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Where to airboat Port Huron area?

mrhuffy

mrhuffy

Well-known member
Hi, My son just bought a 14’ Jimmy White boat with a DD Cadillac engine (No poly on the bottom) and is looking to meet other air boaters and join a local club (if there is one). We have only used the boat a couple of times in the Black River in Port Huron and is still getting use to it. So far we can only go from the I94 bridge to Wadhams bridge but can’t go any further due to the rocks there. Can anyone recommend another place for a newbie to go that may be close to Port Huron?

Robert Hoffmans dad,
Mike Hoffman
 
D

DuckBoat

Member
Welcome to MI Airboating and congrats on the new Jimmy White.

There is a local club it is MACA (Michigan Airboating Conservation Assoc.), MACA was formed in September of 2004, It's goal is to help teach the proper use of air driven vessels; To keep all members informed of the current laws; And to promote the safe use of Air Driven Boats.

There are two MACA events set up for this year, the first one is June 8th and will be held in Sebewaing, MI. a short drive for you since there will be people coming from Grand Rapids to attend. Give Ron at 616-8138405 or Dick at 989-5509393 a call on joining MACA and details about the event. We are planning on being there for this event.

As for places in Port Huron area, sorry can't help, I do all my boating on the Bay. You might want to look into Poly for the boat (don't know anything about doing it to Fiberglass), but it is almost a must have if you are going to run any skinny water on the rivers, lakes and great lakes of MI, lots of rocks, etc. just below the surface. Also with Poly you can run 365 days a year on the water, ice and dry ground.
 
D

DuckBoat

Member
Just looked on the map where you are running "I94 bridge to Wadhams bridge", that is only a 5 mile stretch of river in the city. Running an Airboat back and forth over the same small area in a populated area is just asking for lots of attention. Think about if you opened up a motocross race track or gun shooting range in that area, everyone would be in an uproar, so yes try to also go to different areas i.e. St.Clair flats / Harsens Island area.

From your post it looks like the most upriver you can go is Wadhams because of rocks, you should be able to go past the I94 bridge to the St. Clair river, from there your possibilities are endless. Just be careful when making slow turns in the current, the current plus prop torque will push your transom into the water, read this post to learn more http://www.southernairboat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=54363
 
mrhuffy

mrhuffy

Well-known member
harsonsmarshrat,
Thanks for the information. Any suggestions on where would there be a good place to put in at?

Duckboat,
We used to live on the Black River in the 2nd canal and I understand what you are saying about the noise issue and ticking off everfyone that lives around there. We use to get anoyed when the offshore boats (and snowmobiles in the winter) would continually run up and down the river at night. That is why we need to find a better place to go to. Our plan is to run the boat a few more time to asure it is reliable, then maybe head toward the bay in Algonac and deeper water.

We will contact Ron or Dick about joining MACA.

Thanks again
 
harsensmarshrat

harsensmarshrat

Well-known member
I'll be glad to show you around if you like, you can get ahold of me on my cell # that I personal messaged you earlier; I had planned on taking mine out this weekend anyway, you can put in at the DNR middle channel launch across from Brown's Bar or at any of the DNR hunting-fishing/staging sites around the refuge or you can put in at Walkers Landing but you can't park there. Whatever you do, don't put in at the Algonac launch and try to cross the North channel trying to get to the bay's (not safe). Bring the boat across the ferry (should be $16.00 round trip if your vehicle is not a dually and the trailer has 1 axle) and put in on the island.
 
mrhuffy

mrhuffy

Well-known member
Not sure why I couldn’t send a PM so here what I tried to send.

Thank you for the offer to show us around, we would like to take you up on your offer but we won’t be ready for a couple of weeks. Had a few electrical problems (wires shorted out) and Rob ended up rewiring the entire boat, new batt and alt. Also added 2 bilge pumps, new starter (Boat had the wrong one in it) and replaced the carb. We want to put a few more hours on it before we wander far from home. I will call you in the near future and see if you are available to show us around.

Thanks,

Mike H
863-899-3699
 
D

DuckBoat

Member
harsensmarshrat said:
Whatever you do, don't put in at the Algonac launch and try to cross the North channel trying to get to the bay's (not safe)
Click to expand...

Just for my curiosity, what is not safe about crossing the North channel above Harsens out of the Algonac launch, is it the current or ?????
 
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