Slightly off-topic. The Steamer Natchez will be "tramping" up river on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers for the next six weeks. This is a rare chance to see this "heritage" operation away from her home port in New Orleans.Wesleyhttp://www.steamboatnatchez.com-----------------------------------------Here´s the temporary schedule of the upcoming tramping cruise of the steamer Natchez. Cruise times will come out later:NEW ORLEANS STEAMBOAT COMPANYRIVER RELIEF TOURPORTS OF CALL – SCHEDULEOctober 19, 2005 – WednesdayDepart New OrleansOctober 28, 2005 – FridayArrive CincinnatiOctober 29 & 30, 31 2005 – Saturday, Sunday & Monday Events in CincinnatiNovember 1, 2005 – TuesdayDepart CincinnatiNovember 2, 2005 – WednesdayArrive LouisvilleNovember 2,3&4, 2005 – Wednesday Night, Thursday, FridayEvents in LouisvilleNovember 5, 2005 – SaturdayDepart LouisvilleNovember 6, 2005 – SundayArrive EvansvilleNovember 7, 2005 – MondayEvents in EvansvilleNovember 8, 2005 – TuesdayDepart EvansvilleNovember 9, 2005 – WednesdayArrive PaducahNovember 10, 2005 – ThursdayEvents in PaducahNovember 11, 2005 – FridayDepart PaducahNovember 12, 2005 – SaturdayArrive MemphisNovember 13 & 14, 2005 – Sunday & MondayEvents in MemphisNovember 15, 2005 – TuesdayDepart MemphisNovember 17, 2005 – ThursdayArrive NatchezNovember 18, 2005 – FridayEvents in NatchezNovember 19, 2005 – SaturdayDepart NatchezNovember 19, 2005 – SaturdayArrive Baton RougeNovember 20 & 21, 2005 – Sunday & MondayEvents in Baton RougeNovember 22, 2005 – TuesdayDepart Baton RougeNovember 23, 2005Arrive in New OrleansEvents New Orleans throughout the Thanksgiving Weekend.Feel free to get the word out and support the steamer Natchez!

Where did you get this information? There is no mention of it on their website.

The info was posted on the message board at www.steamboats.org. The details came for one of many reliable sources on that board. Have a look over there for further discussion on this topic.Wesley

The Natchez is a close copy of the steamboat VIRGINIA (without the truss rods), which John Hartford immortalized in his 1986 book "Steamboat in a Cornfield." In the early years of the 20th Century, the Virginia ended up stuck high and dry in a cornfield after an Ohio River flood. The packet line hired a house moving company to get her out. Right as she neared the river, flooding came again and finished the job. The packet line didn't want to pay, the parties went to court, and the house movers won. While the Natchez is a reproduction, when in Louisville, hopefully she will be parked next to the real thing, the Belle of Louisville. About this time last year, I was down by the riverfront here in St. Louis and watched as the Delta Queen departed at dusk. Besides the wonderful sounds of her calliope, the sound of her main whistle echoing off of the buildings downtown was something to behold. Oh what it must have been like when steamboats regularly plied the river!

I have not had the chance to go aboard, but the steam boat Natchez which usually does day trips out of New Orleans is the only real steam boat on that waterfront.I understand that her western river style engines came out of an older boat and were installed in the new boat. She meets all the US Coast Guard requirements of passenger carring vessels because most of what you might think is wood is in fact steel.Glad to hear that she came through the storms OK!Ted Miles

From "Steamboats Natchez" website maintained by Dave Dawley:Wesley

The great thing about the "Natchez" is that you can go hang out in the engine room as long as you want, or at least you could 10 years or so ago, the last time I was on it. I spent about half the trip watching the cylinders and rods and lubricators and the steering mechanism. There are a few ropes that indicate where you shouldn't put your hands if you want to leave with them, but otherwise you can get up as close as you want. Plus, she's a good-looking vessel. If you're anywhere near one of her stops, don't miss it!-- Lawrence Biemiller