The end of the Delta Queen?

[Ken Knopp]

I honestly dont know much about this but I thought it deserved some attention here too. BTW, I used the AC search engine to no avail to see if this had been reported here. Anyone have any "news" on this? If true, it is quite sad.

http://www.majesticamericaline.com/SaveTheDeltaQueen.aspx

Maybe I am just an old geezer but I really dont understand alot of what is going on in this country anymore.


Ken R Knopp

[Michael Comer]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

I do a Civil War tour for the boats when they are here so am somewhat familiar with the issue.

Evidently the Delta Queen has been allowed waivers for some years now to keep plying the river because it is a historic vessel. I believe it has been targeted because it is a wooden vessel so it is a fire hazard and doesn't meet USCG code. For some reason, the line is having a problem getting the waiver renewed and this may be the last season she sails.

The line has been sold also - the third owner in as many years - so I do not know how much the new owner will fight the fight to save the Delta Queen or where it stands right now. The have a couple other ships too although at this time the American Queen is the only one on the river. The other - Dixie Queen? - is in drydock I believe.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

While the river boat is evocative of our particular era, the boat itself seems to have been built about 82 years ago, in 1926... so, about 80 years past our era. Saving vintage watercraft is admirable, but I don't see the connection to the mid-19th century focus of this site?

[VA-Patriot'61]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

[QUOTE=huntdaw;110740]I believe it has been targeted because it is a wooden vessel so it is a fire hazard and doesn't meet USCG code.[QUOTE]

I'd be interested to know why it would be considered a fire hazard and not pass the USCG's inspection criteria. It sounds like the owner needs to do some research and have some knowledgable help in restoring it to working order.

My family owns and has been running a boating building business in Virginia since 1842 on the same land we've been living on since the 1830s. Due to the decline in interests towards wooden boats and the costs to keep them up we've turned entirely to doing boat repairs on everything from "Trumpy" yachts to repairs to the "Godspeed" at the Jamestown site to working on scalloping/shrimping fleets.

My point being that a few years ago the USCG came to our boatyard and asked my grandfather to sit on the board to draft up inspection criteria for wooden vessels. The inspectors school is located right down the river from us and they used to bring classes by our railway to have "hands on" field trips. I think if the owners of the Delta Queen really wanted to keep it on the river they could find someone willing to do the work and meet the USCG's inspections. It is however, costly due to SKILLED labor and supplies but it is doable.

One thing that would be neat is to see a comeback in wooden sailing boats and workboats on the bays and rivers but their time may have already passed along with the men who worked on them.

[yankeecav]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

Maybe this is our chance to buy the DQ and reenact the Sultana! j/k I hate to see this old boat go away. It is an issue of getting a waiver from compliance with CG regulations. I live near Louisville so I get to see the queen during the Great Steamboat Race each year.

[Spinster]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

The Delta Queen's river tours with emphasis on various Civil War sites and lectures will indeed be greatly missed. For a number of years, Bobby Horton has provided lectures on civil war music for these themed trips, and I understand that his last trip on the Delta Queen has already occurred.

The Delta Queen is older,smaller, and the waiver has been delayed for some time , with no real hope of resolution. It was a thrill to wave her off from the dock at Tuskaloosa just last year, stopped for a tour of several antebellum homes in the area---knowing even then that it was unlikely we would see her again.

[John Pellarin]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

The point of contention is that the boat will not meet USCG standards for overnight sleeping arrangements, ie. as a "wooden boat", it does not meet current safety standards for such. The boat could run during daylight hours for cruises, but not overnight with passangers sleeping on her, which has been the boats reason for being for decades.

John Pellarin

[Suppelsa]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

Where is she homeported? I can give you some folks that you could be writing letters to.

[yankeecav]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

Where is she homeported? I can give you some folks that you could be writing letters to.

Cincinnati I believe.

[Suppelsa]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

If based out of Cincinatti, you'd probably be best off writing directly to sector.

SECTOR OHIO VALLEY (08-37200)
600 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR RM 409-D
LOUISVILLE, KY 40202-2242

[Michael Comer]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

She currently has home port status in both Cincinnatti and New Orleans. The company that owns her is based out of Seattle but, as I mentioned before, there is a sale in the works and I am not sure who is the buyer.

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

While the river boat is evocative of our particular era, the boat itself seems to have been built about 82 years ago, in 1926... so, about 80 years past our era. Saving vintage watercraft is admirable, but I don't see the connection to the mid-19th century focus of this site?

The biggest connection is both of their boats ran Civil War specific tours which included some of the most prolific historians of our time, as well as musicians, authors.

One of their stops, among others here in central Tennessee, was here in Dover to tour Fort Donelson. These tours have brought thousands of people here who are heavily involved in the CWPT and have helped preserve land here.

The boats themselves represent a time, where especially here in Dover and central Tennessee, the rivers were a vital pathway for goods both economically and strategically.

If these boats go, it will be a great loss.

John Walsh

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

Here is a link to the website, among many, which seems to be the most active, or atleast updated most recently. It includes addresses and informaiton,

Regards,

John Walsh

http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org/

[Eric Tipton]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

Watched the Delta Queen disembark from Cincinnati tonight. It was pretty fascinating to watch the procedure to get her going on the river. There were quite a few people there including a couple who were filming her as she left and paddled west on the Ohio River. It would be a shame to see this icon go away.

[Michael Comer]

Re: The end of the Delta Queen?

She was here twice last week and I did my civil war tour for them. I was told byt the Queen's shore tour person that the cause is still alive and that they have some friends in Congress but there are others that aren't so friendly. Probably wouldn't hurt for anyone interested to let their Congress people know how they feel.