Comments on: Williamsburg Along the River

By: markus

markus — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 19:50:46 +0000

Forgot to give the link…

http://www.photosig.com/go/users/viewportfolio?id=161574

By: Markus

Markus — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 19:21:39 +0000

2 years ago, I spent 5 months floating down the river with the group mentioned in the City Pages article "The Real Grand Excursion". I became aware of this current group through the New York Times article someone sent me. I think these guys should go ahead and see how far they can make it. I do have a couple recommendations: Get a marine radio. Seriously. And buy the river charts. Looking at some of the photos in the article, i.e. the ferris wheel, try and keep the weight low. As you get further south, the current gets faster, so the up-river barges create bigger wake, sometimes 3-4 ft high. Those waves can really take you for a ride. Get life vests, and register all the boats, or the coast gaurd will kick you off the river. And watch out for wing dams.
As far as other complaints people seem to have on here... Yes, "boat punks" have been making the trip for years. And so have a lot of other people, they just never had a New York Times article written about them. Or had $50,000.

Good luck.
the photos from my trip:

By: Iron Pan

Iron Pan — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:41:20 +0000

In July 1991 a friend and I built a 17 ft. long raft and launched it on the Missouri River. We didn’t have a motor. It was really hot that summer. After approx. 18 hours of floating (struggling against currents and wind and sand bars) we tied up 13 miles down stream from where we started. I gotta admit, the entire project, the building of the raft, the launching, the first and last hour of floating, were really fun. We met lots of really freindly folks just out in their john boats fishing, drinking beer. People came up and down the river from as far as twenty miles away to meet us as word spread about our raft. The times in between were unspeakably boring, tho. It’s a good thing they’ve got those motors and that zine library- they’ll need both.

By: ralph frese

ralph frese — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:22:20 +0000

While it sounds romantic, a raft is not very maneuverable and to make time, will have to stay in the main current. Behind the many dams, the is little current to carry you along. If there is a strong upstream wind, you just could travel upstream in such situations. Remember that the commercial tows need a mile or more to turn or stop. You need good power to be able to avoid such traffic. In 1973, we reenacted the 3000 mile journey of Louis Jolliet on the 300th anniversary, doing 600 miles of the Mississippi, downstream and back up. It is possible but potentially dangerous. Perhaps that is why the story of North America was written by the canoe and not rafts! Contact us for more information.
Ralph Frese

By: john heinz

john heinz — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 21:46:59 +0000

I am looking for a (forthcoming?) book called Boat Punks of the Mississippi.

Right on good brothers and sisters! I was a houseboater on the Chicago River.

Water will find a way!

By: msparber

msparber — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:41:16 +0000

And … close parentheses.)

By: Anonymous Hipster

Anonymous Hipster — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:23:36 +0000

I think the entry was written slanted to make the conversation about whether a ‘hipster’ is someone who is threatening to the one authoring; In Other Words, you started off the discussion by saying they were too cool for school; and look at all the hating you’ve caused.

If some people decide to do something that a white-collar person wouldn’t; isn’t that better than the normalcy of white-collarism all the time? Go hate on someone else normal people; or talk about something useful like our shitty political situation. Let the people enjoying themselves enjoy themselves (and maybe it will catch on.

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 01:27:59 +0000

Hmm. Funny how much time people can spend tearing someone else’s idea apart and naysaying. This seems like a totally genuine, heart-felt project and it’s not being done for money. What’s wrong with things being done for the fun of it? Sounds more like folks on here are getting up in arms just because it started in NY. The participating artists are from all over the country, not just NY and I attended the auction recently and met with a few of the folks and there’s absolutely no pretension involved at all. They’re all super nice folks, so this all seems a bit hollow. They’re also not all all what I’d call “hipsters” by any means. I’m also part of the (non-corporate) media and yes I’ll be writing about it. I’d rather leave all this mess unmentioned. There’s already enough negativity in the world…

By: Peg_Leg_Pollyanna

Peg_Leg_Pollyanna — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 18:08:30 +0000

I think it sounds fun, if a bit naive. I'll probably be there to see them off, if only because it'll be more interesting than a night spent watching whatever lame television show people watch these days. Lost? Is that still cool?

Now if only I was a pirate...

By: LudMasSon

LudMasSon — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:37:09 +0000

Maxwell, I’m sure the Boat Punks weren’t the first ever either. All of you complaining really have to do something for yourselves instead of bitching about other people projects. If you don’t like it, leave it alone. No one need’s bad vibes.