The hull, first two decks and steam engines were ordered in 1924 from the
William Denny & Brothers shipyard on the River Leven adjoining the River Clyde
at Dumbarton, Scotland. The DELTA QUEEN and her sister boat DELTA KING were
shipped in pieces to Stockton, California in 1926. There the California
Transportation Company assembled the two vessels.
The DELTA QUEEN is 285 feet long (86.9 m), 58 feet (17.7m) wide, and draws 11.5
feet (3.5m). The boat weighs 1,650 tons (1,676 metric tons), with a capacity of
176 passengers. Its cross-compounded steam engines generate 2,000 indicated
horsepower (1,500 kW), powering a stern-mounted paddlewheel.
The Delta Queen is so authentic she has been designated a National Historic
Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She is the
world's only original, fully restored, steam-powered overnight paddle wheeler.
The Delta Queen began her career on the Sacramento River. Built for luxury
overnight travel between Sacramento and San Francisco, she was one of two
steamers the Delta Queen and Delta King, became famous for their deluxe
appointments and their astounding total cost of $1 million each! The plates for
their steel hulls were fabricated in Scotland, then shipped to California for
assembly. The American-built superstructures were crafted from some of the
finest woods available: oak, teak, mahogany, Oregon cedar. The Delta Queen
worked her Sacramento River shuttle from 1927 to 1940.
The Great Depression brought an end to the runs and shortly thereafter, the Navy
leased the Delta Queen. They painted her gleaming white exterior a dark gray and
enlisted her to carry servicement to and from ships in San Francisco Bay, under
the designation of Yard Ferry Boat 56. At the war's end, the U.S. Maritime
Commission took over the Delta Queen and put her up for auction.
Tom Greene, president of Cincinnati-based Greene Line Steamers, now The Delta
Queen Steamboat Co. of New Orleans, offered a bid of $ 46,250, a fraction of the
Delta Queen's original, cost, and became her new owner. Tom was then faced with
the expense and obstacles of moving the shallow-draft riverboat from California
to her new home on the inland rivers. With the help of the late Captain
Frederick Way, Jr., and other experts, watertight crating was constructed to
protect the Delta Queen from the ocean; and arrangements were made for her
perilous journey.
The Delta Queen's historic 5,000-mile-voyage took her from San Francisco out
into the Pacific Ocean under tow; through the Panama Canal; north into the Gulf
of Mexico; and finally up the Mississippi River to New Orleans, arriving May 21,
1947. There she was uncrated before setting off under her own steam for
Cincinnati, where thousands of well-wishers celebrated her arrival. The Delta
Queen's next stop was Pittsburgh's Dravo Shipyard for a $750,000 "facelift".
Prior to her first trip the Ohio River in June 1948, Tom Greene restored the
Delta Queen's original charm and reworked the interior layout to accommodate
staterooms, baths, dining and service areas. Forward decks were reconfigured to
create "promenade" space, and her military gray paint was replaced by the
"floating palace" steamboat white that she wears today.
In the late 1960s, the Delta Queen's elaborately crafted superstructure was
almost her undoing. Federal legislation outlawing wooden construction brought
the Delta Queen to the edge of extinction. But by 1970, after countless letters
and more than a million petitioned signatures from her fans, the celebrity
steamboat was granted a congressional exemption.
Today, the Delta Queen proudly wears her original fixtures: Tiffany-style
stained glass windows, rich hardwood paneling, gleaming brass, the only
ironwood floor aboard a steamboat, and the dramatic Grand Staircase, crowned by
an elegant crystal chandelier. Her cabins and staterooms continue the theme of
old-fashioned elegance, making a Delta Queen voyage on the river equivalent to a
stay at a Victorian bed-and-breakfast. A celebrity in her own right, the Delta
Queen has hosted numerous luminaries, including President Herbert Hoover;
President Harry Truman, who cruised with a group of Shriners in 1946; President
Jimmy Carter, who mingled with river folks at ports-of-call in 1979; and
Princess Margaret, who came aboard in 1986.
The Delta Queen emerged on March 1998 from a three-month, $3.3 million makeover
that will help ensure smooth sailing into the new millennium.
The boat's rich history and fine craftsmanship were revealed as numerous layers
of paint, first white, then Navy gray from the boat's WWII service in Sacramento
Bay, then more white and finally yellow, were stripped from major interior
public areas, uncovering the original wood finish. In addition to exposing
original oak bulkheads and columns in the Forward Cabin Lounge and the Betty
Blake Lounge, the refurbishment team uncovered a couple of surprises.
While stripping paint from the Orleans Room dining salon, they discovered some
writing on the walls -- literally, "Port" and "Starboard" -- believed to be from
the boat's earliest days. The walls have since been freshly painted. They also
found an old Timex watch behind an original shower being replaced in one of the
staterooms.
As of June 2009, the vessel is docked in Chattanooga, Tennessee and has been
converted into a hotel.
Written by Peter Crichton.
Djbouti 1982 MSsg?, scott?
Mozambique 2018 300MT sgMS?, scott?
Sources – various internet sites