Built To Last
It’s a great expense and investment to create and build such a well-built floating structure but the goal all along has been to create the safest marina possible. The owners didn’t want to go with pre-fabricated docks, but rather went with integrity and longevity by using steel and heavy treated lumber to make sure it’s solid.
The 42-inch diameter steel tubes below will be the foundation for the restaurant and ship’s store that will be located at the far end of the marina, closest to those coming by boat. The walkway to the restaurant will be 18 feet wide and approximately 1,700 feet long. The slips on the west side of the walkway will be uncovered for houseboats with 20- by 67-foot, 22- by 80-foot and 22- by 90-foot spaces available. The other side will be covered slips for cruisers and day-use boats with part of the main walkway also covered. With this first phase there will be 56 houseboat slips and approximately 100 covered slips available. The timeline seems to be the question Dyson gets asked the most.
“The restaurant and some infrastructure, such as cable and internet service, won’t be in yet, but there could be a possibility of some boats coming over as early as this fall. But again, the goal is to have the marina up and running by spring of 2019,” confirmed Dyson.
Looking Ahead
Expanding the marina back into the more secluded portions of Rowena Cove to add more slips is included in the near-future plans. All phases of the Marina Rowena project are on a five-year plan with an RV park and campground next to the marina with hiking trails and paths all along the west side being included in the big picture thinking. The planning involved to this point has been nothing shy of amazing as even the finest details have been included to make sure the smallest number of trees have been disturbed during this project.
The marina is in Russell County, but access is through Clinton County by way of Ky. 90 and Route 558. Looking at the wide road today leading to the marina and the large – and flat – parking area near the launch ramp, you might not be able to appreciate what this area looked like before the renovation began. The ownership group has gone above and beyond and spared no expense to open up this area by removing parts of the rock cliffs to ensure this marina is built the right way and access is safe for patrons.
Always In The Plans
Rowena was the site of a ferry crossing on the Cumberland River before the Corps of Engineers completed Wolf Creek Dam to create the lake in the early 1950s.
Federal officials envisioned the site as a marina location decades ago, said Sloan in the Corps of Engineers news release. Sloan was involved for decades in Grider Hill Dock in Clinton County, which his father started in the 1950s, and has been able to use his years of experience to build and a create this marina from scratch. Sloan is also primary owner of two other area marinas, Conley Bottom Resort also on Lake Cumberland and close by Sunset Marina and Resort on Dale Hollow Lake.
Rowena will be the 10th marina on Lake Cumberland and based on the positive buzz in the community it will be well-received when completed and operational by next spring. The plan is not for Marina Rowena to ever be the largest houseboat marina on Lake Cumberland, but rather the main focus is to create a laid-back and friendly environment where everyone is welcome.
“When done it’s going to be a brand-new marina and have the customer service and personal touches that we all used to enjoy back when we first started houseboating that you don’t see today,” concluded Dyson. “This is going to be a marina boaters are going to want to be a part of.”
For updates or for more information on Marina Rowena, visit www.marinarowena.com, follow them on Facebook or email Dyson at david@marinarowena.com.