Stale Beer Uses

Many of us have been in a situation where we are cleaning out our refrigerators or our coolers after a fun weekend and discover a can of beer that was forgotten. Beer drinkers know that the breweries now put a date on the bottom of a can of beer telling you how long the beer will stay fresh. There is always that one forgotten one that we find and it's way past it's freshness date. We don't like to waste a good beer so here are some alternatives you can use that beer for:
1. Trap slugs and snails; just place a dish of beer around your garden mainly in the evening and in the morning the slimy critters will have been drawn by the beer's aroma and will have drowned. The beer can be re-used until evaporated.
2. Trap fruit flies; just place a can of beer on the kitchen counter and cover the top with plastic wrap and leave a small opening for the flies to get in and the won't be able to get back out.
3. Distract bees and wasps from your outdoor activities; put some beer in cups around the outskirts of your picnic area and it will attract bees and wasps. It's not a long-term control tactic, it's more like keeping that unwanted guest at the farthest table.
4. Get rid of mice; a humane way of getting rid of mice is to place an inch or so of beer in a bucket and put a ramp to it so the mice can climb in and when they are inebriated you can remove them and place them someplace outside.
5. Cockroach trap; soak a piece of bread in beer and place it in a jar and put Vaseline around the lip of the jar and the roaches are attracted and can get in but not out.
6. Fertilize your gardens; beer has sugars which are loved by your vegetables and flowers, your indoor plants love it too in small amounts.
7. Get rid of brown spots in your lawn; the acids in the beer kill off fungi and pests and the fermented sugars feed the grass.
8. Spruce up wooden furniture; using a soft cloth rub the flat beer onto the furniture and it will help restore some of the polish and color.
9. Clean gold jewelry; just place your gold jewelry in a dish of beer and let it soak awhile and remove, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
10. Polish brass pots; use a soft cloth and rub beer onto pot and let sit awhile then rinse and dry with another soft cloth, the acids in beer work great on most metals.
11. Loosen rusty bolts; pour the beer on the rust and it may dissolve enough of the rust allowing you to get them loose.
12. Insulation; for all us adventurous types you can use  full unopened cans of beer in construction walls because the beer absorbs the cold and won't freeze due to the alcohol content.
The next time you find that lost beer and hate to just dump it out remember these few tips and you will never have to waste a good beer again. That's called, "BEER ABUSE".  So  if you are the creative and adventurous type give it a try.
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SkipperLiner Comeback

A couple of years ago Skipperliner Industries got into financial trouble, they are a boat building company and operated a restaraunt and a marina called North Bay Marina. Last September a new local business man bought the business to revive the operation. There were several outstanding loans that Skipperliner Industries owed to our local governments and they and the new owner have come to a repayment deal. It's a 10 year deal of principal only but the good news is none of these monies owed is tax payer dollars.
The North Bay Marina complex has been divided up among several other business owners, the operations and the boat-storage facilities were taken over by American Marine boat dealership which plans to move all their service and sales facilities to this new site.  The restaraunt known as Huck Finn's on the Water was bought by another local business man and for the first time plans to add transient boat docks.
This is great news for all boaters alike that want to visit Port of LaCrosse. North Bay Marina is located on the Black River a little north of our famous Riverside Park. All these new businesses plan to hire more help which is great for the employment industry. North Bay Marina is another cruise stop everyone will want to stop at and enjoy.
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Houseboat Gets A Facelift

                         

Houseboating Excursions got a facelift or should we say carpet lift. Throughout the month of June between all the horrible weather we have been having we decided to take off the carpet that was glued down on the boat and repaint the deck. This turned out to be a bigger and nastier job than we anticipated. The carpet was glued down so well the owners that did it must of intended it to never be removed. We used a 6 inch scraper by Red Devil,  that was designed like a large razor blade to scrape the carpet off, this also took a lot of pure muscle. The glue was at least a quarter inch thick in some places. To get the glue off we used a 7 inch grinder with a wire brush wheel and it did the job very well. We recommend that you use gloves, eye protection, long pants and shirt because the grinder shoots off the glue like little BB's and do sting. After this was all done we cleaned the surface and used a paint by Conoco,  specifically their DTM Acrylic Gloss Idustrial Enamel, this paint has great adhesion and is mainly used to paint heavy machinery but lasts an extremely long time and is cheaper than boat anit-fouling paint and gives the same results. We also mixed some anti-skid sand into the paint for traction then  sprinkled some blue- gray decorative flakes on the deck in the fresh paint to give it nice color and character. We then went to our local hardware store, Menards, and got a piece of outdoor carpet to cover the bow area. We also painted all the railing with Rust-Oleum Protective  Enamel, gloss white.

