Captain Ron's Adventures


May 2006: We sincerely regret that Captain Ron will no longer be offering airboat service. Costs incurred during our efforts for Katrina and personal circumstances have made it infeasible to continue the service. We sincerely thank all of our past clients who had an opportunity to experience the adventure!

Miss Dragonfly is for Sale! All of her specs are below. Interested parties should contact Captain Ron at the number below.

About our custom airboat, the Miss Dragonfly:

Length: 20ft
Beam: 8ft
Powerplant: 454 cubic inch, Chevy marine self-contained engine pushing 425HP
Prop: 3-blade, carbon fiber construction
Hull: Single-piece aluminium, 7-rib with 3/8" polymer bottom
Trolling Motor: bow-mounted 36V MotorGuide, pushing 109lb of thrust
Rigging: All-aluminium hull, cage, and hardware
Manufacturer: Diamondback Airboats in Coco, FL
Click any photo for an enlarged view:
rear quarter view of Miss Dragonfly airboat Ron atop Miss Dragonfly albeit in his front yard in Winfield, IL font closeup view of Miss Dragonfly airboat
Miss Dragonfly parked on the sandbar Captain Ron flying down Pool 13

For any additional information, contact Ron:
Ron's phone number in an image form cell phone

 

Nov 2005 News: Captain Ron was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show 11/21/2005 ! Ron was part of the 2005 "Favorite Things" episode where Oprah saluted him and other responders to Hurricane Katrina, for their work in helping those affected. Ron's contributions were in rescue and recovery when he took Miss Dragonfly to the affected areas, and later for his coordination of 3 large toy drives to help the youngest evacuees.

 

Happy Customers of Captain Rons Adventures from April of 2003

About Captain Ron's Adventures

We're based out of beautiful Savanna, IL, and offer the following:
  • Backwater airboat tours on Pool 13 of the gorgeous Mississippi River (6 person limit)
  • Guided rock climbing in the scenic Mississippi Palisades State Park (6 person limit)
  • Guided fishing tours (2 person limit, from our custom airboat)
  • Combo tours to your specifications! For example: Rock climb in the morning, airboat to a secluded island for a picnic lunch, and jet off along the Mississippi for an unparallelled airboat adventure in the afternoon! If you can imagine it, we can do it--in short, a day you will NEVER forget!

Why Captain Ron's?

Accessibility, that's why! No one else can take you where Captain Ron can. NO ONE.

Be among the few in the Midwest to experience the exhilaration of an airboat adventure on the mighty Mississippi! Observe nature from where they live and play--our airboat takes you places where no other vessel can take you. Sandbars, swamp bottoms, grasslands and all other backwater areas are accessible with our custom-built all-aluminium airboat.

About Captain Ron LaFleur

  • 15 years of running the Mississippi River
  • Founder and owner of Vertical World Climbing, Chicago, IL
  • 25 years of climbing experience throughout the United States. Ron has guided clients up: Devil's Tower, Wyoming, The Needles in South Dakota, Tennessee Wall in TN, and various spots throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, and Utah.
  • Has climbed "The Nose" of El Capitan--over 3600 vertical feet!
  • Featured as a climbing expert on media outlets including: ESPN's Wild America, Chicago Tonight, and the Jonathon Brandmeir radio show.
  • Obligatory name dropping (Ron bristles at the thought of including this, but his PR guy made him!): Ron has worked with celebrity Danny Bonaduce (of Partridge Family fame), and climbing legends Lynn Hill, Conrad Anker, Mark Wilford, and the late Alex Lowe.

 

For any additional information, contact Ron:
Ron's phone number in an image form cell phone
Rons email address in an image form due to spam concerns with web spiders
Email caveat: Due to the variable nature of his schedule, Captain Ron points out: "If you reach me by phone: service while you wait! Email: a couple two, 'tree days!"