General Jackson Showboat Nashville

June 3, 2008.

We are staying in Two Rivers Campground near Opry Land in northeast Nashville over the Memorial Day weekend. Two Rivers is the private campground we recommend for anyone visiting Nashville. It ain't cheap $31 but it is $21 cheaper than the next best campground. The $31 is for water & 30-amps; full-hookup and 50-amps are a bit more. But, and it is a big BUT the Yogi Bear Campground next door starts at $51 and goes up. KOA a block away starts somewhere above that and the sky is the limit. In Nashville you are paying for LOCATION and Two Rivers Campground has LOCATION. Besides that they sponsor good entertainment in the park several times a week. When I say "GOOD" entertainment I mean FREE afternoon shows from the likes of Hot Damn out of South Florida, Paul Hill who operates out of Nashville and the incomprehendable Mel McDaniel who still resides in Nashville.

Visiting honky tonk row is one of the main attractions in Nashville but there are other things to do. Today, we spent the afternoon on the General Jackson Showboat a stern wheel boat plying the Cumberland River in Nashville.

General Jackson Showboat passing Titan Stadium in Nashville

This is the General Jackson that we took a cruise on. To understand the significance of the General Jackson Showboat a little history is called for:

In the winter of 1817 construction was started on the steamboat General Jackson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That steamboat began it's maiden voyage in March of 1818 as a 150-ton packetboat. The vessel traveled down the Ohio River and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. The following year it traveled from New Orleans up the Mississippi River and Ohio Rivers before turning and traveling upstream in the Cumberland River to it's home in Nashville, Tennessee.

The General Jackson Showboat is the Largest showboat in the World

Today the General Jackson Showboat is the largest showboat in the world. At 300 feet in length is can carry 1,200 passengers with 157 crew members. It is 55' tall not counting the folding smoke stacks that rise to 77'. This behemoth weighs 1489 tons with a draft of almost 7'.

A cruise on the General Jackson showboat provides an excellent meal, entertainment, and service in grandeur and style reminiscent of it's historical namesake.

Paddle wheels on the General Jackson Showboat, Nashville

These paddlewheels are massive as in, 36' long and 24' in diameter. They weigh 36-tons and feature twenty bucket boards.

These paddlewheels are powered by a diesel electric system. The diesel part consists of 2 Caterpillar 3512's (thirty-five twelve's), 1050 horsepower each. The electric part consist of 2 880 kilowatt generators with 2 General Electric 600 horsepower electric motors that turn the chain driven paddlewheel.

Top speed is around 12mph with cruising speed between 5-8mph.

The chain drive is just as impressive; tipping the scales at 32 tons of Morse chain. How about 6 rudders!

And for those of us that want to know it consumes 35 to 50 gallons of #2 diesel fuel per hour. A 200 horsepower bi-directional bow thruster helps with docking and turning maneuvers.

Landing stage on the General Jackson Showboat, Nashville

I want to call this thing a gang plank but paddle wheelers call them landing stages. The landing stage on the left is on the General Jackson. I included this picture because it is a good shot of the Cumberland River.

General Jackson Showboat on Cumberland River, Nashville

This is the General Jackson rounding a bend in the Cumberland River as it nears downtown Nashville.

General Jackson Showboat on Cumberland River, Nashville

The General Jackson Showboat as it nears downtown Nashville.

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Our 2009 visit in Nashville

Our 2010 visit in Nashville

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Until next time remember how good life is.