Now some of the guys have been teasing me, Troy,   is there anything on the boat that shows that a man is on this boat, because  everything looks feminine, so here is a photo that says YES, we make our meals on this cutting board every day. 

I love my wife and her ability to decorate or in my world everything would probably be plain.

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Please continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we explore more cruise destinations and continue to provide more information. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see where we are or where we are going next. Please Don't Move Firewood and Stop Aquautic Hitchhikers.

Bottom Boat Painting

Houseboating is a ton of fun but it also comes with a price.  The not so fun part of houseboating is the maintenance part, but it has to be done. We spent the month of April redoing the bottom of of our houseboat to get it ready for this year's adventures.  It is a critical maintenance part of the boat to make sure the hull is always solid and shows no leaks.  Our houseboat is aluminum so we had to apply a special anitfouling paint designed for aluminum boats. It's purpose is to help keep the bottom of the boat and motors free of algae, and zebra mussels. The antifouling paint we used is called Alumacoat SR. We found our best price for the paint at Wholesale Marine at $174.99 a gallon. It is very expensive so you want to make sure you know exactly the amount you need.

We prepped the boat first by powerwashing the bottom of the boat to clear it free of all old zebra mussels and old loose paint and any water scum.     

We then applied a primer to the boat because there was exposed metal and we wanted to make sure the anitfouling paint would adhere to the boat properly.  We used Zissner 1-2-3 primer.

After the primer was good and dry we then applied the anitfouling paint, Alumacoat SR, to the bottom of the boat. We applied two coats to make sure we had full coverage and good protection. We also applid the paint to the outdrives to aid them in staying clear of algae and zebra mussels.  It is always best to do the work while also enjoyng a cold beverage.

It is very important to wear protective clothing, chemical resistant gloves, and eye protection. This antifouling paint has a strong pesticide in it that can injure you easily. Once the boat is finished you can look back and marvel at your work and you must let it dry for a MINUMUM of 16 hrs. for the solvent to escape and dry fully. Now the houseboat is ready for SPLASH-IN.

Please continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore new destinations and provide more information. Help support our 2010 campaign and stop the Invaders: Don't Move Firewood and Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers.

Help Stop Aquatic Invaders

Enjoying the great outdoors is a privilege and important to many of us. Boating, fishing, hunting, and watching wildlife are activities that we want to preserve for our children and their chidren. Due to aquatic invaders these wonderful activites are at risk. There are currently national campaigns that help recreational users become part of the solution in stopping the transport and spread of aquatic invasive species.
One national campaign is called "Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!". It is sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Coast Guard. They offer eductional programs to inform us of the different invasive species such as round goby, zebra mussels, purple loosestrife, eurasion watermilfoil, bighead and silver carp, and New Zealand mudsnail. These and other non-native plants and animals will cause ecological or economic problems. The main way they get into lakes, rivers,and wetlands is by "hitching" rides with fishermen, boaters and other outdoor recreationalists. These invasive species are capable of doing irreparable harm to our lakes, rivers, and wetlands. The good news is that the majority of waters are not yet infested with invasive species and we can all help protect our waters. In many states it is illegal to transport invasive species and can lead to a citation, for the first offense it's about $180.00, and $250.00 for the second offense.
Actions to take to prevent the spreading are:
1. INSPECT your boat, trailer, and equipment and REMOVE all visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud before leaving the water access.
2. DRAIN water from your boat, motor, and live wells of all types before leaving the water access.
3. REPORT any sighting of an aquatic plant or animal if your suspect it is a new infestation of an invasive plant or animal, and report it to a local natural resouces department. In Wisconsin it's the WDNR, Minnesota- MNDNR, and Iowa- IADNR.
4. DISPOSE of all unwanted bait and aquatic plants in the trash.
5. SPRAY, RINSE and DRY boats and recreational equipment to remove or kill invaders that were not visible when leaving the water before going to another waterway.
6. CONSULT your local natural resource agency if you have questions about controlling these invaders and they can provide you with recommendations for cleaning solutions and what permits might be required.
Join Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley in the fight against these invasive species so we can all enjoy the outdoors for years to come.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore more stops along the Mississippi River and provide more information.

