St. Louis Boating
03-28-2002, 11:18 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
St. Louis Boating
Hello All...been reading this board for almost a year but finally got around to posting.
First off, I'm just a kid compared to most of you guys out there and I'm poor...but someday I'll be older and have money, right??
Anyway, been boating since I was a kid...family sold the boats a while back though. But I'm gonna be moving to St. Louis soon after I get married. Is there any good boating there? Do you guys have to go to LOTO (how far is that anyway) or do you boat on the river? Do you have to worry about barges, logs, is the water as nasty as it looks...lol? I know there is a marina up by St. Charles, but I never see any boats on the river in the downtown area. How come they don't have restaurants on the river boats can visit like we do here in Cincinnati? Sorry to ask all the questions...
Rob
First off, I'm just a kid compared to most of you guys out there and I'm poor...but someday I'll be older and have money, right??
Anyway, been boating since I was a kid...family sold the boats a while back though. But I'm gonna be moving to St. Louis soon after I get married. Is there any good boating there? Do you guys have to go to LOTO (how far is that anyway) or do you boat on the river? Do you have to worry about barges, logs, is the water as nasty as it looks...lol? I know there is a marina up by St. Charles, but I never see any boats on the river in the downtown area. How come they don't have restaurants on the river boats can visit like we do here in Cincinnati? Sorry to ask all the questions...
Rob
03-28-2002, 11:39 PM
#2
Registered
Welcome to membership, and soon to St. Louis. I'm new to living in St. Louis also, and so am looking forward to the answers to your questions on St. Louis area boating.
Here's what I do know:
1. Lake of the Ozarks is only called LOTO on OSO. In St. Louis it is call "The Lake" It is about 3 hours away, and that is where most power boaters from St. Louis go, if they can. That is where you find your waterfront restrants etc.
2. Most of the Mississippi River boating happens north of downtown, near Alton IL, probably close to the St. Charles area you mentioned. Some also boat on the Illoinis river in the same general area.
3. There are several other smaller lakes even closer than "the Lake" if you want water for a small boat or to ski.
4. You will get older, but you'll never feel any richer, even though that will happen also. You'll simply notice that what used to be major expenses have become normal expenses that you don't even think about, but you add additional bigger expenses that eventially become the normal etc etc. (This assumes you avoid debt and save your money and pay cash for your toys. It takes most people longer to get out of debt than it does to save their first $100,000. Okay, lecture over)
5. I find the weather to be a little warmer than Indianapolis. Not unlike Louisville.
So, when you getting married? And will you have to change your OSO name to RobMo when you move?
Chart
Here's what I do know:
1. Lake of the Ozarks is only called LOTO on OSO. In St. Louis it is call "The Lake" It is about 3 hours away, and that is where most power boaters from St. Louis go, if they can. That is where you find your waterfront restrants etc.
2. Most of the Mississippi River boating happens north of downtown, near Alton IL, probably close to the St. Charles area you mentioned. Some also boat on the Illoinis river in the same general area.
3. There are several other smaller lakes even closer than "the Lake" if you want water for a small boat or to ski.
4. You will get older, but you'll never feel any richer, even though that will happen also. You'll simply notice that what used to be major expenses have become normal expenses that you don't even think about, but you add additional bigger expenses that eventially become the normal etc etc. (This assumes you avoid debt and save your money and pay cash for your toys. It takes most people longer to get out of debt than it does to save their first $100,000. Okay, lecture over)
5. I find the weather to be a little warmer than Indianapolis. Not unlike Louisville.
So, when you getting married? And will you have to change your OSO name to RobMo when you move?
Chart
03-28-2002, 11:47 PM
#3
Charter Member #34
Charter Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Beautiful North Carolina
Posts: 7,151
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Rob,
Welcome aboard. I will start you off with some of the good advice you will receive on this board.
First, you WILL get older. As a matter of fact, you are already older than when you made your first post.
As for having money, you are about to make a big mistake by getting married. The only way you will have money if married is to marry into money! LOL
Forget the wife and buy a boat, enjoy life, live long and be happy.
As for boating in St.Louis, never done it, the arch thing kinda scares me. But they do have several horse tracks in the area and you can make some money there.
Good luck to you, and welcome aboard.
Welcome aboard. I will start you off with some of the good advice you will receive on this board.
First, you WILL get older. As a matter of fact, you are already older than when you made your first post.
As for having money, you are about to make a big mistake by getting married. The only way you will have money if married is to marry into money! LOL
Forget the wife and buy a boat, enjoy life, live long and be happy.
As for boating in St.Louis, never done it, the arch thing kinda scares me. But they do have several horse tracks in the area and you can make some money there.
Good luck to you, and welcome aboard.
