Aubrey Black II and Jim Gifford
Two longtime friends have completed a trip of 727 miles from Chattanooga to Mobile, Ala., by Jon boat.
Aubrey Black II and Jim Gifford, who left from just above Chickamauga Dam on Sept. 11, said they surpassed the current Guinness World Record for "Longest journey by Jon boat" (to be confirmed by GWR upon submitting evidence)."
Jon boats are simple, open, flat-bottomed boats that are typically used on localized lakes and rivers for fishing, etc. Jon boats have a rich history in the southern United States dating back to the 1800’s.
The idea is to embrace that heritage with a monumental undertaking that will hopefully inspire others to explore adventurous ideas.
The Jon boat used for this trip was a 16-foot-long aluminum boat with a 40-horsepower engine.
The route was to the Gulf of Mexico via waterways through the states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
The route began on the Tennessee River and proceeded southwest through Tennessee and Alabama into Mississippi, heading south on the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway and connecting to the Black Warrior- Tombigbee River to Mobile Bay, which proceeds to the Gulf of Mexico.
The plan was to travel a different leg of the river each day, stopping to primitive camp along the way. It required locking through 17 river dams.
Although similar routes have been taken by many larger and more comfortable boaters, using a Jon boat to take this trip is definitely unprecedented and is a bold undertaking, the pair noted.
Jim Gifford came up with the idea many years, and the friends decided to finally launch out.