Here are a couple (rather old) photos to show you big lake and Gulf of Mexico, and East Coast guys, and you guys in the Pacific Northwest what it’s like boating on the inland waterways of the heartland in a Commander.
Here’s a favorite anchorage of ours about 15 miles out. It’s way out in the countryside. The owner of the property off to the right keeps his grounds nicely mowed, and there is a little riprap seen on the shoreline where he’s trying to maintain the erosion. Out there we find very little traffic, it’s very private, the boat stays pointed off the anchor depending upon whether the wind or the current prevails. Many times we find a few friends will also come down to this location and anchor nearby. We then trade rides on the PWC and exchange commodities as needed. This photo was taken prior to jumping into the teak toe-rail refinishing project that is outlined elsewhere here on the forum. It was coated with something like epoxy, and it was horrible looking and really tough to remove.
Here is a photo of JP at the upper helm station. This is an old photo not too long after we got the boat, and it’s a rather low res photo as a result. You can see the width of the Cumberland at this location, and it has a uniform depth of around 30-feet from shoreline to shoreline most of the time. There are some long sandbars off the downhill side of the islands and these provide ideal locations for anchoring.
After heavy rains the water can have debris, however, a week or two after a heavy rain the system is flushed out and the water quality improves immensely. There are many stretches where we can maintain WOT without any worry, but when we see a fisherman tucked up onto the bank we have to back down, because you are legally responsible for your wake, and the fishermen don’t like to see their outboards pounding onto the rocks.
Some people don’t see the value of a flybridge. Out on the middle of Lake Michigan there may not be too much practical application, but on the inland waterways it’s an ideal perch to spot debris, and it also allows you to see over the riverbanks and onto the adjacent pastureland. Without a flybridge, all we would be seeing is the riverbank in some areas. Running the inland waterways is quite a bit different than some other kinds of boating, and when you lock through into Old Hickory Lake, you better know what “red on right returning” is all about, because that lake is full of obstacles off the marked channel.
Here’s a photo of Janet at the helm.
Another photo of Janet at the helm one cool afternoon out with some friends. On one of our many winter cruises, we were literally ASTOUNDED to look up ahead at what we first thought was a branch in the water, but it was moving, and quite quickly too. It was a large Whitetail deer swimming the river. We coasted closer but not so close as to frighten the big buck. He reached the bank and just powered his way up onto the level pasture beyond and stood here, in cold weather just steaming, with the sun behind him accentuating the steam and his profile. It was one of those “you had to be there” moments.
regards, Paul
1966 38 Commander Express Flybridge
original 427 power
Edit comment:
There are more photos later in this particular thread, but here are additional threads about cruising the Cumberland, for anyone who may be interested.
Photos taken April 1, 2006
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/message/1143934392
Janet at the helm! Photos taken April 9, 2006
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/thread/1144634108
Wintertime boating, yours truely out on the river alone on a pretty day.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/message/1138549421
Maps and destinations along the Cumberland.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/message/1138800270
Cruising the Cumberland, photos taken April 1, 2006 by John Clemans.
http://www.motorboating.com/motorboat/features/article/0,12696,1194879,00.html