Winterizing Houseboat Part 3

Another important part of winterizing your houseboat is to drain all the inside water lines and the water holding tank. After the lines are clear of water you will need to pour environmentally safe anitfreeze into the water holding tank and turn on all the faucets and run them until the antifreeze starts to flow out the faucet then shut it off. The amount of anifreeze you will need will depend on the number of bathrooms, sinks, and other water sources. Be sure to do the toilet(s) too. It is critically important this is done because if there is any water left in the lines or faucets it will freeze and the ice will expand destroying the lines and faucets. Also make sure you pump out the septic holding tank and add a gallon of environmentally safe antifreeze to the tank. Make sure that the water heater( if available) is also drained of all water.
We like to go through the entire boat and unplug all electrical appliances and any chords we might be using. We also like to cover all the furniture with old bed sheets to ward off dust and any possible moisture.
Now we will return to the engine compartment and remove all the batteries and bring them home and connect them to an automatic battery charger, rotating periodically. Be sure not to put the batteries on concrete it will drain them faster, so put them an a piece of wood or on a shelf.
To finish we will power wash the bottom of the boat removing any scum that has developed and any zebra mussels that might be attached to the hull and the motors. Some boat owners like to tarp the entire boat to keep the snow off or you can call a boat service dealer in your area and ask them to shrink wrap your boat. In the La Crosse,WI area American Marine offers this service for on average $4.00 a foot in length. Check with your local dealer for prices in your area.Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we explore more cruise stops, events and provide more information.

Winterizing Houseboats Part 2

Now that the boat is out of the water there are a few things you are going to need to do to prepare your boat for a long winter's nap here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. We have twin Mercury Marine I/O sterndrives powered by twin Ford 302 engines. You will need to pick up a few supplies. You are going to need oil filter(s), , be sure to check you manufacturer's manual for the exact size you need, oil filter wrench, water/fuel separator(s)(if your boat engine(s) is equipped with one, 5 quarts per engine of proper marine engine oil( Quicksilver 4-cycle 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil), oil changing pump, container for used oil, proper gear lube for the sterndrive(s), lube pump, grease gun equipped with marine grease, environmentally friendly water line antifreeze(pink in color), marine fuel stabilizer, motor flushing attachment, and fogging oil.
When we winterize our houseboat we start with the fuel system first by changing the water/fuel separators, filling the fuel tank full and adding the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer. The fuel stabilizer prevents the fuel from breaking down over the winter months. We hookup the motor flushing attachment(always remove the propeller first to avoid injury) and run the engines to circulate the stabilizer through the fuel lines and we will spray fogging oil into the carburetors or directly into the cylinder walls to lubricate and prevent internal corrosion.
Next we change the gear lube in the sterndrives while the engine is warm is helps the flow of the old gear lube for removal. Check your owner's manual to find the drain plug and vent for this procedure and for the proper type of gear lube as there is regular and high performance lubes.
After draining the lube you use your lube pump to refill the lower units pushing the lube up from bottom to top. This is a good time to look at the old gear lube to see if there are any metal shavings or if it's a dark brown color these will indicate a possible problem and you should seek the advice of a professional marine mechanic.
Next we change the oil and oil filters in the engine(s) to keep the interior of the engine properly lubricated. Best advice is to purchase an oil pump from your local marine supply store and pump out the oil into a container to be disposed of. The oil gets pumped out through the dipstick holder, it has a narrow tube that extends all the way into the oil pan. We use Quicksilver 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil(5 quarts).
Next we use the grease gun and lubricate all the grease fittings around the tilt mechanisms and the steering mechanisms.
Next we remove all the engine plugs on the manifold and engine block to drain any or all the water that is trapped in the coolant system. Check your owner's manual for their locations. This is very crucial so ice will not form inside the engine and crack something. We even remove a hose and dump in water line antifreeze to make sure all the water has been removed and it any stayed inside it won't freeze completely.
This is a great time to check over all the belts and hoses and remove the batteries and keep them charged over the winter months.
This is how we take care of our engines on our houseboat so stay with us for Part 3 and we will give advice on the interior and the rest of the exterior of our houseboat.
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Winterizing Houseboats Part 1

