Cincinnati's Mike Fink renovations

Hopefully this is true, that she is being towed away for renovations and will return...too many restaurants around here post 'closed for renovations' on their door, never to open again. And of course, we've already got one boat 'closed for renovations' on the river now. But as busy as the FINK is, and the businessman that Bernstein is, I presume this is really good news. Perhaps they will enlarge it so the riverside dining area isn't on a barge? When the NATCHEZ gift shop crew met for TALL STACKS, the FINK was the place I took them for lunch. New Orleanians are used to good food and they certainly enjoyed it along with the spectacular view across the river. As far as the BoC towing it, she towed the barge which contained the Freedom Bell upriver - kind of reprising the IDLEWILD days, eh?

Mike Fink

The Mike Fink departs Covington on 2-17-08 if all goes well. It goes to McGinnis at South Point, Oh. for a full hull inspection and most likely a new hull. After that the boat gets a whole new interior renovation. Interior drawings have been on display at the Fink for some time showing how it will look after the renovation. The dining barge "Herbert Fink" will still be there when it reopens. Alan and Jim Bernstein are really taking a bold step to keep a Cincinnati harbor tradition.

I know it's good news, but RATS! I will finallly make it to Cincinnati (arrivng on the DQ, as is appropriate) in Aug, and the Mike Fink won't be there!!!
Oh Bother,
S'
David D.

Here´s an article about the renovation of the Mike Fink

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802100415

She´s leaving on Feb 21st and should be back for Labor Day Weekend.

So we will miss her too if we´re make it to Cincy this August.

Carmen

I'm surprised that the BoC was used to tow the FINK to the shipyard; especially with the river hovering around flood stage, like it is. Another wonder is having the business closed down for so long. I've heard stories that the MF is one of the top-grossing restaurants, $$-wise, in the country. Seems like the BELLE might have been better used as a substitute for the restaurant boat. But I'm sure all that had been carefully weighed and options considered before the final decisions were made.

If they can afford to replate the Mike Fink, then they are doing really well. At current steel prices that might cost $800k or more for a hull that size. It's good to see the boat getting attention.

Steve, you may keep up with steel prices more than I do. We are getting ready to build a new gymnasium at our church. The Building Committee happily reported on Sunday that it is maybe a good thing we did not start back at the end of last summer,as was originally planned, as they said steel prices have recently come down some.

Both steel and copper have come down in price. And another thing in my part-time business is the price of natural gas is WAY down. Unfortunately, fuel oil has gone through the roof...

Now Mike Fink's...a special place in our hearts for that restaurant, as it was our very first "introduction" to steamboating, even if it was only history of steamboating. Darn fine lunch, too, the very first meal, first day of our 25th anniversary vacation, and this northeastener's introduction to Jambalaya. Good food, cold beer, perfect.

Deb and I too had plans to visit MF for a summer lunch in early July. Maybe, if the boat is back from renovations in time,we can do lunch in October.

The Metals Biz

The prices of scrap are beyond any thing I ever saw during the eleven years Pegan and I owned Can-Do Recycling Co. And I'm even more amazed that the prices have held for so long. The worst year we experienced was 1987 when the wholesale price, we received, for copper was eighteen cents for Number One and a pound of aluminum cans brought in a whopping seventeen cents! I talking, now, a minimum of 10,000 lbs. of cans a week and a combined total of 125,000 to 150,000 pounds of processed (furnace-ready) non-ferrous metals shipped each month.

The following year "metals went nuts", and my wholesale can priced soared to 90 cents, and CU went to around a buck and a half a pound. So we were able to pay off many years of accumulated debt, stow away a few bucks, give even more to the government to waste, sell the biz that eventually made the new owner a multi-zillionaire (as it should have), and I went back to the river full-time.

Now I look back at the eleven years in the scrap business as one of the highlights of my life. It is good to have more than one trade: mine are steamboats and the metals biz.

The price of skilled labor, spending hours hanging new steel plate on a hull, is also a big part of the sticker shock. My guesstimates on cost are based on replating quotes I have received from JeffBoat. Steel prices are still high compared to 2002, when prices began to spike. Steel prices have come down some since then, but we will never see pre-2003 prices again. I have some interesting articles on the subject that explain why.

The Cincinnati newspaper article infers that they might be "overplating" the Mike Fink's old hull. That won't last as long, compared to cropping the old steel away and putting new steel on. But it reduces labor costs.

What became of the salvaged hull of the late, great steamer WAKEROBIN? I remember, back about 1985, when Ben Bernstein bought her from Capt. Dennis Trone and it was BIG news around here that the old boat was to be completely restored into a floating restaurant for Jeffersonville. Time went on, nothing happened, she was tied up at Warsaw for a couple of years -- and then she ended up being a "haunted attraction", finally going glug and being scrapped. She was a gallant old gal to the end -- and it was a real shame to lose her.

