The Captain's Post2010-03-11T20:08:39ZTom AllenCopyright 2010, Tom AllenSPHPBLOGWinterizing Docks To Begin Soon Stay Warm!
Thank you for your business. Tom Allen
P.S. I am sorry for not maintaining a routine blog but I will try to post regular entries during the winter to keep you thinking about your boat and about beautiful Dale Hollow Lake. ]]>http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry091103-1213162009-11-03T00:00:00Z2009-11-03T00:00:00ZSafe Boating Day Saturday May 16, 2009 was the start of nationwide “Safe Boating Week”. Sunset Marina recognized “Safe Boating Week” by hosting a “Safe Boating Day” which was attended by various agencies such as The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Friends of Dale Hollow Lake. Boaters were able to collect information on “Safe and Clean” boating practices and TWRA gave away a free lifejacket to everyone who signed a pledge to wear one while boating. Children were fascinated with “Bobber” the USACE Water Safety Dog. Door prizes were given away and it was a fun day for all who attended. Click here to view more photos of Sunset Marina’s “Safe Boating Day”.
Click HERE to view the photos of the events.]]>http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry090516-0534162009-05-16T00:00:00Z2009-05-16T00:00:00ZDale Hollow Poker Run
The very first Dale Hollow Lake Poker Run will be held from June 6-14th. During this 9 day event, participants will pick up a playing card at each of seven locations around the lake, to complete their “hand.” Sunset Marina will be one of these locations. Eighty percent of the registration fees will be returned as prize money. The remaining twenty percent of the proceeds will support the Nashville Ronald McDonald House. Please visit www.DaleHollowLakePokerRun.com for the most up to date information and details.
You can complete in 1 day, the weekend, or over the course of 9 days! The choice is yours...enjoy our beautiful region by boat, motorcycle, or vehicle. 225 gorgeous miles of scenic highway or 61 miles by water.
Events around the lake each day. Get your entry form to mail or reserve online today. Pre-registration/gift $100, on-site registration/gift during the event $125.
Long time patrons of Sunset Restaurant are familiar with the “Chef in the Kitchen”, William “Zoom” Miller. This year, patrons will be seeing more of “Zoom” in the Dining Room as well. Sunset Marina General Manager Tom Allen confirms that Zoom has accepted the position of Restaurant Manager beginning immediately. Sunset’s Restaurant Management position became vacant in October of 2008 when Brian Mueller resigned after eight years of service to join the staff of Mustard Seed Ranch in Cookeville, Tennessee. Zoom is already on the job and is actively preparing for the upcoming season. Opening day for Sunset Restaurant is Friday April 3rd when the restaurant will begin serving patrons on weekends. The full weekly schedule will begin in Mid-May. For those who are thinking that Zoom’s talents are best utilized in the kitchen, never fear. Zoom’s presence and influence will primarily remain in the kitchen. However, as Sunset’s Restaurant Manager, Zoom will be bringing his wide range of talent to the overall dining experience and he will be much more accessible to the customers and will be responsible for all restaurant operations. Zoom is putting together a staff that will assist him in continuing the quality dining experience Sunset’s Customers have grown accustomed to. Make plans now to visit Sunset Restaurant on Dale Hollow Lake for a unique dining experience. Sunset Restaurant serves lunch and dinner and on the weekends, breakfast is also served. Join us for excellent meals, friendly service, a relaxed atmosphere, and breathtaking views of the evening “SUNSETS”.
Sunset Marina’s Crew has recently completed “Sassafras Hollow,” a very unique lakeshore cottage located at “Sunset East” just south of “R-Dock”. This beautiful cottage has three queen size beds and three sleeper sofas sleeping up to 12 people. Sassafras Hollow also offers a fully equipped kitchen, 2 ½ baths, fireplace, activity room, large front deck with an unparalleled lake view and so much more. Visit our website and click on “Sunset East” to get more information and see more pictures of this beautiful lakeshore cottage. This unique lakeview cottage and it’s predecessor, “Sassafras Point” is available for seasonal rentals should you or someone you know desire to rent one or both of these lakefront accommodations for a full season to accommodate your family, friends, coworkers and associates for a complete season of waterfront recreation. Covered boat slips are located on the water’s edge near your cottage for convenient docking of your personal boat. If you are interested in weekly or seasonal rental of these facilities, call today to make your reservation. ]]>http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry090116-1142542009-01-16T00:00:00Z2009-01-16T00:00:00ZMerry Christmas & Happy New Year! Thank you for a great summer. We pray that your family has a healthy, happy and blessed Christmas. Please remember Jesus (Luke 2) as you celebrate this season with family and friends.
P.S. It's official...Santa Claus is coming to town, and soon. Dock manager, Francis Copeland, aka Chummly, received the good news directly from the big guy himself while riding Sunset's fire boat in the Pickett County Christmas Parade.
