Eastern TN advice, Watts Bar Lake

[Pascal]

Need LocKnow on Watts Bar Lake/TN river marinas… we re seriously considering moving the 53 to TN next summer which for now we ll use as a cottage for whenever we go up there and then while we build on the land we bought a couple of years ago.

Miami is just getting crazy by the day, even on the water and I m tired of having to deal with hurricanes. If it was one boat it would be easy but we also have a sailboat plus of course the job (110 Lazzara)

So any tips on Watts Bar Lake Marinas welcome. Costs are a fraction of what we re paying here but I wonder how hard it is to find larger slips. Wait lists? Any marina to avoid?

Open or covered? I m not a big fan of covered slips but are there any compelling reasons to prefer a covered slip?

 

[Miss Swivel]

Your biggest problem up here will be finding a slip. They've been tight the past few years and it just got worse after the big snow storm last winter. Fort Loudon Dam Marina lost their dockominiums and are not rebuilding. That was a lot of big slips. I think your best bet for availability would be Terrace View Marina. Blue Springs has an onsite boatyard and restaurant. Slip availability is just hit or miss. Long Island is a nice, small secluded marina but, I think her largest slip is 50' and you can't stick out at all. You might also want to look at marinas on the upstream end of Chickamauga reservoir. Some of them have been advertising on FB marketplace. I kept a boat at Pine Harbor. They have an onsite restaurant.

 

[Fanfare]

Family had a cottage in the Monteagle Assembly, maybe 20 miles from Watts Bar. You will get some pretty good freezes there. Winterizing the water system will make it hard to drop in for short visits. Late spring to fall would be fine.

Watts Bar is a fascinating location. Site of a big hydroelectric dam and power plant in the early 1920s, turned out to be built above unstable river bottom, leaked so much it was abandoned and dam and lock torn down. How would you like explaining that to your stockholders! TVA built another plant about 16 miles downstream later.

 

[Pascal]

Good info, thanks. We ve been to Blue Spring and Bayside on the east side. The closest to our land is Caney Creek. Whenever we get up there we rent a room to explore

 

[Freeebird]

Tennessee is closed.

I’m watching the Vols beat up on Kent State with Ang, but I’ll get up with you later.

 

[Miss Swivel]

Good info, thanks. We ve been to Blue Spring and Bayside on the east side. The closest to our land is Caney Creek. Whenever we get up there we rent a room to explore

As you know, Caney Creek is a small marina. They have a waiting list as far as I know. Actually, when I was considering a 53' Hatt back in mid-summer, everyone between Knoxville and Chattanooga had a waiting list.

 

[Angela]

I understand your being fed up with Miami. I left a year ago and just love my new digs. I’m still in a hurricane area, but I’m not in a flood zone and I have hurricane windows and doors. Boat is locally stashed, on the hard and strapped down, beyond the first lock on the Okeechobee River in Stuart.

I have no regrets with having left Miami, except that I miss playing on Biscayne Bay with Mermaid Susan. I sold my Miami condo at just the right time.

Watts Bar Lake…you’ll be neighbors with Freebird. Just make sure you don’t leave any water in the kiddie pool.

 

[Pascal]

As you know, Caney Creek is a small marina. They have a waiting list as far as I know. Actually, when I was considering a 53' Hatt back in mid-summer, everyone between Knoxville and Chattanooga had a waiting list.

caney creek is the closest marina from where our lot in Grande Vista. For the next couple of years until we build if we have to dock further away like chickamauga, west of Chattanooga or Lou don, that will work as well

Also have to figure out heat as my chillers aren’t set up for reverse cycle. Don’t even known how reversed cycle would do in winter. Flagship normally uses heating elements in the air handlers? They can probably be retrofitted.

 

[Miss Swivel]

I've found the reverse cycle is pretty much worthless for comfort in temps below 40 degrees. We usually just use cabin heaters. The reverse cycle is probably sufficient for freeze protection but I just use engine compartment heaters. The biggest problem is a power outage. I had my boat at Terrace View one season and an ice storm took out power for several days. Downed trees blocked access to the marina so, we couldn't even get to our boats. Luckily, my mechanic lived on his boat on the same dock. He turned everyone's generators on and monitored them for the duration of the outage. Good dock mates will usually help you through the emergencies if they occur.

 

[Freeebird]

I knew you were looking, but I didn’t realize you bought in Grand Vista Bay. I used to live in Lochhaven Estates on the main channel just up the river on the same side. That’s when Grande Vista used to be Sugah Valley Farm which was just one big farm.