Hi Keith,

Some time ago there was some speculation that the hull of the Wakerobin would be used as a new larger patio barge to be tied up outside the Mike Fink. I also had heard a rumor that the hull would go to Huntington to be the landing barge for a BB Riverboats Huntington excursion boat venture. Last time I was down at the BB fleet the hull was still there tied up in the fleet and was being used as a giant saw horse to dry the freshly painted buckets off the Belle of Cincinnati. I think initially there may have been some concern over the safety of the hull due to the fact that most of it was foamed and yet she still went down. I think the areas of the hull that weren't foamed have now been foamed so in theory the hull should be "safe" to use for whatever purpose.

Speaking of Jeffersonville and restaurants, what ever became of Tugboats Annies after they moved it across the river to Louisville?

Thanks again for sending the info from CCH.

Aaron

Steamboating colleagues:
The photo Keith favored us of the WAKE ROBIN is probably the best I've ever seen: neat, clean and pristine white. I don't know the answers to the questions posted above RE: the ROBIN but would guess Cap n' Bill Judd, Shipyard and others would know. I saw the WR many times tied up below Cincinnati and she was a beauty. For a time her stacks were painted white with red/white/blue stripes.

Question: What caught my eye in Keith's photo was the unusual craft tied up against her. Interesting bow and hull configuration in addition to the somewhat somber dark paint. Who out there knows about this unusual vessel?

I'll be on the bounding seas from tomorrow on for two weeks but will check my E=Mails and 'lurk' aboard ship.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Aaron,

Last I saw of the actual towboat (2005) it was in Mc Brides Fleet just west of New Albany (along with the defunct Louisville Falls Fountain). One of the two patio barges was there with her. The other patio barge is in a slough just east of the former location of Leaventowth, IN (2007).

The owners ended up owing alot of money to the Waterfront Development Corporation and never finished the renovations of it nor opened it. They tired of waiting for the woners to make a move...so they moved it for them.

At this point the wharfage fees would preclude anyone from buying/operating her...so I am speculating...but, figure she will end up as scrap.

~Travis~

Dale, I'll venture a guess that that boat tied up alongside the WAKEROBIN is a Coast Guard "smallboat" of that time. Buoy tenders carry one or two "smallboats" with them to run ahead for reconnaisance, go to lights to get the "guts" off of them to bring back to the "cutter" for servicing, etc. They can also take/and or set one or two buoys, if needed.

Aaron: I see that Travis answered your questions about the whereabouts of TOWBOAT ANNIE'S. The business did much better when it was on the Indiana side of the river and there was often a wait for a table. The food was OK, but I always thought they had the worst iced tea on the planet!

There seems to be little or no interest in establishing a floating restaurant in this area. Before the GOLDENROD SHOWBOAT was sold to the city of St. Charles, Missouri in 1990, there was rumor that she might come to Louisville. The BECKY THATCHER and LT. ROBERT E. LEE restaurant boats remain idle, for sale and need new lives, but there are no takers.

Northbound today

Hi All,

Thought I'd report in that the Mike Fink and flotilla are northbound out of Cincinnati this morning. It was quiet a sight to see and I was glad I had my camera along to collect some shots. My photos are far from great as I have not advanced past a 2.5 megapixel camera but thought I'd atleast share them here for those who are interested. Plenty of tow traffic this morning so the Belle of Cincinnati, Shirley B, and the River Raft where taking their time. Looked like the Belle was doing all the work. They will have to break up this flotilla come lock time and I'm guessing the River Raft will take the patio barge, the Shirley B will take the Fink and the Belle will lock through by herself and then they will re-assemble. I hope that someone on here has a chance to get some shots of the Fink hauled out on the big drydock up at South Point. That would certainly be a unique photo opportunity. I overheard both Capt. Al and Capt. Kerry Snowden on the radio as they passed the Coal Haven ice piers just below where these photos were taken.

Enjoy!

Aaron

It's going to a long ride to South Point. They only made 34 miles in 19 hours. They are not exactly knocking any fish out of the river.

Capt. Bill, I was thinking along the same lines. Not only will it be slow, but how would you like to be the pilot of that flotilla with the BELLE OF CINCINNATI as the main towboat? Not me!

This brings up another question I have often wondered about with respect to some passenger boat operators: why do some passenger boat operators seem to shy away from towboats and the towing industry? That certainly was not the case on the DQ when I was on there. Capt. Jake Meanley at Memphis Queen Line always maintained close ties to local harbor towing service providers and local long-distance towing firms. These alliances paid off several times during the 20 years I was associated with Memphis Queen Line, but I have noticed in my river associations, over the years bouncing back and forth between the passenger boat and towing industries, that often the two don't have a close working relationship. It is one that could pay off both ways if cultivated, and the MIKE FINK needing to go to South Point for work is a prime example.

Here´s more news coverage about the MIKE FINK moving to South Point

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802250342

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880224001

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080222/NEWS0103/802220352/-1/LIFE

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008302210045

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802230370

Carmen

One word...LIABILITY....is the reason towing operators are not interested helping passenger vessels. The liability is much greater than any profit that might be made. Also, I know this isn't true with the Bernsteins, its almost impossible to get your money out of many passenger/ excursion boat operators. I know this from experience. Many of them are the last to pay but the first to bring legal problems if anything goes wrong. This is also true of "rich" yacht owners; they may look rich as all get out but just try to get them to pay their bills.