Advice Needed: Potential Hatt relocation to Tennessee

[holtcl]

Dear Members,

Due to a work opportunity, I am looking at a potential relocation to Memphis. I have been living aboard for 7 years and this would involve going back ashore, which I am ok with. But I'm not giving up my Hatteras. Where can I put it there? The Mississippi does not look like an option. I've centered in on Pickwick Lake, which looks to be about 2 hours from where I would be working in downtown Memphis (is that correct).

Looking for advice on marinas (need a covered slip). And where I might be able to find a delivery captain? How do I go about finding someone to take the boat down with me- I'd like to make most of the trip on the boat, but I don't think it's smart for me to do the gulf crossing myself.

What else should I be considering? Obviously I'd need to have my mechanic go over the boat again and check her over.

This is heavy on my mind as I contemplate leaving the Chesapeake, which I love, and the great people here. I would like to hear from Hatteras folks in the TN area - how's the cruising? Am I nuts? (I guess we kind of already know that). Right now I pretty much am constrained to long/weekend trips anyway due to work.

Thanks,

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[captainwjm]

Welcome to Tennessee, I'm a fan of Memphis, but it'll take some getting used to. The Mississippi is difficult, but there are marinas in Memphis on Mud Island, just off the city front downtown. Note that all the marinas in Memphis and on Pickwick have covered slips. So living aboard would remain an option. Just extend your cruise from Pickwick down (north bound) on the Tennessee to the Ohio and then turn left.

Pickwick is a great lake with numerous marinas. 2 hours is about right from downtown. Closest are Pickwick state park, Aqua Yacht Harbor and Grand marina. all are clusterd near the dam and the Tenn-Tom.

Cruising the Tennessee is a treat, probably the best of any inland area, especially Pickwick upriver to Knoxville.

In planning your trip, remember that spring is usually the time of heaviest river flow, so plan your upstream trek from Mobile accordingly. There are no facilities from Dog River in Mobile Bay until Bobby's, about 150 miles. It's not a difficult trip, plenty of places to anchor, but no running after dark.

 

[bobk]

Cheryl,

Can you make the trip as most loopers do by going counter clockwise? Lots of beautiful scenery if you can manage the locks and lower bridges.

Bobk

 

[dottieshusband]

Bay Springs Marina, not far from IUKA Mississippi. Beautiful lake, on the TennTom, so the gulf is just down the road!

 

[rwappleton]

Paging Freebird.......Randy your phone is ringing!!!!!

 

[holtcl]

Good grief I wondered how many posts it would take to invoke the Freebird! LOL!!

I had a 44TC in Guntersville, AL, so I would plan to just reverse the trip that we took to move that boat here to MD, and just go a little further to Pickwick. I scoped out the marinas at Mud Island but it doesn't look like as good boating there as the other ??

Hopefully I will know more in the next couple of weeks as to whether this thing is gonna be a "go" or not.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[captainwjm]

So you are familiar with the territory. Mud Island was suggested only if you wanted to continue to live aboard. If not, then your best option is Pickwick. If it were me, I'd chose Aqua Yacht Harbor or Grand Mariner. They are near each other, and closest to Memphis. Relatively easy drive, about 2 hours.

 

[34Hatt]

Paging Freebird.......Randy your phone is ringing!!!!!

He is busy playing with little Boats now the big ones scare him

 

[MikeP]

Holy CRAP! Who's going to lend me tools? Get a grip; STOP THE INSANITY!

Re Memphis - I'm not a fan. I lived in Memphis for 6 years. Personally I did not like it because of the climate and the area in general - for me it was too hot/muggy from May-Sep. I didn't even like walking out of the house to pick up the paper during that period. I'd break out in a sweat walking down the driveway. But that's a personal thing and many folks like that and are comfortable in that temp/humidity...good for the skin, they say! My other complaint was regularly replacing roof shingles as the heavy T-storms/high winds blew through. I also didn't care for the flat, unattractive terrain. To be brutally honest - I couldn't wait for the opportunity to leave, which I did after 6 years.

OTOH and to to be fair, I enjoyed my work there - both my real job and my "fun" job working in competition engine building - so Memphis was great for me as far as work was concerned. So if the job (and pay, of course) is good, that's the most important thing since that's where you spend most of your time!

We used to go to Pickwick regularly though not for boating - our boating was water skiing back then and we would run down to Sardis and another, closer, lake south of Memphis - can't recall the name - for that. We did a lot of dirt-bike/enduro riding at Pickwick and, as noted, it's about a 2 hour drive.

In any case, good luck on the move if you decide it's right for you!

 

[tom5518]

Cheryl

Jim, forum name "Plan B2", has a 53 MY in that area. You may want to PM him and get his insight.

 

[Robby]

We are here at Florence Harbor right now and will leave here on Nov 19.Slips here are hard to get.Just remember that theres not much to do in Iuka.Grand Mariner is super and Auqa in nice.Call me if you like .Robby 251-6102611.Ps Freebird would jump at the chance to move your boat and would do a safe and fair job for you.

 

[holtcl]

Thanks all- this is very helpful info. I feel better knowing that I wouldn't be giving up my Hatt if this relocation is to occur (that's so not an option).

Mike P- if I go, I'll just leave you the key to my storage locker where the tools are - but you can pick up on the rent - LOL!

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[Plan B2]

I keep a 53MY at Aqua and have been boating on Pickwick out of Mermphis for 30 years. The trip is easy; and yes, 2 hours is a good time estimate.
I just moved to Aqua a year ago and have been VERY pleased with the choice. Grand Harbor has a bit more exposure to weekend boat traffic and you would feel it in the slip. Aqua is also a full service marina with travel lift and a full service yard, including an enclosed bay area for fiberglass and paint work. The staff is exceptional.

