Pinned · Raider Boats
Who I Am and Why I'm Doing This
Why I bought a Raider boat: a Sea-Doo, a stump on the Red River at 60 mph, an airboat ride and 30 years of wanting a boat that could take it.
3 min read · Ryan Deeds
Log 06/ Blog
The river journal
Stuff I've been writing down from Clarksville about the Cumberland, the ramps and locks and lakes around here, some local history and what I learned buying a Raider. I link my sources and I don't make up numbers.
Cover: illustration, AI-generated and stylized
Pinned · Start here
01 / 8 posts
Cumberland River
Locks, lakes, history and running the river.
Cumberland River
Cheatham Dam and the Federal River Works That Built My River
The history of Cheatham Lock and Dam on the Cumberland River, from the old steamboat locks and 1930s federal river work to the 1946 authorization and 1950s construction, plus tips for locking through.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
Cumberland River
Barkley Dam: The Last Big Dam on the Cumberland
The history of Barkley Dam and Lake Barkley, from the 1954 authorization and Alben Barkley's New Deal career to the 1966 dedication, the canal to TVA's Kentucky Lake, and boating tips.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
Boating on the Cumberland River Near Clarksville: The Notes I've Been Keeping
A plain-English guide to boating on the Cumberland River around Clarksville, TN, covering the Lake Barkley pool, the locks, public ramps, barge traffic and the rules, from a Clarksville boat owner.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
Cheatham Lock and Dam: A Boater's Guide to the Lock Above Clarksville
Cheatham Lock and Dam on the Cumberland River near Ashland City, TN, with the location, lock size, lift, history, Cheatham Lake marinas and tips for recreational boaters.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
Cumberland River History in Plain English (Plus Our Two-Minute Film)
Cumberland River history in plain English, with the ancient sea floor, the people who lived here, the 1750 naming, the Donelson flotilla, steamboats, Fort Donelson and the dams.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
How to Lock Through on the Cumberland River (Cheatham, Barkley and Old Hickory)
Step-by-step guide to taking a recreational boat through the Cumberland River locks, with signals, lights, horn blasts, tying up and priority rules, from Corps and TVA guidance.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
Lake Barkley for Boaters: Marinas, the Lock and What to Know
A boater's guide to Lake Barkley on the Cumberland River, with how big it is, where it runs, the eight Corps-listed marinas, Barkley Lock and Dam, the canal to Kentucky Lake and the state line.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationCumberland River
Lake Barkley vs Kentucky Lake: Same Neighborhood, Different Water
Lake Barkley vs Kentucky Lake compared, covering which river, who runs the dam, size, shoreline, the canal that connects them and Land Between the Lakes, with TVA and Corps numbers.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
02 / 4 posts
Clarksville
Ramps, parks and the river town's story.
IllustrationClarksville
Clarksville TN Boat Ramps: Where to Put In on the Cumberland
Public boat ramps and river access in Clarksville, TN, including Liberty Park, McGregor Park, Trice Landing and nearby access areas, checked against city, TWRA and Corps sources.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationClarksville
Clarksville TN History: A River Town Story
A short, sourced history of Clarksville, Tennessee, told from the river, covering the 1784 founding, dark-fired tobacco, steamboats, Fort Defiance, the 1878 fire, Wilma Rudolph and Fort Campbell.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationClarksville
Liberty Park and Clarksville Marina: A Boater's Look
Liberty Park in Clarksville, TN for boaters, with the four-lane Cumberland River ramp, Clarksville Marina's slips, transient dock and fuel, the fishing pond and what else is in the park.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationClarksville
Things to Do in Clarksville TN on the Water
Water-focused things to do in Clarksville, TN, including the Cumberland and Red rivers, the Clarksville Blueway, Liberty Park, McGregor Park and the RiverWalk, fishing spots and day trips to the lakes.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
03 / 3 posts
Fort Campbell
The 101st, the post's history and getting on the water.
