Inspired by the Darryl Worley hit 'Tennessee River Run,' we decided it was high time we blasted full throttle from Knoxville, Tenn., to Paducah, Ky., 652 miles down the Tennessee River. To legitimize our adventure, we borrowed two nearly identical walkarounds: a Triton 2286 equipped with Suzuki's DF225 and a Cobia 230 equipped with Yamaha's F225 powerplant.
Boat ownership is a blessing! C&I take immaculate care of our fishing equipment and, after many years of faithful service, finally turned in the old Merc Force for an offshore competitor, the Suzuki 4-stroke 90 hp. Talk about feeling like we were on cloud 9 - the motor started up like a dream and quietly purred.
We figured this demanding trip would tell us three things: how these big 4-stroke outboards perform in real life, how practical a long trip might be on a pocket-size cruiser, and whether the Tennessee River lives up to its advance billing. Quick conclusions: The Suzuki and Yamaha are far quieter and more fuel efficient than equivalent 2-strokes, a 23-ft. outboard cruiser is more than enough boat to take you safely across just about any inland water, and the Tennessee is one of the most beautiful waterways in the world.
Suzuki's DF225 is a 3614cc DOHC 24-valve 55° V6 with EFI. It weighs 580 pounds. Yamaha's F225 is a 3352cc DOHC 24-valve 60° V6 with EFI. It weighs 583 pounds. In other words, the two engines are virtually identical. Both are so quiet, at idle you cannot hear them from the helm station. For a big outboard, that's quiet.
The Triton 2286 and Cobia 230 are comparable in nearly every respect. Both are within inches of 23 ft. overall, both have a beam of 8-1/2 ft., both weigh 2 tons, both are rated for a maximum of 250 hp, both sleep two in a cozy cuddy and seat a half-dozen on a spacious deck. Both are also very fishable, as well as capable of towing a skier or two. Prices are comparable too, in the $35,000 to $40,000 range for boat/motor/trailer, depending on options.
Topping Out
During our trip, we had plenty of opportunities to compare the performance of the Suzuki and Yamaha 225s. Top speed of the Cobia/Yamaha combo was 44 mph. Top speed of the Triton/Suzuki combo was 48.5 mph. The Suzuki also out-accelerated the Yamaha every time.
During our trip, we had plenty of opportunities to compare the performance of the Suzuki and Yamaha 225s. Top speed of the Cobia/Yamaha combo was 44 mph. Top speed of the Triton/Suzuki combo was 48.5 mph. The Suzuki also out-accelerated the Yamaha every time.
It's important to note, though, that our Cobia came with an optional hardtop supported by a jungle gym of stainless steel tubing and holding an accessory equipment box with all the aerodynamic finesse of a kitchen cabinet. We had Cobia's Gary Thompson with us, so we couldn't just unbolt the hardtop and throw it in the river, but Suzuki's David Greenwood, who came along to oversee the Triton/Suzuki, agreed that without the hardtop, acceleration and top speed of the two boats and motors would be comparable.
After our two experts spent three days getting their boat/motor combos dialed in and 400 break-in miles on the engines, we carefully measured fuel consumption from Florence Harbor, Ala., to Perryville, Tenn., a distance of 121 miles. Interestingly enough, the Yamaha burned 66.7 gal., the Suzuki 63.3 gal.--or 1.81 mpg (Yamaha) compared to 1.91 mpg (Suzuki). The two boats were cruising side by side the whole time, most often at 38 mph.
Writer Rich Taylor has a thing for mermaids. He'll take incredible detours just for the opportunity to get close to one.
We met up with Thompson and Greenwood, and their respective rigs, at Volunteer Landing Marina in Knoxville. We started our trip by heading 4 miles upriver to the intersection of the Holston and French Broad rivers, the official beginning of the Tennessee. After photographer Kevin Wing documented our start with photos, we pointed the bows downstream and opened the throttles.
Load And Lock
The Tennessee Valley Authority produces electricity for much of the Southeast from hydroelectric plants along the Tennessee. There are nine dams between Knoxville and Paducah. Greenwood was nervous that we didn't have a plan of how far we would get each day, but with the variable of locking through nine different dams, how can you plan?
The Tennessee Valley Authority produces electricity for much of the Southeast from hydroelectric plants along the Tennessee. There are nine dams between Knoxville and Paducah. Greenwood was nervous that we didn't have a plan of how far we would get each day, but with the variable of locking through nine different dams, how can you plan?
As it turned out, we made 190 miles our first day, tying up to the municipal dock in Chattanooga, Tenn., at Mile 464. The second day, we stopped outside Huntsville, Ala., Mile 336. Our third day got us to Grand Harbor, outside Pickwick Dam, Tenn., Mile 215. We expected to reach Paducah on our fourth day, but a broken lock and a long line of commercial traffic at Kentucky Lock and Dam, Mile 23, forced us to overnight in Gilbertsville, Ky., and lock through in the morning. After dipping our props in the Ohio River at Mile 0, we pulled the boats out at the Paducah launch ramp, Mile 1.
Highlights of any Tennessee River trip are locking through all the dams, a fascinating process that's not for the faint of heart. Other favorite spots are the defunct hydroelectric plant at Hale's Dam and the spectacular scenery around the Land Between the Lakes, a peninsula between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, near Paducah. For nearly all of the 652 miles, we enjoyed glass-smooth water, beautiful countryside, colorful sunsets and some of the best boating in North America. As Wing put it, 'After this, roaring across a lake is going to seem pretty lame.'
A picture-perfect sunset.
Paddle-wheelers aren't just for the Mississippi. This old stern-wheeler proved to be no match for our outboards.