''Spirit of Peoria'' is a

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

that normally runs in the

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

area on the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the D ...

watershed. The boat participated in the 2004

Grand Excursion The Grand Excursion was a promotional voyage by train and steamboat into the Upper Mississippi River valley, USA that first took place in June 1854. It marked the first railroad connection between the East Coast and the Mississippi River, and it in ...

. ''Spirit of Peoria'' is a true paddleboat, actually using its paddlewheel for propulsion, unlike some modern riverboats with purely cosmetic wheels. The boat was designed by architect Alan Bates, and built in 1988 at the Walker Boat Yard in

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Missour ...

, making it the first paddleboat vessel built there. The propulsion system was designed by Norm Rittenhouse, with steering by Custom Hydraulics. ''Spirit of Peoria'' has no propellers or thrusters, and is powered by twin

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

3412 diesel gensets, producing 700 kilowatts combined in 208 volt 3-phase voltage. The AC power is rectified to DC which in turn powers two locomotive traction motors, which drive the paddlewheel via two by chains. This allows the boat to be comparatively fast and efficient, burning approximately of

diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and t ...

an hour, with a top speed of over . The dry weight is about 275 tons, with a passenger capacity of 385. The boat carries of fuel and of water. The regular area of travel of the boat ranges from

Pere Marquette State Park Pere Marquette State Park is an protected area in southwestern Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the city of Grafton, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Illinois River. The park is located on I ...

near

Grafton, Illinois Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 626. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Graf ...

Starved Rock State Park Starved Rock State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Illinois, characterized by the many canyons within its . Located just southeast of the village of Utica, in Deer Park Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, along the south bank of the ...

near

Ottawa, Illinois Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi Riv ...

. The boat is owned and captained by G. Alex Grieves, and co-captained by Alice Grady and Dylan Masonholder. As of April 2022, The Sprit of Peoria has been sold and is no longer docked in Peoria, IL. The sternwheeler has sailed up the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to La Crosse, WI, where she will join the Julia Belle Swain. Both boats will undergo repairs and renovations and will ultimately operated together at a location that is yet unknown. Both boats are owned by Troy Manthey, President and CEO of Yacht Starship Cruises. Troy is a 5th generation Streckfus family member. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streckfus_Steamers

References

External links

Spirit of Peoria website
{{coord, 40, 41, 20, N, 89, 35, 12, W, region:US-IL_dim:55_source:GoogleEarth-eyeball-Closeapple, display=title, notes= (home dock) Peoria, Illinois Paddle steamers of the United States Ships built in Kentucky Illinois River 1988 ships Tourist attractions in Peoria, Illinois

See also

References

External links