I'd welcome the opportunity to ask some questions of some Kentucky Lake sailers, particularly some who are retired, as I'm considering moving there in a couple years. If you're willing to exchange some correspondance with me, please email me off board at clevispin10@hotmail.com. Thanks, Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
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OK with me ...
Fine to do this on the forum with me ... I just thought it was of limited interest so I didn't want to bother others with it. So ... anyone have information to share with us? Tom
Fine to do this on the forum with me ... I just thought it was of limited interest so I didn't want to bother others with it. So ... anyone have information to share with us? Tom
Kentucky Lake sailor
Guys, I have sailed Kentucky Lake for 30 years and recently semi-retiredl My wife and I spend days at the lake before returning home to pay bills and do laundry and then we return to our boat and do it all over again. We have a Beneteau 423 at Lighthouse Landiing in Grand Rivers, Ky. It's located at the northern end of the lake near the damn. Several of the sailors at our marina have retired here and the sailing season usually begins in late March and ends early November. There have been a few brave souls who actually sail on Christmas day. You can log onto Kentucky Lake Sailg Club and Lighthouse Landing Marina for information regarding activities and informationregarding the surrounding area. The marina is a full service marina as well as a Hunter and Beneteau dealer. Let me know if you have specific questions.
Guys, I have sailed Kentucky Lake for 30 years and recently semi-retiredl My wife and I spend days at the lake before returning home to pay bills and do laundry and then we return to our boat and do it all over again. We have a Beneteau 423 at Lighthouse Landiing in Grand Rivers, Ky. It's located at the northern end of the lake near the damn. Several of the sailors at our marina have retired here and the sailing season usually begins in late March and ends early November. There have been a few brave souls who actually sail on Christmas day. You can log onto Kentucky Lake Sailg Club and Lighthouse Landing Marina for information regarding activities and informationregarding the surrounding area. The marina is a full service marina as well as a Hunter and Beneteau dealer. Let me know if you have specific questions.
How about the tenn-tombigbee??
We are thinking about retiring and have considered KY lake. We have been there about 3 times in a trailer sailer and always had a good time. The only bummer was running into stakes driven into the mud to attract crappie. With a swinging keel we could find places to anchor but I wonder about a fixed keel boat being able to anchor. Every trip we put the boat in at Paris Landing State Park and sailed up to the dam. It took several days of easy sailing to get up there and back. It is about 44 miles each way. we really enjoyed hearing the coyotes at night and seeing the beaver and eagles. I caught all of the catfish that I wanted to catch with some big enough to pull around the sailboat(at anchor). Anyway we love the gulf coast and don't want to be somewhere without access to Mobile Bay. How is the trip up and down the Tenn-Tom??? we have been there when there appeared to be way too much current for a sailboat. Even down at Mobile we were making very slow progress against the current but I think that we could solve that problem by going up river on a rising tide. I guess you would have to motor upstream 75 miles or so just to get to Pickwick lake. I think that it is about 400 miles or so from Pickwick to Mobile. There are cruising guides but I'd like to hear from sailers who have made the trip. Finally any thoughts on KY lake as opposed to Pickwick ,Wheeler or Guntersville??? The best thing about Wheeler or Guntersville is that they are close to Huntsville and not too far from Chattanooga or Birmingham reasonably large cities. we have been to Muscle Shoals but not long enough to know anything. Tom
We are thinking about retiring and have considered KY lake. We have been there about 3 times in a trailer sailer and always had a good time. The only bummer was running into stakes driven into the mud to attract crappie. With a swinging keel we could find places to anchor but I wonder about a fixed keel boat being able to anchor. Every trip we put the boat in at Paris Landing State Park and sailed up to the dam. It took several days of easy sailing to get up there and back. It is about 44 miles each way. we really enjoyed hearing the coyotes at night and seeing the beaver and eagles. I caught all of the catfish that I wanted to catch with some big enough to pull around the sailboat(at anchor). Anyway we love the gulf coast and don't want to be somewhere without access to Mobile Bay. How is the trip up and down the Tenn-Tom??? we have been there when there appeared to be way too much current for a sailboat. Even down at Mobile we were making very slow progress against the current but I think that we could solve that problem by going up river on a rising tide. I guess you would have to motor upstream 75 miles or so just to get to Pickwick lake. I think that it is about 400 miles or so from Pickwick to Mobile. There are cruising guides but I'd like to hear from sailers who have made the trip. Finally any thoughts on KY lake as opposed to Pickwick ,Wheeler or Guntersville??? The best thing about Wheeler or Guntersville is that they are close to Huntsville and not too far from Chattanooga or Birmingham reasonably large cities. we have been to Muscle Shoals but not long enough to know anything. Tom
Easy to make friends?
