Rowing the Mississippi River — 2,400 Miles in a Hand-Built Boat: Chapter 1

Rowing the Mississippi River — 2,400 Miles in a Hand-Built Boat: Chapter 1, Setting Out.

Chapter 1 begins at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, where Brett and his crew prepare to launch a hand-built York boat. This 2,400-mile journey will carry them from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, testing skill, patience, and self-reliance every step of the way.

👉What the trailer for this video here:    • We Rowed the Mississippi — 2,400 Miles in ...  

Built by hand before the journey began, the York boat was a deliberate choice. Heavy, wide, and designed to carry serious weight, it reflects an older approach to river travel—one rooted in function, durability, and self-reliance rather than speed or convenience. Historically, York boats were the freight haulers of North America’s interior, moving people, trade goods, and supplies through vast river systems long before modern transportation existed.

As the crew launches into the narrow, almost gentle headwaters, the contrast is clear. This quiet beginning hides what the river—and the boat—will soon demand. The Mississippi is still small here, but the commitment is already full-sized.

This opening chapter sets the tone for the expedition: build it yourself, trust your work, and live with the consequences of your decisions. Those same values would later shape 4AcresWild—learning through trial, error, and persistence.

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In 2009, the expedition set out with a clear mission: to raise awareness for the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana — part of the Waterkeeper Alliance. For more than a decade, the footage from that journey remained unseen… until now.

This is not just the start of a river trip. It’s the moment a hand-built boat meets one of the world’s great rivers. If you’re drawn to stories of self-reliance, working with your hands, and learning by doing, you’ll find the same mindset throughout the rest of 4AcresWild—from life on the hobby farm to outdoor adventures.

If you want to see the heart of America through a Canadian lens—the scale, beauty, and power of its mightiest river—this series is for you.

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Once all chapters are released, the full documentary will be published on @4AcresWild.

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As we say on the river:
we never say goodbye—only see you downriver.

Rowing the Entire Mississippi River
2,400 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf.