EPIC house boat trip
About 18 months ago I bought a 1984 Gibson 42' houseboat. i have owned and /or spent considerable time on go fast, performance cruiser, pontoon, ski/run about, and pwc. I've always thought of a houseboat as a boat an older couple would own, not very sexy or fun. Well i suppose I am getting older, but I misjudged the fun part. I'm seeing a lot of possibilities with it.
The boat is 33 years old. That said it needed and still needs some tlc. I pulled the boat out of the water in October 2016 and relauched it the beginning of July 2017. While it was out of the water, I had the propellers reworked, removed and resealed all the thru hull fittings, and applied a anti fouling bottom paint. I also resealed the windows and door and gutted the flooring and wall panels and built in dresser in the aft cabin. I have also replaced the water heater, and installed new bilge pumps. Lots of little items and some big ones to address yet. Never ending fun...
On to the trip... So shortly after purchasing the boat I had this novel idea to take a trip to the Bahamas via the Osage to Missouri to Mississippi rivers, to the gulf then Atlantic Ocean. Its ambitious to say the least. I've been told it can't be done, or I'm a dreamer or fool for even considering the trip. I've done some preliminary research on the boat and route. The boat is said to be able to handle 6' seas with no problem. The route, there seems to be an obstacle I can't get much information on. There is an old abandoned lock and dam on the Osage River that may not be navigable. I will have to look into this more.I am rethinking the Bahamas leg of the trip. Thinking of doing that on a Seadoo. I am also entertaining the notion of continuing up the east coast and completing the Great Loop.
This is all still in the infancy stages of prep and planning. Lots of research and boat maintenance to complete first. I am planning to build a drive on pwc cradle on the back of the houseboat and using my PWC and a tender/dingy. I also have a dual sport bike that I plan to load on the fore deck and have a gang plank to load/unload at docks to be able to drive into towns along the way for sight seeing, groceries, and errands.
I see this as a once in a lifetime trip that has its challenges and huddles. But will be well worth the struggles in the end. I plan to blog and vlog the whole experience so stay tuned for the adventure to come.