American Queen Sets Sail

The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. has christened its latest riverboatAmerican Queen, an overnight passenger vessel designed by Rodney E. Lay & Associates, of Jacksonville, Fla., and constructed by McDermott Shipyard of Amelia, La.

The 418.5-ft. (127.5-m) steamboat is reportedly the largest overnight passenger vessel built in a U.S. shipyard since the 1950s, and was built machinery aboard the vessel includes antique steam engines salvaged from the steam dredge Kennedy.

American Queen will cruise the inland waterways of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and was scheduled to begin its inaugural season on June 27, with a 16-night cruise from Pittsburgh, Pa., to New Orleans, La.

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