Capt. Kirk is at the helm, but his boat isn't exactly the Enterprise.

University of Tennessee junior James Kirk McElroy, nicknamed "The Captain," decided last summer to fix up his uncle's rickety old boat.

The boat is still old and rickety, but "The Captain" has the means to pilot his friends to Neyland Stadium on game day.

The 26-foot pontoon boat had been left in a barn for 12 years until McElroy replaced the motor and spray-painted the vessel bright orange.

Before game time, he docks at Volunteer Landing with the other boats of the Vol Navy.

Waves near Fort Loudoun Lake's bank precariously rock his small boat, but as many of McElroy's friends that fit stay on board, braving the conditions to indulge in pre-game festivities.

"We usually try to get here five to six hours before kickoff," McElroy said. "We like to get here in time to drink a little bit, get the grill fired up."

The grills aren't alone in getting fired up.

Every home game, UT fans dock their boats at Volunteer Landing, and the fleet prepares for battle in the name of Tennessee football.

Their weapons of choice: grills, nachos and maybe a six-pack or two.

The Vol Navy is an informal group of boaters that travels to UT games by way of the Tennessee River.

At the heart of the Vol Navy is football, of course. And partying before and after games.

But just as important, the boaters say, is the sense of community that drives people to join the Vol Navy.

They arrive anywhere from several hours early to upward of several days before a game.

"It's slow. It's a slow process," Beau McGill said last Saturday, after riding with a group from the Fort Loudon Yacht Club. "We came at 10 this morning."

A wide variety of boats make up the Vol Navy. People dock at the marina with anything from skiing and fishing boats to yachts and houseboats.

"We probably have less money in our boat than it costs to fill up one of the gas tanks in any given other boat in the Vol Navy," McElroy conceded. "But we have just as much fun and just as much Vol spirit as anyone else out there."

Some boaters come from as far away as Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio. Most live in the Knoxville area, and much fun can be had for a local round-trip fuel cost of $60 to $100.

Finding a spot to dock works on a first-come, first-served basis. Not a problem, if you arrive early and stay awhile.

Take Pete and Terrell Kerr, who have been a part of the Vol Navy since 1973. They started with a ski boat, but now they take a houseboat named the Dream Sea-Kerr.

"We've been here since Wednesday," Pete Kerr said last weekend. "We plan to stay through homecoming" — the Sept. 23 game against Marshall.

The Kerrs are both UT graduates and want to continue the Vol Navy heritage. It's a tradition, Pete Kerr said, that dates back to the mid-1960s — even though, originally, the city didn't want the boats there for the games.

"They weren't going to let us park here, but the people who donated to UT fought it," she said.

"Everybody watches out for everybody else."

Coming by boat offers a premium spot for pre-game celebrations, plus it makes for an easy walk to and from the stadium.

Boater Kevin Jeske is attempting to take the Vol Navy one step further.

He has helped create the Vol Navy Boaters' Association. It's a group, he said, designed to build a stronger community between boat owners.

The association will use the Internet to connect members.

"The online database will help us to remember and appreciate the commonalities we have as part of the association," Jeske said.

But don't expect the association to elect officers. Jeske said his goal is inclusiveness without tying anyone down to job titles or leadership roles.

"We'll never have any of that," Jeske said.

Since 1978, Dennis and Nancy Brooks have been taking a boat to Volunteer Landing.

"We party afterward if we win," Dennis said. "There's a lot of soul searching if you lose."

Not uncommon.

"We just kind of go boat to boat," McGill said. "It's one big social gathering."

Partying with the Vol Navy after a game can be an adventure. The boaters said they've seen some weird things on the docks — a visit from Elvis, a lot of nudity.

"A California guy went off a slide naked," Pete Kerr said.

Also, a six-person boat pulled into the docks one year, carrying a mix of Georgia and UT fans.

According to a bet, fans of the losing team had to walk naked across the docks. Georgia lost. Nude Bulldogs took the walk.

"They were not young men," Pete Kerr added.

Now the fleet is preparing for Florida. They'll have the grills at the ready — and memories of past glories and miscues.

At the season opener Labor Day weekend, "The Captain" partied too hard too early — and left shortly after kickoff to rest on his boat.

He said he wants to be sure he sees future games.

"We've dubbed this trip 'Moderation,' " McElroy said.

Matthew Chiaro can be reached at 865-342-6432.