Meldra Panchelli

The historic Delta Queen paddlewheeler is in Chattanooga today after diverting Friday from an impassible section of the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky.

The roughly 350 passengers onboard were told the steamboat couldn’t navigate the Ohio River because floods earlier this spring had lodged a thick layer of silt and mud at the joining of the Wabash and Ohio rivers.

“Once we found out the U.S. Coast Guard had closed portions of the Ohio River for dredging, we started immediately notifying guests of the itinerary change and are working with them to help change their travel plans,” said Venessa Bloy, a spokeswoman for Majestic American Lines, which owns the Delta Queen.

The Army Corps of Engineers will dredge the river this week, Ms. Bloy said in a statement posted on the cruise line’s Web site.

About 175 passengers on the riverboat planned to disembark today in Cincinnati, but the change in plans means those passengers will exit the ship in Chattanooga. Majestic is helping those passengers arrange transportation home, busing some passengers to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to one passenger.

Passengers who expected to board the 85-year-old steamboat in Ohio will board in Chattanooga instead, Ms. Bloy said. From here, the ship will travel to Decatur, Ala., and then on to Savannah, Tenn., Paducah, Ky., New Madrid, Mo., and finally to Memphis.

They were informed of the itinerary change on Friday just outside Paducah, said passenger Sam Blodgett of East Greenbush, N.Y.

“It was frustrating at first because we didn’t know what was happening,” Mr. Blodgett said. “We all wanted to know how we were going to get home from Chattanooga, but the ship is helping everyone. I don’t think anyone is stranded.”

Mr. Blodgett said he was taking a bus to Nashville, where he boarded the riverboat.

Other passengers said the trip to Chattanooga, while unexpected, was pleasant.

“It wasn’t what we were looking for, but we had a good time on it,” said Fred “Steb” Hipple, of Johnson City, Tenn.

Before arriving in Chattanooga, Mr. Hipple and his wife, Linda, said they spent a day in Huntsville, Ala., and toured to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Meldra Panchelli of Milledgeville, Ga., said the Tennessee River voyage was breathtaking, so she was walking off the ship pleased, even though she didn’t get to visit Henderson, Ky., Madison, Ind., or Cincinnati as the original itinerary promised.

“Our captain said we would not be sorry, that this is one of the most beautiful routes of any of the rivers,” Mrs. Panchelli said. “We really have concurred. It’s been beautiful.”

Staff Photo by Shane McMillan
Visiting the Tennessee Aquarium from Boaz, Ala., Daniel Kerr was able to see the Delta Queen. Daniel’s mother and grandparents took him to see the docked riverboat at Ross’s Landing. “It’s fine, but I wanna ride on it,” Daniel said.

Curious Chattanooga tourists were interested in the boat’s large “Save the Delta Queen” banner, which refers to an ongoing congressional battle to keep the steam-powered ship on the water. It is the last traditional steamboat carrying overnight passengers in America, according to Majestic’s Web site.

Its days as a cruise ship appear numbered because the federal Safety at Sea Act prohibits boats with wooden superstructures from carrying passengers overnight. The Delta Queen was granted a special exemption, but that’s due to expire in November.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that a bill introduced in October would allow the boat another such exemption, but the legislation has not come up for a vote.

Mr. and Mrs. Hipple, whose home is 220 miles from Chattanooga, said they were serving as tour guides to first-time visitors to the city.

“We’ve told people to visit the aquarium if they weren’t going to get the chance to see it again,” Mrs. Hipple said. “The people on this boat, I didn’t see anyone throwing a temper tantrum. ... When you travel, you just have to go with it.”

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