Page 4: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1969)

Floating "Motel" Mount Hope Blount Marine Built Cruise Vessel, Now In Service, Provides A New Dimension For U.S. And Canadian Travelers Passengers are once again following the water route up the Hudson River and across New York state via the Barge Canal, but in luxury beyond the imagination of the early frontiersmen. The 1969 travelers are aboard an air-conditioned, cruise vessel designed and built by Blount Marine Corporation of Warren, R.I. This New England waterfront town has been identified with shipbuilding since the ear-liest days of the republic. The new 110-foot boat, the Mount Hope, was commissioned May 19, 1969, and com-menced her first cruise on June 8. Her destin-ation was Montreal sailing via Long Island Sound, Hudson River, Erie Barge Canal and Lake Ontario. She returned via the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain. The Mount Hope has many new features among them the ability to beach and project a ramp to shore. Passengers may go between boat and beach by the unique bow ramp with-out getting their feet wet. The same method of landing may be used in visiting tropical islands next winter. There are at least 17 other new wrinkles on the Mount Hope which make her unordinary, all carefully planned by the builder and the American Canadian Line, Inc., which operates the craft on rivers, lakes and waterways of both countries. Vista-view windows (patent applied for) specially developed for the Mount Hope, wrap around the bow of the boat and along her sides to give guests a panoramic view of romantic settings so significant in the development of both the United States and Canada. Quiet sailing is a Mount Hope asset. The entire craft is carpeted, including companion-ways and each of the 20 staterooms. Noise and vibrations from the engines and galley have been reduced to a minimum. Twin 250-hp Gen-eral Motors 8V71 engines operate belt-driven propellers through power pods. There are no long drive shafts to vibrate and engines are mounted in the stern on rubber in an acousti-cally treated engine room. Galley and crews' quarters also are in the aft section of the vessel. Bright, pastel shades used in the ship's decor are softened by variegated green carpeting and deep green upholstered lounge seats. The din-ing room can be converted into a 100-seat theater and the ship has been chartered for use Inland cruise vessel Mount as a floating concert hall for one weekend this month. For passengers pleasure during cruises, the lounge has a piano, stereophonic equipment and color television. Fifty persons may be served in the dining room from an all-electric galley. Optional arrangements for single or double berths are available in each of the staterooms. Each also has a vanity, individual shower and head, a porthole and an emergency hatch. The rooms are not large but adequate since lounge and dining room are comfortable for leisure-time activity. A stern ramp attached by hinges to the transom of the Mount Hope folds down to al-most water level to provide a swimming plat-form. The promenade deck is partially covered by a canopy. The most interesting cruise is the vessel's longest, a 5,000-mile trip to be made in Sep-tember. The 33-day tour will start in Warren, go down Long Island Sound, up the Hudson River and through the Erie Canal to Buffalo. The Mount Hope will cruise across Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan to Chicago. From the Windy City, she will make her Hope leaves on first trip. Mrs. Edna Kent, artist, standing by her painting of the original Mount Hope which was presented to the new vessel at the commissioning ceremonies. Luther Blount, president of Blount Marine Corporation is on the left and H. Cushman Anthony, cruise director, American Canadian Line Inc., is in the center. way through the Illinois Waterway to the Mis-sissippi River and down that famous river to New Orleans, then along the Gulf Coast to the Okeechobee River to Florida, by which she will cross the lower part of that state. The ves-(Continued on page 8) Looking forward in vista-view lounge. Looking aft in well-appointed lounge. Dining area, looking aft, seats 50 people. 6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News