I am fortunate to have 48C across and a 36C next door, We get to share our experiences and tools all the time. If you come to pickwick you would be the fourth 53 that I know about on the lake. There are several others just up the river, but I can only think of three that are on pckwick now.

There have been times where slip availability can be a challenge. I got lucky and a friend who owns the slip I am in had it available when I needed to make the move. If you let me know you are coming I can see what is avialble in the 60 ft range. I know there is one available right now, but they go quickly. At Aqua there are a lot of privately held slips that peole have for investment income. Those usually rent for less than what the marina can offer. When they come on the market for sell, you never see a sign, they just seem to change owners overnight.

As far as boating at Pickwick, I often hear from loopers that ours is some of the best, if not the very best, water they travel. Plenty of protected anchorages and easy navaigation. If you want a party there is a place for that. If you want a bit more privacy, just go in either direction a few miles and you will find a place that can provide it in another protected anchorage.

Let me know when the decision is made and I'LL see if I cann come up with some specific rgarding slip availability and contact information for you.

PS: I have been considering a flooring project similar to Mike Ps. It would be great to be able just knock on your door for all the tools necssary for the job.

 

[Beachcomber]

The wife and I have been at Aqua Yacht Harbor since April and have found that we really like it here. As Jim said you will rock and roll at Grand Harbor, but the view is great.

 

[Pascal]

From the Chessie wouldn't it be a little shorter and easier to follow the standard loop route by going north to the Hudson, thru the lakes and down?

Unless of course you're doing the trip in winter

 

[Nonchalant1]

It is about even going North to NYC, Hudson River, Great Lakes and down the rivers to Tennessee versus going down around Florida and up the rivers from Mobile. We did it both ways in a 53MY. The big difference is weather going North vs. South. It's beautiful going North starting in May through July, excellent cruising, going with the flow of most rivers and no Gulf crossing, but you have to get under a 19 ft. 1 in. steel bridge at mile 300 of the Illinois River. Going South you need to worry about hurricanes in July through November, the Gulf crossing, going against the flow of rivers and possible floods but great cruising places and fun stops.

Either trip can be really fun if taken slowly to enjoy the scenery and the quaint stops. Lots of people doing the Great Loop would take a couple weeks or a couple months and do part of the trip and leave their boat in a marina along the way and come back for the next segment when they had time. Much better than a "forced march" where you don't have fun and may go when the forecast says you should wait. We did it all at one time living aboard for 10 months and staying everywhere for days or weeks at a time. If time is of essence, going South may be faster because you can cruise faster in open water and few locks. Lots of delivery captains have done that trip a hundred times, none have done the North route as it's a pleasure cruise, not a time sensitive delivery.

See the Great Loop cruise in a 53MY by Canada here (just go to the bottom of each page and click "newer post"). http://www.dougandkathysboatlog.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html

Also see going North up the rivers here (just go to the bottom of each page and click "newer post"). http://dougandkathyscruising.blogspot.com/2009/03/were-in-clearwater-beach-fl-waiting-for.html

And search for Randy's posts about going upriver the the Tennessee in the forum.

Doug

 

[Freeebird]

Paging Freebird.......Randy your phone is ringing!!!!!

See what happens when I leave you guys alone for a few days?

 

[Freeebird]

Holy CRAP! Who's going to lend me tools? Get a grip; STOP THE INSANITY!

Re Memphis - I'm not a fan. I lived in Memphis for 6 years. Personally I did not like it because of the climate and the area in general - for me it was too hot/muggy from May-Sep. I didn't even like walking out of the house to pick up the paper during that period. I'd break out in a sweat walking down the driveway. But that's a personal thing and many folks like that and are comfortable in that temp/humidity...good for the skin, they say! My other complaint was regularly replacing roof shingles as the heavy T-storms/high winds blew through. I also didn't care for the flat, unattractive terrain. To be brutally honest - I couldn't wait for the opportunity to leave, which I did after 6 years.

OTOH and to to be fair, I enjoyed my work there - both my real job and my "fun" job working in competition engine building - so Memphis was great for me as far as work was concerned. So if the job (and pay, of course) is good, that's the most important thing since that's where you spend most of your time!

We used to go to Pickwick regularly though not for boating - our boating was water skiing back then and we would run down to Sardis and another, closer, lake south of Memphis - can't recall the name - for that. We did a lot of dirt-bike/enduro riding at Pickwick and, as noted, it's about a 2 hour drive.

In any case, good luck on the move if you decide it's right for you!

I did time in Memphis in late '86 to early '87, and I hated it. Boating was out of the question where the Mississippi was concerned, and whoever said The Rendezvous had the best ribs in the world must have never been out of Memphis. Never cared for the blues or Elvis, so I was pretty much out of my element.

It's not a bad drive from Memphis to Aqua, and you can even see where ole' Buford Pusser walked tall when you drive through McNairy County.

 

[Freeebird]

From the Chessie wouldn't it be a little shorter and easier to follow the standard loop route by going north to the Hudson, thru the lakes and down?

Unless of course you're doing the trip in winter

I doubt it would be shorter or easier, especially this time of year. Seems to me the biggest reason folks do the loop counter-clockwise is to avoid fighting the upstream current on the Mississippi which is brutal at best and impossible at worst. Current is virtually non-existent on the rest of the rivers unless it's during a flood, then it's marginal.