Ho Ho Ho!

Santa on the Bay was a wonderful event for the kiddies and adults alike.  Mix Santa, crafts that involve glitter, great food, and Christmas music and you've got Santa on the Bay! Here's a link to the photos I took that day. Parents, feel free to download and enjoy these priceless memories! 

http://public.fotki.com/BeckyFitz/lantern-queen/santaonthebay200801/

Bald Eagles!

From the decks of the Lantern Queen we've watched several nests of ospreys hatch and grow this spring and summer. And we regularly watch bald eagles soar from the cliffs on either side of the river, occasionally swooping down to catch a fish, more often just content to look majestic. But recently a very peculiar thing has happened. The ospreys have grown up and left the nest, and of course the osprey parents have no need of the nest until next spring. Guess who moved in? The Bald Eagles! The photo above shows a bald eagle at home in the osprey nest high atop a power pole on the Amtrak railroad bridge. If you've a good set of binoculars check it out - the very top of the northen pole, just to the right of the swing bridge. To the naked eye it looks like a tiny ball stuck on the top of the pole. But there's a steel nesting box there that the ospreys occupied until late in the summer. 

Bon Voyage Jen!

After filling her up with chocolate and good wishes, we said a fond farewell to deckhand, Jen Taylor last night. Jen is relocating to Santa Clara, California to be near another of our favorite people, Jason Powers! It's fitting that they met on the Lantern Queen! (It's becoming quite the Love Boat!) 

It's safe to say that Jen is one of those folks we're really glad crossed our path. She brought a lot of skills to the Lantern Queen and left with even more. Whether it was cleaning the paddlewheels, caulking the windows, or dealing with waste tank issues, Jen jumped right in.  It was fun to watch Jen's excitement when the old vacuum cleaner died and we purchased a new Dyson. 

And of course, only Jen could find a way to upstage Elvis! At the end of an Elvis cruise Jen fell overboard off the gunnells, much to the amusement and enjoyment of the nearby fishermen! (They continue to tease her - hoping for a repeat performance perhaps!)

But the part of Jen that's most precious to me is when she's "Jenny" as granddaughter Katherine dubbed her. (See photo above.) Jen often tells people that she really doesn't like kids much - yet she's great with them, and they all seem to adore her.  (I think the truth is that Jen doesn't like brats much - and neither do we!) 

We can't wait to hear about the next chapter in Jen's life - with her can-do attitude and wonderful personality you can bet it will be interesting. 

MAN OVERBOARD! (Drills)

Periodically the Lantern Queen crew conducts man overboard drills. Besides the fact that they make a lot of sense, they're also required by the U.S. Coast Guard. But when the Lantern Queen crew is faced with a tedious task, they do their best to turn it into a party! So just in case you need to know how to rescue a man overboard, here goes:


Oh no! Capt. Fred didn't throw the seat cushion overboard as planned - he jumped in with it!!!

It's OK! (From r. to l.) Lantern Queen crew members Kristin, Erin, and little Katherine spot Capt. Fred and yell "MAN OVERBOARD" and continue to keep contact by pointing to him.

The captain starts manuevering the Lantern Queen so that the gangway points toward the victim. (Uh, I didn't want to choose between which captain to use for this photo, and Katherine's cuter anyway!)


While the captain's swinging the boat around, other crew members are lowering the gangway to about 18" above the water. One crew member, armed with a boat hook, takes up a station on the end of the gangway, while another acts as safety behind him.

As the Lantern Queen approaches the victim the gangway is finally lowered into the water in order to drag the victim aboard. Saved! Saved! Capt. Fred is saved- much to the relief of little Katherine, who took this drill VERY seriously!
And so it continued, until every one of the seven captains took his turn rescuing the poor, soggy seat cushion! And at sunset I was able to snap a great photo of bartender, Kristin.

Ospreys & Eagles

Here's a photo of the baby Osprey nesting under the Rt. 40 bridge.

Throughout the spring and summer, Carroll has pointed out the Osprey nest under the Hatem (U.S. Rt. 40) Bridge to our passengers. We've watched as the little chicks grew and grew. They seem to have left the nest now, but we're already eager to greet next years' babies.

Osprey are also called "Fish Hawk" and are in the same bird of prey family as the eagles. In fact, the slightly smaller Osprey often lose their prey to their larger Bald Eagle cousins.

We also see a number of bald eagles on Lantern Queen cruises too, and make ever effort to point them out to our passengers. Both Osprey and Eagles are truly majestic birds!

