Steamship Returns After Three-Year Absence
By PATRICK L. FANELLI
|
7/4/2007 - As if its throaty whistle up and down Chautauqua Lake's northern basin wasn't enough of a telltale sign, the Chautauqua Belle has resumed regular hours of operation after nearly four years of neglect and three straight months of work.
Operating three cruises each day Monday through Saturday and two additional ones on Sunday, the attraction's new owners are asking the Chautauqua Lake community to help keep the lake's steamship tradition alive.
''We're running full schedule now,'' said Matthew Stage, 18, of Maple Springs. ''If you want to see the Belle keep going, we need support from the community.''
In March, Stage and his family acquired the vessel for $40,000 from the non-profit Sea Lion Project Ltd., which operated the vessel since its construction three decades ago.
Though public cruises began Friday, Stage considers today to be the grand opening, and there will be five cruises beginning at 11 a.m. to coincide with the Fourth of July celebration in Mayville.
Cruises will take place in accordance with the normal Monday through Saturday schedule, with the steamship departing at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. An additional cruise will begin at 5 p.m., and a special fireworks cruise will take place later today, giving festival goers the chance to view the Mayville fireworks display from out on the lake, according to Stage.
''It's the best seat in the house,'' he said.
With the help of a few people who worked on the Belle in the past, Stage got the steamship back up and running after nearly four years in drydock at Mayville Lakeside Park. The work included an overhaul of the boiler, which heats the water through roughly 120 pipes in a large cylinder that rests at the center of the steamship's lower level.
With little more than a push of a button, the crew starts the boiler and slowly brings it up to 200 pounds of pressure. Diesel fuel from the storage tank underneath heats the water and sends the steam through a four-inch pipe into the engine room, according to Ray Haines, chief engineer.
From there, most of the steam is channeled into the two steam cylinders, one on each side, that power the paddle wheel. Some of the steam is also diverted into a steam generator that supplies the Belles's electricity needs — though an additional diesel generator was installed in hopes that it will prove to be a more efficient electricity source, Haines said.
According to its operators, the Chautauqua Belle is one of only six 100 percent high-pressure steam-powered vessels in North America, and one of only two east of the Mississippi — the other being the Minne-Ha-Ha that travels the waters of Lake George.
Capt. Ron Strom helped run the Belle before its three-season hiatus, and he gave the Stage family credit, saying the steamship was so badly in need of repair after so many years of operation that it needed their dedicated efforts to get it back up and running again.
''You can't run a piece of equipment forever. It just needed an overhaul,'' said Strom, a town of Chautauqua resident. ''It just became a losing battle.''
Only one family showed up for the morning cruise Tuesday. Delayed 15 or so minutes, the Belle reached the Chautauqua Institution just in time for the crew and the passengers to hear the Miller Bell Tower toll its noon bells.
''I'm absolutely loving it,'' said Michelle Grace of Washington D.C., who is vacationing in Mayville and who took part in the morning cruise with her parents and her three children. ''We've been driving past the Chautauqua Belle for three years. It's actually fun to be on it.''
The second cruise of the day was far more crowded. There were at least two dozen people waiting for the steamship when it returned to Mayville Lakeside Park at approximately 12:40 p.m., with others still trickling in and 20 minutes to go before its scheduled time of departure.
''Word hasn't really gotten around, but one of the things I hear most from people is, 'I love seeing the Belle out there and hearing its whistle blow and hearing the chhh chhh of the steam coming up. I'm so glad to have it back on the water,' '' Stage said.
Over the past few days, the average cruise for Stage has included 30 or so passengers, though the Belle is licensed for 126. Aside from promoting the Belle's return to Chautauqua Lake to generate additional business, Stage is also planning on working with local hotels and attractions on packages and deals. He is also scheduling numerous specialty cruises that include meals and entertainment.
''It's not like a regular site-seeing trip,'' Stage said. ''We're trying to bring back a piece of history.''
Stage, who has spent most of his life on Chautauqua Lake and plans to get his Coast Guard license, only hopes the Belle will generate enough business to keep it operating like it has since 1976, except for the last three seasons.
After all, it's not cheap. Even with the improvements to the boiler, it gobbles up 20 to 30 gallons of fuel each hour, and it requires several people to operate, from the chief engineer to the deck hands. And that's not even including upkeep costs, insurance, the cost of maintaining the landing, and other expenses.
''But we'll go out no matter what,'' he said. ''If we have two passengers, we'll take them out.''
For more information on the Chautauqua Belle, visit www.269belle.com or call 269-2355.
Send comments to pfanelli@post-journal.com.
Scheduled Cruises
¯ Regular cruise departure times — 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays
¯ Additional Fourth Of July Cruises — 5 p.m. and a cruise leading up to the Mayville fireworks display
¯ Cost — Adults, $15.00; children, $10.00
Information on specialty cruises can be found at www.269belle.com. Schedule expected to change soon.
