# NC, GA River channels



## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Before I go looking at charts.. Would some of you southern salts know which rvers have channels inland? I'm just wondering about sailboats getting closer to TN from the east if that's possible. ( not real close I'm sure) Just wondering. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be living in Chattanoga someday and may want to keep my boat east rather then south. No definate plans yet. 

I know you can take the ICW from Mobile on the gulf and all the way up to TN, but from the east I know nada about those rivers. 
I'm gonna do some goggle earth views next. 
thanks!


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

You've got 6 major lakes on the Tennessee RIver (including Barkley on the Cumberland) that you have access to from Chattanoga. And Kentucky Lake is actually 34 miles longer than the Chesapeake Bay. Driving east would be around an 8 hour trip, not to mention the gas.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Sigh.. John, thanks, I know that. I don't know about the rivers in NC and GA that, i'm asking about.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Denise...as they say in Maine...
Yah cahn't get to ther'uh from here'uh


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Check out this link. It's a map of the waterways that have access to the oceans.

http://www.tenntom.org/images/maps/TTWtransarterymap.jpg


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Last I checked... Tennessee was on the wrong side of the appalachians to go east from.


camaraderie said:


> Denise...as they say in Maine...
> Yah cahn't get to ther'uh from here'uh


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Errr... hows this?  

Boating
Santee Cooper Lakes attract people from all around the world. With 315 miles of shoreline along Lake Marion alone, millions of people find this to offer a variety of outdoor recreational activities. The creation of a navigable route from Columbia to Charleston was one objective of the Santee Cooper project. Beginning where the Santee River flows into Lake Marion to the lock at the Pinopolis Dam, a clearly defined waterway allows boaters to travel the 122 miles to the ocean. Passage through the Santee Cooper lakes to Charleston is made possible by going through the navigation lock, which is located adjacent to the power plant. The distance down the Cooper River to Charleston is 48 miles. The lock is in operation daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

And: 
there are several coastal rivers and estuaries that may be explored, including Albemarle Sound, Pamilco River, Neuse River, New River and Cape Fear River, all in North Carolina, and the Pee Dee River in South Carolina. The Savannah River is generally navigable to Augusta, Georgia, a distance of approximately 200 miles


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

check for bridge heights on those rivers...


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

Going to Augusta is supposed to be tough!!! Also there is no lock to get into the lake once you get there!!!!! Chattanooga has a lake!!!! We brought our boat up the Tn-tom waterway to Wheeler lake. A lot of locks and takes a couple of weeks. The lower stretch below Coffeeville is the most remote but above the first lock there is not a lot of current. It is a long drive from Chattanooga to Columbia SC.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

There's one CSX railroad bridge that requires a 24 hour notice to be raised. 
Getting 50 miles inland from Charleston might be interesting as a trip...but it is a long way from Tennessee...and a lot of uphill portages!


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

thank you for the input guys. I was begining to wonder. Like I said.. I don't have any definate plans yet. I just think I'd like to have my boat near the east coast and the ocean. time will tell what I finally do.


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

The Gulf of Mexico might not be an ocean but it has a lot to offer. Chattanooga to Panama City is roughly 500 miles. I'd guess that Charleston is farther. Also the GOM is warmer!!!! 400 miles from Panama city to Key West. Not a whole lot farther to Mexico. While we were there we saw tons of dolphins and turtles sharks and rays. Heck we even saw a pod of whales!!! Putting you boat on Pickwick lake you would be 450 miles from Mobile and maybe 200 or so from Chattanooga. I don't know your life situation but if you have time the Tennessee river is not a bad place to cruise and with access to the gulf you can always get to bigger water. Mobile bay to Isla Mujeres should be enough open water for most sailers.


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## ChiefDanGeorge (Apr 1, 2008)

YOu can't get to Columbia from Charleston any longer. Well maybe if you have a jon boat. The furthest north you're going to get in a sailboat is Lake Marion.



deniseO30 said:


> Errr... hows this?
> 
> Boating
> Santee Cooper Lakes attract people from all around the world. With 315 miles of shoreline along Lake Marion alone, millions of people find this to offer a variety of outdoor recreational activities. The creation of a navigable route from Columbia to Charleston was one objective of the Santee Cooper project. Beginning where the Santee River flows into Lake Marion to the lock at the Pinopolis Dam, a clearly defined waterway allows boaters to travel the 122 miles to the ocean. Passage through the Santee Cooper lakes to Charleston is made possible by going through the navigation lock, which is located adjacent to the power plant. The distance down the Cooper River to Charleston is 48 miles. The lock is in operation daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
> ...


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

RE my OP, I did not say I wanted to sail right up to chattanoga by sailboat from the east! duh  Just "closer" to tn from the east.  But it's nice to know that everyone thinks in the broadest of terms!


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

According to Mapquest Savannah Ga is 365 miles and Mobile Alabama is 400 miles. The advantage of Mobile is that it is a big bay that can provide protected sailing when the open gulf is too rough. But Mobile bay is a big bay and shallow (12-15') so it can get rough with a north or south breeze. We had our boat a Pearson 323 there for 9 months before we moved it over to Panama city. we stayed in panama city for 2 years before we moved to Wheeler lake. Gas prices,hurricanes and our dock going condo is why we left Florida. We are saving about $2000 /year by being on Wheeler lake. 
I have never sailed around savannah but from the charts there doesn't appear to be a large bay for sailing when it is rough outside. Another great thing about the gulf is the tides. Tides are usually 2' or so while in Charleston they are closer to 6'. We rarely had to consider the tides when planning to sail. Yes the waves are larger when the tide is falling against an onshore wind but inside Andrews or Mobile bay we rarely thought about the tides while sailing. We tried to stay in at least 8' of water and we have a 4.5' draft. So 6' or 10' was not critical. 
The reason that I am interested in your situation is that we own land up in Kingsport ,TN and have thought about what we'd do if we move up there. From upper east TN Chesapeake bay makes sense. But it is 200 miles from Chattanooga to Kingsport . we have grown used to not having winter. sure in Mobile you might get a frost once or twice a year. But snow is extremely rare and we sailed year round while there. Actually Wheeler lake is pretty mild too. We have sailed at Wheeler year round. More frosty mornings but no snow in the last two years. So much depends upon your desires. Do you want the boat close as in Lake Chickamauga so that you can sail after work or do you want the boat as a beach house ...a place to get away to once or twice a month??? It was really nice when we had our boat close enough to go sailing after work!!!!


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