"terry" wrote in message
...
Hello,

My family (my wife, 13 yr old daughter, my adult sister, my parents, and
I)
are considering renting a houseboat in Kentucky, most likely on Lake
Cumberland. We are moderately expereinced small boaters, but nothing this
big. We know that we will want a minimum of a bath and a half due to some
health issues. What we do not know is what to expect for such things as
fuel consumption, etc. Also, does anyone have any recomendations as to
who
to use or avoid using? For that matter, are there any other lakes that we
should consider in Kentucky, given that we have a family group and would
perhaps want to do some on-shore day trips? We are trying to get into an
early summer (mid-June) rental.

Thanks,
Terry Hicks

I go to Lake Cumberland at least twice a year. I tow a second boat down,
usually the ski boat, and have a share in a 60'x16' houseboat in a slip down
there.

Its a big party lake, especially on the weekends and at any of the dozens of
water falls. With all its small tributaries, its quite easy to find a quite,
private place to anchor. Skiing is great as well...it is very easy to find
"glass" water, and , you don't need a spotter in Ky.

The larger houseboats have bow thrusters, and can be a bit of a chore to
dock, but if you rent, they send out a tender to do all your docking. The
rentals are also grossly underpowered, so its hard to get into any real
trouble with them. Since you have some boating experience, you will do fine.
Here is a link to the most reasonable houseboat rental outfit down the
http://www.statedock.com/ I used them when I rented, and never had a
problem. There are some more expensive outfits down there, but your
basically paying for newer equipment.

Most of the rentals run outboards. Depending on the size, the can run from
25 hp, all the way up to 200. On an average sized houseboat, look for about
4 gallon per hour at speed.

I highly recommend Lake Cumberland, but remember to bring EVERYTHING. Stores
are few and far, and when you do find them, be prepared to be gouged. Same
for alcohol...the lake is dry, so if you want to drink, BYOB.

Good luck.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.columbus.rr.com/ckg/