One of my concerns and questions is, how easy is it to make friends in the sailing community ... or retirement community? If we could fit in reasonably easily and quickly, we could just move there. The other option would be to sell our C27 and buy something a bit bigger, stay living in metro St. Louis where we have friends, and just go down there for a week of sailing from time to time. Tom
One of my concerns and questions is, how easy is it to make friends in the sailing community ... or retirement community? If we could fit in reasonably easily and quickly, we could just move there. The other option would be to sell our C27 and buy something a bit bigger, stay living in metro St. Louis where we have friends, and just go down there for a week of sailing from time to time. Tom
Echo Joe's comments
I sail out of Lighthouse Landing, am still actively working 4 days a week. We live in Clarksville, TN - 1 hour 15 minutes away and generally go to the boat on Thursday nights. Kentucky Lake Sailing Club has a lot of events - see the link. Sailing on Kentucky Lake is great from early March through November. I have a full enclosure so March and November allow me to sail when most others are already finished for the season. The lake is 2-1/2 miles wide and 17 miles to the nearest bridge, sailing for about 40 miles is great. Also, there is sailing in Barkley Lake to the east with a canal connecting the Land Between the Lakes. There are many good creeks and coves where anchoring out is isolated and private. In the US, there is probably not any lake better than Kentucky for sailing. It is also linked to the Gulf by the Tenn-Tom waterway leading to Mobile - 650 miles away. The town of Grand Rivers is becoming a small tourist mecca with the latest addition of a small opera house. With Patties Restaurant Lite Side Cafe, and the Pellican, there are plenty of places to eat. Come stay at Lighthouse Landing some weekend and get a feel for the area, I think you will really enjoy it. http://www.lighthouselanding.com/
I sail out of Lighthouse Landing, am still actively working 4 days a week. We live in Clarksville, TN - 1 hour 15 minutes away and generally go to the boat on Thursday nights. Kentucky Lake Sailing Club has a lot of events - see the link. Sailing on Kentucky Lake is great from early March through November. I have a full enclosure so March and November allow me to sail when most others are already finished for the season. The lake is 2-1/2 miles wide and 17 miles to the nearest bridge, sailing for about 40 miles is great. Also, there is sailing in Barkley Lake to the east with a canal connecting the Land Between the Lakes. There are many good creeks and coves where anchoring out is isolated and private. In the US, there is probably not any lake better than Kentucky for sailing. It is also linked to the Gulf by the Tenn-Tom waterway leading to Mobile - 650 miles away. The town of Grand Rivers is becoming a small tourist mecca with the latest addition of a small opera house. With Patties Restaurant Lite Side Cafe, and the Pellican, there are plenty of places to eat. Come stay at Lighthouse Landing some weekend and get a feel for the area, I think you will really enjoy it. http://www.lighthouselanding.com/
How much clearance
How high up is/are bridge 1/2 way down KL? As well as some of the other ones? kevin
How high up is/are bridge 1/2 way down KL? As well as some of the other ones? kevin
TVA sells Charts
TVA in Knoxville sells charts for the Tennessee river. Individual charts and a chart book. The individual charts help a lot showing the land contours as well as the water features. Even though much of the lake is wide there is a shallow area near the center in many areas. This often restricts sailboats to the old river channel. We went as far south as the railroad bridge south of Paris Landing. The barges can be intimidating!!!! I think that one barge can hold 100 train car loads of coal. they sometimes raft 9 barges together!!!! Roughly 900 tain cars full of coal. As you can guess they aren't dodging any sailboat. The scarey thing is that they are amazingly quiet. We had one sneak up on us one day and it scared the shot out of me. Tom
