Kentucky Lake to Nashville, TN?

[Brad Berry]

Hello! Has anyone made a trip down the Cumberland from Kentucky Lake to Nashville, TN? I've seen a thread about things to do around Nashville, but nothing necessarily from KY Lake down the Cumberland.

I've had a few friends that have taken the trek via large Cruisers, but I'm looking for more info regarding fuel, obstacles, etc in my Yamaha AR240.

Thanks! Cheers!

 

[BigAbe75]

Watching this thread, with much interest!!!

 

[Dough]

Really fun trip! We left from Barkley not KY and I was just along for the ride but basically it's fuel in Clarksville marina then a lock about half way from there. We stopped to swim a lot and got there in 8 hours. Typically will have some debris where Cumberland flows into Barkley. Don't get out of the markers in that area either. You will end up with a carp jumping in the boat.



Fort Donaldson is along the way. Cannons covering the river still!

 

[BigAbe75]

So, a long day ride from Ky Lake to Nashville. 2 nights in Nashville (a full day to goof around - maybe 2), then long ride back.

Something like:

- Thur arrive Ky lake somewhere
- Fri ride down
- Fri night in Nashville
- Sat on the town
- Sunday ride back to start
- Sunday late or Monday head for home.

- option to add another day in Nashville

Somebody local want to organize marinas/locations? Or, offer suggested names/links to places?

@2kwik4u is (or is soon to be) a Nashville expert.


We could even depart from St Louis on the Mississippi and lock through on the Ohio into Ky Lake. (Ok, maybe that’s too much).

 

[2kwik4u]

@BigAbe75 I'm not sure I would call myself an expert, but will at least have some pics of the facilities at Nashville's waterfront here soon.

Packing the boat tonight. Leaving tomorrow around 3pm to head to Goodlettsville. If the weather holds good for us, we're gonna be on the water most of the day Saturday.

I'll certainly be taking pics/videos along the way.

 

[2kwik4u]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/qctime...42659669-f1a3-56c5-a3e2-daea7b035126.amp.html

 

[BigAbe75]

Total amateur on river boating here... but doing a little GoogleFu, it looks like 155 miles from Kentucky Lake Dam to Lake Barkley and down the Cumberland to Nashville. With Clarksville being at about 95 mile mark. Only gas (well, only anything... really) I see just following along with Google Maps Satellite view, looks like Clarksville.

I have Navionics on my iPad, I guess I need to bring that up to see if those maps have any different info. Should show channel markers and some depths, if I remember right.

I'm thinking our boats should be fine without extra fuel on that run, right? As long as we stop in Clarksville?



Can anyone else with local experience comment? I was definitely hoping to see more activity on this thread. I'd be interested in trying to plan for this next year sometime.

Tagging a couple user groups, just to see if I can tempt more viewers.
[USERGROUP=25]@Cumberland / Kentucky / Tennessee[/USERGROUP]
[USERGROUP=24]@Midwest[/USERGROUP]

 

[AboveTheBest]

I would be interested, the wife is always looking for excuses to go to Nashville.

 

[BBottoms]

We would probably be interested in the trip. Wife loves Nashville and we live about about 2.5 hours from both Nashville and Kentucky Lake.

Looks like there’s a marina in Ashland City as well. There is also a restaraunt with courtesy docks. The marina in Clarksville also appears to have a restaraunt and looks to be within walking distance of a couple other options.

Clarksville Marina
1190 Cumberland Dr, Clarksville, TN 37040
(931) 444-0646
https://goo.gl/maps/Nqpey4tK8x72

Harpeth Shoals Marina
230 Warioto Way, Ashland City, TN 37015
(615) 792-6652
https://goo.gl/maps/bekH4TJzusm

Riverview Restaurant & Marina
110 Old River Rd, Ashland City, TN 37015
(615) 792-7358
https://goo.gl/maps/8pje7X3Vqdu

 

[Mark Hengst]

I just made that trip in early August on my cruiser. Keep in mind that you have the Cheatham locks to go through. I ended up waiting 2.5 hours to lock through because they have to break up a 3x5 barge into 2 pieces to lock through. I would call ahead. Also keep an eye out for barge traffic. I encountered 7 on my last trip between Ashland City and Lake Barkley Dam. Beautiful trip in the fall.

 

[swatski]

We could even depart from St Louis on the Mississippi and lock through on the Ohio into Ky Lake. (Ok, maybe that’s too much).

