Tennessee River boating

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Dance the Tide
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Oct 22, 2017
2,812
Isleton, CA
Boat Info
2002 310DA
Engines
350 MPI w/V-drives
I may have finally convinced the admiral that we should attempt to escape the People's Republik of Kalifornia. Thinking of landing in N.C, and keeping the boat on the Tennessee River, as it would be less than a 3 hour drive to the boat.

I would love to hear about any local knowledge for that area. Best marinas, good anchorages, why does everybody back into their slips, etc.
 
Your calculating a three hour drive to a slip on the Tennessee river and living in NC, so im guessing you want a slip in the Knoxville area and planning on living somewhere around Ashville NC ? Is that correct ?
 
Your calculating a three hour drive to a slip on the Tennessee river and living in NC, so im guessing you want a slip in the Knoxville area and planning on living somewhere around Ashville NC ? Is that correct ?

Yep. you nailed it. We are looking at Western NC for the house and East Tennessee for the boat.

Here in the PRK, my boat is about 3 hours from my house which is perfect for weekends and lies outside of the Admiral's 'just drop-in' tolerance. It is, after all a man-cave :D
 
Volunteer Landing
Duncan’s
Knoxville Yacht Club
Louisville Landing
Concord Marina
Fox Road Marina

Probably some others I’m forgetting. None of them are dumps. Concord is the nicest, at least from what I can tell, with a very nice restaurant up the hill. Last I heard they all have long waiting lists. I keep my boat at Louisville because it’s close and relatively cheap.

Several are owned by the Safe Harbors chain.
 
Volunteer Landing
Duncan’s
Knoxville Yacht Club
Louisville Landing
Concord Marina
Fox Road Marina

Probably some others I’m forgetting. None of them are dumps. Concord is the nicest, at least from what I can tell, with a very nice restaurant up the hill. Last I heard they all have long waiting lists. I keep my boat at Louisville because it’s close and relatively cheap.

Several are owned by the Safe Harbors chain.

Thanks. I'll look these up.
 
ED0D7A7E-7532-4729-A7C9-B92BEE73A12A.jpeg
I may have finally convinced the admiral that we should attempt to escape the People's Republik of Kalifornia. Thinking of landing in N.C, and keeping the boat on the Tennessee River, as it would be less than a 3 hour drive to the boat.

I would love to hear about any local knowledge for that area. Best marinas, good anchorages, why does everybody back into their slips, etc.
We back in because most fixed piers are “finger” piers. Floating piers usually are full length but most marinas are fixed pier. If you dont back in you ain’t getting off or you climbing over bow rail.
 
Volunteer Landing
Duncan’s
Knoxville Yacht Club
Louisville Landing
Concord Marina
Fox Road Marina

Probably some others I’m forgetting. None of them are dumps. Concord is the nicest, at least from what I can tell, with a very nice restaurant up the hill. Last I heard they all have long waiting lists. I keep my boat at Louisville because it’s close and relatively cheap.

Several are owned by the Safe Harbors chain.

Pretty much nailed it for the immediate Knoxville area.

True about the waiting lists, although my son interned at the Fox Road Marina service dept this summer and they might have an opening or two. Even though we live in Knoxville, our 340 lives down on Watt's Bar at Blue Springs Marina about a 45 min drive from home. If you happen to have a trailer, there are some nice places to go that aren't accessible via the river system. Norris lake is very nice and you could spend years roaming around and not see it all. Melton Hill is also nice(I grew up on it, never busy).
 
You may already have Aquamaps, Active Captain, etc but if not it will give you good maps to whatever waterways you want but also gives you easy access to Active Captain and Waterways Guides which give nice (if dated) reviews of all the potential marinas on the Tennessee River.

For instance Duncan’s is an awesome marina but would be tight for a 30 foot plus boat although doable. Concord is nice but a fairly long no wake zone to get to the fuel docks.

Fort Loudon Lake is as high on the River as you can go and still have lock access. Douglas which is technically on the French Broad would be closer to Asheville but has no lock and the water level drops drastically in the winter.

I’m sure you’ve got your reasons for wanting to be in NC but it’s a tough drive to come across the mountain to get to your boat.
 
Volunteer Landing
Duncan’s
Knoxville Yacht Club
Louisville Landing
Concord Marina
Fox Road Marina

Probably some others I’m forgetting. None of them are dumps. Concord is the nicest, at least from what I can tell, with a very nice restaurant up the hill. Last I heard they all have long waiting lists. I keep my boat at Louisville because it’s close and relatively cheap.

Several are owned by the Safe Harbors chain.

A few others:

Volunteer Cove
Choto
Whispering Cove
 
I may have finally convinced the admiral that we should attempt to escape the People's Republik of Kalifornia. Thinking of landing in N.C, and keeping the boat on the Tennessee River, as it would be less than a 3 hour drive to the boat.

I would love to hear about any local knowledge for that area. Best marinas, good anchorages, why does everybody back into their slips, etc.

Yep. you nailed it. We are looking at Western NC for the house and East Tennessee for the boat.

I’m sure you’ve got your reasons for wanting to be in NC but it’s a tough drive to come across the mountain to get to your boat.

Have you looked at eastern NC for boating? I'd have though the drive east-ish from Asheville would be slightly easier, possibly shorter?, and there are boatloads of marina options...

-Chris
 
Have you looked at eastern NC for boating? I'd have though the drive east-ish from Asheville would be slightly easier, possibly shorter?, and there are boatloads of marina options...

-Chris

I thought about that but not sure I want to get salty. Then there is the weather...
 

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