NORTH WEBSTER - At a recent special meeting of the Board of Directors of Dixie Sternwheeler Inc., the group agreed it was time to renovate/restore the steel hull of the popular Webster Lake sightseeing boat.
Originally built in 1929, the 81 seasons of touring Webster Lake were beginning to show on the bottom. Considering the fact the boat was now out of the water for the five-year inspection, the Dixie Board decided now was the time to have the bottom replaced due to the cost involved plus the wear and tear on the boat each time it is dry-docked.
The boat has been transported on special low-boy equipment from the Town Park site to an off-site facility where the work is being done.
Disassembly of the superstructure and the sternwheel mouthing allowed for the spectacular move. The flooring in the interior will then be removed to allow the bottom metal sheeting to be removed and replaced.
Following a new hull painting, inside and out, the flooring will be reinstalled and moved back to the park for reassembly and launching for the 2010 season.
It is hoped the project might be completed by the start of the regular season on Memorial Day weekend. However, the extensiveness of the renovation/restoration might indicate a delay into June.
While the boat has been out of the water this winter, much restoration has already been completed. The front deck and stairway has been replaced, the electric motor completely rebuilt and the pointed bow of the hull refabricated.
Dixie Sternwheeler Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, is dedicated to maintaining and operating the historic vessel. In September, the Dixie was named to the National Register of Historic Place by the US Department of the Interior, National Park Services.
The board of directors of Dixie Sternwheeler Inc. includes Karilyn Metcalf, Tom Plew, Dave Tranter, Jodie Pensinger and Bob Barnes.
