affect it!
A dumb thing I learned last year is that basically everywhere in the world uses red and green lateral marks, but which is on which side depends on where you are in the world. North and South America, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the Philippines is "red right return", and the rest of the world is the opposite.
From watching Cruising the Cut I learned that UK canal boats drive on the right (at least when passing), the opposite of UK roads.
Commercial boats have priority over pleasure crafts for the locks.
Passenger vessels take first priority through the locks, then the river tows and other commercial traffic, then recreational boats are the last in line. I like boating the Ohio. Most of their Lock and Dams have two chambers and most of the lockmasters are good about letting pleasure boaters go through the smaller chambers pretty much when you get to the lock.
🤣 peaceful place. (love the boat)
Have you tried a "dead cat" microphone to cut down on background noise? No cats were injured,they don't use real kitty cats.
My camera doesn't have an external mic jack. I ordered one for my phone, but it turns out filming constantly with a Google Pixel melts the camera or something :-P
looks to be a 1986 ish 44 standard Gibson
Love this boat .Had a Gibson for 4 yrs ! Best gas performance is to stay out of the 4 barrel and not plow the water plus you were fighting the current should avg about 3 mile per gallon but only about 1/4 mile per gallon wide open. When boat begins to elevate on plane any water in tanks flow to back of tank sucked up by engine.Inline water separators are worth the money on this boat.
Reminds me of cape fear the movie
Greetings from Winona Mn
That looks like such a cool area to boat. Between the cities are beautiful marshlands and wildlife. And a channel dredged and marked not to mention locks , just for you. The trip sounded like fun too.
How much gas did you use on your trip
I don't remember exactly, maybe in the neighborhood of 6 gallons per hour per engine? There were some mechanical and performance issues, like one engine having maybe older gas so it wasn't as efficient. We also didn't run the generator because of an oil issue, so we were using less gas that way. With older boats and engines the fuel use is going to very, but a good rule of thumb is: not cheap! :-)
how far and how much fule?
I didn't keep track of the fuel, the owner paid for that. The whole trip was about 180 miles or so.
So, will somebody live on it for a while?
They're not planning to live on it, just hang out on evenings and weekends and whatnot. There are a few in the same harbor that are liveaboards.
@@saveitforparts Sounds awesome! ..Yea, I suppose living aboard it would require going south for the winter.
Any boat with paying passengers has priority of other boats.
How does that boat handle in waves?
Like a plastic storage bin! It has a little V-hull at the front but the rest is flat so it just bounces around. Fortunately you don't get much for waves on the river other than wakes from other boats.
@@saveitforparts hahaha I love it
Stop in red wing!
We went through Red Wing, I do like the town but we were on a tight schedule!
What was the total gas bill for the trip?
Wind noise unwatchable
find yourself to GOOD mechanic asap
So sorry that the world doesn't seem to know that it revolves around you. Yeah, large commercial boats on a schedule get to go first. Learn how to pronounce the names of the cities.
Yay, Canada made it into the video 🇨🇦
Well, some of the burned remnants anyway!
Looks like fun.Make it home safe and trouble fee.Hudson Wi.watching🚣