River launch coming to South Haven this summer

The Lindy Lou, an electric-powered river launch, is on schedule to be completed and ready for boarding by mid-June - in time for South Haven's Harborfest celebration. The mission of the new attraction to the Michigan Maritime Museum is to provide passengers with a chance to recapture those days from the late 1890s through the 1930s when launches plied the Black River, delivering guests to resorts, taking picnickers to upriver parks and pavilions, and generally helping fill the lazy hours of summer with relaxing diversions.

Anonymous

Apr 15, 2011

Plans call for the Lindy Lou to make five daily cruises on the Black River, boarding at the museum and cruising first downstream to the river clock at the foot of North Shore Drive, then traveling upstream to the covered bridge on the north branch of the river, and finally returning to the Orley dock at the museum. Each cruise will cover about 6 miles and last an hour.

The craft will also be available for groups and families to charter, and a curriculum is currently taking shape that will use the launch to provide an educational experience for area students.

A new exhibit called “Cruisin’ Down the River” — featuring artifacts, photos and stories depicting history on and along the Black River — will open in the museum’s Aker’s Gallery in conjunction with the launch of the Lindy Lou.

Reservations for both the river launch Lindy Lou and the tall ship Friends Good Will are now being accepted on the Michigan Maritime Museum’s website at www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org, or by calling 800-747-3810.