Ohio River tips for first time river rat`
 

Am planning of a day or so on the Ohio River next week. Someone recomended boating around Ripley and Maysville. I know several OSOers here do the river around Cinci. What everyone recomend. How is the river looking. Also where can I get some charts on the river? Im VERY leary of doing the river thing first time without a chart....

BH

Howdy Bad Habit.

It all depends what you are looking for. The Ripley Maysville area is nice and has a few small resturants and marinas....you could make a trip out of it and start in Cincy and work your way up thru the dam/locks and wind up in Ripley (about 20min up river from Meldahl Dam). That is a nice run. Up river is bueatiful and will be pretty quite is my guess.

I do not know where to get some good charts. I have made that run several times and the only shallows I am aware of are in hte New Richmond area. They are marked and are still plenty deep to navigate a pleasure craft.

Have fun...

A4:)

Ohio River navigation charts are available on the Internet at bookstore.gpo.gov or by calling toll free at 866-512-1800.

If you launch near Cincinnati, you have 60 miles down-river and 33 miles up-river before reaching a lock/dam. Around the Queen City, this 93 mile stretch is known as the "pool". There are thousands of boaters in the area that have never been out of the "pool", and many that travel through these popular locks on a regular basis.

The river is in good shape (at the moment)...you can't go wrong where ever you go.

We've been on the Ohio from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati without using charts. The channels are well marked. A Quimbys will help with finding fuel, marinas and restaurants.

What the hell is a "Quimbys"....:confused:

BH

Quimbys Cruising Guide....Lots of great info
The river has been a MESS all summer....With more rain coming I dont think it will get any better !!Lots of drift
The channel is very well marked and wide you should have no problems with depth. just lotsa drift

We put in at Watertown saturday and there was alot of crap in the water but by tuesday it was windy but pretty nice. My brother was in from Colorado so we made a run up to the dam, started back and turned the motors off and floated down for about a hour while we had lunch. Pretty soon the leaves will be turning and about anywhere you make a run it will be beautiful.
I used to do alot of boating in the Riply-Maysville area and the water always seem to be a little cleaner up there. There is a nice ramp up Eagle Creek you can put in and the run up past Maysville to the Island is great. I hope they are still there it has been alot of years. Have Fun. Doug

The worst I've seen in over 10 years. At least the flood in 97 cleaned up by July.

Keep an eye on this and I'd recommend you pass above 32'

http://aphs.erh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/aphs.cgi?iln+ccno1

Bad-Link:confused: Also what do you mean pass above 32 Feet?

Thanks
Randy
a.k.a. Bad-Habit

Try these sites.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/oh/nwis/uv?03255000

http://ahps.erh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ahps.cgi?iln&ccno1