Rubright Marinas · Boat Storage
Nashville Boat Storage on Old Hickory Lake and Barren River Lake
Nashville boat storage gets easier once you know what each marina is set up to do. Rubright Marinas runs two marinas on Old Hickory Lake, the big Cumberland River lake on the northeast side of the city, and two more on Barren River Lake in south central Kentucky. Between them you can keep a boat under a roof in the water, on a rack in a building, or in an open slip on a quieter lake.
This page walks through each kind of storage, which marina offers it, and how to get a quote that fits your boat.
Nashville boat storage at a glance
Here is the quick map. Gallatin Marina, our founding location on Old Hickory’s north bank, offers covered slips plus dry storage that you launch through SpeedyDock. The Boathouse at Benders Ferry, over in Mount Juliet, keeps every boat out of the water in an enclosed building and runs launches as a concierge service. Up in Kentucky, both Peninsula Marina and Barren River State Dock rent covered and open slips.
So the first question is simple. Do you want the boat floating and ready, or out of the water between trips? Your answer narrows four marinas down to one or two.
Covered boat storage in the water
A covered slip is a berth with a roof over it. The boat stays afloat, tied up and sheltered, and you can walk down the dock and leave whenever the marina is open. For a family that heads out most Saturdays from May to September, that convenience is hard to beat.
The roof earns its keep. Sunlight fades gelcoat, dries out vinyl seats and wears through canvas covers, and a boat parked in shade all week ages far more slowly. Summer storms drop their rain on the roof rather than into your cockpit, so there is no bailing before the first run of the day.
You will find covered boat storage of this kind at three locations: Gallatin on Old Hickory, plus the state dock and Peninsula on Barren River. It is the most requested choice at all three, and space tends to go early in the year. Owners sell boats and move away, though, so a slip can open up in the middle of a season. It pays to ask more than once.
Open boat slips for rent on Barren River Lake
Open slips give you the same spot on the water without the roof, at a lower cost. They suit owners who already keep a fitted cover on the boat, anglers with an aluminum hull that has little paint to fade, and people who are out so often the boat barely sits.
If you are looking for boat slips for rent with that kind of setup, head to Kentucky. The state dock at Lucas and Peninsula near Glasgow each have open slips next to their covered rows. Peninsula, near Glasgow, is the calmer of the two, with a short walk from the parking area to the docks, which you will appreciate on a hot afternoon with a full cooler.
Wet slip or dry rack?
A wet slip keeps the hull in the lake. That is what makes it quick to use, and also what makes it more work to maintain. Algae and a film of slime build up below the waterline, the boat loses a little speed, and fuel use creeps up. Owners of boats that live in the water usually pay for antifouling bottom paint and redo it every few years. On gelcoat hulls, months of immersion can also cause blisters, which are not cheap to repair.
Dry storage avoids all of that by lifting the boat out after each trip. Both of our Tennessee marinas offer it, and our dry stack boat storage page explains how launching works and how the two locations compare. Neither option is wrong. It depends on how you use the boat and how much upkeep you are willing to take on.
Jet ski storage
Personal watercraft do not need a full slip. Across the group we also have jet ports, low platforms you drive a jet ski onto so it rests high and dry beside the dock. They are a tidy way to handle jet ski storage alongside a family boat. Space for them is limited and changes from season to season, so call the marina you prefer and ask what is open.
Boat slip rental by lake
Old Hickory Lake, close to the city
Old Hickory Lake was formed when the Corps of Engineers dammed the Cumberland River in the 1950s. It covers about 22,500 acres and winds past Hendersonville, Gallatin, Old Hickory and Mount Juliet, so for most of Middle Tennessee it is the nearest big water. That also makes it lively on summer weekends.
For boaters in Hendersonville, Goodlettsville or north Nashville, Gallatin Marina is the shorter drive. The Boathouse at Benders Ferry is the better fit from Hermitage, Lebanon or East Nashville, where the drive to the north shore means crossing town.
Barren River Lake, quieter water in Kentucky
Barren River Lake is smaller, at roughly 10,000 acres, and far less built up. Much of the shore belongs to the state park or the Corps, so you look at woods rather than houses. A boat slip rental here appeals to owners from Bowling Green, Glasgow and Louisville who want calm water and room to spread out. Our state dock is tucked inside the resort park at Lucas, and Peninsula Marina is roughly fifteen minutes out of Glasgow.
Seasonal lake levels and storage
Both lakes are managed for flood control. Each autumn the water is lowered to make room for winter rain, and each spring it comes back up. Shorelines, ramps and private docks all shift with that cycle.
A floating dock simply moves with the water, so a boat in a slip is unaffected. A boat on a trailer is a different story, because a ramp that works in July can be high and dry in February. Racked boats are launched by marina staff, so the level is not something you need to watch.
Getting a quote
Pricing varies with the location, the kind of storage, how big the boat is and how long you commit for. The quickest way to an accurate number is a phone call with a few details ready: overall length, beam, and how tall the boat stands to the top of any tower, arch or hardtop. Mention if it is a pontoon or tritoon, since those are handled differently on a forklift.
It also helps to say how often you plan to go out and where you will be driving from. With that, the team can steer you to the marina and the storage type that fit, and give you current pricing and availability.
Registration and boating certificates
Tennessee drivers whose birthday falls on or after January 1, 1989 must carry a boater education certificate, issued by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, to run a motorized boat. Kentucky sets its cutoff at January 1, 1984 for boats of ten horsepower or more. Both courses can be done online. Keep the boat registered in the state where it lives, and if you are relocating, transfer the registration before launch day.
Frequently asked questions
Which marina is the shortest drive from Nashville?
From downtown or the north side, plan on about thirty five minutes to Gallatin Marina. Coming from East Nashville, the Mount Juliet Boathouse is usually closer, roughly twenty five minutes along Interstate 40.
How soon should I ask about a covered slip?
As early in the year as you can. Covered slips are the most popular choice at every marina that has them, but spaces do come free during the season, so it is worth calling even in midsummer.
Does a pontoon have to go in a slip?
Not always. Some pontoons can be racked and some cannot, because they sit on a forklift differently from a V hull. Share the length and beam and the team will tell you which storage works for yours.
Can I buy fuel without storing a boat with you?
Yes. The fuel docks and stores at Peninsula, Gallatin and the Lucas state dock serve every boater on the lake. The Boathouse in Mount Juliet fuels only the boats it stores.
To talk through Nashville boat storage options, phone our Gallatin office on 615-452-9876, or compare all four locations on our marinas page.
Talk to the marina that fits your boat.