Being able to cruise on the Tchefuncte River and Lake Pontchartrain in an authentic sternwheeler riverboat will become a reality for Northshore residents next month.
     The Magnolia Belle, a refurbished sternwheeler, made its maiden voyage July 2, kicking off the Greater Mandeville Seafood Festival.  The boat made history by becoming the first riverboat to cruise Lake Pontchartrain in nearly 100 years.
     Capt. Joe Baer and his wife, Sylvia Cabiran, did the honors christening the vessel by cracking a bottle of champagne prior to its departure from Mandeville Harbor.  Approximately 100 guests boarded the vintage authentic 1969 sternwheeler to be part of the history-making cruise, which lasted 50 minutes.  Passengers danced to the Dukes of Dixieland jazz band from New Orleans during the maiden cruise.  The riverboat made 15 cruises during the July 4th weekend, carrying approximately 450 passengers.
     Baer said the vessel handled Lake Pontchartrain quite well and was a popular attraction for Seafood Festival attendees.
     "I received numerous complimentary remarks about how smooth the cruises went and how much fun the passengers had while on board.  Our cruises during the July 4th weekend were definitely a success," said Baer.
     Mandeville City Council member Adelaide Boettner said the maiden voyage was magnificent, and she had a wonderful time.
     "Being able to take cruises will be a wonderful thing for residents here on the Northshore," said Boettner.
     "I brought two friends from Tennessee who have a house in Mandeville and visit five or six times a year and to my surprise they had never been on the lake in a boat," she said.
     Hal Mumme, head football coach at Southeastern Louisiana University, and his wife, June, were passengers on the maiden voyage.
     "The Magnolia Belle is a very impressive riverboat, and it was fun taking part in its first voyage.  I think it's a great thing for the area.  My wife and I talked about how we might be able to use it for a staff outing," said Mumme.
     Sherese Chretien, president of the Old Mandeville Business Association, was also a passenger on the maiden voyage.
     "We are so thrilled to have a riverboat floating on the waters of Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville again.  We are very excited and are looking forward to future cruises," said Chretien.
     For Baer, owning his own riverboat is a dream come true, something he thought about when he was a kid growing up in Indiana.
     "This has been a lifelong dream for me.  The Magnolia Belle was a diamond in the rough, and I knew she was the boat for me.  She has many years left in her, and I'm going to make sure she keeps running," he said.
     Baer's love for boats began as a youngster when he started working at his family marina on the Ohio River when he was 11.  He worked the riverboats in Cincinnati Harbor at age 16 and got his first boat pilot's license only a year later.
     Baer said he actually worked on the Magnolia Belle as a deck hand a few times at age 17, when it was the Bonnie Belle located in Madison, Ind.
     The Magnolia Belle is currently certified to carry up to 150 passengers.  The air conditioned vessel is 105 feet in length and spans 23 feet across its deck. The paddlewheeler reaches 25 feet high from the water line to the two working smoke stacks.
     The boat's steam engine was refitted for hydraulic pressure, which is what propels the engine and actually turns the paddlewheel.
     The Magnolia Belle is home ported at Marina del Ray in Madisonville and is undergoing its final restoration touches, like carpeting, drapes and a paint job.
     Baer said Magnolia Belle Riverboat Cruises will be offering a variety of cruises, including luncheon and dinner cruises, beginning the middle of August.
     Luncheon cruises will be offered Monday through Friday from noon to 2 p.m. at a cost of $28.  Dinners cruises will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m., costing $35.  Sunday brunch cruises will also be offered from 1-3 p.m.  Passengers will board 30 minutes prior to each departure time. 
     Charters for anniversaries, weddings and other specialty events are available upon request.  For more information call 630-4959. 

Courtesy of the Yada Yada magazine, a publication of the News Banner

Mike Pervel, author