Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

[basbalj288]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Hey guys!
I am 22 years old and have always wanted to do this trip. I live in Memphis now and go down to lakes in MS and to pickwick with MY 1972 Starcraft Super Sport with a '76 Johnson 85hp. I have the Johnson working so fabulously and pushes the 16' aluminum Vhull 42mph! Crazy but I would love to do this trip someday when I feel 100% confident. I guess since it would be my first overnight trip I'm a little nervous...
Is the TN river hard to navigate from Chat. to Knox? and are there ample places to fill up?
My motor compared to others I read about is quite gas efficient in that I can run it all day tubing and skiing at WOT for 4-5 hours on only 10 gallons of gas and if my math is correct, going 40 mph for 2.5 hours would put me in Knox. without needing to fill up, if it really is only 100 miles away.
Any advice or words of encouragement to make me feel better about making the trip?

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

..... if it really is only 100 miles away.
Any advice or words of encouragement to make me feel better about making the trip?

Not to burst your bubble, but it may me only 100 miles as the crow flies, but as the river goes (Grin)

Chattanooga (Aquarium Courtesy Dock) MM 464.0
Volunteer Landing Marina (Knoxville) MM 648.0
That is 184+- miles, plus you have 3 locks you have to go through.

Yes there is plenty of places to stop and get gas/eat/lodging along the way.

It is a great trip and I guess you could make it in one day, but it would be a heck of a long day. (grin)

 

[basbalj288]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Ok that makes a little more sense. No I wouldn't attempt this in one day. What type of boats are yall taking on this voyage, ones with cabins or pontoons, normal ski boats....
I'm pretty sure mine would be up for the adventure, knock on wood I have her running beautifully now and trust her.
How do the locks work? Do you have to pay or anything I've heard of them before but never seen them in action

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Ok that makes a little more sense. No I wouldn't attempt this in one day. What type of boats are yall taking on this voyage, ones with cabins or pontoons, normal ski boats....
I'm pretty sure mine would be up for the adventure, knock on wood I have her running beautifully now and trust her.
How do the locks work? Do you have to pay or anything I've heard of them before but never seen them in action

They are free to use (You are paying for them via your taxes)
Here is a good link from TVA on how to lock through. http://www.tva.com/river/navigation/reclockthrough.htm

Current boat is a 24' SUV Bowrider. I've seen all kinds of boats on the river before. Just make sure of the weather when you go, there is some bigger open water on the lakes. As to sleeping on it if it is just me yes, when the girls go no way. We have to get a place (Condo/Room/Cabin) etc along the way which there are many to choose from.

 

[basbalj288]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

That was all so helpful! Thank you very much I appreciate it

 

[NOTW]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

I am going to make a trip down next season!

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

I am going to make a trip down next season!

Cool, Make sure to take plenty of pictures so you can share them with us!

 

[Red_BOFUS]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

When we go we plan to have one really hard day up to a bed and breakfast along the river which is just past the mid way point. We?ll then spend a day or so in Knoxville before coming back home. If it just my wife and I, we will camp in the boat on the way home but if we take others it is impractical unless I have a dying rich family member or winning lotty ticket I am unaware of.

For me there is that adventure to it more than anything. I sit now in the Gulf just marking time until I get back home to my boat and family and back out there.

 

[blifsey]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Sounds like it will be a great trip! I've wanted to do a fall color cruise on Tenn river but kids school activities (high school and college marching bands) have kept us from making it. My plan would be to tow boat up with MH, camp somewhere and go up river one day and down river the next.

I spent lots of evening reading this guy's adventures...
http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/

 

[Dkrager]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

I spent lots of evening reading this guy's adventures...
http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/

I have been reading his stuff also. Great pics and commentary.

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Yep, Ray really knows how to tell a good boat story!! Wish he would get get back out there so we can have some new stories to read. I emailed him a couple pictures from the "What to Expect on the TN River" CD. The author of the CD had taken a couple pictures of his boat.

 

[PBarrett]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Red_BOFUS, I appreciate that this is your thread and I don't mean to step on your toes, but since we are both going to do the same trip, I felt it made more sense to ask my questions here. If I did step on your toes, I apologize.

Here goes...My wife and I are planning a TN River cruise the second week in October. I'd like to put in somewhere around I-24, but I'm not sure how secure the truck and trailer would be while we are on the water. Got any ideas? I called Hales Bar Marina, but they said they couldn't help us, we could put the boat in, at their marina, but we couldn't park the truck and trailer. Boat is a 26' flybridge cruiser, so the trailer is a tri-axle. Any ideas? In the past I used the ramp at the county park, just off I-24 but those were just day sails on Nickajack Lake.

Like I said, we've been on the river a couple of times, years ago, with our sailboat, however, we were just day sailing on Lake Nickajack. After reading Jerry's Hays trip report, on a different forum, we thought it would be fun to spend a few days on the river, so I recently ordered his TN River Book. How in depth was the book? Did the book include food/fuel stops, etc? I have the current charts for the river and my Garmin GPS/Chartplotter has the current chip that includes the river, will this be adequate?

My wife wants to stay on the boat in downtown Chatt., for one or two nights, so I need to find a marina with at least electrical. Someone told me that there are two downtown marinas, but the only one I can find is Marine Max. Is that correct? How busy is downtown Chatt. during the week?

If there is anything else I should know, please let me know. BTW, sorry for the long post, just have lots of questions.

Thanks,
PB

 

[Red_BOFUS]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Hey bro, the more heads the better you know?

