Winnipeg | 90 Alexander Ave | (Great West Metal Redevelopment)

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

We should lean into the rivers. If someone with an ounce of business savvy were to try getting riverboats up and running again Im sure it could be a smashing success. Who doesn’t like a riverboat dinner and cruise? Throw in a small casino and boom! Money! The key will be in the marketing. Imagine the tourist draw

Somebody call up Marty Bird, he has a good eye for that type of thing.

In all seriousness, I think it would be a neat idea. The struggle is that it's always going to be a seasonal attraction and would likely suffer the same challenges the Bridge restaurants face.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by dmacc

In all seriousness, I think it would be a neat idea. The struggle is that it's always going to be a seasonal attraction and would likely suffer the same challenges the Bridge restaurants face.

It's interesting how riverboats were such a huge deal locally for decades up until maybe the 80s, and then interest just dropped off a cliff in the 90s and 00s.

I remember going on a long weekend River Rouge cruise maybe about 10 years ago and I don't think there were even 20 people on the ship. You could see the writing on the wall.

I'm convinced that the lack of predictability did them in. For a number of years the ships, the docks, the schedule, etc. kept changing. Nobody knew what was going on anymore.

It's conceivable that riverboats could come back, but cruises up Lake Winnipeg are dead. No one is going to spend their two weeks vacation taking a $2500 cruise up the lake, at least not without immense amounts of marketing.

[biguc]

I was thinking more of the kind of cruise-ferries that ply the Baltic. Weekend trips around the lake's lower basin. Friday night booze cruises to Grand Beach. That kind of thing.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by biguc

I was thinking more of the kind of cruise-ferries that ply the Baltic. Weekend trips around the lake's lower basin. Friday night booze cruises to Grand Beach. That kind of thing.

If there was an interesting destination to go to, maybe the odds would be better. Or if Winnipeg attracted hordes of tourists looking for something to do. I'd have to imagine it would be a tough sell otherwise, especially when you consider the capital costs involved.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by dmacc

Somebody call up Marty Bird, he has a good eye for that type of thing.

In all seriousness, I think it would be a neat idea. The struggle is that it's always going to be a seasonal attraction and would likely suffer the same challenges the Bridge restaurants face.

Lol literally what I had in mind, except the boat does still cruise around.

[1ajs]

a cruise from fargo to heckla and a train ride back on the prarie dog and u could have a revers trip as well

but then u need to get after the feds t dredge the red again

[biguc]

Originally Posted by esquire

If there was an interesting destination to go to, maybe the odds would be better. Or if Winnipeg attracted hordes of tourists looking for something to do. I'd have to imagine it would be a tough sell otherwise, especially when you consider the capital costs involved.

Yeah, it's not like Estonia is just hanging out up there with a bunch of cheap booze for sale. You'd have to partner with the Hecla resort or something. Run a boat there on Friday, back on Sunday, and run a mini tour of Gimli and Vic Beach and so forth in between.



Here's another idea for Alexander Dock: just park a boat and run it as a stationary restaurant/bar/event location. Boats become a lot cheaper when they don't have to actually do boat things.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by biguc

Here's another idea for Alexander Dock: just park a boat and run it as a stationary restaurant/bar/event location. Boats become a lot cheaper when they don't have to actually do boat things.

I'd say this is a much better bet!

[damnedmenno]

Cruises down the Red River with larger boats like the old River Rouge and Paddlewheel boats would require the river to be dredged. Not too long ago the Red River was considered a federal navigated body of water and dredging happened to keep it navigable. Bridges had to be a certain height as well or allow for them to be opened (thus all our old draw bridges). Once the federally designation was removed (later 80s, 90s?), the river slowly became unusable for larger boats.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by cllew

How does the Royal Manitoba Yacht Club fit into boating on the Red River? How much traffic do they put on the river from their dock in West St. Paul and would their members dock downtown for events if there was a secure docking area?

Unlikely. Unlikely in that if a boater can't see their boat tied to a public dock from where they sit then they are not going to tie up there. Also unlikely that it would remain a secure docking area.

The old docks were too high to use for anything except large vessels such as the ones on display at the Selkirk Marine Museum.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by biguc

I was thinking more of the kind of cruise-ferries that ply the Baltic. Weekend trips around the lake's lower basin. Friday night booze cruises to Grand Beach. That kind of thing.

Bring back the MS Lord Selkirk!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Lord_Selkirk_II

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by biguc

Here's another idea for Alexander Dock: just park a boat and run it as a stationary restaurant/bar/event location. Boats become a lot cheaper when they don't have to actually do boat things.

No it is not cheaper. Frequent haul outs for Coast Guard hull inspections costs tens of thousands. All underway fire and safety equipment must kept current whether the ship leaves the dock or not.

