Hi Everybody
 

New member and Baja owner as of last spring. Finally quit "Dicking around" as my wife put it and bought a 29 outlaw. Really love the boat, especially in rough water. I pretty much boat the Mississippi except for a few runs to loto each year. Any other southeast Iowa people? Not exactly offshore but give me a little time....

Welcome to the board DTH!

Welcome, glad to have you onboard.

Tell me a little about boating on the Mississippi.

I do some ICW trips and think it is probably close to running a river. Nice current to deal with, floating debri, barges and shallow water.

Thanks Mark

A definite YES on the current, debris, barges etc. Around here we have two kinds of boaters, lake people(500 boats on a pond) and river rats. The Mississippi is as good as it gets around here as far as places to go and things to do, it just has to be respected. BTW saw the pics of your boat Dock, beautiful, someday....

Thanks DTH

This is one the wife shot last Saturday on the way to the lake. Funny thing, I cannot seem to pass this convenience store?

It is pretty bad when they know you by name and ask where you were last Saturday when you didn't stop to empty their tanks!

Congrats DTH and welcome to the board!!
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Mark, that pic nicely puts things in perspective...If you loiter too long, I'll bet a crowd gathers. :D :D

welcome

WELCOME
 

Welcome to the board DTH

Welcome-- I was just at LOTO for the first time this last weekend and had a great time.

Welcome DTH!

Welcome, I really like the 29. You'll really like it on the big waves, yet it tows nicely behind a 1/2 truck. Nice combination.

Welcome DTH! You'll find the board an excelent source of info!

Howdy, welcome aboard DTH.

Fever, nice boat, but ya have to do something about that exhaust issue.......:D

I have spent a lot of time on the Miss in SE Iowa. Are you boating out of Burlington, Fort Madison or Keokuk? I have a lot of family in that part of the river. I love to visit there. It is a lot of fun and some places to go. I suppose you have been to the ISU sandbar a time or two also.

Welcome!

Hey Bill 3,

I noticed you are in the Table Rock lake area. It is really beautiful up there.

I was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Grew up boating on Lake Hamilton and Lake Quachita.

Use to love to get up in the Ozarks, Branson and Table Rock Lake area.

Take care
Mark

Welcome to the board !!!! :D

Bill3

I usually boat the pool just above Muscatine(put in @ Fairport), I have a couple of friends with cabins right there and there is a pleasure lock @ the Quad cities so if you want to go on up river you don't have to wait on barges locking thru. I do go to Burlington to launch sometimes, nice run from there to Keokuk. BTW one of my buddies with the cabin is at Table Rock alot, his folks have a house there.


DTH, Drew

Dock Holiday
 

We try and get to Hot Springs every year early in the spring for the horse races. I seen Lake Hamilton (obviously since it is right there at Hot Springs) and driven past Quachita. Is there much powerboating down there? Hamilton seems small and shallow and Quachita looked like a lot of house boats. Table Rock is great, we just need more places to boat to.

Bill

DTH
 

I have been in your pool, but never spent much time there. I have an uncle and cousin that have a cruiser and house boat in the Muscatine harbor. They like there pool a lot, but if they are wanting to go places other than sandbar and such, I know they usually lock through and go upstream a ways.

Get in touch with me if you ever make it down to Table Rock!

Bill

Re: Dock Holiday
 

Hey Bill3

Hamilton is really a nice lake,. It is really a river/lake, but from dam to dam is close to thirty miles and you can stay in 30 to 70 feet of water pretty easily. I was back in May and rented a boat for a day. Much to my surprise we found a 50 foot Nortech on a lift out there and saw many other performance boats. That is too much boat for the lake but up to 35 to 36 foot would be good. There is a Baja/Fountain dealer on the lake now, the largest boat he had in stock was a 29 Fountain and a 275 Baja.

There are plenty of resturants, bars and hotels to baot to on Hamilton.
As for Ouachita, it is my favorite. A very large and deep lake, lots of Islands for camping and absolutely NO houses. It is one of those places you can go to and get away from everthing. Back in my jet boat days we use to tear that lake up. My dad had a 14 x 70 foot house boat up there at Mountain Harbor marina up to about three years ago and he sold it. I was told by the Fountain dealer there that he had put a 25 and a 38 up there with big power. I think performance boats are catching on in the area.

As for Oaklawn Park, I have spent way too much time there. I use to how a lot of jockeys and trainers. The wife and I get back about every other year during the season and blow a few bucks.

And don't forget McClards Bar B/Q on Albert Pike. You cannot go to the races and not stop in for the BEST Bar B/Q in the world, or the Pancake House for breakfast on bath house row down town.

Thanks Mark