motorized home made raft

As someone who has travelled overland from Morocco to India via Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan as well as spent 6 months in a Saudi Arabian prison may I say that "adventure" is highly overrated? IMHO it mostly consists of days of tedious discomfort interrupted by moments of stark terror. Maybe more suited for the young: they are a lot more resilient before they learn just how bad things can really get.

 

I've also kicked the can around a number of times, but, now in my mid 70's, most of my friends that are left think going to Walmart is an adventure!!

 

Westfield

I will say that being in an Arabian prison most likely would put the rest of us to shame. Congratulations on living to tell about it. Once in my travels I was hogtied and beaten with a shotgun, but that sounds mild to a prison stint!

 

Dabney, my question to you is why are you exposing our waterways to so much trash, risk of pollution, and potential cost of rescue? My sincere hope is that the registration process keeps it all in your driveway and out on our rivers.

Counter proposal -recycle the drums, sell the outboard, and buy or build a capable canoe for delightful river trips.

 

A beat down is one thing, but a prison sentence is the gift that keeps on giving. In my case King Khalid died and as per tradition, all the small-timers were pardoned, so my 2 years became 6 months. I still had to get my 60 lashes with a cane in the public square, me and a Briton were the warmup act for the head chopping of a murderer/rapist. BTW, my offense was alcohol possession for personal use: I got caught crossing the street from our company housing to our office building with a liter of homemade beer. A fixer offered to get me released for $50k, but since I was only making $30k a year (1983 $'s), my family decided that it was not cost effective. As you might be able to tell, I am still a bit peeved by that.

 

Hey Dabney, where are you going to start and end your trip?. I've been trying to get these young guys to design me a cheap catamaran to follow the Gulf Coast down to Mexico and beyond but, I can't get the lazy little farts to do it. Maybe we could pool our ideas and money and go both places.

 

Westfield; I am peeved on your behalf. That kind of treatment is way short of any vestige of common decency or common sense.

Meanwhile in Tehran there are the morals police whose job is to enforce the purity of the populance. Morals be damned, the Iranians are noted for enjoying a bit of booze, quite a bit of it. Some of the morality workers, government dignitaries, and even some of the Immans are known to imbibe, in addition to their use of opium and other joy medications. They get away with it without so much as a slap on the wrist. Strange world. .................

 

ElGringo, Thanks for the suggestion, but I will either be on the Missouri or Arkansas Rivers. My days on the Gulf and beyond are long gone! However, I've never seen a "cheap" cat.

 

Dabney, This might do the trick

http://www.bateau.com/studyplans/PC24_study.htm?prod=PC24

 

Now that's a real boat! Thanks for sending it. But, I am afraid it would take me far too long to construct it.

 

Dabney, I'm sure thinking about it. With heavier bulkheads and some stringers, and the height of the hulls a bit higher and a hair wider.

 

Dabney111, that is not a difficult build. It is built in parts. If they have study plans cheap buy them and give it a real lookover.

 

These are supposed to be able to licence as a boat. I was just looking at them for a floating dock.
http://rollingbarge.com/

 

http://www.corkboat.com/

 

i think its awesome- i say go for it.
i dont see the issue with trash on the rivers!!??
build it right , then recycle it at the takeout!
with that attitude we shouldnt drive cars, in case we have an accident, and something might end up laying on the side of the road.
i dont think the intention here is to degrade the environment.
that damage has been done already, by already having manufactured the barrels, they were probably used to transport some toxic dye thats used in the clothes that you wear, or synthetic cheese sauce for your bigmac!
in fact we probably shouldnt do anything, in case we get hurt, or in case there is some sort of consequence.
we could just stay at home in our mothers basements and continue to cruise all the forums, and shoot down other peoples ideas and dreams.
the old adage "if i aint having fun, then nobodys having fun" springs to mind here!

i am not quite close to your age, sir - but close enough for this to be a reality, and all that i hope is that when i am your age , i can also take one last run at the bull!!

go get em' ol'timer!!!!!