The 100’x35’ architectural tour boat Skyview was delivered by Blount Boats, Warren, R.I., to Shoreline Sightseeing of Chicago, where the 300-passenger steel vessel will show visitors the Windy City skyline up close.
Designed by Seacraft Design LLC, Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., the vessel is certified under Coast Guard subchapter K to operate in partially protected waters. Power comes from twin Volvo D13 MH 400 hp diesels with ZF W325 gearboxes, 2.933:1 ratio supplied and commissioned by Allemand Industries, Harvey, LA. The vessel is also equipped with twin 44” diameter, 4-blade propellers and Kobelt steering. Ship’s power is provided by a pair of 65 kW John Deere generators.
The vessel was specifically designed with a recessed pilot house to meet the air draft requirements for navigating Chicago waterways. Special features include hand-crafted mahogany doors, railings and bench seating, a full-service bar with a 20-keg beer cooler, ladies and men’s lavatories with heat, a 430 pound ice machine, and air conditioning.
The Skyview is the second vessel built for Shoreline Sightseeing by Blount, which in 1999 delivered the 64.8’x22’x7.7’Star of Chicago, a Subchapter T passenger vessel modeled on the “bateaux mouches” of Paris. Narrated architectural tours, describing the city’s buildings and history for visitors, are a specialty of Shoreline Sightseeing, which marked its 75th anniversary in 2015.
