Paradise on the Cumberland
Rock Harbor Marine is seven miles by land from downtown Nashville, so you’ll be looking for music, fun, good food and showbiz celebrities at this popular site. Pull off the Cumberland River at Mile 175 to find all of these things, plus 150 boat slips, a full-service boatyard and a most accommodating staff.
Our Origin Story
Two historic events formed the present-day marina, one mechanical and one from Mother Nature. About 60 years ago, the site was an active rock quarry until the blasting tumbled away a few rocks near the river, then more and more. Water trickled and then flowed in, filling the quarry and forming the perfect site for a marina. Rising around the boats are steep granite walls with emerald ferns and dripping waterfalls that give the feeling you have somehow boated into a hidden lagoon from a childhood fairy tale. Paddleboards to yachts fill the boat slips, with enough vintage models to make a classic boat lover’s heart sing. On a ledge above and around the scenic marina is the workaday world: a huge service yard, marina offices and an extensive parts department.
Under several owners, the early marina developed, beginning with one barge that is still at the center. The facility flourished especially because it was popular with Nashville boaters, convenient to homes in Belle Meade, Green Hills and other lush neighborhoods. Then in 2010, devastating flood waters poured in, raising the level 52 feet above flood stage, damaging and washing away many of the floating docks, including the popular Blue Moon restaurant, which broke loose and disappeared down river.
Revitalizing the Rock Harbor Community
Rebuilding and redesigning began, taking three years. It is now better than ever. Existing docks were rehabilitated. New docks were added, bringing the total to 150 slips. This year, the only full-service marina between Old Hickory Dam upriver and Cheatham Dam downriver is thriving. With more requests for boat slips, plans are to keep expanding over the 11 acres. The new Blue Moon restaurant added a big deck and an elaborate floating stage that entices boaters and landlubbers to feast on menu items and music. Just a dock away floats Rock Harbor Yacht Club, housed on the original barge, drawing members for frequent social gatherings.
Boats, water, fun, food, music — now all we need is a celebrity. How about guitar wizard Charlie Archer, often aboard his 28-foot Marinette Slipp ‘N Away. If you know country music, you know this man. He was lead guitarist for Conway Twitty for years. After this singer’s death, Archer pursued his other passion: boats. He earned a 100-ton Coast Guard master’s license, then captained tourist boats out of Opryland Hotel. But music called him back as Loretta Lynn’s band director. He now plays steel guitar and tours with her, returning to rest on his boat at Rock Harbor or his home in Oklahoma City.
A Quick Ride to The Bright Lights
When Rock Harbor boaters get itchy feet, they only have to travel upriver 15 miles and tie to the docks at downtown Nashville, then walk up the hill for all the restaurants and entertainment Music City has to offer. Or just walk across the bridge and cheer for the Tennessee Titans pro football team. From a pastoral setting to Nashville’s bright city lights, Rock Harbor boaters can have it all.