Navigating the adventures of boating

Guntersville Dam’s 1939 opening transformed much of the Tennessee River’s rural shoreline into a hub for water recreation and tourism. It also launched construction of marinas to serve the ever-increasing number of boaters.

The private Alred Marina was constructed in the 1950s. Bill and Judy Cranford purchased the marina from the Alred family in 1996, and their son, Russ Cranford, has managed it ever since.

“We pretty much cater to owners of large boats, people who basically want to just come to the marina, hop in their boats and go,” Russ Cranford says. “We have a few locals, but our renters are really from all over the place. They like to be able to go up and down the river, which you can’t do on landlocked lakes. And they typically have larger boats like cruisers and yachts so they can go farther.”

The cove with the Alred Marina was cut off from the main peninsula to its south when the lake formed. Situated a bit northwest of the U.S. Highway 431 bridges, the marina has 240 rental slips ranging from 30 to 70 feet long.

Having a boat ready for use is a major perk, but there are others at Alred Marina. Renters receive exclusive use of an on-site pool, walking trail, pavilion and picnic area. The marina provides Wi-Fi with internet service from North Alabama Electric Cooperative’s NAFiber.

Slip renters also can sign up early for Alred’s annual Boat Poker Run, a June 13 fundraiser also open to nonrenters. After getting a goody bag and playing card at the marina office, poker run boaters collect other cards at three locations around the lake. When they return to the marina, they enjoy free food, receive the final card and play their five-card hands. The best hand wins, and there are a host of other prizes.

“The Boat Poker Run is open to anybody who wants to participate,” Cranford says, but sign-ups end June 7. “It’s strictly by water — you can do it in a pontoon, you can do it in a sailboat, you can do it on a jet ski or a yacht.” Each poker hand costs $25, and participants can buy up to 10 hands. All proceeds benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation, honoring veterans and first responders and their families.

There are boaters who rent slips on a short-term basis. Some are traveling north to see the leaves changing color in the fall or heading south for the warmer winters, Cranford says. But there are also those traveling the Great Loop — a boat route circumnavigating the eastern U.S. and part of Canada, mainly along inland waterways.

“From here, boaters can either go up to meet the Mississippi and go down or take the Tenn-Tom Waterway toward Mobile, then go all around the tip of Florida, up the East Coast to Canada, around the Great Lakes,” Cranford says of the loop. “There are several routes.”

The loop grew in popularity after the 1999 launch of America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association.

At a Trawlerfest boat show that year, Ron and Eva Stob manned a booth to sell the book they’d written about their 6,300-mile journey navigating America’s Great Loop and to recruit members for the association they were just starting. Now, the couple’s book, “Honey, Let’s Get a Boat,” is in its seventh printing and membership in AGLCA has topped 6,000.

Cool options

Anyone looking to launch a boat, kayak or other watercraft but isn’t a slip renter won’t have access to ramps at most private marinas, but there are many public, no-cost options. One is the recently renovated Marshall County Park No. 1 boat ramp a bit south of Alred Marina on the northwest side of Highway 431, just before the southbound bridge to Guntersville.

Jackson County public ramps include Mink Creek, Mud Creek, Crow Creek and Bridgeport.

For those who don’t have their own boat or who want to leave the driving to someone else, many marinas offer access to watercraft rentals. Snug Harbor and Sunrise marinas, each with Grant addresses just off Highway 431, rent pontoon boats.

Island Boat Rentals, which leases space at Alred Marina, offers a range of options for fun on the water. It has pontoons, fishing boats and kayaks for rent, but it also provides pontoon tour packages.

These include private, individually tailored two-hour trips for up to six people or a three-hour sunset cruise that includes a visit to Guntersville’s bat cave to witness the gray creatures flying out for their nightly hunt. Customers can bring their own food and drinks to enjoy.

Rental costs vary by provider, rental duration and size and type of boat. Taking a pontoon out for an eight-hour outing generally starts around $600, and tours are a bit over half that price. Any renter operating the boat needs a valid driver’s license and must abstain from alcohol. As for the boat, all required safety equipment and any needed instruction are provided, along with a full tank of gas. Most providers require that the boat be refueled at the end of the rental.