Thursday Sailboat Races

Every Thursday night, the Havre de Grace Yacht Club holds sailboat races. As the Lantern Queen departs for our Thursday night public dinner cruises, we try to "hang out" near the races for a little while so our passengers can watch the races and take advantage of the "Kodak moments." Of course every race and every evening is different, but I love the light of sunset on the sails and water, and the colorful spinnakers create a festival feeling.

Emergency!

Somehow you know that someday there will be an emergency, and you hope that the training and skills of your crew come through.

On a recent afternoon cruise a passenger began feeling ill. At first she and her family thought it was a little low blood sugar combined with the hot weather. She seemed to perk up and ate dinner, and even told me stories of her childhood. When I stopped by their table later to see how she was feeling I was shocked at how ill she looked. I asked Kathy Eikenberg (of Marquis Downs Catering) to evaluate the guest. (Kathy is also a nurse!) I could read Kathy's concern in her facial expression. She looked up and asked, "How far are we from the pier?" I mouthed "ambulance" to Kathy and received a nod in return.

I went directly to the wheelhouse and told our captains and crew that we had a medical emergency and needed to return to our pier as quickly as possible. Captain Bill was at the wheel and immediately said, "I can be there in 10 minutes." Capt. Tom was reaching for the radio to call the U.S.C.G. but we figured it would be quicker to call 911 since we were only 10 minutes out. I called 911 and everything went smoothly after I convinced the 911 operator that we were on a boat and did not HAVE a house number to give him! Just as we docked the boat at the Hutchins Park pier, we heard and saw the ambulance coming down Congress Ave. right towards the Lantern Queen.

I went back downstairs to the dining room to check on the situation. Nurse Kathy was still working with the patient and her family, keeping the patient alert and the family as calm as possible. But it was caterer Tom Eikenberg (Kathy's husband) who got my attention. Tom was busy entertaining the rest of the passengers in the dining room with stand up comedy - one joke after another. (Everyone's talents came into play that day!)

As we docked, Lantern Queen owner Carroll Fitzgerald made an announcement telling our passengers that an ambulance was meeting the boat due to a medical emergency and we'd appreciate them just waiting until the sick passenger was taken off before they disembarked.

In just a few minutes the EMTs brought the gurney up the gangway and loaded our passenger into the ambulance for the short, 3 block trip to the Harford Memorial Hospital E.R.

Lantern Queen passengers are the BEST! Everyone was patient and considerate! Several passengers quietly told me that they were praying for our ailing guest.

I wish I had a video of the wheelhouse activity during this situation. From the moment I announced that we had a medical emergency there was an air of calm determination. No one really talked except for me - still on the phone with the 911 operator, and Capt. Bill occasionally announcing, "10 minutes, 8 minutes, 5 minutes" to help me communicate our position to the 911 operator (who still didn't quite understand the whole boat thing!)

The next day I happened to be chatting with Susquehanna Hose Co. Capt. Bill Reeder, who assured me that if we'd been farther away from our pier, the hose company's fire & rescue boat would have met us and evacuated the passenger. The same is true for Water Witch and Perryville fire companies too. We are extremely fortunate to have pros like the folks from all our local fire and ambulance corps!

I am proud to share this story with you because it underscores the high level of skill and competency of the Lantern Queen crew.

Zoom...there goes Summer!

Can it possibly be August? June and July zoomed by in a blur of cruises...weddings, anniveraries, birthdays, family reunions, corporate parties, and just plain party parties! Back in the "good old days" of winter we figured that Summer 2008 would be the trial by fire for our crew. The good news is that our crew is still great and they're all still smiling!

Carroll & I are just absolutely tickled with the group of folks who make up the crew of the Lantern Queen. They are some of the best people we've ever met!

Congratulations Clara & Joe Fairchild!

Drama! A worried bride, a broken down bus, a fast boat! And that's all BEFORE the wedding! Thanks to a good friend, Joe was able to make his wedding by speed boat. As Joe jumped off the speed boat, the wedding party and their guests boarded the Lantern Queen. Captain Fred Lied led Joe and Clara through their "I Do's" enroute to Northeast where more friends were waiting at the Nautigoose. The four hour cruise to Northeast provided plenty of time for relaxed partying. More drama awaited us in Northeast when we discovered that another boat was docked at the city pier - the only pier that can handle the Lantern Queen. A quick call to the Nauti-goose took care of the problem and the Lantern Queen slid into the berth, and quickly lowered the gangway so that the celebration could move to the Nautigoose!

Joe and Clara, congratulations from the Lantern Queen Crew and Staff! We thoroughly enjoyed your wedding, and wish you many years of happiness.

Memorial Day!

