Hamilton Reef
08-19-2006, 09:58 PM
Definitely no dinghy
Houseboat provides comforts of home -- and then some
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION Thursday, August 17, 2006
By David V. Graham dgraham@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6306
Dave and Sue Leathley of Flushing Township were looking for a different kind of boating experience when they agreed to book a 70-foot houseboat with two other couples for a week-long cruise on a huge southern reservoir.
The six adults and two teenage girls, daughters of the other couples, cruised the waters of Dale Hollow Lake, a reservoir between Kentucky and Tennessee about a 90 minute-drive northeast of Nashville.
The lake, created in 1943 by the Tennessee Valley Authority to generate electricity in the area, has 620 miles of shoreline and is regarded as one of the best bass-fishing lakes in the U.S., according to Field & Stream magazine.
The couples rented the houseboat for $3,775 from Hendricks Creek Resort near Burksville, Ky. Gasoline for the houseboat's 90-horse Mercury outboard and the shipboard generator, which powered the electrical system, cost about another $500, Leathley said.
The houseboat has central air, a fully-equipped kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. A hot tub sits out in the open air of the top deck, and the boat has satellite TV and a stereo system. A top-deck water slide enables passengers to reach the water.
It is a good idea to bring along your own boat as an auxiliary craft, since one is required and the rental fee for a 14-foot boat provided by the resort is $300, Leathley said.
Leathley said the trip came about after friend Robert Stevenson, who is the Livonia police chief, learned about the houseboat charter at a Novi boat show last February. Stevenson brought along his 19-foot boat.
Joining Leathley and his wife on the trip were Stevenson and his wife, Jill, and their daughter Kendall, 14; and David and Gayla Schroeder of Novi and their daughter Kelsey, 17.
Leathley said they spent most of their time cruising at slow speeds on the lake's southern end, which is mostly in Tennessee. He said the lake is long and narrow, ranging in width from about a half-mile to about four miles.
The shoreline is heavily wooded, and there is only one waterfront home on the reservoir because the shoreline is owned by the federal government. There are several marinas on the lake, but they are generally up narrow channels, far from the main body of the reservoir, he said.
Leathley said they would stop in the middle of the lake about noon and swim, often diving off the boat's top deck.
He said they did some fishing, including about six hours with a local guide, but didn't have much luck. As in Michigan and elsewhere, the bass fishing is best in the spring and late fall, when the fish move into shallow water.
At night, they would ease the houseboat's bow up onto the shoreline and secure the stern with four lines to trees on the shore.
Leathley said the couples took turns cooking the evening meal. They brought along their own food and beverages because it is difficult to resupply once you are on the lake.
He said people can rent a houseboat for three, four or seven days. He said he would have preferred the four-day trip, as a week seemed to be a bit too long to be so isolated.
"It was great," he said. "I would do it again, but not for seven days. A four-day trip would be plenty. I thought it was a good value."
Sue Leathley said she enjoyed the experience, but it might not be for everyone.
"I loved it," she said. "It was very relaxing. It wouldn't be good for families who want to be entertained all the time because you are away from everything. Families with young children might find it difficult - kids who love water sports will have a good time."
David Schroeder said he would like to take another houseboat trip in the fall when the leaves are changing, the temperatures are cooler and the fishing is better.
"It felt really secluded down there because there aren't any houses on the shoreline," he said. "I really enjoyed it."
Houseboat provides comforts of home -- and then some
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION Thursday, August 17, 2006
By David V. Graham dgraham@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6306
Dave and Sue Leathley of Flushing Township were looking for a different kind of boating experience when they agreed to book a 70-foot houseboat with two other couples for a week-long cruise on a huge southern reservoir.
The six adults and two teenage girls, daughters of the other couples, cruised the waters of Dale Hollow Lake, a reservoir between Kentucky and Tennessee about a 90 minute-drive northeast of Nashville.
The lake, created in 1943 by the Tennessee Valley Authority to generate electricity in the area, has 620 miles of shoreline and is regarded as one of the best bass-fishing lakes in the U.S., according to Field & Stream magazine.
The couples rented the houseboat for $3,775 from Hendricks Creek Resort near Burksville, Ky. Gasoline for the houseboat's 90-horse Mercury outboard and the shipboard generator, which powered the electrical system, cost about another $500, Leathley said.
The houseboat has central air, a fully-equipped kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. A hot tub sits out in the open air of the top deck, and the boat has satellite TV and a stereo system. A top-deck water slide enables passengers to reach the water.
It is a good idea to bring along your own boat as an auxiliary craft, since one is required and the rental fee for a 14-foot boat provided by the resort is $300, Leathley said.
Leathley said the trip came about after friend Robert Stevenson, who is the Livonia police chief, learned about the houseboat charter at a Novi boat show last February. Stevenson brought along his 19-foot boat.
Joining Leathley and his wife on the trip were Stevenson and his wife, Jill, and their daughter Kendall, 14; and David and Gayla Schroeder of Novi and their daughter Kelsey, 17.
Leathley said they spent most of their time cruising at slow speeds on the lake's southern end, which is mostly in Tennessee. He said the lake is long and narrow, ranging in width from about a half-mile to about four miles.
The shoreline is heavily wooded, and there is only one waterfront home on the reservoir because the shoreline is owned by the federal government. There are several marinas on the lake, but they are generally up narrow channels, far from the main body of the reservoir, he said.
Leathley said they would stop in the middle of the lake about noon and swim, often diving off the boat's top deck.
He said they did some fishing, including about six hours with a local guide, but didn't have much luck. As in Michigan and elsewhere, the bass fishing is best in the spring and late fall, when the fish move into shallow water.
At night, they would ease the houseboat's bow up onto the shoreline and secure the stern with four lines to trees on the shore.
Leathley said the couples took turns cooking the evening meal. They brought along their own food and beverages because it is difficult to resupply once you are on the lake.
He said people can rent a houseboat for three, four or seven days. He said he would have preferred the four-day trip, as a week seemed to be a bit too long to be so isolated.
"It was great," he said. "I would do it again, but not for seven days. A four-day trip would be plenty. I thought it was a good value."
Sue Leathley said she enjoyed the experience, but it might not be for everyone.
"I loved it," she said. "It was very relaxing. It wouldn't be good for families who want to be entertained all the time because you are away from everything. Families with young children might find it difficult - kids who love water sports will have a good time."
David Schroeder said he would like to take another houseboat trip in the fall when the leaves are changing, the temperatures are cooler and the fishing is better.
"It felt really secluded down there because there aren't any houses on the shoreline," he said. "I really enjoyed it."