Part2 - Tiny houseboat cruising on Melton Hill lake. Clinch River, Clinton, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee

[@haroldmartin4547]

Was born in Chattanooga, just retired and moved back. Really enjoying your video's 👍👍👍👍

[@justkeepgoing]

Great town. I'm just wondering if all the muddy water and debris from the Helene floods is getting down your way yet. It's still pretty bad up here, all sorts of stuff in the river.

[@LawrenceBroussard]

Incredibly beautiful trip.

[@SHOE53]

My late mother in law work at Oak Ridge during the war years right out of college some great story she would tell during her time there, that one beautiful cruise up the Clinch river.👍

[@clinchriverpicker1108]

I just found your channel and love watching. I grew up on Norris lake and live by the Clinch in Clinton. I can really appreciate the process you put into making great videos.

[@justkeepgoing]

Thanks for watching! I guess we must have puttered by your place, at least if you are below Eagle Bend. We used to spend time up on Norris back in the 70's. My brother lived in Norris for a few years.

[@Angiefishing1]

Very cool, in my neck of the woods!

[@jfarmer1711]

And mine!

[@cuocsonglangnoigogang]

You have an incredible talent for showcasing the beauty and serenity of life on the water, capturing moments of tranquility and exploration with genuine appreciation. Your videos evoke a sense of wonder and admiration for the unique experiences offered by houseboat living. And I am Floating Village Life

[@thomasmurphy6389]

Grew up in this area. Love it!

[@rogerbaker-vo1cd]

I really loved that.

[@gregellis5435]

Beautiful trip - Excellent video - Very well done - Thank you for doing that - We'll be back for another trip with you soon

[@justkeepgoing]

Thank you, Greg!

[@davelawrence6777]

It doesn't get any better than that my friend

[@jfarmer1711]

Nice! I grew up in Clinton now live in West Knoxville, but I'm back home quite a bit. I don't recall exactly where the dredged barge channel stops, it used to be several miles past Eagle Bend. They do dredge up close to Norris Dam, but it's for flow control so it's "as needed" and to a depth of "deep enough". 😉 Now this has me wanting to get a boat again!

[@justkeepgoing]

Thank you! All my charts show the area dredged just as you start around Eagle Bend. That's also where they stop showing contours for navigation. I'm pretty sure we could have made it up to the 61 bridge, though. If you check Google maps, you can see Llewellyn shoals just above the bridge, obviously photographed when Norris wasn't generating. That's about 5 miles upstream from where we turned around.

[@jfarmer1711]

@@justkeepgoing a lot will depend on your draft. My cousin frequently runs his pontoon boat up to the Norris power house, as do many fishermen I know. But I wouldn't want to do that at low water and in a boat drawing more than a foot or 18 inches.

[@justkeepgoing]

@@jfarmer1711 he must be putting in above the weir dam down at Hibbs island then. There's no way past that thing from down below.

[@JeanLouisSlezak]

So peaceful, dream retirement 😊

[@amyheltonwalker]

I truly enjoy every minute of these videos. It’s a dream of mine to spend time on the water one day. My son and husband like to bass fish and they have a Bill Dance Pro Craft fiberglass boat and those wave boats are horrible they say.

[@justkeepgoing]

Thanks, Amy. I hope you get to fulfill your dream. Yes, those wave boats also erode the shorelines pretty bad. New laws were passed just recently requiring they operate further from shore, but I see very little compliance.

[@amyheltonwalker]

@@justkeepgoing My son said those boats are destructive to the lake and rough on boats. He said even Laurel Lake here in Southeastern Kentucky has them and it’s a smaller lake as compared to like Norris Lake. He fishes both and said both are getting over run with them. Hopefully, it will eventually get better in Tennessee and hopefully Kentucky will do something.

[@justkeepgoing]

@@amyheltonwalker I hope so.

[@Largemouthbluegill]

Fantastic trip. Especially being able to sit on front deck on autopilot and watch it scenery go by. Very enjoyable. Would you know what make or model electric steering that is? Did you install it?

