Jan Burger said her family “lives on the water,” spending as much time on their boat as they can. Her house on Elder Mountain overlooks the Tennessee River Gorge, so she regularly gets to take in its beauty.

Still, speeding through the gorge on the new Tennessee Aquarium River Gorge Explorer was a thrill for her.

“I love it,” she said. “We are having a great time.”

Mrs. Burger was experiencing the trip with her sister, Jackie Awsumb, who was visiting from Edina, Minn.

“I love Chattanooga and have been coming here for 30 years,” Mrs. Awsumb said. “Every time I come it seems there is something different and fun to do. I love this boat.”

Their feelings are shared by Capt. Mike Hosemann, who said being allowed to pilot the one-of-a-kind vessel was like “being given the keys to a Porsche.

“It’s like piloting a 70-passenger Jet Ski,” he said. If the Explorer were a tugboat, Capt. Hosemann said, “it could push 17 barges.”

Taking the nearly 90-minute River Gorge tour is really a two-part adventure with the boat and the natural beauty of the gorge providing the thrills.

I’ve seen the river from Moccasin Bend Golf Course and from the Pot House farther down into the gorge, but I’ve never seen those sights from the river. The Explorer allows passengers to be taken farther up the river in less time than on most other boats.

When fully certified by the Coast Guard, which Capt. Hosemann said should happen very soon, the boat will be able to travel at 50 mph on the river. It can actually go 70 mph, according to its specifications. The boat’s design also allows it to comfortably get to that top speed in a hurry and to stop quickly.

“We can stop it in about three boat lengths,” he said. “If you are sitting, you hardly feel it.” The trip is not taken at top speed for the duration. Capt. Hosemann said the boat’s pilots are mindful of its wake, so they slow down for other boaters, barges and private and commercial docks.

“Our wake is relatively small and actually smaller the faster we go,” Capt. Hosemann said. “This boat wants to go fast, but we are mindful of the shoreline and other people on the river.”

Passengers sit comfortably without seatbelts during the high-speed segments and are able to walk about the air-conditioned cabin or on the top deck for much of the trip.

The large windows of the cabin allow for sightseeing, but the real thrill is up on top. A naturalist is on board with a headset and points out points of interest and wildlife along the route. On our excursion we were able to get within 40 yards of a nest of three osprey chicks. Blue heron, beaver, otters, hawks and a bald eagle also have been seen from the Explorer.

More than 16,000 of the 27,000 acres that make up the 26 miles of the gorge are protected by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. The River Gorge Explorer is a joint venture between the trust and the Tennessee Aquarium as an education tool, according to aquarium marketing director Thom Benson.

It’s also pretty cool.

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