Arkansas River and the Little Rock Area

[AuxiliaryComms]

Hello everyone, I'm wondering if anyone lives or boats in the area of Little Rock AR? My wife and I are trying to get away from high property prices, crowded cities and more importantly closer to a potential maritime career in Houston.

I've been looking at charts trying to scout for areas with access to the Mississippi and points beyond as our plan is to try and get some waterfront land put a tiny cottage up as a base and put the lions share into a pier and a good sized liveaboard boat. We're in our early 20s so basically... we're nuts.

Just curious about the area and the navigation through to the Gulf.

Thanks,

Jason

[BHOFM]

I have boated on the Arkansas before it was a water way!
Had a 41' Gulfstar at Kerr Lake for years! Twice around the
world with it!

As with any river, it can be tricky! It is narrow in places
and there are large groups of barges at times!

Also, the water level changes quickly at times!

The farther up the river you go, the nicer it gets!

Finding a marina with space can be a problem!

There are also restrictions on living on the boat!

Here is a site that might help you.

http://members.aol.com/americacruising/arkansas.html

[AuxiliaryComms]

"There are also restrictions on living on the boat!"

Seem to find that in a lot of places... when did it become anyones business I wonder? What precisely is the difference (to governments or whoever comes up with these brainless rules) between a house and a boat?

[BHOFM]

Years ago, you could not sleep on a boat in the marina!
You had to take it out and anchor somewhere! I think they
changed that!

friends for mine had an 82' cruiser and it was a pain it get
it in and out of the narrow channel in the marina!

My 41 was on a buoy and I could sleep on board!

[safewalrus]

Yeah I've been in marinas like that, all that boozing and partying till dawn, ther's only one way to deal with it, go to their party, drink their booze and leave early the next day reving your engines as you go!

[BHOFM]

They said it was about safety.

Along about this time, early 70's, there was a fire at the
Lee's Creek Marina. They were welding on the dock and
one of the boats was leaking gas. This was before the
automatic shut offs for the fuel storage tanks and the
hoses out to the gas pumps burned through and several
thousand gallons of gas ran into the water.

The fire department got there within 10 minutes but it
was so bad by then they didn't even bother to unroll the
hoses. They managed to stop the flow of gas and get people
to safety.

I think there were several people burned, and over 100
boats were lost, some in the 60' range.

[safewalrus]

Yeah good excuse I guess - it's the usual one that everybody uses! It's normally about control!