Crewing a boat on the Mississippi River

Had a request recently from a young adult interested in “hopping” a boat down the Mississippi River. In the fall, owners of many larger yachts are moving boats south to warmer climates. Some few will take the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Most will detour through the Tom-Bigby Waterway. But sometimes these yachts do need crew for the journey. We’ve added a “CREW” category to our Travel Directory. So if you are interested in crewing or looking for crew, have a look. Good luck!

Capt. Norman Hillman lived as a professional on Americas rivers for over 60 years. In his book he shares his pilot house perspectives on the dangers and suprises of life on the river.

Capt. Norman Hillman lived as a professional on America's rivers for over 60 years. In his book he shares his pilot house perspectives on the dangers and suprises of life on the river.

If you are interested in the world of commercial towboat crew, have a look at ONE MAN AND THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI by Capt. Norman Hillman. He shares 60 years of commercial river experiences. Newly reprinted and available at our online shopping cart. I might also recommend THE RIVER COMPANION which is a primer in brown water navigation. The DISCOVER! AMERICA’s GREAT RIVER ROAD guidebooks will introduce you to life and culture of the Mississippi River.

I also just rediscovered a contribution in our feature story section with specific advice for finding a job on a barge crew. Visit http://http://greatriver.com/features/finding a tow job.htm

New Guidebook to the Upper River now Available!

Limestone bluff and backwater at Goose Island provides a natural easel for Fall Color along the Mississippi River, St. Paul, Minnesota, to Dubuque, Iowa. Photo by Richard Middleton, La Crosse. Graphic work by Tall Tree Photo and Graffolio.

Limestone bluff and backwater at Goose Island provides a natural easel for Fall Color along the Mississippi River, St. Paul, Minnesota, to Dubuque, Iowa. Photo by Richard Middleton, La Crosse. Graphic work by Tall Tree Photo and Graffolio.

Good folks, I’ve been absent for some time as I worked diligently this summer to meet fall deadlines for publication and distribution of our BRAND NEW Volume 1 of DISCOVER! AMERICA’s GREAT RIVER ROAD. It’s DONE, completely reformated, revisited, and expanded… and it’s ready now for purchase in time for the whole Fall Color and Christmas gift season.

I’m very proud to expanded both the Minnesota and Iowa sections and added many little tidbits that I’ve learned to love in the past 20 years… eagle watching, archaeology, and discovering just who else loves this river… and why!

You can order our newest guidebook right on the home page of www.greatriver.com or visiting our online store for more detail… www.greatriverarts.com/shopping/

Also available from most bookstores. Enjoy!!  ~ Pat