The Waterways Journal
December 2005
By Katie Schulze
The Gateway Clipper Fleet, a mainstay on the Pittsburgh waterfront providing cruises, charters and shuttle service, sold its vessel Gateway River Belle to Frank Barton, a businessman from Arkansas. Terry Wirginis, president of Gateway Clipper Fleet, said Barton was looking into operating the boat at Tunica, Miss.
Dubuque (Iowa) Boat & Boiler Company built the boat in 1965, and it was originally known as the Biscayne Belle, owned by Gray Line Sightseeing Tours, Miami, before being sold to Gateway Clipper Fleet in July 1978.
The boat, which holds 400 passengers for sightseeing cruises and 200 for dinner cruises, was a great boat to operate, Wirginis said. He said the company had it rehulled and repowered, and replaced the air conditioning.
The boat last served the Gateway Clipper Fleet by assisting in the transportation of 5-6,000 people to Heinz Field for a Pittsburgh Steelers game and also had a New Year' s Eve cruise.
Gateway Clipper Fleet had its Liberty Belle for sale, but Wirginis said a gentleman was interested in the Gateway River Belle, so the sale went forward.
"It was a good business decision because we can put that capital toward other boats," said Wirginis. "We want to do some service upgrades in some of our other boats. She was a good boat and will be missed for a long time. It is part of our history, but now we have to go on with a new history. It is always hard to say goodbye to a boat. We've only had six boats in all."