350 Sea Ray

Source: Pierce Hoover, Yachting Magazine

The engines purr enticingly at idle, as if begging to be revved up for a voyage to parts unknown. The only thing standing between us and a frosty drink on the Key West waterfront is time. Given an extra week, we’d happily make the scenic run through the heart of the South and on into the Gulf of Mexico. But with just a couple of free days to squander, we set a more realistic cruising goal: to explore the region of the upper Tennessee River known as the Fort Loudon Pool.

Since the days when Native Americans and European fur traders came by canoe, the Tennessee River has provided a water highway into the Appalachian heartland. Flatboats and steamboats moved freight upriver, but they had to deal with shoals, swift currents, shifting sandbars and the occasional flood or drought. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the Tennessee River became a year-round water highway, thanks to the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. As part of this massive navigation, hydroelectric-power generation and flood-control program, nine dams with attendant locks were placed at intervals along the river, turning its circuitous channel into a series of reservoirs, or “pools,” that provided more consistent depths and predictable, dredged channels. With the completion of the Fort Loudon Dam in 1944, the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, became a port city with access to the ocean.

The Tennessee River has also become quite popular with recreational boaters, and we’re about to find out why. Accompanying me is Dean Morrow, a long-time friend who grew up boating in the Pacific Northwest, then switched oceans to enjoy the waters of Florida and the Bahamas. Like a growing number of early retirees, Morrow and his family have made the move to the Carolina mountains, and now his closest cruising ground lies over the slopes in the Tennessee River Valley.

Running the river will be a new experience for both of us, and we are equally excited about the trip and our boat, a Sea Ray 350 Sundancer, which we board at the builder’s plant near the French Broad River to begin our cruise southwest. Over the years, I’ve spent a good bit of time aboard various Sea Ray express cruisers, but the word on this new boat is it tops anything the builder has ever done in the mid-30-foot size range.

We have also picked up an excellent guide in Edmond Randolph. A 20-year veteran of the Knoxville Police force, Randolph spent most of his career on the River Patrol Unit, where he travels these waters in one of the department’s two Sea Ray patrol boats. With five on board, we pass a bulk loading terminal, where a barge is taking on limestone, then we bring the 350 on plane to slalom through a series of river bends where cows still graze in waterfront meadows. In a matter of minutes, we are downtown, idling through a long no-wake zone that takes us under a trio of soaring bridges and the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. It is here, along the downtown waterfront, that the region’s die-hard football fans congregate each fall in a massive flotilla known as the Vol Navy.

The glimpses of agriculture and industry we encountered north of downtown become scarce as we move downriver. Upscale homes now dominate the shores most with docks and boathouses holding pleasure craft. The diving boards and beaches aren’t just for show; the river is clean enough for swimming. In the past 15 years, the water quality on the upper Tennessee has been greatly improved, Randolph tells us. Bluegill and crappie once more congregate around docks, and even the once-endangered sturgeon are making a comeback.

Wildflower meadows and manicured lawns alternate with wooded bluffs and sheer limestone cliffs. The river moves through this changing landscape in an endless series of sweeping bends. The way ahead is plainly marked with regular reds and greens, plus the occasional range marker, but Randolph warns against complacency. When running the river, there’s always the chance of encountering floating debris, including some substantial logs that don’t float high in the water. The trick, he says, is to learn to spot unusual ripple patterns that may herald the presence of an unseen obstruction.

With the twin big blocks humming along at 3,600 rpm, we’re holding a comfortable 30 mph. After taking a turn at the helm, I go below to see how the other half of our boat stacks up.

Thanks to a generous topside profile and a helm set a bit farther aft, as compared to earlier models of similar length, the 350 offers significantly greater interior volume than its predecessors. The cabin not only provides headroom in excess of 6 feet 4 inches, it is open and impressively spacious, allowing for a luxurious, full-length convertible settee between the bow and midship sleeping areas. Also larger than expected are the galley countertop and the head, which features a separate shower stall that tall, broad adults will appreciate.

Upscale touches abound, ranging from Ultraleather upholstery and a standard bulkhead-mounted 26-inch flat-screen to an electrically activated Posturepedic backrest on the island berth. Such details certainly add to the wow factor, but most impressive is the overall use of space and the amount of natural light the large side windows and skylights provide. Two couples could share this layout for a weekend, and even a family of six could live together in relative comfort.

Back on deck, the human engineering is similarly exemplary. The sleek, seamless hardtop provides a bit of shade without obstructing the view or air flow, and the standard canvas package can be buttoned on quickly if the weather changes. The cockpit entertainment center supports a grill and wet bar, and with helm seats pivoted and the transom seat deployed, the entire topside converts to a floating social center. A review of the boat’s specifications confirms that the 350 not only comes with an impressive list of standard features, it can also be customized with more goodies, ranging from a built-in air compressor for the water toys to satellite television with up to four flat-screen displays. One option I’d definitely include is the enlarged swim platform, which can be fitted with a hydraulic lift and recessed chocks to hold a PWC or small RIB.

This boat starts with twin 375 hp 496 Magnum power plants and Bravo III drives, but can also accommodate V-drive transmissions and shaft drives, coupled to either 8.1 Horizon big blocks or Yanmar diesels. We have the Horizon and inboard drives on our boat.

Noon finds us on an open expanse of the river near the town of Concord. Randolph points out a side channel to the west that leads under a fixed bridge and into the Concord Marina (concordmarina.com). A large-scale refurbishment of this facility several years ago transformed it into one of the premier marinas on the upper river. Among the upgrades is a new restaurant that offers more than the traditional regional fare the chef’s seared Ahi would pass muster at any trendy Los Angeles bistro.

Within the next few years, there may be more opportunities for upscale dining and recreation along the upper Tennessee. New waterfront communities along the river and on the shores of conjoined Tellico Lake are spurring the development of several new marinas and waterfront destinations including a rumored floating casino.

But those who love the river just the way it is need not feel discouraged. There are still miles of wooded shoreline and quiet coves where one can anchor for a day or a weekend. And if ginger-glazed salmon on saffron rice isn’t your thing, there are still plenty of places where you can tie up and order the catfish dinner or a pulled pork sandwich.

Boat Specifications: 350 Sea Ray

LOA: 37’6”

BEAM: 12’

DRAFT (INBOARD): 39”

DRY WEIGHT: 18,064 lbs.

FUEL CAPACITY: 225 gals.