The MISSINGssippi Queen?

Travis,

I can´t see her either.

Carmen

I'll ask Jeff Lashway to take a ride down to Robin St and look across.

Somebody stole my boat????

Paul

I saw it there with my own eyes 2 days ago. And it looks like it's still there. Hidden a little by the angle of the camera, but I can see it

OK ? How do you miss place a Steamboat ??? LOL
Its not on the cam ...!

Dave Morecraft;19912 wrote: OK ? How do you miss place a Steamboat ??? LOL

Ask an office person where their boat is! One year I called Robin St. and had to tell the person the DQ was the one with just one stack, since she could see two boats from her window and didn't know which ones they were!

LOLz ,,Thats a good one Judy ... 🙂

I have confirmation from a friend of mine who works on the NATCHEZ. it's still there.

NATCHEZ still there

We might mention a couple of things about the NATCHEZ, since you brought her into this: the New Orleans Steamboat Co. office is now nearer the boat, on Decatur, or is it N. Peters there, by the Hard Rock Cafe. And the NATCHEZ is in her annual winter layup, so right now there is no steamboat running, but that of course is a temporary thing. The last I heard was that the NATCHEZ was staying at the Toulouse St. wharf for the duration of the layup and all maintenance and repairs will be done there. Of course, this layup explains the cold weather, as they always get cold and/or wet weather when exterior painting is planned! How long is the layup, Matt, 3 weeks? By the way, Matt was able to get some time on the calliope during this NOLA visit, since MS. Calliope was visiting her parents in New Jersey, and CCH has a surgically repaired thumb bandaged up.

For what it is worth, I stayed aboard the Delta Queen on December 30th. There was talk on the boat about the Mississippi Queen having gone missing. That was a week before Travis' post yesterday. Matthew says he saw it two days ago but I found the coincidence of the chatter on the Queen and Travis' post interesting.

Ed

Glad the MQ is present and accounted for! I feared the old gal might have "given up the ghost" and sunk out of sight!

Speaking of vessels that are "missing", THE STAR dinner cruise boat that operated here at Louisville, and later at Jeffersonville for some years, ceased business and has been out of sight for some time. Is she tied up at Utica or perhaps in McBride's fleet? Her wharfboat remains on the Jeffersonville waterfront and I noticed it's been listing heavily with the main deck now awash.

Missing auction info too

Speaking of the MQ, did anyone ever hear anything about the supposed MQ auction back at the end of November? I wonder where her calliope is now, along with the other items they removed, supposedly for the auction. I guess my biggest question regarding the MQ is: what are they waiting for as far as selling her? She is doing nothing but racking up docking fees and probably watchmen's pay, and considering how many vessels are available which are in far better condition than the MQ, surely the owners don't still expect to sell her for huge bucks?

Keith,

It has been about two months, but I did see the "Star" tied up just inside the mouth of the inlet at Utica. I doubt she has moved as I know she had been there for a while at that point, but I could be wrong.

Thanks Phillip. Since my earlier posting I have learned, from an article in the Jeffersonville newspaper, that the cause of the wharf barge sinking is due to the power being "mysteriously" cut off and the pumps being unable to run. THE STAR went out of business in March, 2009.

Keith,

Dave Evanzyk(sp) took her up to Marine Builders last March. She has been tied up to his finishing dock up there since. I remember when the STAR first came down to Louisville (1988), MANY of the officers of the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE looked at that wharfboat of hers and commented on how thin skinned she was then. When I noticed her port side freeboard had increased dramatically, I wasn't one bit surprised

Which brings up a question we had back then....why did the Mayor (Mare? sp) solicit competition for a boat he already owned? Look what it ultimately did to the poor BELLE.

Oh well, what do I know?

Travis

I also saw the STAR tied-off there at Marine Builders (Utica) on my trip to Louisville on the PA Denny in October. Makes sense since the boat was built and is at least partly owned by the owner of Marine Builders.

Matt,

I guess she has molded so bad she doesn't show up on cam!

Bad as that sounds, I am happy to hear she hasn't found the cutters torch yet! I still have a glimmer of hope for her...but, it sure would take someone needing to launder a huge sum of money!

Heck, the calliope is gone, the interior is gone, the stage is gone.....massive rebuild.

One has to wonder if she won't face the same fate as the UNITED STATES....just hanging (read:rusting) around for no apparant reason.

