Knoxville to Nashville -Spring Trip 2012 700+ miles

Liquid Destinations

Liquid Destinations

New Member
Feb 27, 2012
17
Old Hickory Lake
Boat Info
1998 330 DA Sundancer
RayMarine C70 GPS/Radar
Engines
Twin 5.7L V drives
I am planning my first trip down the Tn River and up the Cumberland to Nashville starting from the Little Tn. near Knoxville.

I am interested in any insights fellow boats might have information about this trip. Great places marines/towns to stop in stay at, places to watch for...any spots with difficult gas etc.

Starting in early April and planning about 2 weeks for the trip.

Last year did the Grand Canyon rafting and kayaking so this is a more relaxing trip and should be great fun.
 
Spring is when this river is at its highest. It has been at flood stage numerous times during this time of year. I've never made the trip, but I would wait a couple of months. In June, you could stop and enjoy a much warmer swim along the way.

Don
 
Timing is a bit worrysome because that is right in the heart of TVA bringing the reservoirs back to full pool. Lots of timber will be floating down stream as the winter shoreline junk gets floated with the rising water level. Wheeler targets back to full pool on April 15th. If you could delay a week, you could ride with the accelerated currents down and then fight the slower currents on the way back.

Also, at least half of the marinas on the way (maybe more) will just start coming out of winter thaw on April 1st. My marina, Riverwalk, didn't get dock water turned back on until April 15th last year and issues with the gas dock and head pump out. Bay Hill marina to the south won't have their restaurant re-opened until probably sometime in May. Just be careful and call ahead.

When in Wheeler, DO NOT leave the channel -- especially from Decatur, AL to the Browns Ferry Nuc plant. Two feet on either side of the channel results in only 3ft of water and a bottom that is covered in stumps. If the wind is blowing the wrong way (from East to West which is rare) or if the wind is blowing hard from South to North, the section from Browns Ferry Nuclear plant to making the bend at Elk River can get pretty interesting with 2-3ft on top of developing rollers. Even at 10mph winds, it gets choppy through there. The rollers seem to setup around 15+mph winds or at 10mph with a strong current.

Joe Wheeler State Park and Marina is a very popular tourist stop. It's a nice marina. My wife and I love the idea of the place; however, the food sucks. We have been there with a group that grilled on the docks and the experience was much better!
 
I agree about the trees and logs in the river in the spring. While it looks like it is an early spring and we will have nice temps with the heavy rains all the rivers will be elevated and flowing with floatsam. I would hold off until June when the trash should be washed out.
 
Good comments and help. Thank you the comments and thoughts. Narrow channels...thanks!
I'm getting my navtronic charts, a couple Tn River guide books etc. for the trip so doing lots of reading and research.
The marina owner that is storing my boat has done it several times and double checking the boat, getting a spare parts list together, places to stop for gas etc. (that will be openb early April) so should have a pretty good idea of whats ahead.

Logs and flocksome...ok, so it will be an adventure, not just a boat moving trip...

It would be nice to wait but we're needing to do the trip at this time.

Thanks for the help...
 
http://clubsearay.com/showthread.ph...e-Guide-information?highlight=tennessee+river

the above is my post to keep all the tennessee river cruise info in one post. everything is still accurate. i have since reviewed the discs from the what to expect cruising... cd roms. they are nice but not necessary and they may actually spoil some suprises. I still believe the army charts and the fred myers book are the two must haves for the tennessee river.

i am on fort loudon. I make the cruise to watts barr several times per year and on down to chattanooga at least yearly. i have been on the river in other places and can confirm the shallows in areas but i have never through cruised further than nickjack dam. most of loudon, watts barr, and chickmauga are naviagable even out of the channel but of course there are areas that shoal up quickly. there are no concerning currents to speak of except when coming out of chickamauga lock onto nickjack.

fort loudon marina at the dam is open daily year round. the other marinas here are open only on weekends. usually they have a number you can call and easily arrange gas on other days. watts barr and chickamauga are a bit harder to get services. i use euchee marina and campground when on watts barr.

good luck with the trip. if i can provide other info let me know.

btw i agree with others - your biggest obsticle will be floating debris from the lake raising.

John
 
No way I'd try this in April. You will be very lucky to cover the distance without damage but do what you must.

I was going to say stop by island cove but since it was demolished today by a tornado thats out. The gorge outside chattanooga is pretty special. Also like Florence harbor and when you get to Pickwick, stop by Grand Harbor and Aqua Yacht harbor. Aqua has a good service and parts dept if you need it.

For the next 50 or so miles are a lot of houses, docks, and such along the banks...and confederate flags. I'd watch your wake carefully in these areas if you know what I mean.

About 100 miles up stream from pickwick is Pebble Isle Marina...clean, cheap fuel and great food. Oh yeah, Freddy T's is a good local "seafood" restaurant In the Pickwick area. Google it. About 40 miles up from Pebble is Paris Landing state park. The lodge has decent food and Paris is a good place to transient. Another 15 or so miles up is the bridge that made the news recently (and here on CSR) when a ship carrying large space shuttle components hit the center span and collapsed.

