 Brazos Belle as seen from I-35 in 2008 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brazos Belle |
| Namesake | theBrazos River |
| Cost | $1,000,000 |
| Out of service | 1997 |
| Stricken | 2008 |
| Homeport | Waco, Texas United States |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sternwheel riverboat |
| Length | 160 feet (49 m) |
Brazos Belle was a 160-foot (49 m) Americanriverboat constructed for use on theBrazos River inTexas. Permanently docked inWaco, Texas as arestaurant in 1997, theBelle often hosted dinner parties, receptions, and functions for localGreek organizations. Flooding in 2007 badly damaged the boat; although theBelle was refloated, repairs proved uneconomical, and theBrazos Belle was scrapped late in 2008.
Brazos Belle, originally namedBrazos Queen II,[1] was constructed by F.M. Young at a cost of $1 million,[2] the vessel being permanently berthed onLake Brazos, nearInterstate 35 in Waco in 1997 as a result of fluctuating water levels in theBrazos River.[3][4] Young sold the riverboat to Tony Cain, president of Brazos Leisure, Inc.,[5] in 2006.[2] TheBelle was a popular restaurant and tourist attraction in Waco, being used for banquets and wedding receptions,[5] although it proved too large to be operated effectively on the river.[1]
In 2006, low water levels on the Brazos River grounded the vessel, leading to it having to temporarily close and lose as much as $70,000 in revenue;[6] in 2007, vandals broke into the boat four times in under two months.[7]
On the morning of March 30, 2007, after heavy rains and flooding of the Brazos River,[3] the bottom floor of theBelle filled up with eight feet of water, and the boat sunk at its moorings.[5] The river, which a year before the flooding was so low it had theBelle sitting on dry ground,[7] rose 26 feet in the week leading up to the flooding.[citation needed] Afterwards, the boat sat underwater until the city began cleanup in the spring of 2008.[8] Several efforts by the city to contact the owners proved unsuccessful, with Cain first being unable to be found for comment for several weeks,[9] then claiming to have returned title of the boat to Young,[2] then declaring bankruptcy, assessing the damage to theBelle at $105,000.[7]
In order to recoup unpaid taxes, the city sold theBelle for $10,000 to local businessmen.[10] TheBelle's new owners raised the boat from the riverbottom and planned to move the vessel upstream for repairs.[11] However, a lack of engines and expensive repairs that proved necessary before the vessel could be moved[12] meant that the restoration of the vessel was economically unfeasible, and theBrazos Belle was sold for scrap,[10] being broken up in late 2008.[13]
As of 2011[update], a different riverboat namedBrazos Belle operates from Belle's Landing inEast Columbia, Texas, providing dinner tours on the Brazos River. It is claimed to be the first riverboat to sail the Brazos River in 150 years.[citation needed] It made its first voyage on July 31, 2011.[14]