You'd think Ambassadors would sell her to ANY bidder to offload her. She has to cost a fortune to let her sit there at Perry Street with watchmen and fees! I have heard from several reliable sources there is reason to suspect Ambassadors has been saving money instead of paying it out on her. I can't state this as fact, as I don't have access to Ambassadors checkbook...but, the sources it is coming from are rock solid! There is even rumor she is being sold by the NOLA Wharf Board for back wharf payments...that comes from a source I don't feel comfortable quoting...but, I will share it with a grain of salt.

Travis

Thanks for the update. In all the years THE STAR operated here, I was aboard only ONE time -- that being during the June, 1996 Steamboat History Conference, for a dinner cruise down through the lock, with Chuck Parrish, giving a narrative on the Falls of the Ohio, locks, etc. When on board, THE STAR seemed much bigger than she looked from outside. As I recall, the food was good, at least that evening. The next night featured, much to the delight of ALL and especially those who had never been aboard -- a charter cruise on the BELLE -- the REAL deal!!!

Judy Patsch;19914 wrote: Ask an office person where their boat is! One year I called Robin St. and had to tell the person the DQ was the one with just one stack, since she could see two boats from her window and didn't know which ones they were!

Actually, Judy, on the DQ it did seem to us on the river that the office seldom knew, or cared, where we were. It gave us a nice feeling of independence. We could hide behind the "kids", since the MQ and AQ took up so much of their attention.

Now you know I'm messin' with you. The office always knew where we were. They just didn't care.

:O)

Paul

The late Ann Zeiger, who made umpty jillion trips on the DQ boats, loved to tell of the time she called the Nawlins office to inquire about the location of the DQ that particular day. The gal replied, "Why ma'am, it's on the RIVER"!

Return to builder....

Steve Huffman;19929 wrote: I also saw the STAR tied-off there at Marine Builders (Utica) on my trip to Louisville on the PA Denny in October. Makes sense since the boat was built and is at least partly owned by the owner of Marine Builders.

That situation reminds me of Fred Kahlke and the WJ QUINLAN. In 1924 WJ Quinlan bought the ferry DAVENPORT and had it completely rebuilt at the Kahlke Yard in Rock Island. He never fully paid for the work, and so when she was condemned in Nov. 1945, Fred Kahlke pulled her up on his ways in repayment of the debt. He fully intended to run her again. In fact, when Doc visited him in 1954 to try to buy the pilothouse acorns for the AVALON, old Fred refused, telling him the boat would float again - funny thing in the 1965 flood, the floodwaters encircled the boat, and there was an aerial shot in the newspaper which made it look like the QUINLAN was afloat again. But of course she never ran again and I doubt if Kahlke ever made any money off of her rotting away until she burned April 8, 1967.

MQ visible today

If you look at the webcam today, you can see the MQ. She is below the black ship at Perry St. Look at the bridge pier second from the right, she's behind there. Unfortunately Travis wasn't wrong when he said she was too moldy to see - I haven't been there since November and she was gray then, can't be any brighter by now. Regarding the wharf fees: Ambassador was in arrears back when they were bringing the DQ in to tie off to the MQ. It was questionable if they would be allowed to do it, but I guess the Dock Board, like most NOLA entities, isn't keeping very good books. Of course, what can they do for nonpayment of fees anyway? Claim the vessel? Cut her loose from the wharf? As to the STAR, I was never on her, but she reminds me of the BAYOU JEAN LAFITTE/JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. She has much more interior space than you would think. The JJA actually seated more inside than the NATCHEZ, about 400 to 258. Her capacity was 600 I think.

MQ Ghost Ship

I am surprised that someone has not suggested that the MQ be purchased as a money making Haloween Ghost Ship. That would certainly be a sad ending.

Judy,

Not doubting you saw her...but when I just logged on I couldn't see her. It is apparently raining there pretty good, you can barely see the bridges!

Kinda like here, it is snowing so hard, you can barely see across the street!

Travis

Ted,

I think the money you would have to pay to get the mold off her is more than anyone has invested in any of the ghost boats! If it weren't for that, I bet she'd be somewhere scaring the heck out of people for a living.

Don't you just hate what happened to her? From the Queen of the Mississippi to a mold barge.....it just isn't right!

When the AQ came out, it was forecast she'd be the first to go. I think there was even talk of a replacement for her at one time in the late 90's. Alas, none of that came into play...and there she sits! Just sad, if you ask me!

Travis