The captain of the riverboat tells stories. From discovery to a way of life and love, Captain Don Sanders tells the tales of his lengthy relationship with the river. This is a segment of a lengthy and ongoing narrative.
By Capt. Don Sanders, NKyTribune Special
Few people were prepared for the unexpected announcement that the renowned Steamboat DELTA QUEEN was suddenly up for sale.
The Delta Queen Steamboat Company just announced on social media:
The DELTA QUEEN riverboat, a National Historic Landmark, is seeking a new owner and caretaker. After rescuing the iconic steamboat from the wreckers’ torch in 2015, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company (DQSC) has been working for the past decade to obtain the federal legislation required to operate the DELTA QUEEN by lobbying the U.S. Congress and the funds for the complete restoration required to transport overnight passengers once more. When the President of the United States signed the legislation into law in December 2018, the future appeared bright; but, despite Herculean efforts, the project’s funding never came to pass.
The statement clarified that the DQSC’s objective is still to preserve the DELTA QUEEN by making the ship available for public ownership. This will carry on the conservation and restoration work that the existing owners have been funding and maintaining for more than ten years.
It is up to the QUEEN whether it returns to its existence as a cruise ship for overnight stays or turns into a floating hotel, like it was briefly in Chattanooga, or like its twin, the DELTA KING in Sacramento, California. The ultimate objective is to protect the National Historical Landmark for future generations using whatever methods are most practical and acceptable to the current owners, who still have the authority to choose the buyer or buyers they believe would best suit the future of the DELTA QUEEN.
Built in 1927, the DELTA QUEEN and KING first operated overnight ferry services between Sacramento and San Francisco before being threatened by the Golden Gate Bridge and better roads. Both vessels were used by the U.S. Navy as Yard Ferry Boats during World War II. After the war, Captain Tom Greene of Cincinnati’s Greene Line Steamers, who had performed admirably aboard the smaller GORDON C. GREENE, looked for a larger steamboat for the Mississippi River System. She became a beloved, iconic steamer that carried passengers overnight after purchasing the QUEEN and dragging it across the Panama Canal to New Orleans. In December 1969, the DELTA QUEEN was sold by the Greene family.
This announcement’s concentration on looking for morally upright purchasers makes me think of the famous SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN YEAR campaign, which was launched in 1970. During the intense and intense attempt to petition the US Congress for an exemption from the Safety at Sea Law (SOLAS), which stated that no vessel carrying more than 50 overnight passengers on trips originating from US ports, could be built of combustible materials, I was appointed First Mate of the DELTA QUEEN that year, with Captain Ernest E. Wagner in command of the ship and William Bill Muster and Captain Betty Blake in charge of the company.
Only after Louisville, Kentucky Senator Marlow Cook inserted the DELTA QUEEN’s exemption to a bill that authorized the back payment of wages owed to a government employee—a bill that Congress was forced to pass—did the Queen finally secure an exemption that year after a protracted and difficult battle.
In 2018, President Trump authorized an exemption for the riverboat from SOLAS while the DELTA QUEEN was anchored in a slough close to Houma, Louisiana. Expectations stayed high despite the DELTA QUEEN’s estimated $15 million or more in repairs, which included repairing the boilers from World War I, adding extra generators, and fixing the plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, halted all attempts to raise the money required to restore and resume nightly passenger service on the QUEEN.
When Category 4 Hurricane Ida hit Houma in 2021, it severely damaged the DELTA QUEEN’s roof, railings, and several of its doors and windows. The most important repairs, including the new roof, were covered by some insurance, according to a person close to the Queen. However, there is still noticeable internal water damage to the Sun Deck and certain Texas Deck cabins.
In response to a question about the DELTA QUEEN’s listed price, the same source stated that the DQSC is evaluating its best options, which do not involve disassembling the iconic artifact. Even more important than making money is the preservation of the last remaining relic of the cherished nighttime steamboating era on America’s rivers. In any case, the sellers are determined not to let their cherished steamboat suffer the same cruel death as the recently killed American Queen, which was hurried to the wrecker’s yard by buyers after it sold.
I should stress that the DELTA QUEEN will not be saved by a GoFundMe. My source concluded by saying that it would require resources and a well-thought-out plan. This sale places a higher priority on identifying individuals who can buy and preserve the fabled steamboat for future generations, even though the good intentions of the riverboat’s friends are respected.
Steamboat enthusiasts are already clamoring for the return of the DELTA QUEEN to Cincinnati or the surrounding area. There are undoubtedly people who would be interested in leading an effort to bring the DELTA QUEEN back to the Queen City, such as the group of retired Cincinnati executives I know who enjoy building tiny wooden boats. First, leadership will be needed to save the DELTA QUEEN.
Speaking of which, this item in the NKY TRIBUNE might be the first print notification of the DELTA QUEEN’s availability for purchase made by a news media representative in the Northern Kentucky area. In order to help spread the word about the availability of this historic steamboat with such a rich Cincinnati history, it is hoped that local print, radio, and television media will take notice and get in touch with the DQSC for further details.
The Delta Queen Steamboat Company can be reached at [email protected].
Don Sanders, the captain, is a river man. He has worked as a riverboat captain for Rising Star Casino and the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Prior to learning how to operate a machine and rising to the rank of captain in the United States Air Force, he gained experience flying airplanes. He is a storyteller, historian, and explorer. He now writes columns for the NKyTribune, where he shares his tales about the river and his childhood in Covington. The river has never looked better, so hold on for the ride.
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