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Getting away from it all can be tough in June. Heading to the beach or the mountains, you often end up right in the middle of all the people you were trying to get away from in the first place.

So, how about floating blissfully to the middle of a Tennessee lake this year and letting the rat race proceed without you?

You may not know it, but houseboat rentals are big business at Tennessee marinas.

You can gather a group of friends and family for the day, the weekend, or the whole week, and enjoy lake life on a 70- or 80-foot boat designed for fun.

No matter what part of the state you live in, there’s a lake close enough to be calling your name. You can rent houseboats on West Tennessee’s Pickwick Lake in Hardin County; on Middle Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake near Celina and Center Hill Lake near Smithville; and on East Tennessee’s Melton Hill Lake near Oak Ridge, Watts Bar Lake near Harriman, Fort Loudon Lake near Knoxville/Lenoir City, Douglas Lake near Dandridge and Norris Lake near Norris.

At Dale Hollow Lake, houseboating keeps growing in popularity. Twelve docks now rent houseboats, including Jack Huddleston’s Horse Creek Resort.* Huddleston has been in the business more than 30 years and says he’s now concentrating on top-of-the-line rentals, strapping 80-foot boats that boast six bedrooms as well as hot tubs, upper-deck bars and satellite television.

At East Tennessee’s Norris Lake, Jim Folck, an Ohio native who now owns Sequoyah Marina, rents houseboats to some 200 parties each season. Folck says fully half his business comes from customers who return year after year because they love it so much – just as he did.

One of those repeat customers is software developer Joe Czarnecky, who has boated at Norris Lake for more than 30 years and tries to get everybody in on the fun.

“I take immediate family, friends, business associates, acquaintances,” he says. “Boats have come a long way from years past. They’re really luxurious, with all the amenities of home.”

No skills required

If you’re a dedicated landlubber, you may be wondering, who the heck steers this thing?

Don’t worry – although it’s great if you have some boating experience, it’s not a requirement for renting a houseboat. You’ll get detailed instruction before you embark on your adventure; this is standard procedure at most marinas.

“We go through a pretty in-depth briefing on the boat itself,” Folck says. “We go into the operational part of the boat, but we also go into the driving part of it, the water, the wind, and how the generators and electrical systems work.”

If you are uncomfortable playing sea captain, Folck says marina staff will be happy to drive the boat to a desirable spot for you, and you can always call at any time for help.

The digs

Houseboats vary from no-frills, two-bedroom watercraft to luxury-packed behemoths with hot tubs, but most sport a long list of “basics.” Standard equipment usually includes central heat and air conditioning, a TV/VCR, stereo/CD player, a fully equipped kitchen, and bed linens. A gas grill, coolers, lounge chairs and emergency life jackets are also usually provided.

You should bring your own life jackets for swimming, plus clothes, food, drink, towels, movies/CDs and other personal items. You may be charged an extra fee if you want to bring pets along; some renters prohibit pets altogether.

Life on the water

Are you looking for a private, cozy experience, or are you more interested in seeing and being seen? Folck says that Norris Lake, which has a maximum of 35 houseboats on the water at any given time, is ideal for a hidden getaway.

“It’s quite awesome in that you will not have to share a cove with anybody,” he says. “There’s nothing like waking up in the morning to nothing but the glassy sunshine reflecting on the water.”

If a more neighborly atmosphere floats your boat, some lakes rent as many as 100 houseboats at once. Dale Hollow, known for its crystal-clear water, is also famous as the smallmouth bass capital of the world, Huddleston says. With 620 miles of shoreline and 32,000 acres of water, there’s plenty of room to find a special fishing spot – and a houseboat is the ultimate vacation craft for a boatload of fishing buddies.

While on the lake, you can fish, swim, sunbathe, water-ski, rent Jet Skis or WaveRunners, or just relax. And if you get a little waterlogged, don’t forget nearby activities on dry land.

The pricing

The cost of your stay depends on the time of year, the lake you choose, and the quality and size of the boat you rent. Typical package prices range from $500 to $2,500

for a Friday-to-Monday or four-night midweek rental; a full week can run from $1,800 to $4,500. Off-season months often rate big discounts: If you rent in April, May, late August, September or October, you’ll notice a substantial dip in prices.

Granted, a week’s stay is expensive if you rent one of the largest, most amenity-packed boats, but keep in mind that some of them sleep 12 to 14 people, so a large group – say, six couples or an extended family – can split the cost.

Huddleston says the majority of his customers are repeats – families that return each and every year.

If you’re interested in renting a boat this summer, now is the time to call. Many boaters actually book for the next summer before they leave for home. September or October – or even this summer – is not too early to be thinking about the houseboat of your dreams for 2005.

*Editor’s note: Horse Creek no longer rents houseboats, but they do offer pontoon and bass boats.

Ready to Get Your Feet Wet?

Dale Hollow Lake
Eagle Cove Resort
5899 Eagle Cove Road
Byrdstown, TN 38549
(931) 864-3456; 1-800-331-1780

Holly Creek Resort
2659 Holly Creek Road
Celina, TN 38551
(931) 243-2116; 1-800-331-1780

Horse Creek Resort
1150 Horse Creek Road
Celina, TN 38551
931-243-2125; 1-800-545-2595
Editor’s note: Horse Creek no longer rents houseboats, but they rent pontoon and bass boats.

Norris Lake
Sequoyah Marina
336 Lakeview Lane
Andersonville, TN 37705
865-494-7984

Additional information can be found at
www.houseboatrentals.com.