Aft of Eden

Naming the boat

 Locals push us in the river 

Welcome to the "AFT of EDEN" web site.  Here you will find information about this unique boat and learn of our adventures.  This boat was conceived in my mind many years ago and has only recently become a reality thanks to the hard work and inspiration of many people besides myself.  (See The Team)

The defining moment of its young life was September 23, 2015, 9 AM when we shoved off from the Alton, Ill Marina 20 miles north of St. Louis and entered the Mississippi River.  Countless hours and dollars had come together to help fulfill my dream of building a boat and going "Down the Mississippi"

Our original theme was: "Down the Mississippi, Down to New Orleans"  taken from the song by the Blues Brothers and Gary US Bonds.

We quickly found out that the Lower Mississippi, below the confluence of the Ohio River was better suited to accomplished mariners in larger boats.  It is mainly the sphere of large tow boats that push multiple barges up and down that stretch of the river with few facilities for "pleasure craft", meaning no gas stations!

The alternative that we learned about and ended up traversing involved getting over to the Tennessee River and navigating the so called Tom Bigbee waterway.  So yes, we went down the Mississippi, but only for a distance of 222 miles.  See the whole route here.

Crump, TN High and Dry  Oct 4th