Located on the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls is visited by nearly 13 million visitors every year. The water flows from Lake Erie into the Niagara River, and along the path, the water plunges 50 metres down from a cliff, thereby forming a waterfall, famously known as Niagara Falls.
Some of the best places to view the falls include a 20-minute double-decker boat tour that takes the passengers to the base of the Horseshoe Falls and an observation tower (Skylon Tower).
The iconic boat tour has a long tail history that traces back to 1846, when the Maid of Mist I was launched to ferry passengers, only to take the role of a tourist sightseeing vehicle two years later.
Maid of the Mist – Early history
As early as 1834, small boats were utilized to transport people across the Niagara River. People had serious reservations about the safety of such small boats. On May 27th, 1846, a much larger boat with two smoke stacks was launched to ferry passengers. It was christened “Maid of the Mist” – drawing reference to the Iroquois myth of Lelawala. With the completion and launch of the first International Bridge on River Niagara in 1848, the ferry service became obsolete, and Maid of the Mist took the role of tourist sightseeing, ferrying the tourists to the base of Niagara Falls.
Since then, many editions of the Maid of the Mist were launched and it continued to provide an experience to the visitors.
However, in 2009, following a series of lawsuits and public scrutiny of the company, the Maid of Mist lost its Canadian contract to a California-based cruise boat company, Hornblower Cruises.
Maid of the Mist – Losing Canadian contract in 2009
In 2009, the Maid of the Mist which is owned by the Glynn family since 1971, lost its Canadian contract to Hornblower Cruises and Entertainment in an open bidding. Hornblower gained the right to operate on the Canadian side of the gorge. However, the Maid of the Mist continues to run boat tours from the American side of the lower Niagara gorge.
Under its Niagara City Cruises services, Hornblower’s Canadian subsidiary operates two boats Niagara Thunder and Niagara Wonder, both built by Hike Metal Products.
This boat fleet takes the passengers for the 20-minute trip to the base of Niagara Falls. Tourists can feel the thundering roar of the falling water, experience the comforting mist and witness the captivating sight of this natural wonder.
Hike Metal takes pride in building these vessels.
Niagara Thunder and Niagara Wonder by Hike Metal Products
These catamaran design vessels are built with steel hulls and aluminum superstructures. Propulsion is by twin screw conventional shafts. It can carry 700 passengers each and managed by 6 crew members. They are based on a concept design by Elliot Bay Design Group. These vessels take tourists for excursion rides under the mighty Niagara Falls from May until October.
Below are a few specifications of these vessels:
Speed:
A cruising speed of 9 knots is provided by two high-speed marine diesel engines.
Fuel & Sewage Capacity:
It has a fuel capacity of 9500 litres and sewage capacity of 3800 litres.
Construction:
The vessel is built of welded steel hulls that provide superior strength and can withstand corrosion. The upper deck structure is built of aluminum and has a fully enclosed pilot house.
Length of the ship and Beam size:
The ship is 26.24 metres long. The beam is 11 metres wide.
Displacement:
Approximately 115 tonne.
The unique feature of this project by Hike Metal is that the hull and superstructure are constructed in bolted sections to enable delivery and re-assembly in the lower Niagara River Gorge.
Connect with Hike Metal for your next Passenger Ship
The ships, the Niagara Thunder and Niagara Wonder are testimony of Hike Metal’s commitment to build and deliver quality ships. Centrally and strategically located on the north shore of Lake Erie near Detroit USA and Windsor Canada with direct access to the Saint Lawrence Seaway, we are ideally situated to access key suppliers throughout North America and also deliver our vessels globally.
Whether you are planning a new construction for a tourism vehicle or in need of repair or refit, we are there at your service.
We take pride in having a family of “Master Boat Builders” and you can be assured of our commitment to integrity and quality in every job we do.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start designing your custom tourist ship.
