The River: A halcyon dream the resurgence of American shipbuilding might at last save our DELTA QUEEN

The riverboat captain is a storyteller. Captain Don Sanders shares the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story.

By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune

While President Donald Trump made many assurances during his marathon speech to a joint session of Congress recently, likely no comment caused ears within the maritime community to perk up like his comment about shipbuilding.

“To boost our defense and industrial base we are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial and military shipbuilding,” Trump said. “I am announcing tonight that we will create a new office of shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America where it belongs.”

Since the President’s remarks, I’ve wondered how the resurrection of the American shipbuilding industry could contribute to the rebirth of the Steamer DELTA QUEEN, now forlorn and festering in a Louisiana backwater.

But it wasn’t until I clambered beneath my bed sheets the other night and dawdled off to dreamland that I realized the potential for the old girl. Such dreams seem to begin with “what if,” as in the poem I wrote long ago about Mark Twain moving to Cincinnati after hearing the world was about to end:

“Now what if Mark Twain moved to Cincinnati for his final days,
For whatever happens in the Queen City is 10 years delayed…“

Now what if…

Following the President’s announcement about the new White House office for shipbuilding, and learning of the fate of one of America’s most cherished landmarks, the Steamer DELTA QUEEN, an unnamed billionaire, possibly the world’s wealthiest person, quickly negotiated a deal with the owners of the historic steamboat.

Although the amount was undisclosed, sources close to the DELTA QUEEN said the princely sum paid for the sale of the venerated vessel staggered the imagination of all those involved. Renovations and the complete overhaul of the QUEEN will begin as soon as the “new and upgraded” Avondale Shipyards, above New Orleans, is ready to accept the DELTA QUEEN at a private facility especially designed for the ark.

According to a spokesperson for RiverX, the newly-formed maritime counterpart of the quad-billionaire’s aerospace technology company announced, “The DELTA QUEEN is already accepting reservations for the 2026 cruising season.”

Without wasting precious time, teams of skilled marine technologists, many recruited from Louisiana craftsmen and women displaced when Avondale and other shipyards dissolved, swarmed over the nearly 100-year-old paddlewheel steamboat to begin preparations before towing the DELTA QUEEN to the revived shipyard above the Huey P. Long Bridge. Removed from the boat were the World War I boilers, obsolete machinery in the boiler and engine rooms, outdated galley appliances, and archaic crew and passenger room furnishings.

One observer remarked, “Enough junk came off that steamboat to fill a barge.”

RiverX, according to an informant, plans to return the DELTA QUEEN to her glory days when the “getting there” was more important to “being there” theme of steamboat travel on the Mississippi River and her principal tributaries prevailed. The halcyon glory days of Mark Twain’s river will be the central theme of the renewed steamboat, but with the newest and safest equipment helping the DELTA QUEEN last another century, the informant added.

Regardless of all the latest navigation gadgets, experienced licensed riverboat pilots, preferably towboat-trained pilots, have preference for the tall chair in the wheelhouse. The U.S. Coast Guard will again require navigators to possess First-Class Pilot Licenses over the territory they operate on aboard overnight passenger-carrying riverboats, the RiverX source added.

Following re-coating, the thinly gold-plated Lunkenheimer, three-chimed whistle, and the 32 brass calliope whistles should again gleam brightly in their resplendent, durable 24-carat golden metal coating. Once redesigned into a stouter profile, the chimney—or smokestack—will have her regal crown restored in a stain-resistant, powder-coated, brilliant Royal White. Advanced hydraulic systems make adjusting the smokestack safer and easier.

Below the forward Main Deck, space-age boilers designed and fabricated by the same engineers and foundries as the Mars Rover rocket engines should generate unlimited steam. Never again will the DELTA QUEEN depend on noisy diesel engines for electrical energy. The loudest constant sound emanating from the steamer will be the refrain of the bucket boards striking the water as the 26-ton paddlewheel revolves. Except for a blast from her gleaming steam whistle or a jovial tune performed on the steam-powered calliope, the DELTA QUEEN can cruise as quietly as a cat upon the water again.

State-of-the-art materials, including fire retardants and soundproofing, are strategically integrated throughout the vessel. This thoughtful design allows the vibrant sounds of music and merriment from the Orleans Room, Texas Lounge, and the revitalized Mark Twain Lounge to fill the air, creating an enchanting atmosphere that can continue into the wee hours. Meanwhile, the rest of the boat remains serene, ensuring a peaceful retreat for those who prefer to retire early.

In the “pushing end,” the engine room of the DELTA QUEEN, both the steam cylinders of the cross-compound Charles H. Evans of San Francisco engines will be as good as new — even better– the RiverX informant claimed. In the lower pump room, changes to improve the economy and performance of the auxiliary steam equipment would astound an engineer from the QUEEN’s glory days in California, and until recently, on the Mississippi. An electric-powered bow thruster and emergency stern thruster provide additional tools to the pilot’s kit, making the boat safer and easier to handle in locks, landings, and tight places.

Despite all the changes and improvements, once the DELTA QUEEN leaves the shipyard, even the keenest eye of the boat’s most ardent purist will fail to detect the difference in her outward appearance. Yes, she will have two hidden elevators, one located somewhere in the forward end and one concealed in the aft section of the cabin. As before, the QUEEN’s crowd is most likely to be of the age which welcomes an assisted vertical lift over negotiating stairs. (Sorry, but according to RiverX regs, crew members and employees must take the steps. Please have a look at the RiverX Employee Handbook for further guidance.)

According to another unnamed RiverX source, practically an unlimited investment is being made in revising the historic DELTA QUEEN ensuring that the majestic steamboat, an everlasting symbol of Mark Twain’s America, continues to inspire generations yet unborn. As I watched and listened, amazed at the sudden and unexpected future for the QUEEN, I felt the urge to become involved in the glorious new future of the steamboat I commanded over half a century ago, when– unexpectedly, a familiar sound quickly changed my world.

The sight of a revitalized DELTA QUEEN, RiverX, and all its implications faded as my eyes adjusted to the morning light peering through my bedroom window. Immediately, I bolted upright in bed as Lester, our handsome, vociferous cat, reminded me it was time for his breakfast.

After satisfying Lester, I sipped my steaming cup of ‘morning joe.’ As snippets of last night’s dream flashed through my mind, I asked myself, ”

“Now, what if…?”

Captain Don Sanders is a river man. He has been a riverboat captain with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and with Rising Star Casino. He learned to fly an airplane before he learned to drive a “machine” and became a captain in the USAF. He is an adventurer, a historian and a storyteller. Now, he is a columnist for the NKyTribune, sharing his stories of growing up in Covington and his stories of the river. Hang on for the ride — the river never looked so good.

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Purchase Captain Don Sanders’ The River book here

ORDER YOUR RIVER BOOK HERE

Capt. Don Sanders The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding ‘magic river spell’ to 65-year adventure is now available for $29.95 plus handling and applicable taxes. This beautiful, hardback, published by the Northern Kentucky Tribune, is 264-pages of riveting storytelling, replete with hundreds of pictures from Capt. Don’s collection — and reflects his meticulous journaling, unmatched storytelling, and his appreciation for detail. This historically significant book is perfect for the collections of every devotee of the river.

You may purchase your book by mail from the Northern Kentucky Tribune — or you may find the book for sale at all Roebling Books locations and at the Behringer Crawford Museum and the St. Elizabeth Healthcare gift shops.

Order your Captain Don Sanders’ ‘The River’ book here.