If it were me I?d put in and park just below the Chickamauga dam at the Chattanooga River Park. The lock the gates at night, it is a great slip and just above downtown Chattanooga. An alternative would be Brown?s Ferry Marina.

There is also some free ramp/parking at wolftever creek boat ramp. I think the parking is lighted (can?t recall), but I do know I see a lot of LEO driving around and checking stuff out. Island Cove or on of the other Marina?s around there might also be of help too. These are on the north side of the lock though, so keep that in mind too.

The book is awesome man, it has coves to stop in, places to buy fuel/gas/food/sleeping, all kinds of information. It gives you mile markers and also each page tells you how far it is to the next ?big? place and how far you are from the last ?big? place.

Marine Max runs all the downtown slips, so they would be the one to talk too. Ross?s Marine Landing is down town, ran by Marine Max and also the Tennessee Aquarium Wall is ran by them as well.

Go here
http://www.activecaptain.com/X.php

Click Interactive cruising guide and type in Chattanooga and bring it in and it will give you tons of places, reviews and also numbers/e-mail to contact.

There is a Bed and Breakfast between Chattanooga and Knoxville, I think your wife would enjoy the chance to visit and stay. It is right on the river and they will pick you up at their dock if you stay there.
http://www.whitestoneinn.com/

If it helps you man, I?d be happy to meet you (if I am in town) and if you feel good about it, bring your truck/trailer down to my house and return it when you are coming back.

My wife likes the area between Chattanooga and Hales Bar, for its scenery. You might look at parking somewhere down that way. I am not sure who you spoke to at Hales Bar, but they have tons of parking room there, I might call and ask to speak to the manager, maybe wrap up some parking with a night in a cabin each way (stay away from the floating cabins, they are not as comfy a your boat). Worse case scenario, I?d ask them what is the RV parking rate and parking my truck at the RV lot (gated and secure) and put in at the ramp just below the Marina and park there.

If you need anything man, just send me a PM or post here. I am not sure how much IU can help, but I am boots on the ground in the area and will help all I can.

I am looking forward to hearing how it all goes for you man.


Red

 

[PBarrett]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Wow Red, Thank you very much for all the information and for your most generous offers. I really appreciate that.

Given all the helpful information, I believe that I will get on the phone today and start making plans. I showed my wife the info on White Stone Inn and quite naturally she thought that we should spend some "quality time" there. I reminded her that this was going to be a river excursion and told her that maybe an anniversary would be a better time, she agreed.....phew, got out of that one, for now!

Obviously, my primary concern about parking my truck & trailer is that when I return to haul out my boat that they are both still there. In GA, many of the state and county owned ramps do not allow you to park overnight, so a private ramp would be more to my liking. I'll try those that you listed and see what I get.

Red, thank you for all your input and ideas. It's apparent that you have spent considerably more time in your planning than did I. As this trip comes together, I'll stop back and update my plans.

Again, thanks.

PB

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

PB,

Like Red said talk with Hales Bar again. I know for a fact that they had a fenced in area for trailers. I used it a couple years ago when I had my RV in the camp ground. Sorry can't remember the cost but it was not that much.

Yes MM does run the downtown Chattanooga marinas for the city. Give them a call and they will set up up. If memory serves me right MM is the only game in town for gas too.

Activecaptain is great I've tried to update it as best as I can.
I've posted a link to some of our trips on the TN river before.

Hope it helps
Chuck

 

[Red_BOFUS]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Ant time buddy. Chuck is a big help too. Let me know if I can help antmore brotherman

 

[riversrme]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Cool. I got Jerry Hay's book today in the mail. I am going to do a short cruise this weekend south of Chick through Chatt and around that way, before I head back to work.

Here is a link to info on that book:
http://www.riverlorian.com/tennesseeriver.htm

 

[Red_BOFUS]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Wow Red, Thank you very much for all the information and for your most generous offers. I really appreciate that.

Given all the helpful information, I believe that I will get on the phone today and start making plans. I showed my wife the info on White Stone Inn and quite naturally she thought that we should spend some "quality time" there. I reminded her that this was going to be a river excursion and told her that maybe an anniversary would be a better time, she agreed.....phew, got out of that one, for now!

Obviously, my primary concern about parking my truck & trailer is that when I return to haul out my boat that they are both still there. In GA, many of the state and county owned ramps do not allow you to park overnight, so a private ramp would be more to my liking. I'll try those that you listed and see what I get.

Red, thank you for all your input and ideas. It's apparent that you have spent considerably more time in your planning than did I. As this trip comes together, I'll stop back and update my plans.

Again, thanks.

PB

PB,

Look here

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=436354

for some pics. I got a lot of the Chatt river front for you to get an idea. If you need more let me know. Also checked around Hales Bar is as far out as they have safe parking.

Great day yesterday on the water my friend.

 

[PBarrett]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Red & Chuck,

Thanks for all the input. You guys are great. We have tentatively planned our river trip to start on October 13. This week I'll call Hales Bar and see if I can make arrangements there. I just got home from the lake and WooHoo, Jerry Hays Tennessee River Guide arrived while we were gone. I'll dig into that tonight. I plan to drag the boat home toward the end of the month, clean it up and do some maintenance work then haul it to Chattanooga. My wife and I are both looking forward to the trip.

Thanks guys,
PB

 

[Red_BOFUS]

Re: Chattanooga-Knoxville Cruise

Sweet brotherman..you'll dig in that guide and you'll be planning way ahead..LOL

I use it all the time, even when I know where I am going. I like to get terrain association with the markers so I can know where I am without looking/reading.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip..one word of caution as you near Charleston, TN, the Bowater Paper plant will make you wish there were a better way around...