NW Alabama to The Little Tennessee River

[Tony B]

Slight Change of Plans

Will be leaving Joe Wheeler at end of April instead of end of March.
Too much going on. The Admiral wants to see some relatives, both mine and hers, before we leave. Everyone is scattered between Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi. No matter how we look at it, it will take about 3 weeks. Trying to stick to a travel schedule with unknown weather can be a disaster, especially during ice, flood and tornado season.

 

[River Cruiser]

Tony I've been hearing about flooding problems on the Ohio from some tow boaters and others. Any problem down your way that might delay your planned departure? I still have no firm plans for this year other than we are thinking of heading south in the fall to the gulf to escape another midwest winter, all thou this year the winter was rather mild.

 

[Tony B]

The water is back up to the summer level. Lots of trash in the water and some logs are floating around. No real problems that I am aware of.
We will probably be leaving around middle April, Some last minute visiting and car traveling involved.'
last week we were in Little Rock, Ar. This week we are in now in Wylie, Tx (West of Dallas). Probably be back in Joe Wheeler by Tues of next week. After that, we will be making final preparations on the boat and then take off.
I think, or actually I heard but not verified, that the Joe Wheeler Locks will be undergoing major repairs soon and transiting it will be limited.
If you have boat insurance for your hull, you might want to check with your insurance carrier to make sure you will be covered. This whole hurricane zone/area is a PITA as far as insurance is concerned.
Enjoy your trip.
Tony B

 

[sea hag]

I think, or actually I heard but not verified, that the Joe Wheeler Locks will be undergoing major repairs soon and transiting it will be limited.

Don't know about Wheeler but Wilson and Pickwick, next 2 locks downstream from Wheeler, are undergoing repairs, with partial, and some full, closures. See my post of last week for schedule. Wilson Lake is pulled down due to rains and to allow annual sea wall/pier repairs for landowners, but no problem.

I located at Florence Harbor on Pickwick Lake. Feel free to PM if can provide any help.

 

[Tony B]

I will be heading up-stream this summer and fall. probably come back down here or possibly Pickwick Lake for the winter. I will contact you then.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Tony B]

Chattanooga, Tn. Marinas

Getting ready to start this years journey. Our first major stop will be Chattanooga. Tn.
Has anyone here stayed there before and can recommend a marina for about a month's stay?

 

[Tony B]

We Finally Threw The Ropes

We left Joe Wheeler this past Monday, April 27th.
We spent the night at Ditto landing and Tues. morning we headed out to Alred Marina in Guntersville. We spent most of Tues and all of Wed. there.
Today (Thurs the 30th), we arrived before noon at Goose Pond marina and will spend a month here. We are standing by at Goose Pond so that we can help a friend bring a sailboat up from Mobile to Joe Wheeler. That can happen any day now.

 

[BandB]

We left Joe Wheeler this past Monday, April 27th.
We spent the night at Ditto landing and Tues. morning we headed out to Alred Marina in Guntersville. We spent most of Tues and all of Wed. there.
Today (Thurs the 30th), we arrived before noon at Goose Pond marina and will spend a month here. We are standing by at Goose Pond so that we can help a friend bring a sailboat up from Mobile to Joe Wheeler. That can happen any day now.

Such a beautiful area. Goose Pond is supposed to be very nice with Angler beside it. We really look forward to time in that area. Maybe 2016 or 2017.

 

[Moonstruck]

Getting ready to start this years journey. Our first major stop will be Chattanooga. Tn.
Has anyone here stayed there before and can recommend a marina for about a month's stay?

Marine Max handles the Ross' Landing Marina. It is down town. Probably would not be good for a month.

Probably Island Cove Marina would be the best best for a long stay. It is up the lake several miles.

I live near the waterfront, so let me know if you will be downtown.

I will be back in town Sunday evening or Monday.

 

[Last Tango]

Hey Tony! Eileen and I loved Goose Pond. Stayed there 3 times last year. Good people.

We are in Lake Okeechobee heading west.

Give Helen a hug for us!

