By Bob Van Leer

  (PORTLAND, OREGON, April 16, 2005) - Our small cruise ship, Queen of the West, disrupted traffic in downtown Portland this evening as we cruised first south, causing the drawbridges to open. Then, after we had activated all the bridges, we turned around and sailed north requiring them to open again. My wife, Betty, and I are taking a seven-day cruise on three rivers, the Willamette, Columbia and Snake.

   The ship is owned by American West Steamboat Company of Seattle and is docked at the Red Lion Hotel at Jantzen Beach on Hayden Island in north Portland on the Columbia.   We drove up from Gold Beach Friday, April 15, and stayed the night at the Red Lion. Saturday we checked in and boarded the Queen of the West and headed a little downriver to the Willamette. We headed south on the Willamette and then turned north up the Multnomah Channel past the Sauvie Island bridge to look at some of the float houses there. 

   They are getting quite fancy and many are two story. We returned to the Willamette and headed south through downtown Portland. After activating all the drawbridges, it was dinner time and Betty and I and four others were invited to join Capt. Gaylon Ford for dinner.  He has 40 years experience sailing the river, the last five as captain of the Queen. The ship is small, 230 feet long and has a capacity of 151 passengers. There are 104 guests from 19 states on this cruise. The ship was built in 1995 especially for river cruising and has a flat bottom with a draft of only 7.8 feet, according to the captain, and can't go out into the ocean.

  Capt. Ford said no paddle-wheel ship had been built for many years and the only one in existence was the old tug, Portland, now a nautical museum. Her bottom design was duplicated and the ship made larger, and it works. While we were dining the Queen continued on up the Willamette to the Columbia and turned upriver. We will sail to Hood River and dock tonight. Tomorrow a couple of tours to The Dalles and Bonneville Dam are scheduled.