Spirit of Peoria
The Spirit of Peoria is a riverboat that normally runs in the Peoria, Illinois area on the Illinois River watershed.. The boat participated in the 2004 Grand Excursion. The 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, making it the first paddleboat vessel to ever be built there. The propulsion system was designed by Norm Rittenhouse, with steering by Custom Hydraulics.
The Spirit has no props or thrusters, and is powered by twin Caterpillar 3412 diesel gensets, producing 700 kilowatts combined in 208 volt 3-phase voltage. The power is rectified using railroad-style rectifiers, probably from a GM GP38. The DC voltage goes to two traction engines, also from a GM locomotive, which drive the paddlewheel via two 40-foot-long (12 m) by 1-foot-wide (0.30 m) chains. This allows the boat to be comparatively fast and efficient, burning approximately 15 US gallons (57 L) of diesel fuel an hour, with a top speed of over 15 mph (24 km/h). The dry weight is about 275 tons,[clarification needed] with a passenger capacity of 487. The boat carries 3,500 US gallons (13,000 L) of fuel and 2,500 US gallons (9,500 L) of water.
The regular area of travel of the boat ranges from Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton, Illinois to Starved Rock State Park near Ottawa, Illinois. The boat is owned and captained by G. Alex Grieves, and co-captained by Harold Breitenbach.
See also
- Julia Belle Swain — a paddleboat that docked in the 1980s where the Spirit of Peoria docks now
External links
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