PHOTO: This rendering shows the new 185-passenger America. (Courtesy of American Cruise Lines)
American Cruise Lines' new riverboat, named America, was launched into the water for the first time Aug. 7 three weeks ahead of schedule.
The launch comes just a few weeks after the joining of the two hull sections. Tugboats then nudged the 185-passenger paddlewheeler into a basin at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., where the upper decks and outfitting will be completed.
With the installation of the upper decks, the new riverboat will come together quickly, and upon completion will be the third new riverboat built for the Mississippi River by American Cruise Lines.
The company's first paddlewheeler for the Mississippi was the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi, which will move to the Pacific Northwest in 2016 to operate on the Columbia and Snake rivers. It will get a new name before the move.
The 150-passenger American Eagle riverboat was christened in late April and now also sails on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
The small-ship specialist now is building a new Queen of the Mississippi for delivery in 2017.
Based in Guilford, Conn., American Cruise Lines operates a fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships that are built in the U.S., fly the American flag and are staffed with an American crew.
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