Last night the NAMA conventioneers went on the Spirit of Dubuque, an authentic dual paddle wheeler and had a great dinner out on the Mississippi. It was a wonderful event. Well done Jody!
She was designed by Robert Kehl with the help of the New Orleans marine engineering firm of Ross Kramer, Inc. Construction began on the vessel on July 1, 1976 by the Morgan City based Scully Brothers Company. It was the first paddle wheeler the Brothers had made; their specialty was tug boat construction. The SPIRIT was designed to be powered by two Detroit diesel 6-71 engines (200 horsepower apiece) and to carry 250 passengers, with a minimum of four crew members, for the total capacity of 381. The 93-by-28-foot boat draws three feet of water and features an enclosed, air-conditioned dining deck and an open upper deck for sightseeing.
