Looking for a Passenger Sternwheel Riverboat to buy

Jeni,

I would suggest you start by looking in "Boats & Harbors", a classified sale newspaper that caters to this sort of thing.

Welcome to the board, Jeni Bull. Capt. Reynolds is right with Boats and Harbors, two other places to check is Pinnacle Marine and Coastal Marine. Both specialize in excursion boats. I do a lot of work with excursion vessel operators and will keep my ears open for any leads. Now as to the second part of your thread, I would assume your Dad is Art Bull. Glad to know he's still navigating. Reynolds and some of the old timers on here will be glad to know that the owner of such fine vessels as the LOTTA BULL, BULL DURHAM
BULL HEAD and the FERN is still with us. If my memory serves me right the BETSY ANN was built out of a Simpson Co.boat, the BLUE SEAL. I stopped to see her under construction at Joliet, in I think 1974. On completion she was one heck of a fine boat, big in length and had split sternwheels. I'll check with my Passenger Association friends to see if we can find her.

Thank you, Capt. Bill for jarring my memory....I never made the "Bull" connection! Last time I saw the BETSY ANN was up at Joliet, maybe 20 years ago....

Jeni,

Having worked aboard the JEAN MARY for Jeannie and George Douglas when they owned her, I would love to hear what became of her as well. The Douglas' sold her to Ancient City and this is when she fell off my radar.

The ANASTASIA you are mentioning was a former towboat from the Ohio River dating to the 1920's. I do not have my reference library with me as I am aboard the Str. AMERICAN QUEEN at the moment. This I do know about these boats...when they were sold to Ancient City they disappeared from the Inland River Record, which is the listing of all commercial vessels operating on the inland waters.

It is my belief the JEAN MARY never had a COI, as she was a houseboat for all intents and purposes. The only SARA GRACE I can find in the USCG lists is this vessel which is way too small to be the boat you are alooking for... http://cgmix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIXDetails.aspx?VesselID=672171

A good place to start looking for a riverboat is either Boats and harbors magazine or online at Pinnacle Marine.... http://www.pinnaclemarine.com/activea.asp?CompID=23&btnSubmit=ByFileCategoryID&cboApplicationID=321&cboFileCategoryID=-1

Good luck in your search!

~Travis~

Jeni,

Look at this website

http://www.betsyannriverboat.net/

It´s saying that this Betsy Ann has been purchased from John and Ed Bull in May 2005.

It´s located in Panama City Beach, FL, running on the Choctawhatchee River.

And here´s a link to a thread in our old message board when the Sara Grace was listed at ebay in 2004

http://www.steamboats.org/talkshop/messages/14854.html

You will also find a posting by Julie Lemke (you´ll see the email address going over the name with your mouse) describing the boats Sara Grace and Jean Mary. You may email Roy and Julie Lemke for further questions.

But comparing the photos the Sara Grace and the Betsy Ann are different boats.

Carmen

As Carmen noted, a riverboat called "Betsy Ann" which may be the one you are looking for is moored here in Panama City, in the panhandle of Florida.
It is a nice little boat but is very dependent on the weather. They tend to cancel cruises if there is much wind. It started operations several years ago with a very ambitious cruise schedule. Now, it offers dockside comedy club type entertainment and I don't see it on the bay very often. Although it is advertised as a riverboat it operates on a bay that is effectively salt water.

Bear

Thank You for your post

Bill,

Thanks for your reply. Actually Art is my uncle, my father-n-law is Ed Bull. They are both in their 90's and doing well. Art is in Bradenton, FL and Ed lives in Alabama with us. They are both characters with tons of river and boat stories. I have seen pictures of all of the boats that you mentioned and have heard many stories about them. I do appreciate your help.

Different Betsy Ann

Carmen,

I am very familiar with that Betsy Ann, my father-n-law designed it and we operated it for 15 years. I am looking for a different Betsy Ann but I do appreciate your help. I tried to reach the Lemke’s and found out that Mr. Lemke died last year and Julie was not really sure what happened to the boat.

Jeni

Cotton Blossom & Magnolia Belle

Thanks for your help, I have tried Pinnacle and Boat & Harbor with no luck. I have been told of a couple of boats the Cotton Blossom and the Magnolia Belle. From the pictures that I have seen they are beautiful boats but are not current on their COI’s. Would you know anything about these boats?

Jeni,

Capt. Joe Baer has moved the Magnolia Belle to Paducah, KY, and will start an excursion boat business there. His website is

http://www.magnoliabelle.com/

I haven´t heard anything lately about the Cotton Blossom.

Carmen

COI Renewed in June 2007

Here's the link to a familiar paddlewheeler- a sidewheeler rather than a sternwheeler.... a real attention-grabber.

http://thepiratesplace.com/hoseman/hoseman-star.htm

Jean Mary Sternwheeler

My husband owned the original Betsy Ann, renamed Sara Grace after our little girl. The vessel was sold to a restauranteur in New York--I believe, and I am trying to locate my husband's old files to help you, Mrs. Bull, locate this boat. It was in very poor repair when my husband acquired the boat and although he did extensive repairs I believe it needed still considerable more when he sold it.