Then there is the cost of towing the ship to Selkirk for winter layup. Not to mention the uncontrolled nature of water levels on the Red, which is what killed the last several cruise ship businesses.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by damnedmenno

Cruises down the Red River with larger boats like the old River Rouge and Paddlewheel boats would require the river to be dredged. Not too long ago the Red River was considered a federal navigated body of water and dredging happened to keep it navigable. Bridges had to be a certain height as well or allow for them to be opened (thus all our old draw bridges). Once the federally designation was removed (later 80s, 90s?), the river slowly became unusable for larger boats.

Dredging never did happen in the actual river as it wasn't needed. The old dredge worked from the the mouth of Centre Channel to the fairway buoy about a mile out into the lake. It maintained a channel 15m wide by 5m deep for the CCGS Nameo. The Nameo has been out of service for many years, that's why the dredging stopped.

Spent a lot of time tied to the dredge dock waiting for the lake to calm.

[rivercity]

The Namao still conducts research on Lake Winnipeg annually I believe. They re-jigged a drydock in Gimli if I`m not mistaken that the freshwater fish marketing corp. uses for inspections

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by rivercity

The Namao still conducts research on Lake Winnipeg annually I believe. They re-jigged a drydock in Gimli if I`m not mistaken that the freshwater fish marketing corp. uses for inspections

Yes, it is in private hands I think.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Yes, it is in private hands I think.

Its now called the Motor Vessel Namao and is owned by the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium.

From their web site "Current membership of the LWRC is over 30 agencies representing various government and university departments, municipalities, communities, corporate and other organizations"

[biguc]

Originally Posted by Riverman

No it is not cheaper. Frequent haul outs for Coast Guard hull inspections costs tens of thousands. All underway fire and safety equipment must kept current whether the ship leaves the dock or not.

Then there is the cost of towing the ship to Selkirk for winter layup. Not to mention the uncontrolled nature of water levels on the Red, which is what killed the last several cruise ship businesses.

Think about what you're saying.

The existence of some expenses doesn't entail the existence of all expenses. Logic, once again, escapes you.

Coast guard boats do actual boat things. Their maintenance demands aren't the same as those of a permanently moored boat. Actual boat things also include using fuel. Similarly, boats that do actual boat things have different fuel demands from boats that don't. You might make the leap to seeing that maintenance and fuel costs for boats that do actual boat things are higher than for boats that don't.

Nobody ever said that boats that don't do actual boat things have no expenses.

Anyhow, there are plenty of boats around the world that remain permanently docked as restaurants, casinos, event spaces, even hotels. Here's one. Here's another. I don't know if they're actually scuttled or what, but they--like many things beyond your narrow life experience and non-existent imagination--exist.

[Hecate]

I always thought the riverboats should be turned into those floating casinos like they have in the states. Nothing like a night of riverboat gambling lol. But biguc’s idea of lake Winnipeg boat cruises would be awesome. Imagine taking the boat from downtown Winnipeg going through the lock up to the marshes. It would be a neat experience. And it would be awesome to see the boats coming into gimli hecla, and the other small towns that line the shores. Could be a big boost to their little economies. I also think this should happen in Hudson’s bay. Now that would be awesome. They have Alaska cruises, why not a Hudson’s bay one. I think it would be a cash cow and breath much needed life into these remote northern communities.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Hecate

They have Alaska cruises, why not a Hudson’s bay one.

Gonna go out on a limb here and say that the scenery probably has something to do with it.

Alaska:



Hudson Bay:



Also, the season would be much shorter for Hudson Bay. The ice usually breaks up in June so you wouldn't be able to start much earlier than Canada Day. Probably a maximum three month season.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by biguc

Think about what you're saying.

The existence of some expenses doesn't entail the existence of all expenses. Logic, once again, escapes you.

Coast guard boats do actual boat things. Their maintenance demands aren't the same as those of a permanently moored boat. Actual boat things also include using fuel. Similarly, boats that do actual boat things have different fuel demands from boats that don't. You might make the leap to seeing that maintenance and fuel costs for boats that do actual boat things are higher than for boats that don't.

Nobody ever said that boats that don't do actual boat things have no expenses.

Anyhow, there are plenty of boats around the world that remain permanently docked as restaurants, casinos, event spaces, even hotels. Here's one. Here's another. I don't know if they're actually scuttled or what, but they--like many things beyond your narrow life experience and non-existent imagination--exist.

Those two vessels you showed as restaurants are on a river with stable water levels. Try again.

Boats doing boat things are actually doing paid work which offsets all costs and creates profit and employment. An unpropelled barge sitting in the water housing a temporary cafe that could be permanently housed in a suburban strip mall is an idiotic idea to say the least.

Of course this just another mindless socialist rambling on about something that has been tried and failed too many times to count. Think you can make it work? I see the River Rouge is still moored in Selkirk. Let's see a business plan. Think of the opportunity!