Here in the Upper Missippi River Valley houseboaters and other boaters are starting to get ready for the long winter season. Everyone is making plans to have their boats pulled from the water and winterized for storage. Here in La Crosse,WI if you travel to Pettibone Boat Club you will see the harbormaster and his crew pulling out the different boats. They don't use a boat lift, if you have a trailer made for your houseboat they use their own methods for getting boats out of the water. The boats that don't have trailers will have Del's Auto(608-783-4880) assist in pulling out some of the boats in the area and set them on blocks. Here you see how the harbormaster organizes the boats. At Skipperliner Inc., you will see a large boat lift used to pull the boats from the water and set on blocks on land or placed in a storage building. All up and down the Upper Mississippi River Valley you can visit the marinas and watch all the harbormasters hard at work.
Winterizing your boat is a very crucial and important part of boating. This insures that through the cold winter months the boats and motors won't crack or get damaged.
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Our Cruise to Lansing,IA

Another beautiful day for a cruise down the Mississippi River and this time we made it to Lansing,Ia. Along the way just south of Brownsville,MN and before Genoa,WI we observed several large gatherings of pelicans perched on wingdams. They must be gathering to head south for the winter. There were also a large amount of seagulls also. It was a bird watchers paradise to watch some of the pelicans take flight and soar along the river's edge, land in the water, and scoop up a small fish. We locked through Lock and Dam #8 and watched a commercial barge filled with coal park to get unloaded at Genoa,WI's Dairyland Power Plant. It takes a good captain to maneuver such a large vessel with a heavy load to get perfectly aligned alongside the dock.
We arrived at Lansing,IA and pulled into the Lansing Marina which offers gas and dock slips for overnight stays, pumpouts, and some supplies. It has a long dock to park at so you can walk to town but it is about a 1/2 mile walk. Further south down the river there is a concrete levy that you can tie up to and it places you right at the edge of town. At the southern most edge of town is S&S Rentals that offers houseboat rentals, pontoons and fishing boats and they also have a full service marina with marine repair. We parked at the River's Edge Bar and Restaurant docks to have lunch and we walked to town from there. It is only a few blocks to town where you can shop at the famous Horsfalls and Lansing Variety stores that have over 1 million different kinds of items to shop for and there is also Bartels Hardware and Service that has antiques as well as hardware items. There are several restaurants to choose from to get a bite to eat. We had dinner at TJ Hunter's Pub and Grub, the food was great, also is the Safe House Saloon and Milty's Restaurant,Bar and Lodging. If you want to spend the night the Scenic Valley Motel offers boat parking, and there is the Historic Thorton House which is located a few blocks off of Main St. Lansing's festival is called Lansing Fish Days and always takes place the 2nd weekeknd in August, it features music, rides and entertainment for everyone.
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GRUMPY OLD MEN; Wabasha,MN

Remember the movie "Grumpy Old Men" and the sequel "Grumpier Old Men". Wabasha,MN is the featured city in the movie based on a story by a young man that had a grandfather that lived there and thought it was the perfect setting. Wabasha,MN is the oldest city on the Upper Mississippi River Valley. We cruised into Wabasha and found the Wabasha Marina. We then went under the Interstate Bridge and found the famous restaurant called Slippery's, which offers free boat docking and wonderful outdoor dining. We then went up the river further and into a small bay where the Mississippi Parkside Marina is located. We also discovered you can rent a houseboat from Great River Houseboats which has boats for anyone with or without any boating experience to drive. There are several parks on the Mississippi River that offer camping and nice beaches.
We decided to park at the Wabasha Marina and walk to see some of their historic buildings and shops. We came upon a hotel and restaurant called, The Historic Anderson House, it is the oldest operating hotel in the state of Minnesota. Out in front of the hotel they were offering Carriage Rides for about $10.00 a person and you called the American Inn at 651-565-5366 for reservations. We continued into downtown and found places like, Jewels on the River, The Old Triangle Pub, the Vinifera Restaurant, the Wabasha Treasure Chest, and the National Eagle Center.
Wabasha is a beautiful city to visit with plenty to offer the whole family from their own unique bowling alley, Riverboat Lanes, to a quiet night under the bridge in the Heritage Park for a free concert put on by the River Junctions Arts Council.
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Cruise to McGregor,IA