My husband passed away shortly before the holidays last year. He still owned the Jean Mary riverboat, formerly owned by Jeannie and George Douglas. This boat was designed by Jack Hargrave and was originally steam powered--since converted to cummings diesel with the chain hydraulic driven paddlewheel. The boat was featured on the Travel Channel from 2004 to just recentlly on a show called "Fantastic Houseboats". We just completed an extensive renovation and haul out and it is available on ebay. There are extensive photos there for those of you who would like to see them . It was coast guard certified for 12 passengers (6-pack) but its best use is an overnight charter vessel or private yacht. We believe we have found a fabulous new home for this boat via the many inquiries we have had via the internet the last few days...

The smaller SARA GRACE, mentioned above, is a beautiful 39' sternwheeler with the original steam engines. My husband sold it a few years ago to a real estate developer out west and it is doing lake cruises there.

My condolences on the recent the loss of your husband. He must have been a fine boatman. Please tell us his name.

Jeni,

The Belle's COI is current. The COI on the Magnolia Belle does not expire untill 03OCT2011.

Thanks,
Capt. Joe Baer
Master Magnolia Belle

I was talking to Nelson Jones today and he mentioned the Cotton Blossom is in Madisonville, LA.

vessel formerly known as the "lady d" dubuque boat and boiler 1967

Hi Capt.
Michael here. I noticed the connections to the Capts. Bull and they were instrumental and helpful with questions back in 1990 when I bought the Belle of Clinton i think it was called then.
So anyway we are soon to push paddlewheel water and get our COI and re-documentation as the "Jon Anderson White".
Stop by when in the area.
Capt. Mike
515-710-2360 cell, home 277-5052

COtton Blossom Is " For Sale "

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Its my understanding that the M/V Cotton Blossom is for sale and is located in Madisonville , La.. If interested I could provide more specifics .
Smoothe Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Jeni Bull;10135 wrote: We are looking for a 65' or longer riverboat to operate as a charter vessel. We would like to find a vessel that is current on its COI. I am also looking for a boat that ran out of St. Augustine under the name of Sara Grace and was operated by Ancient City Riverboats. I believe it was called the Anastasia before that. It was sold sometime in 2004-2005. The boat was originally called the Betsy Ann. It is not the same Anastasia that is in Alton IL. My 94 year old father built the boat and I would really like for him be able to see the boat again.

You can see a picture of the boat at Our Fleet

Any help would be appreciated.

Capt. Ted,

She sure is a beautiful little boat! Last I heard her COI had been surrendered (2005). Doesn't that mean she will have to be brought up to new boat standards before she can recieve a COI to sail with passengers again (aka: make a living for herself)?

I had kinda dismissed her to the "sternwheel houseboat fleet" because of the COI.

Am I wrong in that assumption?

~Travis~

Cotton Blossom

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Travis , thats a very good question concerning the Cotton Blossom's COI but I would have to imagine that she is up to date from the standpoint that she is still taking " Passengers For Hire " here on the Tchefuncta River . I'll be happy to look into her legal specifics if interested .
Smoothe Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Travis Vasconcelos;12309 wrote: Capt. Ted,

She sure is a beautiful little boat! Last I heard her COI had been surrendered (2005). Doesn't that mean she will have to be brought up to new boat standards before she can recieve a COI to sail with passengers again (aka: make a living for herself)?

I had kinda dismissed her to the "sternwheel houseboat fleet" because of the COI.

Am I wrong in that assumption?

~Travis~

Capt. Ted,

Then my sources are wrong. I was to understand she had no COI and couldn't run.

~Travis~

Cotton Blossom Issues

Travis ,
You may not be entirly wrong concerning your sources and there are a number of " issus " the Cotton Blossom is presently dealing with . Its my understanding that some of the residents in the Madisonville , La. community object to the presence of the Cotton Blossom laying alongside the Madisonville sea wall because she is obstructing the view of the Tchefuncta River . So , its my understanding that the owner of the Cotton Blossom is looking for a new landing for the boat to apease a few of the locals that are objecting to the boats presence on the sea wall . So , go figure but I do also believe that once this matter is resolved she will resume taking passengers out on the Tchefuncta RIver .
Smoothe Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Travis Vasconcelos;12311 wrote: Capt. Ted,

Then my sources are wrong. I was to understand she had no COI and couldn't run.

~Travis~

Capt. Ted,

It seems I heard something about the landing being a problem even before Katrina. Joe Baer wanted to land the MAGNOLIA BELLE in the same place as the COTTON BLOSSOM and I believe it escalated to the point the city didn't want ANY boat at that location!

Either way, it would be a shame for a community to lose a good excursion boat (or for that matter two) to a view. Too few communities support boats today...and for selfish reasons in many cases. A boat like the COTTON BLOSSOM would be great to bring in tourism...and since Katrina, I know Madisonville needs that bad!

~Travis~

Looking to buy a paddlewheeler

In 2007, Becky and I, during the DQ run up the Red River, noticed this gem "Southern Comfort" very near the landing in Alexandria, LA. With a little TLC it could have a future on the rivers. I wonder if MAL might be interested.