American Cruise Lines announced Tuesday the successful launch of the new paddlewheeler being built for the Mississippi River at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. Immediately after being launched into the Wicomico River, tugboats nudged the new riverboat into Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s East Outfitting Basin where the upper decks and outfitting will be completed.
“This is a significant milestone in the construction process and also for American Cruise Lines,” said Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines. “We look forward to introducing yet another new paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.”
The launching comes just a few weeks after the joining of the two hull sections, weighing at almost 600 tons a piece. Upon completion the vessel will be the second new riverboat built for the Mississippi River by American Cruise Lines. Two additional riverboats are also on the way.
The new boat, still unnamed, will have a capacity of 150 passengers and is scheduled to begin navigating the Mississippi River and its tributaries in the spring of 2015.