As you can see, the Lantern Queen is all decked out in her patriotic finery. It's a busy weekend for all of us - and the unofficial start to the summer boating season. As we enjoy this wonderfully sunny and pleasant weekend, please join us in remembering and honoring all those who've given their lives in the service of our country. It is their sacrifice that allows us the freedoms we hold so dear.

Happy Birthday, Kristin!

What's better than having a great bartender? Having a great bartender who's celebrating! Yesterday was Kristin Webb's birthday! Kristin, having you around makes every day a celebration!

Happy 25th Anniversary Donna & Steve Goetz!

You know, the Lantern Queen seems to be a magnet for one "endangered" species - successful marriages! Tonight we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Donna & Steve Goetz. We didn't have to ask what their secret was - you can see the love in their eyes, and in the eyes of their family and friends. It was a great party, with great folks. Thank you for spending your 25th anniversary with us!

Great Blue Herons!

Suddenly there are Great Blue Herons at Hutchins Park. These almost prehistoric looking birds are both beautiful and ugly, graceful and clumsy, all at the same time! Here's what the Chesapeake Bay Journal has to say about our Great Blue Herons:

The dignified image is emblazoned on magazines, television, clothing and even license plates. Surpassed only by the blue crab as a symbol of Chesapeake Bay, the great blue heron is the largest and most widely distributed of American herons and probably the most familiar of wading birds.

In recent years, great blue herons have had to face new threats. The deterioration of water quality and loss of habitat threatens herons and other water birds. Areas of shallow water habitat are destroyed during land development, resulting in the loss of fish and other prey.

Toxic chemicals that enter the Bay from runoff and industrial discharges threaten all Bay inhabitants.

Presently, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to relatively stable populations of great blue herons, but we cannot become complacent in our efforts to protect them. The preservation of shallow water habitat, feeding areas and rookeries must remain a priority if we want to enjoy this majestic symbol of the Chesapeake Bay.

Congratulations, Seniors!

On Wednesday evening, May 22, 2008 we hosted a group of John Carroll graduating seniors. First, I have to say that this was the nicest bunch of teens! This group has been Mr. John Low's homeroom for all four years of high school!

This cruise was more special for us than the young people knew! Carroll & Becky met for the first time in Mr. John Low's Edgewood High School biology class - uh...a long time ago. (First period, 9th grade!) In addition to being a great teacher, John was also Carroll's track and cross-country coach. And John's wife, Mary Ann, was Becky's high school phys ed teacher. Long after high school the Low's and Fitzgerald's continue to cross paths, as Becky coached (and Carroll helped) at Harford Tech High, and as both Scott & Erin ran for Joppatowne High and Harford Tech High, respectively. It seemed that John was always there with a quiet word of encouragement for the kids or Carroll & Becky.

After John retired from Harford County Public Schools, he continued teaching at John Carroll High. It is so nice to see this group of high school seniors hold Mr. Low in the same high regard we do!

Harrington Senior Center - Mystery Tour

Another fun mystery tour! Two large motor coaches set out early in the morning, headed for ??? Only the leader knew where they were headed. When they reached Havre de Grace one motor coach headed for the Susquehanna Museum with step on tour guide, Bob Magee. The other motor coach headed for Hutchins Park and the Lantern Queen. And then after a two hour cruise or a two hour tour of Havre de Grace, the two groups exchanged places. It was a wonderful trip - a bit windy, but otherwise fun. I hope these Delaware residents will be back soon for even more fun!

Corinthian Lodge

From the time the folks of the Corinthian Lodge (Masons) stepped on board, we knew it was going to be a wonderful evening. There's only one word to describe this group - NICE! It turned out to be a lovely evening and most of us spent a good amount of time on the upper deck. We're already looking forward to seeing this group again!

Chocolate Cruise!

Just before our passengers boarded, I snapped photos of the desserts. Wow! Enough chocolate for all of Havre de Grace - pastries and panna cotta, hot fudge and raspberry sundaes, trifle, chocolate mousse filled cups! And to top it off bartender Kristin made fabulous chocolate martinis too! I also want to congratulate the 3 couples who celebrated their anniversary tonight! What a great idea - what's more romantic than chocolate!

Calvary Independent Baptist Church

The Calvary Independent Baptist Church Senior Adults provided another "first" for the Lantern Queen - our first hymn sing! These folks were good! But, chef Tom Eikenberg and Becky sang right along with the group! In fact, Tom and Becky want to challenge this group to a game of "Name that Hymn!" Seriously, thank you folks for making it a great cruise!

Congratulations to Camie & Rob Otis!