 

[Toolbuddie]

Tony, Looks like we will be back home at Goose Pond on Sunday. We will look you up when we get there. I think Ray has headed out already. At least his boat was out last week end while we were there. Enjoy your stay. Check out the golf course if you have that habit. Last time i played there, long time ago, it was very nice.

 

[Tony B]

.... Looks like we will be back home at Goose Pond on Sunday. ....................

Hi

I met Ray yesterday while I was walking around for exercise. Strange that I don't recall seeing him on here.
Anyway, we will be here Sunday, we plan on staying for a month. Come by and introduce yourself. We are on the transient dock near the fuel stop.
We are nosed in and have an inflatable dink on the back. The boat name is Serenity , but I don't think you will be able to see the name from the dock.

 

[BandB]

Marine Max handles the Ross' Landing Marina. It is down town. Probably would not be good for a month.

Probably Island Cove Marina would be the best best for a long stay. It is up the lake several miles.

I live near the waterfront, so let me know if you will be downtown.

I will be back in town Sunday evening or Monday.

You may want to do both. Ross' Landing puts you within walking distance of so much of the beauty of the Riverwalk area including the aquarium. Then Island Cove puts you out of town a ways but gives you a wonderful setting catering to boaters. In between, you have Chickamauga/Erwin and Lakeshore and Gold Point and Big Ridge, all quite crowded and still requiring a car to get to town.

Now at the lower end of Lake Nickajack, before reaching Chattanooga, you might want an overnight stop at Hales Bar (especially if you are late clearing the lock). They are, however, always in some kind of flux.

 

[Toolbuddie]

BandB and Tony. Just out of Nickajack lock on the left is Shell Mound recreation area. Public dock no electric but usually quiet and Free. Have a caretaker lives on site. launch ramp and camp grounds. We usually stay there on the way to Chatt.

 

[BandB]

BandB and Tony. Just out of Nickajack lock on the left is Shell Mound recreation area. Public dock no electric but usually quiet and Free. Have a caretaker lives on site. launch ramp and camp grounds. We usually stay there on the way to Chatt.

Yes, just on the left, just beyond Shell Mound was plans for a Rarity property but like most, they went bankrupt, this one before it really got started. It was going to have a golf course and a marina. At one time they even had some of the parts for the docks I believe. Last I knew the whole thing was available from the bank asking around $12 million but willing to probably take whatever anyone would offer.

I think their dream was for it to be the development people would come to from Atlanta. Obviously it wasn't targeted to the residents of Jasper, TN.

Shell Mound sounds good. Last I knew there were no pump outs available at Hales Bar. Do you know if that's still true?

 

[Moonstruck]

Yes, just on the left, just beyond Shell Mound was plans for a Rarity property but like most, they went bankrupt, this one before it really got started. It was going to have a golf course and a marina. At one time they even had some of the parts for the docks I believe. Last I knew the whole thing was available from the bank asking around $12 million but willing to probably take whatever anyone would offer.

I think their dream was for it to be the development people would come to from Atlanta. Obviously it wasn't targeted to the residents of Jasper, TN.

Shell Mound sounds good. Last I knew there were no pump outs available at Hales Bar. Do you know if that's still true?

John (Thunder) Thorton assembled the property, and then sold it to Rarity. We were one of the first builders invited to participate in the build out of the community. My son and I took a hard look at it. We were concerned about their marketing plan and finances. They also had us look at a proposed development up the river at the Hiawassee River. Same concerns. It turned out we were right in our concerns. I guess luck beats skill.

 

[BandB]

John (Thunder) Thorton assembled the property, and then sold it to Rarity. We were one of the first builders invited to participate in the build out of the community. My son and I took a hard look at it. We were concerned about their marketing plan and finances. They also had us look at a proposed development up the river at the Hiawassee River. Same concerns. It turned out we were right in our concerns. I guess luck beats skill.

Later in the process I saw much of the plan too as well as some of their other locations. This made zero sense and was way under capitalized. The cost just to put in the basics is huge. And a Trevino golf course? In Jasper, TN? This is an area for moderately priced homes and condos. Getting people from Chattanooga to move out there would be hard. For vacation homes pulling those from Atlanta also hard. I saw what the people who bought lots paid and it was at least double any reasonable market and, of course, without the development finished, far worse. This could be an incredibly beautiful area but not in the pricing structure planned.

