Topic starter
15/03/2009 10:22 pm
Hey all,
David Morecraft and his son Zach came visitin at Louisville this weekend and where'd we end up? Well, we stopped by the BELLE to see the new roof progressing nicely. We were told we missed Capt. Mike Fitzgearld by moments as he is working on the new gingerbread trim. This new trim emulates the old but is made of a engineered product to lower the weight aboard the old gal. In the attached pictures you can see the new radar installed aboard the boat as well. Ah, technology!
The SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON is getting a new blue and yellow trim combination and is about halfway converted from her old maroon scheme. Nice...but I think there was something about blue being a bad luck colour in the rivermans parlance. We will have to see how this progresses, as despite the legend it does look good!
It is always hard to see a laid up steamboat...but, in this case it is the beginings of spring and the new coat of paint and touch up work will show a spring swan soon!
By the way, it has been a rather warm weekend in Louisville, too! what a great weekend for a look at the river!
Travis
Topic starter
15/03/2009 10:24 pm
Here are some more photos from the River Excursion today.
Topic starter
15/03/2009 10:26 pm
Here are the last of my set...anyone wanna guess where the middle one was taken?
We made a foray into southern Indiana and visited a couple of select sites in two communities.
15/03/2009 10:55 pm
here is some more
What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon,,.. Some random shots , and, Travis and I on the BELLE,....
15/03/2009 11:01 pm
Travis,
Sounds like an awesome afternoon, and nice pictures too! Couple questions. Is that new radar on the spreader bar or is that an illusion of the photo? Second, when you say "new roof", do you mean "NEW roof"?
Topic starter
15/03/2009 11:08 pm
Matt,
That is a radar on the upper spreader bar. It was added last fall to the boat. I believe the first time I saw it was early November when the PA DENNY was down in these parts headed to Owensboro. It is awful conspicous...but, where else could they have put it?
The roof appears to be totally new. Maybe someone down there in the know will post and let us know more? In the last few weeks I have watched the pilothouse roof be refinished in a new coat of primer, the "christmas tree" finial on the pilothouse roof is off being replaced, and at the moment all roof appurtanances are in different locations (save for the roof bell). I remember when we last replaced the whole roof (winter of 1988) the gingerbread came off with the show lights first...then the roof looked suspiciously just like it does now. So that is my guess!
The BELLE looks like things are progressing nicely for the 2009 season, doesn't she?
Yes, it was a great weekend here in Louisville! We need more like this one!!!!!!
You shoulda been here!
Travis
16/03/2009 1:53 am
Travis,
I do wish that I could have been there. I think that putting the radar there takes away from the stack appearance. Just my opinion. Couldn't they have just it it on the pilothouse roof or is there enough stuff on there already?
Topic starter
16/03/2009 2:06 am
Matt,
On top of the BELLE pilothouse there is a decorative finial that looks kinda like a Christmas Tree...so it would ruin the historic look of her to put it there. I guess they could have put it atop the forward mast and taken off the acorn there and kinda hidden it from the attention it gets at its current location. I am sure there was some kinda logistic reasoning for the location it has now.
I have wondered since I saw the radar up there if the steel stacks would create a blockage of the signal and show shadowing on the screen. I know on the DQ, MQ, and AQ you can't see the stack(s)...but the radar locations are a little higher and farther away from the stacks, rather than between them.
Thanks to TWIX cards and Homeland Security, I guess I will never know.
Travis
16/03/2009 2:27 am
Matt and Travis: Yes, the radar as placed between the stacks will likely show two "shadows" because of those stacks. They should not be a real problem though as they will be straight out from the sides of the boat, perpendicular to the header line.
As far as instruments to aid navigation go, a good radar is probably the greatest innovation that has ever come to the inland waterways. It is a wonderful, wonderful tool.
16/03/2009 11:26 am
The Radar
Another shot of the radar unit,,...
16/03/2009 12:47 pm
To all,
On the Natchez, where the radar is on the pilothouse roof, there are 2 small shadows left by the stacks, but they don't create a problem. I too feel that radar is a great tool to have, especially when you have bad weather like sudden fog, but like the pilothouse finial, it takes away from the historic look the stacks have. But hey, I'm just a kid, what do I know?
16/03/2009 12:54 pm
Potpourri
Well, the radar isn't a bale of cotton on the spreader bar, but maybe we can pretend.... the paddlewheel pix is from the corner of the Howard Museum yard. That's the DQ broken shaft and they added some lightweight bucketboards on a section to give visitors a good visual of the makeup of the wheel. Bob, were you responsible for the original star, or did it precede you? I know you were the 'star man' not only on the DQ, but on at least your first towboat.
16/03/2009 1:43 pm
No, Judy, I just continued the "star" tradition. Maybe Sam can tell us who started it. I do have one on the capstan of this boat, though!
18/03/2009 3:33 am
Pix from Sunday
Hay all ,, I found some more pix I wanted to share ,,....
the BELLE being passed by the BUCKEYE STATE,,..
and the STAR SHIP Landing in Jeffersonville ..