03-28-2002, 11:59 PM
#4
Registered
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Chesterfield Mo/Loto
Posts: 1,378
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
2 Posts
i see that both of you are new to the area born and raised all my life 46yrs i persanally boat loto. but fine boating on the upper mississippi river alton pool as they call it you can go lock to lock that is winfield lock to the alton lock and up in the illionois river and you can go through the locks although most dont go down stream most go up strem through the winfield lock. there is caryle lake shallow and choppy sailboat lake narrow and long not real long though. you have mark twain lake not much of a power boat lake mostly fish and ski, you have table rock lake power, fish and ski 5-6 hrs from st louis and bull shulls is close to table rock with a hand full of little lakes south of st louis, clearwater wappapella (spelling) to mention a few and of course there is the meremac river small an narrow i grew up on that river havent been on it for years i understand it is mainly pwc now in the summertime. kincad lake in illionois also but loto is the place for the big power. you will find everything there from david scotts 190mph skater to big thunders 46 4 engine skater with alot of high power pleasure boats can be rough on big weekends but boatable. good luck and enjoy.
03-29-2002, 12:31 AM
#5
Registered
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: LOTO / O.P. KS
Posts: 813
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Welcome aboard. We'll be neighbors now! I'm just to the west of you in K.C.!! LutzParty and I just got back from St. Louis for Spring Break with our kids. I love that city! Lots of fun stuff to do.
Good luck with the wedding and congrats!
Good luck with the wedding and congrats!
03-29-2002, 09:45 AM
#6
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ST. Louis, MO, USA
Posts: 1,658
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RobOH
"Hello All...been reading this board for almost a year but finally got around to posting."
It's about time you spoke up.
"First off, I'm just a kid compared to most of you guys out there and I'm poor...but someday I'll be older and have money, right??"
I just act like a kid. Yes you'll be older, can't help you on the money part (I don't have any).
"Anyway, been boating since I was a kid...family sold the boats a while back though. But I'm gonna be moving to St. Louis soon after I get married. Is there any good boating there?"
I used to boat on the Mississippi in MN, loved it there. I boated on the river down here (St. Louis/St. Charles/Alton) for 1 year, then I started going to the Ozarks. My opinion is that the Mississippi here is too narrow, too much current, too dirty, floods too much, and not enough places to go, but the people are still great.
"Do you guys have to go to LOTO (how far is that anyway) or do you boat on the river?"
I gave up on the river after a couple trips to LOTO. It's about 2 1/2 hrs from me. I leave on thursday night and come back monday AM. So the trip doesn't bother me.
"Do you have to worry about barges, logs, is the water as nasty as it looks...lol?"
On the river, there are barges, locks, wingdams, logs, 55 gal drums, an occasional body, etc. In my book, it's nasty. I'm used to most of that from MN boating, except up there, it was was a lot cleaner. None of that on LOTO. Kind of like boating for dummies.
"I know there is a marina up by St. Charles, but I never see any boats on the river in the downtown area. How come they don't have restaurants on the river boats can visit like we do here in Cincinnati? Sorry to ask all the questions... "
There are several marinas in the St Charles/St Peters area. A lot of boats will travel to the arch for the 4th fireworks, but the water is kind of bad down there. Try the Ozarks, you'll never go back.
Gary
"Hello All...been reading this board for almost a year but finally got around to posting."
It's about time you spoke up.
"First off, I'm just a kid compared to most of you guys out there and I'm poor...but someday I'll be older and have money, right??"
I just act like a kid. Yes you'll be older, can't help you on the money part (I don't have any).
"Anyway, been boating since I was a kid...family sold the boats a while back though. But I'm gonna be moving to St. Louis soon after I get married. Is there any good boating there?"
I used to boat on the Mississippi in MN, loved it there. I boated on the river down here (St. Louis/St. Charles/Alton) for 1 year, then I started going to the Ozarks. My opinion is that the Mississippi here is too narrow, too much current, too dirty, floods too much, and not enough places to go, but the people are still great.
"Do you guys have to go to LOTO (how far is that anyway) or do you boat on the river?"
I gave up on the river after a couple trips to LOTO. It's about 2 1/2 hrs from me. I leave on thursday night and come back monday AM. So the trip doesn't bother me.
"Do you have to worry about barges, logs, is the water as nasty as it looks...lol?"
On the river, there are barges, locks, wingdams, logs, 55 gal drums, an occasional body, etc. In my book, it's nasty. I'm used to most of that from MN boating, except up there, it was was a lot cleaner. None of that on LOTO. Kind of like boating for dummies.
"I know there is a marina up by St. Charles, but I never see any boats on the river in the downtown area. How come they don't have restaurants on the river boats can visit like we do here in Cincinnati? Sorry to ask all the questions... "
There are several marinas in the St Charles/St Peters area. A lot of boats will travel to the arch for the 4th fireworks, but the water is kind of bad down there. Try the Ozarks, you'll never go back.
Gary
03-29-2002, 10:04 AM
#7
Registered
Join Date: May 2001
Location: St Charles MO, Lake Ozark MO
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
why dont many people boat in front of the Arch??
