2008 Rendezvous TN River?

[Times Like These]

Last year we made t-shirts for our family get together on Watts Bar and everyone really enjoyed them. We did an anchor on the left front with Watts Bar 2007 around it. On the back we had a map of the lake with all of our favorite spots listed. It turned out great. I'll try to take a picture and post.

As a Tennessean, you hit the nail on the head with descriptions of TN.

Vols, country music, Smokey Mountains, etc.

 

[chuck1]

Looking forward to seeing the pictures. Do you still have the original graphics? I sure the screen printers do.

 

[JimHamilton]

New guy here looking into possibly attending...

How about a brief rundown on probable locations/areas by date so I don't have to sort thru 23 pages to find out when/where?

 

[midway]

OK I will take a stab at this, July 2 thru 6, Watts Bar Lake, Euchee Marina is the main gathering place, if you need a room you need to try and get one, tell them you are with Club SeaRay. There was talk that they were getting full. We are still working on what we are going to do. Chuck1 should get in here in a little bit with more info. Phone number for Euchee (423) 334-1004
Go to page one, good info there, shoot Chuck an email, his address is on page one.

 

[Morpheus]

New guy here looking into possibly attending...

How about a brief rundown on probable locations/areas by date so I don't have to sort thru 23 pages to find out when/where?

I believe if you go to the first post of this thread all the info is there.

 

[midway]

I'm going to try to copy and paste some highlights in what will probably be a long post.

1.Updated 01/07/08 TN River 2008 CSR Rendezvous

Anybody up for a TN River run 1st part of July? Watts Bar Lake . In between Chattanooga and Knoxville. This just keeps getting better and better. Looks like Euchee Marina is the place.:thumbsup:

If you get a chance email me offline at chuck1@ssg-i.com with your info

Boat Name
Boat Size/Type
Real Name
Spouse Name
Kids Names
Cell/Phone Numbers
Etc

So I can put it together for the other people on the trip to have. Will only be emailed not posted since this is personal information.

Ok here is the info so far.

* Emailed requested info.

Yes/Maybes
UserId - Boat Type - Wife,Kids,Others
-----------------------------------------
*Chuck1 - 240SD - Wife,Adult Kids,Others
*SearayPaul - 240BR - Wife
*Stihlbolts - 220SD - Wife
*bucknut - 270SD - Wife,Kids, Others
sr360aft - 360A - ?????
*midway - 185BR - Wife
250 money pit - 250SE - ?????
*searide - 230BR - Wife,Kids
*OneMoreHour - 240SD - Wife,Kids,
*Morpheus - 240SD - ?????
Kyle f - 195BR - ??????
* fwebster - projectboat - Wife
*tdmr1195 - 240SD - Wife, Kids????
*shpclay - 300 - Son
*Times Like These - 290DA, ???


Nos
------------------
First Born
Four Suns
Pirate
GJarrett

Euchee Resort 423-334-1004

Some are arriving earlier and staying longer, but here is a sample agenda.
7/2/08 Wed - Travel/Arrival Day
7/3/08 Thurs - Run to Downtown Chattanooga
7/4/08 Fri - Run to Kingston / Fireworks
7/5/08 Sat - Local/Cookout
7/6/08 Sun - Travel/Departure Day

http://www.chattanoogafun.com/
http://www.eucheemarinaresort.com/
http://www.tva.gov/river/navigation/rec.htm
http://easyseafood.com/ie
http://www.rivercitycompany.com/home.asp

2.Is Euchee's lodging filling up, or their marina slips? Or will we just launch and load the trailer each day? A day trip to Chattanooga sounds good.

Seemed like it was the lodge. Personally I'm going to leave mine in the water. Slip is free if you are staying there. Chattanooga has put a whole lot into the downtown section. Very boater friendly. Free dockage for the day. Quote from one of the website about it.

You'll be impressed by Chattanooga's revitalized Riverfront. The revitalization includes a 10-mile Riverwalk, The Passage, a celebration of Chattanooga's Native American heritage, and the Chattanooga Pier. Cruise down the Tennessee River aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat and see why Chattanooga is nicknamed the "Scenic City of the South". Take a walking tour of the charming Bluff View Art District with its shops, restaurants and the Hunter Museum of American Art. Enjoy America's national pastime and go to a Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game at AT & T Park .

3.How about this for Thursday?

