Newbie: Cruise from Tennessee to the Gulf

[joey69]

I live on the Tenn. River in North AL.,I really want to find something here and then cruise the Tenn. to Ohio then come down to the Mississippi to the gulf.I am seriously thinking about buying a small boat in the 28' to 30' range so that I can step the mast alone if needed.Any locals on here or any ideas on boats?

[Sailing Mermaid]

Greetings Joey69!

Welcome to CF! Sounds like fun ahead and a good time to be buying too!

Know of a 29' Columbia in Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River. Maybe close enough for you to have a look?. Any interest, PM. Happy to help you get closer to your goal.

Again, welcome and wish you best on your upcoming adventures!

Sailing Mermaid

[joey69]

I saw a Hunter in Knoxville.It is a 25 footer with a 9.9 outboard.Looks to be in good condition.

[joey69]

Any ideas on boats that I can look at for river/ocean cruising?

[callmecrazy]

Sailboats are few and far between on the rivers. I was in OH and tried looking for boats anywhere that connected to the ocean. Every once in a while I would find something on craigslist, but it was really very rare. So when you find them close by, don't waste any time checking them out. Something like that Hunter 25 would be perfect for 1 or 2 people to cruise down to the gulf...

The trip down to the Gulf is pretty well documented from the Mississippi south, do google searches for "great loop" cruising guides. You'd have to look into the bridge heights on the Tenn. and OH... You can get inland waterway charts from the Army Corps of Engineers. Any sail boat can have it's mast unstepped for the trip down. And all of those rivers are deep enough...You won't be doing any sailing anyway, so make sure whatever you get has a good running motor... and don't go in the spring when the rivers are up

Check Kentucky Lake and the Land Between the Lakes area's... There was a nice Gulf 29 for sale on the OH river in Cincinnati recently...

If you really want to make the inland cruise, Your most likely options will be to find a boat on the great lakes and cruise south from there, or start in the gulf and doing the great loop back home.