[@justkeepgoing]

It's an Intellisteer unit. I did install it. It's a little pricey, but it's been well worth it. Here is a link--> www.hodgesmarine.com/istinttypes-intellisteer-type-s-fstraight-shaft-helms-fcab.html?msclkid=4ff85bca7c6913bbefd53d44e229ee00&Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&Shopping%20-%20All%20Products

[@donferguson2495]

Any time your on the clinch side of the dam you can tie up to the wall at the campground. They have a little store and showers.

[@justkeepgoing]

Thanks for the tip, Don. I didn't know there was a store up there.

[@jamesbeaman5944]

Beautiful trip, thanks. What nav book are you using, please. Jim

[@justkeepgoing]

James, It's a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigational chart book for the Tennessee river and its tributaries. About the only place you can get them is either Ebay, A used bookstore, occasionally on Amazon books, or The US government printing office. My book is an old one and I just use it for a backup reference and planning. I use my Garmin charts for Realtime navigation. Here is a link to the US gov printing office. bookstore.gpo.gov/products/tennessee-river-navigation-charts-paducah-kentucky-knoxville-tennessee-january-2013-0

[@scottaumann7585]

Which video talks about the remote helm controller ? Thanks

[@ew1421]

Not sure about what they have but I have Intellisteer on my houseboat. You can also add the Garmin Reactor to the Intellisteer helm if you want auto pilot. That's what I did and it works great. You can plot a coarse for as far as you want and never have to touch the remote

[@justkeepgoing]

Hey Scott, I don't have a video that talks about the remote, specifically. It's an Intellisteer unit. Here is a link--> www.hodgesmarine.com/istinttypes-intellisteer-type-s-fstraight-shaft-helms-fcab.html?msclkid=4ff85bca7c6913bbefd53d44e229ee00&Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&Shopping%20-%20All%20Products

[@scottaumann7585]

@@justkeepgoing thanks.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

As i understand it, shutting down the engine in a lock has to do with exhaust fumes. A looper video i watched, they were having starter problems. They asked the lock master for permission to leave it running an he said they would need it from the other people in the lock. They all said yes an he left it running.

[@justkeepgoing]

Yes, I think that is the reason. I could see that on a hot calm day, with many boats in the chamber that it could be an issue. Most of the time, we're the only ones in there.

[@FradyKatt]

I need a map like that where did you get it??

[@justkeepgoing]

Hey Stan, I lucked out and my cousin gave it to me. It was found in a used bookstore. You can also download these charts for free off the Army Corps of Engineers, but you have to have a large format printer to print them. See www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Navigation-Charts/ Also, see my reply to @jamesbeaman5944 for more information on this subject.

[@finleycly]

Love it! How many total miles did yall cover on this trip?

[@justkeepgoing]

Let's see...I had to check. 375 miles total.

[@finleycly]

@justkeepgoing thats awesome! We did 250 last year from Florence, AL to Crazyhorse Recreation on the Buffalo in jetboats. We're now thinking about building a pontoon houseboat similar to yours.

[@justkeepgoing]

Man, I'd love to try that sometime, up a river in a jetboat. I was just thinking about how far one could get up the Duck and the Buffalo if they had the right boat. When we came by there, Kentucky was down and there wasn't even a way into the mouth of the Duck, at least in our boat.

[@vonscheer3993]

Do you live full time on boat?

[@justkeepgoing]

No, we do not. This boat is just a little to small for a live aboard, at least for us.

[@terrellma]

That’s a containment building

[@justkeepgoing]

Yes, thanks! I realized that, but just couldn't get the work to come to mind. A senior moment maybe?

[@Tnislanders]

Great video! Let me know if you ever want to collab!

[@ThisLilHobo]

Thanks again.

[@randywilson6869]

Do you do any fishing

[@justkeepgoing]

A little, but not as much as I'd like. Some occasional night fishing at anchor. LOL, usually though, I'm about ready to turn in not long after the sun goes down.