My guess is that most of the marinas are upstream from St Louis (dont know why many are not downstream, maybe staying above the confluence with the Muddy Missouri river has something to do with that)
Between the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and downtown St Louis is a very shallow, bedrock bottom section of the river, called the Chain of Rocks. It is not maintained to to a navagable level for barge traffic. The barge traffic uses a manmade cannal that bypasses this section of river. If you travel along I-270, north of the city, as you cross the Miss River, look to the south, you will see a section of the river that has rapids, (probably a level .10 for all of you whitewater folks.) This just makes it very difficult to get your boat from the marinas to downtown. Additionally, the current is pretty brisk near downtown because the river width is constricted on both sides due to urban control.
Boating on the Miss and Illinois rivers is very popular, the downside is that the yearly floods and resulting debris dump keeps your season from starting till about June, sometimes July. Waterskiing on the Illinois river is ideal, plenty of sandbars, and even a couple of real bars are in the area add to the entertainment value.
My guess is that most of the marinas are upstream from St Louis (dont know why many are not downstream, maybe staying above the confluence with the Muddy Missouri river has something to do with that)
Between the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and downtown St Louis is a very shallow, bedrock bottom section of the river, called the Chain of Rocks. It is not maintained to to a navagable level for barge traffic. The barge traffic uses a manmade cannal that bypasses this section of river. If you travel along I-270, north of the city, as you cross the Miss River, look to the south, you will see a section of the river that has rapids, (probably a level .10 for all of you whitewater folks.) This just makes it very difficult to get your boat from the marinas to downtown. Additionally, the current is pretty brisk near downtown because the river width is constricted on both sides due to urban control.
Boating on the Miss and Illinois rivers is very popular, the downside is that the yearly floods and resulting debris dump keeps your season from starting till about June, sometimes July. Waterskiing on the Illinois river is ideal, plenty of sandbars, and even a couple of real bars are in the area add to the entertainment value.
03-29-2002, 10:18 AM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Ahhh...thanks for all the good tips guys! Seems like LOTO is the place to go...guess I better save up for that summer cabin with a slip so I'll have someplace to stay all those weekends...
Yes I have noticed that rapid part of the river....always wondered about that....so on the 4th do you take the barge canal bypass thingy (I'm assuming that is the one that runs along Hall St)? I know they have those shootout races so I guess the water can't be all that bad...can't imagine running over 100 mph in a race AND having to dodge floating debris.
Baja Boss: Nope, still gonna marry the little lady. Not really marrying into money but her dad is gonna provide us with free housing in a house he owns so we can save up for the boat....errr i mean our own house Besides she loves boating and insists to me that the river is not that bad....yet she claims its a must to take a shower as soon as you get home?? On the down side I have caught the word "cruiser" come out of her mouth a time or two....
Thanks again!
Yes I have noticed that rapid part of the river....always wondered about that....so on the 4th do you take the barge canal bypass thingy (I'm assuming that is the one that runs along Hall St)? I know they have those shootout races so I guess the water can't be all that bad...can't imagine running over 100 mph in a race AND having to dodge floating debris.
Baja Boss: Nope, still gonna marry the little lady. Not really marrying into money but her dad is gonna provide us with free housing in a house he owns so we can save up for the boat....errr i mean our own house
Besides she loves boating and insists to me that the river is not that bad....yet she claims its a must to take a shower as soon as you get home?? On the down side I have caught the word "cruiser" come out of her mouth a time or two....Thanks again!
03-29-2002, 11:31 AM
#9
Registered
Join Date: May 2001
Location: St Charles MO, Lake Ozark MO
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
geography
Here is a photo of a northbound barge entering the southern end of the chain of rocks canal.http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.c...=5358&Z=15&W=2
You can zoom in and out on that location, and move around from that location.
Hall street is along the un-navagable section of the river, across the river from there is Mosenthein Island, there is more of the Ms River beyond that, then further eastward are Gabarett and Chouteau islands, then the canal.
Im not aware of any boat racing on the rivers. Some drag boats at a small lake near St Charles, maybe some on the Meramec river though.
Also, if you move around on the above aerial photos you will notice the color difference where the MO and Ms rivers meet. That mud is free, complements of Kansas, Nebraska, western Iowa, and the Dakotas.
You can zoom in and out on that location, and move around from that location.
Hall street is along the un-navagable section of the river, across the river from there is Mosenthein Island, there is more of the Ms River beyond that, then further eastward are Gabarett and Chouteau islands, then the canal.
Im not aware of any boat racing on the rivers. Some drag boats at a small lake near St Charles, maybe some on the Meramec river though.
Also, if you move around on the above aerial photos you will notice the color difference where the MO and Ms rivers meet. That mud is free, complements of Kansas, Nebraska, western Iowa, and the Dakotas.
03-29-2002, 11:44 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hmm...well maybe I'm mistaking since I do not know much about this area yet...
I found this website...here is a pic of "Shootout Day" at Lake Center Marina (havent figured out the pic posting thing yet) which I thought was on the river up by St. Charles (although the "Lake" in the name always confused me)
http://www.lakecentermarina.com/sys-...ures&UID=10029
I found this website...here is a pic of "Shootout Day" at Lake Center Marina (havent figured out the pic posting thing yet) which I thought was on the river up by St. Charles (although the "Lake" in the name always confused me)
http://www.lakecentermarina.com/sys-...ures&UID=10029
