An effort to get the legendary Delta Queen riverboat back afloat on the Mississippi River and its tributaries received a boost from the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday.
The Associated Press reports the committee has agreed to reinstate the boat’s 1966 Safety at Sea Act exemption. The act prohibits overnight excursions on wooden vessels.
“It’s a good move,” says Cornel Martin, Delta Queen Steamboat Co.’s president and CEO. “It always feels good to get Congress moving. … It’s good news and it’s a good first step to get her back out on the river.”
The 89-year-old Delta Queen was taken out of commission last year and has been docked in Houma since then for renovations.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sponsored the bill to reinstate the exemption. The bill goes to the full Senate now.
The Delta Queen’s previous exemption expired in 2008 and led to the vessel being grounded.
In operation since 1927, The Delta Queen served as a naval ship during World War II and has hosted three presidents.
The riverboat is a designated National Historic Landmark.
The vessel’s repairs will be completed once the exemption get final approval, Martin says. After that, it will be moved to its new home in Kimmswick, Missouri.
