The S.S. PRESIDENT

Built as Cincinnati in 1924 she ran as a passenger packet steamer from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky. In 1929 she was bought by Streckfus Steamers. In 1932 she was moved to St. Louis for conversion to the largest excursion boat in America. Her two year conversion added a bandstand and a ballroom that was two decks high. She was advertised as the "New 5 Decked Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest on the Mississippi." She was renamed the President. In 1941 it was moved to New Orleans. Around 1978 her steam engines were replaced with 1000 hp diesel engines in each paddle box. She returned to St. Louis in 1985, and was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1989. It opened as a casino in 1990. In 1991 it was moved to Davenport, Iowa. She ran until 1999 and was retired. She is being dismantled and moved to St. Elmo, Illinois to become a hotel. If you are traveling on highway 70 the President is on the north side of the road and can be seen from the highway.

The pilot house and one of the smoke stacks.

The upper deck

One of the stairways that led to the upper deck.

It looks like an impossible job, but I hope one of our last remaining steamboats can be saved.

H.T. POTT

Herman T. Pott was a shipbuilding pioneer on the inland waterways. In 1933 he purchased the Philip A. Rohan Boat and Tank Co. in St. Louis which had been making boats since the Civil War. He renamed it St. Louis Shipbuilding and Steel Company. He advocated the switch to diesel in the shipping industry, and was the leader in diesel propulsion technology. The H.T. POTT was the first steel vessel to utilize welded seams instead of rivets in hull construction.
During W.W. II St. Louis Shipbuilding and Steel Co. built ships for the United States and Russia and became the worlds largest builder of inland river tow boats in the 1950s. In 1953 Mr. Pott bought the Federal Barge Lines from the government. He then built two of the largest most powerful towboats on the inland rivers, The M.V. AMERICA and the M.V.UNITED STATES. In 1967 he changed the names of his companies to Pott Industries. Mr.Pott is also credited with the development of the Kort Nozzle, a stucture that surrounds the propeller that increases the efficency by 30%.
Mr. Pott died in 1982. The Pott Foundation honors the values of Herman and Phenie Pott and contributes over 1 million dollars annually to over 100 charities. The Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterways Library is a special library in the St. Louis Merchantile Library at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. It has one of the best collections on the subjects of inland waterways and westward expansion.

H.T. POTT was built in 1933 at St. Louis and was the first all welded hull tow boat. She spent most of her time working around Kansas City, Missouri.
The H.T. POTT can be seen at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Missouri.

LOA 58'

Beam 15'

Draft 6'

Herman T. Pott National Inland Waterway Library http://www.umsl.edu/pott/

National Museum of Transportation http://transportmuseumassociation.org/

Caution!

This is a scene I found near Table Rock Lake.
Ouch!

Sebago Marquesa

The Florida Keys are one of my favorite places. From driving over that beautiful blue and green water, stopping to check the mangrove swamps on Longboat Key, or taking a quick wade along one of the pullouts. I love every mile of highway 1 from Homestead to Key West.

Key West is a lifestyle, it is the closest thing to being in the Caribbean without leaving home. Of all the fun things to do in Key West the sunset celebration is a must do. Everyone gathers in Mallory Square to watch street performers like tightrope walkers, fire eaters and trained house cats. Its a party to the setting sun, and when the sun finally disappears under the horizon, the crowd erupts into applause.
One of the best ways to view the sunset is from the deck of a sail boat. We sailed on the catamaran Sebago Marquesa. Its 70 foot length gave us plenty of deck space to walk around for the 2 hour cruise. Complimentary beer and champagne made for a relaxing evening. The crew were friendly and hospitable.

Sebago

Enjoying the sunset cruise

Time to celebrate!

Other sail boats available for the sunset cruises include the tallships Appledore and the Western Union, an old cable laying scooner built in 1939.

Launched December 1999
L.O.A. 70 '

Beam 36'

Passenger Capacity 125

2300' of deck space

Built by Multi hull Technologies- Key West, Florida

For more information on the Sebago Marquesa visit http://www.keywestsebago.com/

For a taste of Cuba visit El Meson de Pepe before or after your cruise. Dine among chickens or the famous six toed Key West cats. Try the Lechon Asado with saute'd yucca or sweet plaintains. http://www.elmesondepepe.com/index.htm

The River Ferries of Calhoun County, Illinois

Elaine and I recently camped at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton Illinois. A mile or so south of the park the Brussels ferry shuttles vehicles across the Illinois river into Calhoun County, Illinois. Calhoun County is a sliver of land bounded by rivers on three sides. The Mississippi River on the west side, the Illinois River on the east, and the confluence of both rivers at the south end. The influence of the rivers is evident in the lush crops, large orchards, and abundant wildlife. During the winter months eagle watching is a popular pastime. The topography is varied with bluffs, rolling hills and flat bottom lands. On warm spring weekends the roads are filled with people from the St. Louis area, which is 30 miles to the south. One of the attractions to the area is its remoteness. Being surrounded by rivers the county's access is limited to one fixed bridge and four car ferries.

The Brussels ferry, The Belle of Calhoun.

Two of the ferries cross the Illinois River. The Brussels ferry, north of Grafton, Illinois and the Kampsville ferry at Kampsville. Both of these ferries are run by the Illinois Department of Transportation and are free.

The other two ferries cross the Mississippi River, the Winfield ferry at Batchtown and the Golden Eagle ferry near Golden Eagle, Illinois. Fees are charged for the Mississippi ferries.

The Golden Eagle

Other area ferries are the Grafton ferry in Grafton, Illinois and the Ste. Genevieve ferry in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri about thirty miles south of St. Louis.

"Deer Plain"

If your unsure about car ferries the only bridge into the county is in Hardin, Illinois. Built in 1930 and recently renovated this vertical lift bridge is eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a unique bridge and worth the side trip.

The area around the confluence of the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois rivers is one of the country's best kept secrets. For more information on this beautiful area see http://www.greatriverroad.com/mgrindex.htm

Enjoy this little dity by the Well Hungarians about the Winfield Ferry