The short answer is: yes, you absolutely can boat down the Mississippi river. You cannot, however take more than a kayak or rowboat on the upper 482 miles of the Mississippi river. The navigable section of the river begins at Coon Rapids Dam in Minneapolis. You can use a motor boat from that dam down the remaining 1,838 miles of the river until ...
· The Gulf Stream is literally a river of water in the Atlantic Ocean that runs north between Florida and the Bahamas (or east between Florida and Cuba). It typically averages between 2 and 2.5 knots. You can learn how to get the exact location and speed of the Gulf Stream here. If you leave Florida and head due east (90 degrees), every hour that ...
· The journey to Bimini itself takes about two hours. This depends on the boat type and engine, of course. A well-maintained boat with a pair of four-stroke 250 Yamahas can …
· So the boat goes directly east from a starting point. Okay. It's no part B, part B. I'm trying to find the velocity the boat wrote of the earth. Okay, Okay. So if it's a policy that boat …
The resultant velocity of the boat is the vector sum of the boat velocity and the river velocity. Since the boat heads straight across the river and since the current is always directed straight downstream, the two vectors are at right angles to each other. Thus, the Pythagorean theorem can be used to determine the resultant velocity. Suppose that the river was moving with a velocity of 3 m/s, North and the motorboat was moving with a velocity of 4 m/s, East. What would be the resultant velocity of the motorboat (i.e., the velocity relative to an observer on the shore)? The magnitude of the resultant can be found as follows:
The river current influences the motion of the boat and carries it downstream. The motorboat may be moving with a velocity of 4 m/s directly across the river, yet the resultant velocity of the boat will be greater than 4 m/s and at an angle in the downstream direction.
d. A 60 mi/hr crosswind would increase the resultant velocity of the plane to 100 mi/hr.
a. A headwind would decrease the resultant velocity of the plane to 70 mi/hr.
1. A plane can travel with a speed of 80 mi/hr with respect to the air. Determine the resultant velocity of the plane (magnitude only) if it encounters a
The motion of the riverboat can be divided into two simultaneous parts - a motion in the direction straight across the river and a motion in the downstream direction. These two parts (or components) of the motion occur simultaneously for the same time duration (which was 20 seconds in the above problem).
If the plane encounters a headwind, the resulting velocity will be less than 100 km/hr. Since a headwind is a wind that approaches the plane from the front, such a wind would decrease the plane's resulting velocity. Suppose a plane traveling with a velocity of 100 km/hr with respect to the air meets a headwind with a velocity of 25 km/hr. In this case, the resultant velocity would be 75 km/hr; this is the velocity of the plane relative to an observer on the ground. This is depicted in the diagram below.
First, your heading is where you are pointing the boat. It’s what your ship’s compass will show or your autopilot heading. Second, your course (or course over ground) is the direction that the boat as a whole is actually moving and what is reflected on your chart plotter course. With the Gulf Stream, your heading and course will never be the same. ...
If you decide to do the “fight the current” route, you can simply set your waypoints as usual and steer to follow the rhumb line across (your heading will change as the stream is stronger in some places than others). Be aware, however, that your speed over ground is likely to be at least a knot less than you typically average and plan accordingly.
Because the trip is longer and you’re in the stream longer, the estimated steering heading is less likely to be “perfect” and may need a little tweaking as you see how conditions are actually developing.
First, figure the east-west mileage and then divide it by your average speed to know how far north you are likely to be swept. Either on a paper or electronic chart, mark a point this number of miles due south of your intended destination.
There is often even a counter-current on the east side. In this case, head due east across the stream and then turn for your destination once across. You will not follow the rhumb line and your chart plotter will keep showing you being further off course until you make that turn on the far side of the stream.
I always plan for alternate “destinations” on the crossing so that if we get swept more or less than expected we have options already plotted and examined. I think this is really important, especially if the weather turns snotty or the trip takes longer than expected and sunset is close . . . or past.
Our average speed, without current, is about 6 knots, so we know it will take about 9 hours (6 x 9 = 54 which is close enough for estimating).
Think 40’ sport fishing boats that have a full cabin, toilet, beds, tuna towers, big livewells – the works. These boats can cruise at about 18 knots on average, so it could take more than two hours before arrival.
Anglers discovered the excellent fishing off Bimini in the mid-twentieth century. And this little island has lost nothing of its appeal to this day. For anglers who live or happen to be in Florida, going to Bimini by boat is a rite of passage.
The journey to Bimini itself takes about two hours . This depends on the boat type and engine, of course. A well-maintained boat with a pair of four-stroke 250 Yamahas can make it to Bimini in under two hours and make the whole trip on a single tank (about 400 gallons of fuel).
When coming home, remember that you need to move through federal and state waters without stopping and keeping your gear stowed all the time. If you’d like to find out more about these regulations, consult the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Once you reach Bimini, you can then either spend the night in a resort marina, or stay onboard, if you want to fish on a budget. If you want more space, a bigger boat will give you stability and comfort. Anglers who like to a bit more luxury may want choose a bigger boat with enough accommodation for the whole pack.
Lots of anglers trailer their boats 50 to 100 miles at the drop of a hat. Compare hauling a double- or triple-axle trailer behind a ¾- to 1-ton pickup versus a lighter, single- or double-axle trailer behind a half-ton pickup — and there’s even more economy.
Being unsinkable, the Whaler is one of the best small boats for ocean fishing. One school of thought from skilled mariners actually considers a smaller hull advantageous in large swells. Tom King, once a professional mate in Massachusetts, for years made the 20-plus-mile run to fish Stellwagen Bank aboard his 19-foot Midland ...
Transom height and design also play key roles in keeping water out of small boats. A small outboard-powered boat faces trouble fast once enough ocean water enters and runs to one side or the other in heavy seas. To help avoid that, look for small offshore boats with a full transom. A cut-out transom might work with a really good, generous motorwell. Worst case for offshore: a low, cut-out transom with no well. If that describes your boat, stick to the bay.
A small boat easily takes on spray and, on rough days, some green water as well. That’s when scuppers become critical. (This assumes that no angler without a death wish would be offshore in a boat that’s not self-bailing.) The scuppers must be able to drain water as fast as it comes into the hull — if not, you’ll soon be playing submarine.
A small but important point: marine battery placement. Batteries should ride forward, beneath the console, rather than at the transom, where they can get wet and add unnecessary weight.
Fuel capacity becomes a serious consideration for any small boat heading offshore. On the minus side: Many small boats have built-in tanks and some provide space only for portables. On the plus side: Light boats with small outboards can go all day on amazingly little fuel. Once you pick a boat, know its range and always allow for at least a 10 percent reserve.
That said, some bay boats such as the Pathfinder 2200 TE (22 feet 2 inches LOA) or Sea Born FX22 Bay Sport (21 foot 9 inches LOA) offer offshore fishing capability, as well as the ability to sneak into shallow inshore waters.