I’ve kept various boats in all the marinas mentioned on Watts Bar, and no doubt you’re looking at a long waiting list to get in. That will be the same in Lenoir City where I’ve kept boats as well. There’s a new place that I’ve only driven by and haven’t looked into in Rockwood that would be fairly close to you. https://rockwoodmarinarvresort.com

There is also Harbor Pointe Marina (I guess that’s still the name) in Rockwood. Kept a boat there too. Been a long time since I’ve been in there, but it might be worth a look. Euchee Marina in Ten Mile might have availability, but like Blue Springs, it’s on the other side of the lake and will involve a pretty good drive. I live on Watts Bar just below Long Island Marina. Kept a boat there too, but it’s a smaller marina with a long list of waiters.

 

[Pascal]

Thanks for the info! Keep it coming.

The new rockwood marina is for small boats only. Same with the docks in Grande Vista, we ll eventually be able to keep our sailboat there when we move full time but th hatt is too big.

Can’t find Harbor Pointe, would that be Caney Creek Marina now? Just off 70?

I like bayside marina, good food but it s a half hour away indeed.

 

[Freeebird]

Harbor Point isn’t the same as Caney Creek but it may have changed hands/names. It’s just west of Thiefneck Island and was called Thiefneck Marina many years ago. Kept a boat there for a while.

Bayside isn’t bad. Kept a boat there too. Used to know the people who owned it, but it changed hands a few years ago. Haven’t been in there in years. Has a pretty good restaurant.

You might want to look at marinas on Tellico Lake. Beautiful lake that connects with the Tennessee River above Fort Loudoun Dam in Lenoir City and stretches into the mountains. Probably waiting lists there too.

 

[Freeebird]

Found this and it shows a phone number for Harbor Pointe. Pretty funny history with that place and pie in the sky plans dreams by the owner. Their tagline was, “A destination marina”. I jokingly referred to it as A Desperation Marina. Lots of funny and questionable tales out of there.

Just looked it up on Navioncs and it shows as being closed. Been a while since I’ve ridden by there by boat.

http://www.wattsbar.info/POI/Marinas/Harbour-Point-Marina/1419017/

 

[Pascal]

On a related topic, what is the typical current in the Tombigbee and Tn river? Say may, June and July?

 

[Pascal]

Found this and it shows a phone number for Harbor Pointe. Pretty funny history with that place and pie in the sky plans dreams by the owner. Their tagline was, “A destination marina”. I jokingly referred to it as A Desperation Marina. Lots of funny and questionable tales out of there.

Just looked it up on Navioncs and it shows as being closed. Been a while since I’ve ridden by there by boat.

http://www.wattsbar.info/POI/Marinas/Harbour-Point-Marina/1419017/

The address points to a barn near a boat ramp… no evidence of a marina on google maps

 

[Freeebird]

On a related topic, what is the typical current in the Tombigbee and Tn river? Say may, June and July?

It’s negligible, even under flooding conditions.

Edit. Was multitasking and missed the Tenn-Tom part. Negligible under normal conditions, 5-6MPH under flood conditions.

 

[Freeebird]

The address points to a barn near a boat ramp… no evidence of a marina on google maps

It’s stilll there, but I have no idea as to the condition.

 

[Pascal]

Thanks again. Flood is what, march april?

Zooming in the sat pic shows remains of what could have been a marina. Long gone.

 

[Freeebird]

Thanks again. Flood is what, march april?

Zooming in the sat pic shows remains of what could have been a marina. Long gone.

Floding on the Tenn-Tom can happen in a matter of hours. Been there, seen that. March would probably be a safer bet where rain is concerned.

Oh yeah, if you need a delivery Captain who’s very familiar with those waters, I know a guy.

 

[Capt Chad]

We don't spend a lot of time on Watts Bar. Randy is gonna be your go to on that one.

I can tell you that your choices on the Ft. Loudon/Tellico side of the lock are going to be slim. On Tellico your only real choice would be Windriver or Tellico Marina. At Windriver you would just have to wait on a covered 90' slip. They're nice, and golf cart accessible. They also have a great view off the back of your boat. Tellico Marina is another 18 miles up Tellico. It's a beautiful area but a little farther off the beaten path. The biggest slip they have is a 60'x 20' so you would have to get on the end of a dock. Their address is Maryville TN but it's in Vonore.

If you think this area is an option let me know and I'll make a couple calls and see what it will take to get a slip. I'd be happy to talk anytime if you have questions about the area.