Chautauqua Belle River Video

Video

Great photography, or videography, whatever the term! And it sure is nice to see a steamboat moving on a river, especially with 16 degrees and snow outside my place now. Thanks for posting it.

Excellent video, and great subject matter! Thanks for sharing!

Hey Mat,

Thanks for sharing this. The footage reminds me of a trip we made to Frankfort on the Kentucky River on the BARBARA H some few years back. Not many straight stretches on the Ole Kentuck so we'd wear out one pilot pawing the wheel then have someone else take over till their arms got tired too. You and your family have real jewel of a boat. Hope to get up there someday soon and ride her with my family.

Thanks again for sharing!

Aaron

It looks like the Belle is making a good wake. Whatever happened to all that talk a few years ago of engine adjustments and overhaul?

I satellite mapped this, and it looks like you have just a little bit of river delta to navigate, and it ends at "Jones and Gifford Ave", correct?

Great Video & Boat !!

Greetings From New Orelans !
What a GREAT video and boat ! i am impressed !
Pardon my ignorance but where is the boat and this river located !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Mathew Stage;24008 wrote: Here's a short video I made when the Chautauqua Belle spent a long weekend on the Chadakoin River.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCQRmNFTpKA

Ted, the CHAUTAUQUA BELLE is in Mayville, NY on Chautauqua Lake, which is only about 10 miles from Lake Erie. However, Chatauqua Lake does eventually drain to the Allegheny. Alan Bates designed this boat, and in my opinion it is one of his best.

The boat was built by a high school student named Mudge, who taught himself welding. The engines were built in Fulton, IL which is right below Lock #13 on the Upper. This boat is well worth a trip to Eastern New York!

Great video! and the music is very appropriate. I also think John Hartford's song "On the MISIP" would be equally good as background music for the footage: "That big sternwheeler comin' up the creek, makes my eyes start to water and my knees get weak. That ole big whistle when it starts to blow, says c'mon, its time to go. Now see that pilot at the wheel, shavin' the shoals on a twelve inch keel. I hope someday that he'll be me, on the M-I-S-I-P."

Wasn't that the opening song for the BELLE video that came out a few years ago? I remember watching that video all the time when I was a kid!