31/07/2008 3:37 am
Seems doable to me!
Ahoy,
I moved my 100,000# sternwheeler end of May about 5 miles on low trailer and then two very large cranes put her back in the Des Moines river unfortunately only 2 weeks before we suffered through record crests here in Des Moines. Could have saved quite a bit by floating it off trailer!
I also witnessed the condo house move you show and these folks know what they are doing. The dollys carry, lift and turn in a syncronized fashion from a central hydraulic control panel and it is impressively done.
BTW got our Stability letter in the mail the other day for 81 passengers and 2 crew and the vessel formerly known as the "Lady D" built by Dubuque Boat & Boiler in 1967 will once again cruise Iowas inland river later in August with presumbably a new COI.
More later,
Michael LaValle owner
10/10/2008 4:23 pm
Ss president: The final voyage
The plan for the SS President was to move her 200 miles down river from Alton, IL to Metropolis, IL so she could be moved on land in one piece to a spot for restoration. The best offer from the docks was that they would close down the facilities in a years time after a swap of ownership had taken place. David Campbell, President owner doesn't think the boat has that long before the hull gives way so a new plan has been formulated.....and was put into action ahead of schedule yesterday....
The Pres has been taken north up river, through the Melvin Price Lock & Dam to a river inlet, just short of the Clark Bridge (all parallel to Hwy 143). David and structural mover Jeremy Patterson have no choice but to cut her into 15 pieces and move each piece 70 odd miles to St Elmo. Specialist equipment has been hired for this job so it should be interesting to watch. The city of Elmo have offered $2 million dollars worth of land, utilities and support for the restoration of the boat. Here it will sit in a pond to give the impression it will be floating still. The boat will be stripped of modern casino additions and restored to his colour scheme/decor of its glory days.
Nobody wants the Pres to be cut up for obvious reasons, esp David but he fears that the hull doesn't have that long before it starts letting in water. I've also been speaking to ex-engineers on the ship etc who say the hull, once cut, cannot be put back together but apparently the structural mover has a plan.
All well wishers can view the work at the river inlet (just before the Clark Bridge) and you can also view the news story on
Feel free to drop a line on [email protected] for more info. a few of you i have already spoken to already and i'll be in touch within the next fews to catch up
Best
Lee
10/10/2008 6:30 pm
Today's edition of THE ALTON TELEGRAPH (Alton, IL) carries an article about the PRESIDENT with a photo of her being towed. Click on TheTelegraph
to view the story.
Best wishes to ALL who are involved in this MOST UNUSUAL project!
14/10/2008 11:57 pm
All the best of luck...
The pop up video that Lee provided a link for, incredible, you gotta see it, a towboat pulling her? I suspect I know why...
To see her moving, goosebumps.
15/10/2008 9:33 am
Goosebumps
goosebumps.......indeed
SS President at the Clark Bridge
18/10/2008 2:07 pm
This was in the Kansas City Star today.www.kansascity.com | 10/17/2008 | Old President riverboat may wind up in landlocked rural Illinois town
19/10/2008 3:31 pm
A good article. One point of clarification though. It states that it would have cost $4 million to make her fit to be (continue to be) a casino. Back in 2000 when her hull inspection and COI were discussed, the $4 million would have covered making the hull 'good enough' to pass inspection, but to continue as a casino would have cost much more, seems like 8 or 9 million. So it was pretty obvious she was going to go the way of most of the real boats that were first in the casino business...
23/10/2008 3:54 am
move the boat
If movers in Salt Lake City can move a 300,000 ton brick building across the street from its original location, it should be possible to move the President. How, construct a sled-cradle place it in the river and pull the President on to the cradle, pull the cradle out of the water and once on hard dry ground jack up the cradle put moving dollies under it and mover her to where she wants to go. Or place the cradle on a drydock float the President on to it and then slide the cradle off to dry land jack her up place dollies and away she goes.
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