The Steamboating Forum

"Now hear this, now hear this" - The last of the large-scale Walking Beam Side Wheel Paddle Steamers - TULE PRINCESS (aka HIAWATHA) has been purchased and is awaiting overland transport to San Angelo, Texas. With a sad heart her past Captain, Ed Morris of Bay City, MI has agreed to sell her to Mack Fox of San Angelo, TX. We were able to strike a deal for sale and future success this past Thursday morning.

Our intention is to steam her on Lake Nasworthy outside San Angelo for excursions & private charters. We will be implementing an aggressive marketing strategy for her with a professionally designed web page site and Facebook/Twitter presence.

The dream of acquiring her and working out a realistic business plan have taken over 14 months. Her acquisition was the culmination of much work by many more than just myself, much prayer (for rain and a boat) and faith that what was meant to be, would be.

By mid July, we hope to have a web page up at http://www.tuleprincess.com along with the FB & Twitter feeds. Please check out both sites and plan on coming down to Texas to take a ride on her. She is a true one of a kind and the last of her size and style. With God's grace and tons of man hours, we hope to have her launched, running and Open to the Public by September 1st.

I am sure my Chief Engineer & I will be seeking advise and guidance for those issues that will no doubt come up concerning her operation and maintenance; beyond the wealth of data and directives we have already graciously received from her very dedicated most recent steward, Capt. Morris.

She has only had two previous owners:

Capt. David Sarlin, Berkeley, CA - Designer, Builder & Captain (1982 - 1996) - Sacramento River
Captain Ed Morris, Bay City, MI - Owner & Captain (1997 - 2014) - Saginaw River & Lake Huron

There is a HUGE legacy that comes with this purchase; a point that has not escaped both my Chief and me. We will do all in our power to operate and maintain her in the best condition possible so she will continue on in to the future for generations to come.

Please feel free to contact us for details of her operating hours and do plan to come down south to ride her. She is an amazing vessel with an amazing story.

Cast off all lines, full ahead if you please!

A few additional shots of Tule Princess (Hiawatha) being prepped for transport to Texas.

Last one, promise.

From the photos, on the hull underwater it appears there is a "hard chine" section that begins about 1/3 of the boat's length, and continues past the paddle floats. Was that an addition, or part of the original hull?

Hey Fred, great to hear from you. That hull configuration is the original layout.

That's great news Mack!

I'm happy to see she has a new home and your dreams are coming to fruition!

She was amazing to experience. Everything the videos and my imagination came up with. She will be a show stopper on our local lake and will soon be much loved I am sure.

Happy 4th of July.

Happy fourth and happy steaming!

Her builders, the Millerick Brothers of Petaluma/Sebastapol, CA are still alive and well here and working away.

Good morning Bob, nice to hear from you. She is indeed a sturdy and well built vessel. Being 31 yrs old now, she shows very little signs of degradation and decay. A credit to the Millerick Bros. firm and her two previous Captains & Engineers. I will strive very hard to maintain that same level of care and upkeep. To me, she seems solid as a battleship, all steel, through and through.

I have a few modifications planned for her that will be necessary for her future success and survivability. Are you associated with Bob Rosenbaum?