Family Fun in Downtown Chattanooga

• Tennessee Aquarium
• IMAX® 3D Theater
• Creative Discovery Museum
• Chattanooga Choo Choo
• Trolley Rides
• Model Railroad Museum
• Coolidge Park Carousel & Interactive Water Fountain
• Walnut Street Bridge

Start off at the Tennessee Aquarium's new Ocean Journey. Discover a secret reef with bull sharks and explore a butterfly garden.
Next, check out the IMAX 3D Theater and swim with the biggest fish on earth in "Sharks."
After a nice lunch break at one of Chattanooga's downtown restaurants, visit the Creative Discovery Museum where children will explore the brand new Rooftop Fun Factory.
And everyone loves to take a trolley ride at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. This 15-minute tour takes you around the 24-acre property in an authentic New Orleans trolley used in the early 1900's. After the trolley ride, check out the model railroad museum, one of the largest HO gauge model railroads in the country! It features 3,000 feet of track and over 300 locomotive cars.
Then take a stroll across the world's longest pedestrian bridge, the Walnut Street Bridge, to Coolidge Park, a 12-acre urban park featuring an interactive water fountain and fully-restored antique carousel.

4.Here's another option for Thursday
Art & Artists

• Hunter Museum of American Art
• Houston Museum of Decorative Art
• Sculpture Garden
• River Gallery
• Bocce Courts
• Working Artists Studios including Glass Blowing, Chocolate Making, and Bread Baking Studios

Ready to relax? The Bluff View Art District is the perfect place to bask in the ambience of the art world. With a sculpture garden, art gallery, coffee house and two other restaurants, and two incredible museums all located in the same area, the heart of the District is a wonderful on-the-river bed & breakfast that gives guests time to sit back and enjoy the finer things in life.

5.All locks on the Tennessee River operate 24 hours a day except the lock
at Fort Loudoun Dam that operates from 6AM to 10PM. All monitor VHF
channel 16.
Although lockmasters on the Tennessee are known for their friendliness, they
do enforce the rules. Cooperating with them will result in faster and easier
lockages.
The Secretary of the Army has established a priority for passing boats
through locks. U.S. Government vessels are at the top of the list followed
by commercial passenger vessels, commercial tows or vessels and pleasure
boats, in that order. Normally, locking through will take less than an hour.
But you might be delayed either by other boats with a higher priority being
locked through or by a large number of boats trying to lock through at the
same time. Be patient!
Stay in the navigation channel when you approach a lock. You can signal the
lockmaster by giving one long blast and one short blast with your horn, by
pulling the signal cord in the ladder recess near the end of the approach wall
or by calling on channel 16 that’s monitored by every lockmaster.
Obey the traffic signals. Flashing red means the lock can’t be made ready
immediately; stand clear and don’t attempt to enter the lock. Flashing amber
means the lock is being prepared; you may approach the lock guide wall but
don’t enter the lock. Flashing green means the lock is ready; you can enter
the lock. Also, the lockmaster will signal you to enter with a horn blast.
Remember that the lockmaster has full authority over the movement of boats
in and near the lock. If you willfully disobey orders, you could be cited or
even jailed for violating Federal regulations. That doesn’t happen often. But
when it does, liquor is most often the cause.
Be prepared. Make sure fenders are in place to prevent your boat from hitting
the lock wall. The person tending the lines must wear a lifejacket. Keep
everybody well inside your boat while locking through. For example, no one
should be sitting on the bow or swim platform.
Enter a lock at idle speed. If you don’t, your wake will cause rough water
inside the lock that will make it difficult not only for other boaters but also
for you.

