Leaving Nashville we are now set to move to our final spot. We have to lock up Old Hickory Lock and travel about 30 miles or so to get there. It’s a nice quiet drive passing only a couple barges. There are tons of fishermen which causes us to slow and reduce our wake. Homes are up on bluffs with long staircases coming down to their boats. There are a lot of pontoon style boats, fishing boats and run abouts on the Cumberland. We can see the water level that spring brings on the mud lined rockface. Boats have lifts that lift them up. Some are up about 50 or more feet from the water’s edge to beat the spring flooding.
The river is narrow but again, the barges and their tows have to get through. Stay on the channel and use your charts and you’re good.
Making our way to Old Hickory Lock where we wait until the lockmaster drains the lock for us. It’s a good wait as this is a 57 foot high lock. There are fisherman just waiting below the lock doors for their perfect catch. As the lock doors open we head in and tie to a bollard. The bollard floats up with us again and makes this lock super easy. It’s a bit cool today. Only 85 and little sun so locking is pleasant compared to some I’ve done.
We are only about 1/2 mile away from Anchor High Marina when we leave the dock. We head over for a top up of diesel and it is apparent that they have been waiting for us. The attendant says “You’re the ones we have been hearing about”. We talk a bit and head over to our slip. This is super sweet. A covered metal slip in a condo style boating experience. I want this to take home. What a great idea to have these boats covered. The drawback here is that your power is on a meter. Just like a house. No one uses their air conditioner unless they need it.
After lunch we decide that we would like to take a dip in Old Hickory Lake. We are shown a couple places to go and drop Low Voltage and dingy over. Again Old Hickory Lake was formed when the locks were made so the lake is not entirely open for boating. You must follow the old river bed that winds through the lake. We find Wedding Cove and Skinny Dip Bay to be perfect. Tons of boats are in Skinny Dip Bay with waist high water so smaller boats are anchored here with the larger boats off to the one side all rafted together. It’s a big party. We anchor in the dingy and have a quick swim. The storm that was forecasted starts to roll in. We start the 15 minute trip back and stop in Wedding Cove. There are a couple boats there getting ready to leave. Turns out one of them is a fellow Scott knows from work. So we talk a bit and then we all head for cover at our marinas on the lake.
This marks the end of our journey.