I have considered that. The issue is fuel... Last stop with gas south of St. Louis is the Hoppies Marina in Kimmswick, MO, where Meramec River hits Mississippi (and where I boat).
The next gas is... past Cairo in Paducah on the Ohio River which is about 205 miles down from Hoppies.
(Cape Girardeau, MO, I believe may only have diesel available, if that.)

So.... even with extra fuel cans/bladders that is a bit much for our boats.

--

 

[2kwik4u]

Fuel burn is definitely an issue. Low fuel light came on as we we're pulling onto the trailer Saturday in our 190. I need to measure on Google maps, but the boat said we went 72 miles. Not sure how current plays into that as 25miles back up river was against the current and 25miles there was with current. Should be a net zero, but need to figure that out. The Cumberland from Nashville to Old Hickory is narrow and barren of public facilities.

Locks are a timing issue as well. Took us just over 3hrs to clear the Old Hickory locks on Saturday night......in the rain.....due to them breaking a barge into two trips. Boat idled for about 2hrs of that though as we couldn't anchor near the spillway and wanted to make sure they didn't forget about us so we kept bumping in/out of gear and sitting in one spot.

 

[BigAbe75]

I have considered that. The issue is fuel... Last stop with gas south of St. Louis is the Hoppies Marina in Kimmswick, MO, where Meramec River hits Mississippi (and where I boat).
The next gas is... past Cairo in Paducah on the Ohio River which is about 205 miles down from Hoppies.
(Cape Girardeau, MO, I believe may only have diesel available, if that.)

So.... even with extra fuel cans/bladders that is a bit much for our boats.

--

In ‘92, my grandparents took our brand new 19’ Celebrity I/O from Alton IL down to New Orleans (I think). I was in HS. My younger brother went with them and seems to think they went up the Ohio and into Kentucky Lake during that trip (which doesn’t make sense to me unless they were sightseeing). He would have been about 8 at the time, so is pretty fuzzy as well.

I know they had another couple with them and the motorhome as a chase car. I assume they must have used cans from nearest filling station to fuel up, but no idea where they would have docked at night, etc. they would alternate each day who drove the boat and who drove the motorhome.

I really wish I had more details on that adventure, but of the 2 couples that went along, the men have passed and the women are too elderly (or infirm) at this point to remember any specifics.

What I remember most is that they took our brand new boat, and it came home with a number of scratches on it. But, nobody could tell grandpa what to do. lol. We still have it, and it runs great... although we didn’t even get it out this year since I bought my 210 a year ago.

 

[swatski]

My younger brother went with them and seems to think they went up the Ohio and into Kentucky Lake during that trip (which doesn’t make sense to me unless they were sightseeing). He would have been about 8 at the time, so is pretty fuzzy as well.

Sounds like something strait out of Huck Finn, maybe they too missed Cairo and the Ohio river in the fog! lol

--

 

[2kwik4u]

I've been super interesting in doing the Great Loop for years. This kind of "multi-day water trip" has been on my mind for a long time. There is clearly a TON of coordination to get done though. Even our little 1 day excursion had some items that could've been big problems had they not worked out. Doing something where you're touring for weeks seems so far out of scope for me, that doing something for months seems just this side of impossible.

I've done two multi-day bicycle tours. One from Louisville to Philadelphia, and another from Seattle to San Francisco. Both of those had chase trucks though, so the risk to person and plans was pretty minimal.

I think it's pretty clear I need to find some better resources to help with the planning on the water!

If a group trip emerges for an inland multi-day like this....I'm in.

 

[dan144k]

Fuel Idea, if no marina, maybe someone local in the area would know where a dock or beach is at, and could deliver fuel, to the river edge. Would take some coordination and the right people. But an Idea

 

[Jameson Clark]

Following along and very interested.

 

[Brad Berry]

Here is the website for the docks downtown. A-dock is on the west side and right on the doorsteps of downtown Nashville. However, at this time it looks to be closed for construction. T-dock is on the east bank, and is close to Nissan Stadium. It would be pretty cool to go in the fall and be right there for an NFL game.

https://www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Water-Activities/Riverfront-Dockage.aspx

 

[BigAbe75]

Sounds like something strait out of Huck Finn, maybe they too missed Cairo and the Ohio river in the fog! lol

--

Well, I may not be crazy!! Apparently, this route can be considered part of the Great Loop (or at least a side trip), and has more marinas/gas stops than going down the Lower Mississippi. I've never seen this site until today, but "Captain John" (apparently) has a crap ton of information on this.

http://www.captainjohn.org/River_Cumberland.html

 

[AboveTheBest]

Going in the early Fall (September’ish) may not be a bad idea, as those of us coming from a little further North will appreciate the small hike in temperature this time of the year.