Once inside, you will be tying your boat to a floating mooring post also
called a bollard, recessed in the lock wall. There’s one way to tie up a boat in
a lock that works perfectly almost every time. Here’s how you do it:
Place two or three fenders so your boat won’t touch the wall even if it turns
at a slight angle. That means a fender a short distance from the bow, another
about a third of the way from the bow and the last one a short distance from
the stern. Then tie a line to a mid-ship cleat. Maneuver your boat until it’s
close to the wall and the floating mooring post is even with the cleat. Then
make two counterclockwise turns around the post with your line before tying
it off to the cleat.
Your boat is now free to pivot. As it does, the fenders will prevent it from
touching the wall. By taking two turns around the post instead of just one,
you will prevent excessive forward or backward movement of your boat.
Your line will stay cleaner because by being wrapped counterclockwise
around the post, it will come off the front of the post and hardly ever touch
the dirty lock walls.
If you have a smaller boat with no center cleat or if your boat has only a narrow
ledge along the side, tie a line to the bow cleat, run it the length of your
boat and tie it temporarily to the stern cleat. Do this before you enter the
lock. When you’re ready to tie up to the mooring post, untie the line from the
stern cleat, take the two counterclockwise turns around the post and tie off
the line to the cleat. You can do this from the cockpit.
Don’t panic and don’t get in a hurry if you have a problem getting your boat
properly positioned and tied up. Take your time and do it right.
You may be tempted to push against the grimy lock walls with your hands.
Don’t do it, even if you are wearing gloves. It’s much safer and cleaner to
use a boat hook.
Expect your boat to move around more when you’re locking upstream.
That’s because as the lock fills, water flows up, under and past your boat.
Generally, there is greater turbulence toward the center of the lock. When
you’re locking downstream, that won’t happen because water will be draining
from the lock.​

Important!
Locking is a relatively slow procedure but resist the temptation

to do something else while it’s happening. Keep close and constant watch on
fenders, boat position and the line extending from your boat to the floating
bollard.
There are no regulations requiring your engines and generators to be shut off
during lockage. But because locks, especially the smaller and deeper ones,
are relatively closed spaces, you may want to turn your engines off to prevent
buildup of exhaust fumes. Also, it’s best to avoid all open flames.
Keep your boat tied until the lockmaster gives the horn signal. Boats nearest
the exit should leave first. Use idle speed until you are well clear of the lock.
Here’s a list of the locks on the Tennessee River including the Melton Hill
Lock on the Clinch River. Refer to the Cruise Section for more information
regarding approaches to these locks. All locks operate 24 hours except as
noted.
LOCK CHAMBER NORMAL
DAM DIMENSIONS LIFT TELEPHONE
Kentucky 600’ X 110’ 57’ 270-362-4226
Pickwick Main 1000’ X 110’ 55’ 731-925-2334
Pickwick Auxiliary 600’ X 110’
Wilson* 600’ X 110’ 93’ 256-764-5226
Wheeler Main 600’ X 110’ 48’ 256-247-3311
Wheeler Auxiliary 400’ X 60’
Guntersville Main 600’ X 110’ 39’ 256-582-3263
Guntersville Auxiliary 360’ X 60’
Nickajack 600’ X 110’ 39’ 423-942-3985​

The two we will go through on the Chattanooga run
Chickamauga 360’ X 60’ 48’ 423-875-6230
Watts Bar 360’ X 60’ 59’ 423-334-3522​

Fort Loudoun** 360’ X 60’ 72’ 865-986-2762
Melton Hill*** 400’ X 75’ 60’ 865-986-2610
* Auxiliary lock used only in emergency
** Operates only 6AM to 10PM.
*** Lockage must be arranged through the
lockmaster at Ft. Loudon Lock & Dam.​

6. Quote from Fred Myers book.

MILE 455.6 Here, Lookout Mountain, one of America’s​

most famous landmarks, comes into view.
The mountain thrusts upward more than
2,000 feet above the river and extends for
nearly 100 miles into Georgia and Alabama.
On its slopes was fought the last battle
of the American Revolution. And it was
here in November of 1863 that Union and
Confederate forces clashed in the “Battle
Above The Clouds,” one of the bloodiest
battles of the Civil War during which 34,000
were killed. Confederate General William
Bates called it “a river of death.”
Lookout Mountain is famous for its 8,000-acre
Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military
Park that’s the Nation’s oldest and largest military
park. It also features the world’s steepest
passenger railway and the commercial attractions
of Ruby Falls and Rock City.​

You've got I24 that runs between the river and the base of the mountain. I heard once that there was some old caves that worked their way under it but, I've never seen it???

7.Posted by Times like These​

I grew up boating on Watts Bar and last season we took our 290 up twice from Chickamauga Lake near Chattanooga. It is about 76 river miles from Chickamauga Dam to Blue Springs Marina. See this link for access to TN River Charts (great tool).

http://www.orn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/

A few suggestions on great spots to enjoy. First of all during the day, Sand Island at mile marker 538 is certainly the hot spot. On the back side of the island there is a sand bar that extends to the Gillepsie bend penisula. Boats gather here, and the shallow sandy bottoms provide a great play spot for kids and kids at heart. For the adventurous, directly across from the island are some great cliffs for jumping. Be sure to watch and learn from some of the regulars for the safest way to ascend and jump. Depth is not an issue as the sheer rock cliffs are part of the old river channel.

