Cruisin’ Down the River

The Lindy Lou is a replica of a Truscott fantail river launch. Truscott Boatworks, once operating out of St. Joseph, Michigan, built fantail launches just like this one that could be found on lakes and rivers throughout the United States at the turn of the century. Made of fiberglass, it was formed on a mold taken from an original Truscott launch.  Lindy Lou arrived at the Museum from the Beckmann Boat shop of Rhode Island in early spring of 2011.  All the finishing work on the launch, including crafting her mahogany and cherry wood interior and building a structure to support the craft’s canvas top, was done by Museum staff and volunteers in the Padnos Boat Shed on the Museum’s campus. Like the river launches of the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Lindy Lou is an electric powered vessel.

Christened in July 2011, the Lindy Lou was named after longtime Museum member and supporter Linda Lou Winkel. This launch takes passengers up and down the river, giving them a perspective of South Haven from city to country, from the present into the past. It offers the 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 up-river parks and pavilions, and generally helping fill the lazy hours of summer with relaxing diversions.

Length: 30′
Beam: 7′
Draft: 2′ 5″
Engine: 6 hp Electric Motor