TVA in Knoxville sells charts for the Tennessee river. Individual charts and a chart book. The individual charts help a lot showing the land contours as well as the water features. Even though much of the lake is wide there is a shallow area near the center in many areas. This often restricts sailboats to the old river channel. We went as far south as the railroad bridge south of Paris Landing. The barges can be intimidating!!!! I think that one barge can hold 100 train car loads of coal. they sometimes raft 9 barges together!!!! Roughly 900 tain cars full of coal. As you can guess they aren't dodging any sailboat. The scarey thing is that they are amazingly quiet. We had one sneak up on us one day and it scared the shot out of me. Tom
More on Kentucky Lake
Bridge clearance is a concern and at summer pool on Kentucky Lake the clearnace of the lowest bridge is 57 feet. If traveling down to the gulf via the TeneTom i beleive you have to clear a 54 ft bridge. Many sailboats from the Great Lakes visit our marina on the way down to the gulf. the larger gbhoats will travel with their boom down across the boat. Several fellow sailors have retired near on in Grand Rivers and have been accepted into the community without hestitaion. The marina is a friendly group of people who share the love of sailing and really don't care who you are or what you do-we just all enjoy the friendship that sailing a boat offers.
Bridge clearance is a concern and at summer pool on Kentucky Lake the clearnace of the lowest bridge is 57 feet. If traveling down to the gulf via the TeneTom i beleive you have to clear a 54 ft bridge. Many sailboats from the Great Lakes visit our marina on the way down to the gulf. the larger gbhoats will travel with their boom down across the boat. Several fellow sailors have retired near on in Grand Rivers and have been accepted into the community without hestitaion. The marina is a friendly group of people who share the love of sailing and really don't care who you are or what you do-we just all enjoy the friendship that sailing a boat offers.
Egner Ferry is controlling at SM 41.7
Highway 68 at SM 41.7 is stated to be 57.2 at normal summer pool of 359. It is somwhat higher than advertised, because I have been under it at 360 in my 356 without tearing up anything other than my windex which was 9" higher than the bridge. My wind instrument survived which was 4" lower. I was lucky. Paris Landing on Highway 79 at mile 61.3 is higher. A railroad bridge at mile 100.5 that must be raised is about 19 feet when lowered, but is higher than Eggner Feery when raised. The TVA charts have the information on all the bridges on the back of the respective chart. Mine are on the boat, so I don't remember specifics except Eggner Ferry which I have on an excel chart so I can see what my actual clearance is. The link below will show you the operating guide for water levels on the lake for a typical year. It also gives a graph of actual conditions and the day's pool level. There is a 5 foot difference in summr and winter pools. It is great for getting under bridges, but really increases the grounding potential once the water is down.
Highway 68 at SM 41.7 is stated to be 57.2 at normal summer pool of 359. It is somwhat higher than advertised, because I have been under it at 360 in my 356 without tearing up anything other than my windex which was 9" higher than the bridge. My wind instrument survived which was 4" lower. I was lucky. Paris Landing on Highway 79 at mile 61.3 is higher. A railroad bridge at mile 100.5 that must be raised is about 19 feet when lowered, but is higher than Eggner Feery when raised. The TVA charts have the information on all the bridges on the back of the respective chart. Mine are on the boat, so I don't remember specifics except Eggner Ferry which I have on an excel chart so I can see what my actual clearance is. The link below will show you the operating guide for water levels on the lake for a typical year. It also gives a graph of actual conditions and the day's pool level. There is a 5 foot difference in summr and winter pools. It is great for getting under bridges, but really increases the grounding potential once the water is down.
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