When traveling from Sand Island back to Euchee marina across the main channel, please keep an eye out for markers, as even though the lake is almost two miles wide at this spot, the middle of the lake is very shallow (1-2 feet) at normal pool.

Euchee has a great facilities. They do a wonderful job of welcoming groups to the marina. The beach and giant slide is great for kids. The restaurant offers great views and good food. On weekends they ushaully have some type of live entertainment out on the deck, or down on the dock.

Just upriver at MM 541.5 is The Landing. Weekend nights can see this floating restaurant turn into a real party. Typical bar food is served, and the wait can be long at times, but people come for the live music and atmospere. This is also a great place to grab a cold beer and "cheesburger in paradise" for lunch.

For quite possibly the best breakfast on the lake, head further upstream towards Half Moon Island, keep to port and run up Whites Creek. On your port side you will see Terrace View Marina (another good lunch/dinner spot). Stay to port and keep going up stream to Arrowhead Dock. This is more of a campground and fishing camp, but the restaurant offers a wonderful southern breakfast menu. A real treat.

Back on the main channel at MM 547.5 is Blue Springs Marina, the largest full service marina on the lake. They offer a truly professional staff and a great restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Live music as well on most weekend nights. This large marina also has quite a cast and crew of characters that call Blue Springs home. From sailboats, cruisers, houseboats to pontoons and fishermen. All can be found together at Blue Springs.

A little further upstream on the starbord side is Bayside Marina. Another good marina with a restaraunt for breakfast and lunch. They also serve ice cream right off the fuel dock.

I could keep going, as Watts Bars is my favorite resovior on the TN River. I hope this helps and you all have a wonderful time. Who knows, we may be up there as well.


Most of the rest of this was posted by Chuck1.

 

[chuck1]

Thanks Nolan. I've been offline all day. Looks like you got it all covered. I've tried to keep the 1st post updated. Just added "Times like these" yesterday.

 

[midway]

Thanks Nolan. I've been offline all day. Looks like you got it all covered. I've tried to keep the 1st post updated. Just added "Times like these" yesterday.

No problem, just thought since there are 23 pages I would go get the highlights and put them in one post that can be copied and moved forward in the future if needed.

 

[JimHamilton]

Thanks guys. If we can make it, we'll stay aboard.

 

[chuck1]

Thanks guys. If we can make it, we'll stay aboard.

Hope to see you there Jim.:thumbsup:

 

[chuck1]

Ok, it's getting closer, who is ready for the trip?

 

[midway]

I am.

 

[wish2fish]

I would love to join you guys but don't know if I could make it happen.

How long is the run from Euchee to Chattanooga?

 

[chuck1]

I would love to join you guys but don't know if I could make it happen.

How long is the run from Euchee to Chattanooga?

Come on down, it is going to be fun.
I'm planning 3.5+- hours including the locking time(Will have 2 of them) for the Chattanooga run. I'm sure some may want to go via car if they plan to spend more time downtown.

 

[chuck1]

Do we think it is close enough to our Rendezvous time to set some hard plans or do we just want to wing it?? What is everybody's feeling on setting some plans in stone?

 

[chuck1]

Spoke with Maggie Today. Only 2 rooms in the lodge and 2 floating cabins left as of today. Also said that not every body asked for a slip. Make sure if you are going to need a slip (Free with a room) you told them. She said they are going to be doing some fireworks on the 4th, but yes Kingstons are the biggest on the lake so if everybody is still game looking at running to Kingston on the 4th.

Again do we want to set a firm plan or what works for everybody???? The pavilion is still avl for Saturday if we want to do a cook out.

 

[SeaRide]

I firmly plan on being there and will call Maggie no later than July 1st to make reservations.

 

[midway]

I firmly plan on being there and will call Maggie no later than July 1st to make reservations.

I can see it now, you will be in a teepee. :grin::smt043:smt101

 

[SearayPaul]

Alison will be at the Hyatt

 

[SeaRide]

Don't think so Paul. I love camping. So does the wife. Plus I can put some of my CSR knowledge to good use. I've learned a lot on this board. For example, I could place a Honda EU 2000 in the TeePee vent it out the top, could also be used for smoke signals, cut a hole in the side of the TP, and then mount the window unit.