Operating three cruises each day Monday through Saturday and two additional ones on Sunday, the attraction's new owners are asking the Chautauqua Lake community to help keep the lake's steamship tradition alive.
''We're running full schedule now,'' said Matthew Stage, 18, of Maple Springs. ''If you want to see the Belle keep going, we need support from the community.''
In March, Stage and his family acquired the vessel for $40,000 from the non-profit Sea Lion Project Ltd., which operated the vessel since its construction three decades ago.
Though public cruises began Friday, Stage considers today to be the grand opening, and there will be five cruises beginning at 11 a.m. to coincide with the Fourth of July celebration in Mayville.
Cruises will take place in accordance with the normal Monday through Saturday schedule, with the steamship departing at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. An additional cruise will begin at 5 p.m., and a special fireworks cruise will take place later today, giving festival goers the chance to view the Mayville fireworks display from out on the lake, according to Stage.
''It's the best seat in the house,'' he said.
With the help of a few people who worked on the Belle in the past, Stage got the steamship back up and running after nearly four years in drydock at Mayville Lakeside Park. The work included an overhaul of the boiler, which heats the water through roughly 120 pipes in a large cylinder that rests at the center of the steamship's lower level.
With little more than a push of a button, the crew starts the boiler and slowly brings it up to 200 pounds of pressure. Diesel fuel from the storage tank underneath heats the water and sends the steam through a four-inch pipe into the engine room, according to Ray Haines, chief engineer.
From there, most of the steam is channeled into the two steam cylinders, one on each side, that power the paddle wheel. Some of the steam is also diverted into a steam generator that supplies the Belles's electricity needs — though an additional diesel generator was installed in hopes that it will prove to be a more efficient electricity source, Haines said.
According to its operators, the Chautauqua Belle is one of only six 100 percent high-pressure steam-powered vessels in North America, and one of only two east of the Mississippi — the other being the Minne-Ha-Ha that travels the waters of Lake George.
Capt. Ron Strom helped run the Belle before its three-season hiatus, and he gave the Stage family credit, saying the steamship was so badly in need of repair after so many years of operation that it needed their dedicated efforts to get it back up and running again.
''You can't run a piece of equipment forever. It just needed an overhaul,'' said Strom, a town of Chautauqua resident. ''It just became a losing battle.''
Only one family showed up for the morning cruise Tuesday. Delayed 15 or so minutes, the Belle reached the Chautauqua Institution just in time for the crew and the passengers to hear the Miller Bell Tower toll its noon bells.
''I'm absolutely loving it,'' said Michelle Grace of Washington D.C., who is vacationing in Mayville and who took part in the morning cruise with her parents and her three children. ''We've been driving past the Chautauqua Belle for three years. It's actually fun to be on it.''
The second cruise of the day was far more crowded. There were at least two dozen people waiting for the steamship when it returned to Mayville Lakeside Park at approximately 12:40 p.m., with others still trickling in and 20 minutes to go before its scheduled time of departure.
''Word hasn't really gotten around, but one of the things I hear most from people is, 'I love seeing the Belle out there and hearing its whistle blow and hearing the chhh chhh of the steam coming up. I'm so glad to have it back on the water,' '' Stage said.
Over the past few days, the average cruise for Stage has included 30 or so passengers, though the Belle is licensed for 126. Aside from promoting the Belle's return to Chautauqua Lake to generate additional business, Stage is also planning on working with local hotels and attractions on packages and deals. He is also scheduling numerous specialty cruises that include meals and entertainment.
''It's not like a regular site-seeing trip,'' Stage said. ''We're trying to bring back a piece of history.''
Stage, who has spent most of his life on Chautauqua Lake and plans to get his Coast Guard license, only hopes the Belle will generate enough business to keep it operating like it has since 1976, except for the last three seasons.
After all, it's not cheap. Even with the improvements to the boiler, it gobbles up 20 to 30 gallons of fuel each hour, and it requires several people to operate, from the chief engineer to the deck hands. And that's not even including upkeep costs, insurance, the cost of maintaining the landing, and other expenses.
''But we'll go out no matter what,'' he said. ''If we have two passengers, we'll take them out.''
For more information on the Chautauqua Belle, visit www.269belle.com or call 269-2355.
Send comments to pfanelli@post-journal.com.
Scheduled Cruises
¯ Regular cruise departure times — 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays
¯ Additional Fourth Of July Cruises — 5 p.m. and a cruise leading up to the Mayville fireworks display
¯ Cost — Adults, $15.00; children, $10.00
Information on specialty cruises can be found at www.269belle.com. Schedule expected to change soon.
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com
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