Famed riverboat Delta Queen on the move again

The Delta Queen, which was moored in Chattanooga, Tennessee, could be on the move after its hotel operation closed in 2014. A private company, led by a Louisiana businessman, has bought the vessel and vows to return it to service next year.(Photo: Provided)CINCINNATI — It appears the Delta Queen is preparing for another voyage.A private company led by Louisiana businessman Cornel Martin closed on a deal Tuesday to buy the venerable paddle-wheel vessel from its previous owner, TAC Cruise LLC, for an undisclosed sum, according to a press release posted on the company's Facebook page.Martin, president and chief executive of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., said his goal is to complete extensive mechanical and hotel renovations on the vessel and return it to service in 2016. Previous estimates called for renovations to cost about $7 million.Martin said the company is made up of several longtime supporters who want to preserve and restore the vessel."My partners and I are thrilled to be taking this critical first step toward the preservation and restoration of this important piece of American and river history," said Martin, president and chief executive of Delta Queen Steamboat Co. "We look forward to the day when the Delta Queen will once again be able to ply America's waterways and allow passengers to relive the experiences of Mark Twain and his unique cast of river characters from the decks of a true 1927 steamboat."Returning the vessel to operation could prove tricky after two U.S. Senate Democrats last year successfully blocked efforts by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, to get the boat moving again.The lawmakers from Ohio sought to exempt the Delta Queen from a 1966 safety law that bars wooden vessels such as the 88-room Delta Queen from carrying 50 or more passengers on overnight journeys. Critics call the boat a potential fire trap that could put passengers at risk and tarnish the entire paddle-wheel cruise industry.When reached in December, U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood, said he planned to reintroduce legislation in the House to help the Delta Queen resume operations.The Delta Queen began service May 20, 1927, in California. It is deemed the last steamboat of its kind with a wooden superstructure accommodating passengers on overnight river cruises.After a brief period of service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, the vessel was sold as war surplus to Capt. Tom Greene, who owned Greene Line Steamers in Cincinnati. The vessel was located in Cincinnati from 1946 until 1985. It was in New Orleans until 2008.The vessel most recently operated as a dockside hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn., from 2009 until 2014.The Delta Queen is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is classified as a National Historic Landmark. The National Trust for Historic Preservation designated the Delta Queen as a National Treasure.Vanilla Ice: Burglary arrest 'blown out of proportion'Feb 19, 2015