Even if one purchased it for a third of what the bank was asking, the cost of finishing the infrastructure, the situation with prime property already sold, the issues of marina and golf course, make it a very difficult project. One of the huge problems is that Rarity sold the best waterfront lots and already took that money.

 

[Tony B]

We are on the Little Tennessee

Sorry I have been absent for a while, just haven't been on web much lately.
Anyway here is my update:
We left Joe Wheeler State around the first of June. Spent a few days in Guntersville, Al. area and then went to Goose Pond Colony Marina (Scottsboro, Al.) and stayed almost 2 months. Part of that 2 month period was spent helping a friend get a new-to-him sailboat from Mobile, Al to Joe Wheeler State Park. That took 2 weeks which was fairly uneventful. Had to stop and make minor repairs along the way and also some weather days. Goose Pond Colony marina is a great place to stay. We really enjoyed it there.
From there, we went Chattanooga, Tn which took a few days - 2 days actual travel and a few days at anchor. We didn't stay as long as we planned. Originally, I planned on spending a month there but we couldn't get a monthly rate from anyone and so after 4 days of doing the tourist thing, we felt like that was enough. We had been there before and so we had seen and done everything we wanted to.
After Chattanooga, our next main stop was going to be Tellico Lake/Little Tennessee River. It took 3 actual travel days and several anchoring out a dn marina days along the way. We ended up at Tellico Marina and all I can say is WOW!, this place is awesome both from a boat and a car point of view. Nothing like looking at the Smokey Mountains every day. After a few days here, we rented a car (Enterprise - very, very cheap on weekends) and drove back to Goose Pond Colony and retrieved my van.
We are on the Little Tennessee River AKA Tellico Lake 20 river miles south of the Tennesse River just short of Knoxville, Tn.
WE love it here, there is so much to see and do in the area, We have a very reasonable monthly rate and a great marina manager. We plan to stay here at least through the fall foliage and not sure if we will winter-over or not. And I thought retirement meant no major decision making.
Life is good.

 

[Pack Mule]

Wow Tony, Great to hear from you . Sounds like a great trip and a cool place to stay . We hope to make that exact trip someday . Thanks for posting .

 

[BandB]

Sorry I have been absent for a while, just haven't been on web much lately.
Anyway here is my update:
We left Joe Wheeler State around the first of June. Spent a few days in Guntersville, Al. area and then went to Goose Pond Colony Marina (Scottsboro, Al.) and stayed almost 2 months. Part of that 2 month period was spent helping a friend get a new-to-him sailboat from Mobile, Al to Joe Wheeler State Park. That took 2 weeks which was fairly uneventful. Had to stop and make minor repairs along the way and also some weather days. Goose Pond Colony marina is a great place to stay. We really enjoyed it there.
From there, we went Chattanooga, Tn which took a few days - 2 days actual travel and a few days at anchor. We didn't stay as long as we planned. Originally, I planned on spending a month there but we couldn't get a monthly rate from anyone and so after 4 days of doing the tourist thing, we felt like that was enough. We had been there before and so we had seen and done everything we wanted to.
After Chattanooga, our next main stop was going to be Tellico Lake/Little Tennessee River. It took 3 actual travel days and several anchoring out a dn marina days along the way. We ended up at Tellico Marina and all I can say is WOW!, this place is awesome both from a boat and a car point of view. Nothing like looking at the Smokey Mountains every day. After a few days here, we rented a car (Enterprise - very, very cheap on weekends) and drove back to Goose Pond Colony and retrieved my van.
We are on the Little Tennessee River AKA Tellico Lake 20 river miles south of the Tennesse River just short of Knoxville, Tn.
WE love it here, there is so much to see and do in the area, We have a very reasonable monthly rate and a great marina manager. We plan to stay here at least through the fall foliage and not sure if we will winter-over or not. And I thought retirement meant no major decision making.
Life is good.

I'm amazed at how many people loop but then miss out on the beauty of the Tennessee River. Totally different from coastal cruising. Relaxing and peaceful. When we loop, it is our intent then to keep that boat in that area at least a couple or three years. We're enjoying your trip as we want to cover all those places you're seeing. We want to explore all the Tennessee, then the Cumberland, the Ohio, the Missouri. So much inland beauty. The only one we've been on is the Tennessee.