As all of you are aware, Dale Hollow Lake’s water level is lower than we have experienced in over 25 years. In fact, 1983 was the last time Dale Hollow fell below our present elevation of 634.00 feet above sea level. The previous low level of 632.84 was reached on November 14, 1983. All of the marina owner’s on Dale Hollow Lake met with officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers(USACE) at Dale Hollow’s Dam and visitor’s center last week to discuss the lake level situation. According to the USACE, they expect Dale Hollow to continue to drop to 633.00 by the end of December and possibly even lower if we do not receive significant rainfall. The USACE states that we are in the third year of a five year drought pattern.
The low water level presents many challenges for a marina and for you (the boaters). We appreciate your patience as we maneuver docks, boat slips, and gangplanks to adjust to the ongoing falling of Dale Hollow’s pool level. For your information, Dale Hollow Lake has a “Power Pool” of 20 feet. This means that the water in Dale Hollow from elevation 631 to elevation 651 is used for power generation. The lake also has what is known as a “Flood Pool” which is 12 feet in depth and runs from elevation 651 to elevation 663. This twelve foot flood pool is used during times of extreme flooding to hold back water in order to prevent downstream flooding in the towns along the Cumberland River. For your reference point, the front guardrail along Sunset’s Parking Lots is at elevation 655. Therefore, if Dale Hollow ever reached it’s highest point in flood stage, the parking lots would have eight feet of water standing in them.
The USACE’s ability to hold water and provide downstream navigation has been reduced by over 35% since Lake Cumberland’s Wolf Creek Dam and Center Hill Lake’s Dam is undergoing emergency repair. With this dam repair, Dale Hollow Lake is being used to store water in the spring and the USACE expects the reservoir level to reach at least 653 by June 1st, 2009 and Dale Hollow’s water is being relied on more heavily in the fall to provide hydropower and downstream navigation. The USACE stated that Dale Hollow has been the most important reservoir in the Cumberland River System in terms of managing water this past year and will be for several years to come.
I hope you find this information helpful and educational. Below are some helpful links to monitor Dale Hollow Lake’s pool level.
]]>http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry081125-1129332008-11-25T00:00:00Z2008-11-25T00:00:00ZBrian Mueller Resigns as Sunset Restaurant ManagerIt was the bittersweet occasion for the lunch that made this a special event. Brian Mueller, manager of Sunset Restaurant for the past eight years has resigned and this lunch was to honor Brian not just with a meal but with a fairwell and a special momento to remember Sunset's Crew. Brian was presented with a Ship's Wheel that was once at the helm of one of Sunset's Rental Houseboats. The Ship's Wheel was engraved with a bronze disc that gave much deserved appreciation for Brian's service to Sunset Marina and Restaurant.
Brian and his wife Christi along with their daughter Hannah and son Daniel will be joining The Mustard Seed Ranch in Cookeville, Tennessee as full time missionaries. Brian and family will be house parents in one of two homes to benefit orphaned boys and girls. They will be the primary care givers for up to 8 girls in addition to their own two children. The Mustard Seed Ranch is a wonderful mission and if you are interested in learning more about Brian's new journey, please visit the Mustard Seed Ranch web-site.
We hope everyone will join us in wishing Brian and his family well with their new journey. Pictured in the photo left to right is Chef Zoom, Brian Mueller, and Sunset General Manager Tom Allen. Brian will be dearly missed and will leave very big shoes to fill, no pun intended.
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http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry081106-0643102008-11-06T00:00:00Z2008-11-06T00:00:00Z "Classic Boats at Sunset"
One of the members of ACBS has recently retired to Crossville, Tennessee at Fairfield Glade Resort and he invited his fellow Michigan boaters to bring their antique watercraft to Dale Hollow Lake as part of a tour of three of Tennessee's Lakes. After visiting Center Hill Lake on Friday, and Watts Bar Lake on Saturday, these classic boat owners saved Tennessee's most beautiful lakes (Dale Hollow) for the final leg of their tour on Sunday. The boaters launched at Sunset Marina's East Launch Ramp and proceeded for a few miles upstream then proceeding back downstream stopping at Sunset Restaurant for lunch prepared by Chef Zoom. After lunch, they fired up their unique watercraft and toured the pristine Dale Hollow waters crossing into Kentucky and returning in the late afternoon to load their boats and thus ending their Tennessee Travels. The owner of the large (26 footer) green Chris Craft is actually the grandson of the founder of Chris Craft Boat Company. We are glad these Michigan Boaters brought their Antique Boats to Sunset Marina and we welcome them back next year. I only hope that we will receive advance notice so we can inform all of our patrons who might want a close up view of these pieces of boating history. Thank You ACBS.]]>http://www.sunsetmarina.com/smrblog/index.php?entry=entry081030-1327092008-10-30T00:00:00Z2008-10-30T00:00:00Z
