Topic starter
13/04/2015 1:58 am
40 years ago today the NATCHEZ was christened and she made her first public trip the next day. There have been several features published about this anniversary, here is one of them:
Natchez, Beloved Jazz Steamboat of New Orleans, Turns 40 - ABC News
which was based on an interview with Doc a few weeks ago.
One mistake: it was 1951 when Doc started on the AVALON, not 1954.
The picture is of Doc on the Christening Day, April 12, 1975 taken by Bert Fenn
13/04/2015 3:00 pm
How well I remember visiting Alan Bates in his second floor, Bardstown Rd., office while he was designing the NATCHEZ. Alan bent over his drawing board with a Verdi opera blaring full bore from his portable record player (my oh my, the mention of a record player does date this memory). Alan was a happy man.