25 miles up is the canal that connects the Tennessee river (kentucky lake) and cumberland river (lake Barkley). Green turtle bay is well known by snowbirds making their way south for winter and by people doing the great loop. Pattys 1880's restaurant is a 5-star restaurant. The max security prison in eddyville is called the castle on the Cumberland...it's quite a sight especially at night. Another 20 up the Cumberland is barkley state resort park. Great lodge...beautiful area and quite the structure. Assume everything from that point on you probably know if your from the old hickory area.
 
Seems like I might have a somewhat new story to share, trying this in early April.
Didn't realize it was such a suspect idea when I developed my plan but getting the message...unfortunately my plans for this trip are set. Won't be the first time I've done something suspect...and had fun with some challenges.
If it's horrible we can always cancel or stop and moor "somewhere" / figure it out as we go.
Not stupid but willing to take some small chances...
Getting the guide books, just ordered them. Humm...maybe this will be more exciting than I realized (white knuckled boating)...watching for logs and flocksome!
Hope the weather is kind before and during our trip.
 
The Cumberland is worse than the Tennessee in our area. It'll be white knuckled but you now know what to expect so you're at least prepared. We plan to trip up to nashville and old hickory in late June. Docking at Titans stadium for the chesney concert, hitting coyote ugly's then a couple days on hickory. Quimbys is a good cruising guide too. Good luck with trip, it's a very pretty run.
 
here's Barkley lodge. Mile marker 65.

lake_barkley_state_resort_cadiz_kentucky-main.jpg
 
Haven't found a print copy of the Army Corps charts yet. I have the electronic and may print them if I can't find a hard copy. Thanks for the info on the marina at Barkley, very nice. Look forward to rounding that bend...

Appears planning 2 weeks on the water was a good idea as I can see running about 8-10 or no wake for a lot if it's going to be that messy in the river. Hate to rip everything off the bottom and sink her....that would make for a bad trip! Towing an inflatable dinghy is looking like a better and better idea... :)

I'm headed to Old Hickory to Cherokee Marina for a year, might stay, it'll be my first year on the Cumberland and Old Hickory. Just moved back home from central Texas so getting back into boating were there is actually water...!

Thanks
 
Have you called the army corps? When I bought mine several years ago, the website listed them as sold out but I called and they had a copy available.
 

Trip Complete!!!!

We completed 800+ (~807) in 6 days.
We departed on 4/9 and arrived on 4/14.
We departed from Tellico Lake approxly mile 620 on the Tn. River on Monday at 3:30 after a chartplotter snafu, which never reoccurred.
We arrive in Nashville on Saturday about 1pm, ate lunch downtown and then finished the trip to Old Hickory Lake that afternoon.

It was an incredible trip.
We had perfect weather. We saw almost no one, share 2 locks with 1 boat.
3 Bald Eagles -together over the lake -Ky Lake
1 Silver Fox -near Shilo
2 Turkeys (flying) -Cumberland River
3 sighting of Old Man River :) -secret

We got very lucky, really clean water, docks open but not busy, we were alone almost the entire trip on the water. A few fishing boats.

We feel very lucky to have experience such a great part of our country and be able to use the billion plus $$$ of waterway infrastructure for free. Everyone was so nice and helped us alone the way.
We saw some great places with so much history and enjoy a great trip through inner America.

This was my 1st long river trip, 1st long trip as captain. My 1st time as captain of a 2 engine, direct drive vessel. My 1st time locking... ever after 9 I was feeling like a pro...my crew my have a conflicting opinion, so many 1st 1st etc.
A great life experience. I highly recommend it.

Everything went wonderfully. I feel lucky to have bought my boat from Harbortowne Marine in Vonore, Tn.
Great facility and great honest!!! people.
 
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Congratulations you have found a very nice part of the country to call home. Look us up sometime we are at Cedar Creek Yacht Club on Cash Flow.
 
Admiral and I are looking forwards to doing the same trip, but from Guntersville. We bought our boat in Chattanooga and brought it down to Guntersville. In the fall we will go to Nashville to watch the Titans play. Any recommended marinas around Nashville?
 
So here are a few of the details of our trip.

Some of these numbers can be just a touch off, but should be close.
I think there is something wrong with the 1 mpg as it's higher than anything...but I wasn't keeping really close track, just having fun. I haven't filled up yet at my marina so I'll add the final leg when I do fill up.
Best guess is running about 25 gph on average, it's a guess though.
Lake
Marina
Gals
Price
Total
Mile Marker
Miles Traveled
MPG
Avg. RPM
Avg MPH
Tellico Lake
Seyquoia Marina
200
$4.49
$898.00
620
Watts Bar Lake
Blue Spring Marina
102
$4.29
$437.58
547
73
0.715686
3600
Nickajack Lake
Nickajack Marina
130
$4.79
$622.70
431
116
0.892308
3800
27.5
Wheeler Lake
Riverwalk Marina
140
$4.59
$642.60
304
127
0.907143
3800
27.5
Pickawick Lake
Grand Harbor Marina
101
$4.79
$483.79
215
89
0.881188
3800
27.5
Kentucky Lake
Cuba Landing
102
$5.24
$534.48
115
100
0.980392
3400
Lake Barkley
Prizer Point Marina
124
$4.11
$509.64
54
107
0.862903
3300
23
Cumberland River
Clarksville Boat Club
90
$5.27
$474.50
132
78
0.866667
3300
23
 
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