DELTA QUEEN Engineering Question

Jim, it used to be that the boat could easily be hooked up to shore power for whatever electrical needs there were. Quite a bit of electrical stuff has been added since I was on there, but I cannot imagine it would be too much for a shore power cable to handle. When we would be in the shipyard, usually the yard would run a steam line aboard for heat and hot water, but that option likely is not available at Chattanooga, so one would assume they would still need to keep up steam. Mightn't they also want to play a calliope sometime, too?

A fireman is not required to be licensed, but there is such a thing as a fireman/water tender endorsement on a QMED Z-card. I wonder if that alone would be sufficient, or if a licensed steam engineer would be required (or advisable)?

Let's hope those Chattanooga folks have these things thought out, but based on my own experience with a boat much larger than the DQ, and others, shore power is an option that should provide as good, or better, electrical service than what the QUEEN generated herself. But doesn't she still have several diesel gen sets aboard? They will probably only provide emergency power, or power before the shore power hook-ups are completed.

The Leevac-built casino boats I was on had small boilers that made low-pressure steam, or hot water, for heating, but I don't think the marine engineers had to have a license to run them. I loved it when the boilers were working as the venting steam reminded me of steamboat days gone past. Something like those little boilers could be hooked into the system, I'd imagine. Whatever happens, there will have to be various, and expensive, modifications made. For the DELTA QUEEN's sake, I hope everything works out. But like Dale says, ..........

My sources tell me that those folks, who are about to take hold of the DELTA QUEEN, are good people, and I wish 'em well.

Where's Kenny P. Howe, Jr. when you need him?

IF the COI is expired or non existant, would a licensed crew be necessary? What about the casino boats who gave up their COI or the Indiana boat about to give up her COI later in 2009?

Last Year for IN COI's

The IN casino boats COI's will end on 31 December 2009, or sooner, if the owners so desire. The IN Gaming Commission has chosen ABS to do the inspecting after the CG is done. From what we are hearing, ABS is seeking "comparable" personnel to staff the boat in much the same manner as presently required by the boys-in-blue. But does that mean licensed crews? Not necessarily, but surely the companies will keep many of their already trained staff for whatever length of time they determine they want to.

I was hoping a former engineer or captain would have answered my inquiry, perhaps none have read this thread. In my own research I found that most of the systems have been switched over to electric but a few still require steam. House heat, hot water for the showers, sinks, etc, and the galley steam tables all require steam from some source. The boat has a complicated plant designed to function on an operating boat, but I am sure the new operators are well aware of all this.

the dq

Jim, and all, the Delta Queen can be, and will be completely operated by electric, shore power. We did it for many years in many layups; Provided that there was enough amperage and proper shore supply lines were in place. One great challenge is to get approval from the fore-mention agencies to feed power to a vessel, with admittedly, at best, antiquated structural wiring. That being said, it depends on how much the new operator wants to invest on updating the control panels and the wiring that will be required to not only serve the new increased electrical loads, to comply with both local, state and federal regulations. I would defer these extremely technical questions to my best friend,and, in my opinion, the best Chief Engineer who ever walked upon a steamboat, Dennis Shenk. But, There in lies the biggest challenge facing the "shoreside corralling" of the Delta Queen. Her expiring COI (we should never let that go!) will relegate her to an area of legal ambiguity that will be extremely expensive to wade through. Please don't get me wrong, but survival of the Delta Queen depends on not just sentiment but upon realistic, up to date legal procedure, to insure full compliance, in advance with every legal entity. Our responsibility now, as true devotees of the Delta Queen, and as those of us whom she has blessed us, and allowed us the priviledge of walking or of have served on her decks, to be focused and to ensure that our interest, and commitment doesn't fade with time.
In closing, I have to relay a recent, moving experience I have had. While driving back to Florida from a recent visit with my wife Myras' family in Louisina (Myra was the former Chief Purser of the Delta Queen) I passed a car that had a "Save the Delta Queen" bumper sticker on it. I honked the horn, slowed down, waved, and recognized a couple whom had cruised the Delta Queen several times. The looked confused, a bit worried, so I waved a final time, blew them a kiss and went on ahead; they obviously did not recognize me at highway speed! None the less, my next few hours on the highway heading home were focused in my mind about home, and the Delta Queen. The ulitimate fate of the Delta Queen is not yet settled, it, as everything in life remains up to US!