The Crazy Kayaker Completes His Mississippi Challenge

Filed in archive Water Adventures on July 16, 2007

He made it! After 1,704 miles and 59 days, Jacob van der Merwe, a.k.a The Crazy Kayaker, successfully, but not uneventfully, completed his solo kayak trip down the mississippi river.

Please join me in congratulating him on a great job done! You can read his detail accounts on his blog, The Crazy Kayaker.

According to Van der Merwe, it was quite the adventure, and a wild ride at times. He paddled 1,467 km (912 miles) in the last 23 days, without a break. Between Cairo, IL and Baton Rouge, LA the Mississippi is a big, wild river with nobody around, and very few towns on or near the river. It is wilder in some places now than it was 100 years ago. It certainly is one of the more challenging things he has ever done, but also one of the most rewarding. And he'll do it all again.

His adventure has not been without challenge. He had to deal with strong headwinds, 95 degree heat, thunderstorms and barge traffic, and he was under constant attack from mosquitoes and other insects, including spiders and biting flies.

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