A raw and windy day gave way to an absolutely beautiful evening - just in time for Camie and Rob's wedding aboard the Lantern Queen. With flowers all the way around the top rail and a bridal arch on the stern, the riverboat nuptials were hard to miss. Captain Dave Gainey performed the ceremony and Camie and Rob's first kiss as husband and wife was marked with a loud blast from the Lantern Queen whistle!

Congratulations Rob & Camie and our wishes for a long and happy marriage!

Congratulations! Elaine Chaney & Matt Webb!

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Webb. Elaine and Matt's rehearsal dinner was held on the Lantern Queen on Friday evening, May 9, with their wedding at the Vandiver Inn on Saturday May 10. Our wish is for you to have many, many happy years together!

Groups! Great Groups!

Anyone who deals with groups can tell you that they can be challenging. On Thursday evening, May 8, we had TWO corporate groups aboard! The Herr's (the potato chip folks) Visitor's Center staff and a team from the W.L. Gore Co. (the people who bring us Gore-Tex and other cool stuff) joined our public dinner cruise.

What fun! It was a gorgeous night and these hard working folks got a chance to relax and talk about something other than potato chips or weatherproof fabric! I did get a bit worried when I noticed one of the W. L. Gore folks was wearing a Weather Channel jacket. You know the kind the weather reporter is wearing as he holds onto a light pole to keep from being swept away by the hurricane? The Weather Channel logo was on the left chest, and when the fellow moved his arm I noticed the Gore-Tex label...duh! Silly me! Of course W.L. Gore makes those high tech coats.

The Hess folks were a lot of fun too. These folks man the Herr's Visitors Center and deal with the public all day, every day. So you can bet that they were among the nicest folks we've ever had on the boat. (I'm thinking their job is like Willy Wonka but with potatoes!) Although we teased them about potato chips, I really do want to take a day and visit their facility. I'll bet our little granddaughter Katherine would like to see how chips are made too!

Thank you to both groups - the Lantern Queen staff thoroughly enjoyed the Thursday night cruise. It's always the people who make the cruise!

Grand Opening - Finally!

On May 2, 2008 Mayor Wayne Dougherty raised the Havre de Grace flag on the Lantern Queen as the kick off for a great Grand Opening cruise. Also participating were a number of regional dignitaries, city employees, friends and family. An absolutely perfect evening was the backdrop for a relaxing cruise, full of good food, good drink and great company.

A big thanks to Mayor Wayne Dougherty, Carol Mathis and all the Havre de Grace City Employees. Part of the reason Havre de Grace is a great place to live and work is that folks care - especially the City employees!

Happy 60th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Any of you who know Lucy & Bob Powers know that I have the best parents in the world! My brother and sister-in-law, Bob & Jenny Powers, teamed up with Carroll & I to host a 60th Anniversary Party & Cruise for Mom and Dad. Bob & Jenny did the cooking, and it was yummy. It was a wonderful cruise with a whole boat full of friends and family.

The most remarkable thing is watching these two lovebirds and seeing the love and devotion they have for each other. What an example they are for the rest of us!

Wine Dinner

The same pesking Havre de Grace weather conditions that kept us at pier for the Queen's Tea struck again. White caps and a gusty 20+ mph winds made sailing impossible. Our wonderful passengers assured us that the wine dinner would still be fun.

While a wine educator from Boordy Vineyard worked with Chef Tom Eikenberg to pair award winning wines with Tom's amazing Wine Dinner menu and explain them to our passengers, Captain Dave Gainey and the Lantern Queen crew carefully monitored the slowly improving weather. When the boat began to back out of its slip (about 45 minutes later) an excited ovation went up from the dining room. Amazingly, the wind died down, the water calmed, and the evening turned absolutely beautiful. After dinner, most folks made their way to the upper deck. Everyone was having such a good time that we extended the cruise about a half hour.

Once again, its all about the people. Great people make great cruises!

Mystery Tour

The Neff Motor Coach Tour company advertised a "Mystery Tour" in the Lancaster, PA area. Approximately 45 people purchased tickets, got on the big tour bus, and set out with no more information than to dress comfortably for walking and bring a sweater! Talk about adventurers! After a morning tour of the Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House with Bob Magee, the group reboarded their motor coach for a quick trip to Charlestown for lunch at the Wellwood. After lunch the group was surprised when their motor coach pulled into Hutchins Park for their cruise. What a wonderfully relaxing afternoon seeing the sights from the water. (I heard that they were headed to Bomboy's for ice cream after the cruise.) We're glad you folks enjoyed your Mystery Tour of the Havre de Grace area!