Our next cruise stop is at Mc Gregor,IA. We cruised down the Mississippi River enjoying the beautiful views the river valley has to offer. On our way we were able to see many bald eagles flying around getting fish, and as we approached closer just north of McGregor,IA, you can see one of the many peaks and summits in the area such as Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pike's Peak bluff. We pulled into the Mc Gregor Marina, which is located at the river mile marker 633.5 and they monitor channel 16, which is the main marine channel. They welcome boats of any size to transit or you can call 1-800-848-2413 to reserve a slip. They offer pontoon and fishing boat rentals along with a fishing guide service. They also have gas,pumpouts, and boat parts and service.
When you walk up the dock you come to a nice restaurant called Mr. McGregor's Beer and Bratz Garden which offers hot sandwiches, beer, soda, and ice cream. If you would like to take a short walk to town there are also many other restaurants such as McGregor Coffee Roasters, Old Man River Restaurant and Brewery and others with some having live entertainment.
If shopping is on the list, Mc Gregor has their own unique shopping mall that has 3 levels, 4 buildings, and 12 shops. It is right on Main St. with close proximity to the marina.
Another marina that is also located in McGregor,IA is Boatels Houseboat Rentals and Marina. There you can stop in and rent a houseboat and enjoy all the spectacular views and events that take place in the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
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A Crappy Happy Hour

2 beers and a crappy happy hour later, we discovered something wasn't right in the bathroom. As luck would have it, we discovered that the seal along the bottom of the toilet had worn away and started to leak into the hull. This is an older designed toilet from 1987 that is in three parts. There's the throne itself, which is bolted to a small holding tank and the underside of the tank is caulked around the edge of what looks like a removable pan. We have no idea why you would ever want to remove this, but you can. The tank is then hooked to a hose which is hooked to a pump that when switched on removes the contents from the small tank to the larger (main) septic tank in the bottom of the hull until it is time to take it to the gas dock and pumped out. We found a marine caulk that is called, 5200 Adhesive Marine Caulk, this is designed for permanent adhesion under water and anywhere else that you don't want to come apart. It goes without saying, houseboating is full of fun and adventure but also can have some unpleasant surprises.

Summerizing Houseboat

This article is about how we go about summerizing our houseboat after a long winter nap. Before we launch it we recommend looking at the bottom of the boat and the sterndrive(s). We look for cracks in the hull or any sign of oil leakage coming from the sterndrives and if any of these problems are discovered this is serious you will need to contact a reliable marine repair shop and have them check into it and make their estimate of the problem and what needs to be done to repair it. Next climb in the engine compartment and look at the engine(s) for any sign of leakage of oil, gasoline. Check to make sure all the plugs are back in properly that you took out in the winter to drain the water. Make sure the batteries are fully charged and in good condition and make sure the connections are tight. Look at the condition of all anodes, which are usually made of zinc, on the boat to see if they need replacing, these help with electrolysis from the water so your sterndrive(s) are not consumed. We would now hookup a flushing device and start the engine(s) and check to see if there are any oil leaks or water leaks. If OK, we then launch our boat into the water and park it into our assigned slip at the dock and then do a final check to make sure everything sounds OK and there are no leaks.
Once at the dock we plug into the electricity and make sure all outlets, lights, refrigerator, air conditioning( if equipped) are working fine. We then fill our water holding tank or if capable hookup directly to water hose, and flush out all the water lines that should have antifreeze in them from storing it, and make sure the water pressure is fine and none of the water lines are leaking anywhere.
Now it is time to stock the refrigerator and get ready to enjoy a fun and relaxing summer season.