A Day On The Dixie: On A Sunday Afternoon, Pop-Up Shower Offers Added Dimension To Lake Tour
Dixie Day is Saturday in North Webster
July 27, 2018 at 12:23 p.m.
By Dan [email protected]
With a sense of uncertainty, she suggested the visitor wait to buy a ticket until closer to the next outing at 3:30 p.m.
A day earlier, cooler-than-normal temperatures and wet, breezy conditions led to the cancellation of one of three rides.
On Sunday, as the first Dixie returned with its 24 passengers and prepared for a second trip, conditions were overcast and a light wind carried with it a few sprinkles.
But the 76-foot sternwheeler, with its upper deck viewing area, is especially vulnerable to wind, which can make steering the watercraft more difficult.
The Dixie’s personnel use a strict 15 mph policy. Anything over that and excursions are canceled. A sign near the dock makes it clear.
Captain Grant Magner, one of a half dozen captains on the staff, said it’s often a tough call to decide whether to take a group out when the weather looks iffy.
On one hand, the Dixie works closely with the National Weather Service, which happens to have a regional weather station just north of North Webster. The crew monitors updates and keeps in contact with the office when needed.
On the other hand, conditions can change on a dime.
“It’s the hardest part of the job, making that call,” Magner said as passengers boarded for the 3:15 tour.
Sunday’s weather conditions had already dampened turnout for the second ride, with just six people seeking to ride the Dixie as it churns around Webster Lake in a clockwise path at a quiet 4.5 mph pace.
The North Webster tradition is in its 89th year and staff was celebrating on Sunday with free cupcakes, one week ahead of the annual Dixie Day festival Saturday where the boat is the main attraction.
The five-mile tour offers a scenic view of the lake. A recorded narration highlights the histories of the town and boat and are interspersed with Dixie-style jazz music.
On this trip, passengers were greeted with trumpet serenade from Matt Murdock, a professor of music of Trevecca Nazarene University, Louisville, who has a summer home on the lake and often surprised passengers with his rendition of “Back Home Again In Indiana.”
Minutes later, though, dark clouds started building over a bank of homes on the lake’s north side.
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After a while, light sprinkles began falling and passengers seated on the upper tier headed below as the cruise continued.
But those sprinkles turned to showers, and wind gusts picked up and began spraying folks down below.
The pop-up storm’s winds proved challenging for Magner as the boat shifted closer to shore along the lake’s east side. For a moment, the engine, which drives the paddles, automatically shut down and had to be restarted.
Just as fast as it appeared, the storm dissipated and Magner guided the Dixie along its regular path and then into its pier space next to the city’s park.
Zach Hunter, the trip’s first mate, was soaked from head to toe.
“This one kind of came out of nowhere,” he said.
Magner, working within the enclosed captain’s nest, stayed dry, but was slightly humbled by nature’s momentary wrath.
“That’s the most fun I’ve had,” said Magner, who has been serving as a captain for five years. “It was fun. We made it.”
A family of three from Rush County, east of Indianapolis, couldn’t avoid the rain, but didn’t let that hamper the experience.
Jeanie and husband Brian Sutter and daughter Madison spent Saturday in Shipshewana, and chose to visit North Webster after discovering the Dixie through a Google search.
They thought the $7 tickets were a great deal and were not disappointed despite getting wet. In fact, they could be heard laughing repeatedly as they tried to stay dry.
“We’re on vacation. We’re making memories. It didn’t bother me,” Jeannie Sutter said.
“I’m sure in 10 years we’ll think back and still laugh about it,” she said. “We’re wet down to our underwear, but we’re OK.”
With a sense of uncertainty, she suggested the visitor wait to buy a ticket until closer to the next outing at 3:30 p.m.
A day earlier, cooler-than-normal temperatures and wet, breezy conditions led to the cancellation of one of three rides.
On Sunday, as the first Dixie returned with its 24 passengers and prepared for a second trip, conditions were overcast and a light wind carried with it a few sprinkles.
But the 76-foot sternwheeler, with its upper deck viewing area, is especially vulnerable to wind, which can make steering the watercraft more difficult.
The Dixie’s personnel use a strict 15 mph policy. Anything over that and excursions are canceled. A sign near the dock makes it clear.
Captain Grant Magner, one of a half dozen captains on the staff, said it’s often a tough call to decide whether to take a group out when the weather looks iffy.
On one hand, the Dixie works closely with the National Weather Service, which happens to have a regional weather station just north of North Webster. The crew monitors updates and keeps in contact with the office when needed.
On the other hand, conditions can change on a dime.
“It’s the hardest part of the job, making that call,” Magner said as passengers boarded for the 3:15 tour.
Sunday’s weather conditions had already dampened turnout for the second ride, with just six people seeking to ride the Dixie as it churns around Webster Lake in a clockwise path at a quiet 4.5 mph pace.
The North Webster tradition is in its 89th year and staff was celebrating on Sunday with free cupcakes, one week ahead of the annual Dixie Day festival Saturday where the boat is the main attraction.
The five-mile tour offers a scenic view of the lake. A recorded narration highlights the histories of the town and boat and are interspersed with Dixie-style jazz music.
On this trip, passengers were greeted with trumpet serenade from Matt Murdock, a professor of music of Trevecca Nazarene University, Louisville, who has a summer home on the lake and often surprised passengers with his rendition of “Back Home Again In Indiana.”
Minutes later, though, dark clouds started building over a bank of homes on the lake’s north side.
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After a while, light sprinkles began falling and passengers seated on the upper tier headed below as the cruise continued.
But those sprinkles turned to showers, and wind gusts picked up and began spraying folks down below.
The pop-up storm’s winds proved challenging for Magner as the boat shifted closer to shore along the lake’s east side. For a moment, the engine, which drives the paddles, automatically shut down and had to be restarted.
Just as fast as it appeared, the storm dissipated and Magner guided the Dixie along its regular path and then into its pier space next to the city’s park.
Zach Hunter, the trip’s first mate, was soaked from head to toe.
“This one kind of came out of nowhere,” he said.
Magner, working within the enclosed captain’s nest, stayed dry, but was slightly humbled by nature’s momentary wrath.
“That’s the most fun I’ve had,” said Magner, who has been serving as a captain for five years. “It was fun. We made it.”
A family of three from Rush County, east of Indianapolis, couldn’t avoid the rain, but didn’t let that hamper the experience.
Jeanie and husband Brian Sutter and daughter Madison spent Saturday in Shipshewana, and chose to visit North Webster after discovering the Dixie through a Google search.
They thought the $7 tickets were a great deal and were not disappointed despite getting wet. In fact, they could be heard laughing repeatedly as they tried to stay dry.
“We’re on vacation. We’re making memories. It didn’t bother me,” Jeannie Sutter said.
“I’m sure in 10 years we’ll think back and still laugh about it,” she said. “We’re wet down to our underwear, but we’re OK.”
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