 

[Tony B]

The rivers are totally different than coastal cruising in many ways. For one thing, river cruising is more challenging. Amongst other things, river anchoring is probably the biggest fear to get over. Running aground on the coast means stuck in sand or mud. Running aground here could lead to possible severe damage and even sinking. Hard rocks are a big thing up here. The Tennessee River is comprised of a lot of mountain cuts and -flooding. Speaking of which, i recently saw a new-to-me map reference while looking for an anchorage: "Flooded Trees". I assume you can drive over them this time of year, but not smart to anchor. Don't know about winter though when the water drops about 7 foot.
We are not loopers, just boat gypsies. We try to enjoy an area for several weeks to several months. This also includes playing leap-frog with my van which is also a mobile mini-storage. So far I have flown, taken a Greyhound Bus and rented a car to get back to my van.
Next year we will be taking the Tennessee to the end which is the Ohio River.
And then onto the CUmberland. We are thinking about Cuba after that - not sure yet.
Hope to catch up to some more of you guys along the way.

Tony B

 

[dimer2]

Good to hear from you Tony! It all sounds awesome. We plan on casting off for Kemah and then working our way down to South Padre, next week.

 

[BandB]

We're still trying to figure out where we want to go this year. I'am still wanting to return to Lake Michigan, the north channel and Lake Huron. There is also the desire to cruise the Tennessee River and the TennTom maybe even the gulf but I doubt I would go that far south. I've even thought that going up the Ohio River may be a interesting trip. I suspect what will happen is we'll leave the marina and decide then which direction to head. Maybe we'll see you somewhere along the way.

The Cumberland to at least Nashville sounds great. As to the Ohio, all the way to Pittsburgh sounds nice to me. It obviously can't be a winter cruise, but also, from what I've read, don't cruise it on weekends. Take them for sightseeing as I've seen pictures of crowds waiting for locks that were quite crowded.

That's part of the beauty of boating. There is always somewhere new to go on top of all the places we'd like to return.

As we use to dream of retirement, we'd never been to Fort Lauderdale to even dream about it. However, the Tennessee River was certainly in those dreams.

 

[Tony B]

Good to hear from you Tony! It all sounds awesome. We plan on casting off for Kemah and then working our way down to South Padre, next week.

Blue, glad to hear from you too. South Padre is a fine destination. I lived in Rock Port (along your way, just shy of Corpus) for around 9 or 10 months after Katrina kicked us out of Slidell, La. If you have time, a few nights in Port Aransas is cool down near the ferry area or further down at Island Moorings Yacht Club and marina.

Have a blast

Tony B

 

[Forkliftt]

Thanks for the update Blue. You guys seem to be on the perfect pace!!!


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

 

[tego]

Tony, The term sunken trees means trees that are upright and just below the water. They've been under water for years but are still very solid(and your depth meter will say 18-20 feet when you're among them). They'll bend up a prop very easily. On the Tellico River, don't go past Ballplay Creek! In winter, at low water, the trunks are about 2-3 feet out of the water and are about 8-10 inches in diameter. Right now, they're about 2 feet below the water and you can't see them unless you're looking straight down at them. I'm at Sequoyah marina at the mouth of the Tellico, about 1/2 mile from you. I'll keep an eye out for you and say howdy. Ben

 

[Tony B]

Hey Ben


We were there for dinner last week. If I knew, I would have waved.
I'll keep my eye out for you also. Last week, we took the van for a drive on the Tail of the Dragon. The admiral was sea-sick. LOL
For those of you that are not familiar, the Tail of the Dragon is world famous for bikers. There are 318 turns in 11 miles through the mountains and many are switchbacks.
I will PM you my cell.

 

[sea hag]

Tony

As come back through The Shoals, drop me a PM. We live on Wilson Lake, and keep our boat at Florence Harbor. Will cook some BBQ chicken with North Alabama white sauce !

 

[Tony B]

Thanks for the offer and I certainly will.

Tony B