IllustrationFort Campbell
101st Airborne History: The Screaming Eagles Next Door
A respectful, sourced history of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), covering the 1942 activation, Normandy, Market Garden, Bastogne, Fort Campbell, Little Rock, Vietnam, air assault, Gander, the Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationFort Campbell
Fort Campbell History: How Camp Campbell Became Home of the 101st
Fort Campbell history from the Army's own record, covering who it's named for, the 1941 site selection, Camp Campbell's armored divisions, Clarksville Base, the 11th Airborne, the 101st and the post today.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationFort Campbell
Fort Campbell Things to Do on the Water
On-the-water things to do for Fort Campbell soldiers and families, including MWR Gear to Go boat rentals and the Tennessee rental safety rule, nearby ramps on the Cumberland, the Blueway, and Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
04 / 4 posts
Nashville
The Cumberland downtown.
Nashville
The Water Around Nashville: Cheatham, Old Hickory and Percy Priest
A Clarksville boater's take on the water near Nashville, with the Cumberland River, Cheatham Lake, Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest Lake, plus ramps, marinas and what each one is like.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
Nashville
Nashville From the River: A Boat Guy's Take on the City
Nashville from a river guy's point of view, with Riverfront Park, Fort Nashborough, the Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge, the East Bank docks and what's in walking distance of the water.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
Nashville
Where I Eat in Nashville, Starting With Monell's
My top places to eat in Nashville, with Monell's in Germantown at number one, then hot chicken at Prince's and Hattie B's, Arnold's Country Kitchen and Martin's Bar-B-Que, several close to the river.
3 min read · Ryan Deeds
Nashville
The Cumberland River in Nashville: Riverfront Docks, Locks and Boating Downtown
Boating the Cumberland River in Nashville, with the downtown riverfront transient dock and who runs it, Cheatham Lake and Old Hickory Lock, river tours and a little Nashville river history.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
05 / 4 posts
Raider Boats
Raider, Selkirk Marine and buying a Coastal 230.
Raider Boats
Honda BF350 V8 Outboard: Why I Went With One Honda 350 on the Coastal 230
Why a single Honda 350 outboard ended up on my Raider Coastal 230, what the Honda BF350 V8 is, Honda's published specs, and a 2:38 animated explainer of how it's built.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
Pinned · Raider Boats
Who I Am and Why I'm Doing This
Why I bought a Raider boat: a Sea-Doo, a stump on the Red River at 60 mph, an airboat ride and 30 years of wanting a boat that could take it.
3 min read · Ryan Deeds
Raider Boats
Ordering a Boat From Selkirk Marine in Colville, WA: How It Went
What ordering a custom Raider through Selkirk Marine in Colville, WA looked like from Tennessee, with the build sheets, the show deposit, sizing up, contract revisions and shop photos.
3 min read · Ryan Deeds
Raider Boats
Raider Boats Review: Why We Bought a Raider Coastal 230
A Raider Boats review from a buyer: what Raider Aluminum Boats builds in Colville, WA, the Coastal 230 factory specs, what else I looked at and why I picked Raider.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
06 / 4 posts
New Boaters
Terms, launching, licenses and hull choices.
New Boaters
Aluminum vs Fiberglass Boat: Why I Went Welded Aluminum for the Cumberland
Aluminum vs fiberglass boats compared in plain English, covering weight, cost, ride, maintenance, damage and towing, plus welded vs riveted aluminum and why I picked a welded Raider for the river.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
New Boaters
Boat Terms for Beginners: Port, Starboard, Bow, Stern and the Rest
Basic boating terms for new boaters in plain English, like port and starboard, bow and stern, helm, gunwale, transom, beam, LOA, deadrise, cleats, wake, give-way and more, with real examples from my build.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationNew Boaters
Do You Need a Tennessee Boating License? Boater Education Explained
Tennessee boating license rules in plain English, covering who needs a TWRA boating safety certificate, the 1989 birth date rule, the 8.5 hp threshold, exceptions, Kentucky's rule on Lake Barkley and rental requirements.
4 min read · Ryan Deeds
IllustrationNew Boaters
How to Launch a Boat at a Ramp Without Holding Up the Line
How to launch a boat from a trailer step by step, with staging area prep, backing down the ramp, floating off, parking, and boat ramp etiquette, from Discover Boating and state guidance.
5 min read · Ryan Deeds
Want the boat side? Start with the build, the gallery, or our two-minute river film, Film 04: The Cumberland.