Delta King
Encyclopedia
The Delta King is a 285 feet (86.9 m). The Delta King is the sister ship to the Delta Queen
, both christened May 20, 1927, traveling between Sacramento, California
and San Francisco, California
on 10-hour trips.
shipyard on the River Leven
adjoining the River Clyde
at Dumbarton, Scotland
. The King and her sister boat Delta Queen
were shipped in pieces to Stockton, California
in 1926. There the California Transportation Company assembled the two vessels for their regular Sacramento River
service between San Francisco and Sacramento
, and excursions to Stockton, on the San Joaquin River
. At the time, they were the most lavishly appointed and expensive sternwheel passenger boats ever commissioned. Driven out of service by a new highway
linking Sacramento with San Francisco in 1940, the two vessels were laid up and then purchased by Isbrandtsen Steamship Lines
for service out of New Orleans. During World War II
, they were requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for duty in San Francisco Bay
as USS Delta King (YFB-55).
In November 1940, the Delta King was converted by the Navy into a receiving ship for naval reservists. In the fall of 1941 the Delta King returned to Stockton, but instead of returning to its regular passenger service it was sold to the Isbrandsten Steamship Co. of New York. The Delta King was to be towed to the East Coast through the Panama Canal for use as excursion boats on the Hudson River.
The Delta King served as home to hundreds of men who were employees of the being constructed ALCAN Aluminum plant and the KEMANO Dam power project in the ealry 1950's in Kitimat on the northern coast of British Columbia. The ship was used as a bunkhouse for the single men as the townsite was literally carved from the wilderness.
The Delta King was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978.
In 1981 she sank for mysterious reasons while laid up in Richmond, California (SF Bay Area). It was later found the damage was minor, and she was raised
and towed to her current location.
Delta Queen
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat that is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Historically, she has been used for cruising the major rivers that constitute the drainage of the Mississippi River, particularly in the American South. As of June 2009, she is docked in Chattanooga,...
, both christened May 20, 1927, traveling between Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 10-hour trips.
History
The hull, first two decks and steam engines were ordered in 1924 from the William Denny & BrothersWilliam Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
shipyard on the River Leven
River Leven, Dunbartonshire
The River Leven is a stretch of water in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, flowing from Loch Lomond in the North to the River Clyde in the South...
adjoining the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
at Dumbarton, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The King and her sister boat Delta Queen
Delta Queen
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat that is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Historically, she has been used for cruising the major rivers that constitute the drainage of the Mississippi River, particularly in the American South. As of June 2009, she is docked in Chattanooga,...
were shipped in pieces to Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
in 1926. There the California Transportation Company assembled the two vessels for their regular Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
service between San Francisco and Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, and excursions to Stockton, on the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
. At the time, they were the most lavishly appointed and expensive sternwheel passenger boats ever commissioned. Driven out of service by a new highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
linking Sacramento with San Francisco in 1940, the two vessels were laid up and then purchased by Isbrandtsen Steamship Lines
American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines
American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines, New York, was the leading US-flag shipping company between the US east coast and the Mediterranean from 1919 to 1977, offering both Cargo ship services and Passenger ship services, until declaring bankruptcy and was acquired by Farrell Lines, New York.-American...
for service out of New Orleans. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they were requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for duty in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
as USS Delta King (YFB-55).
In November 1940, the Delta King was converted by the Navy into a receiving ship for naval reservists. In the fall of 1941 the Delta King returned to Stockton, but instead of returning to its regular passenger service it was sold to the Isbrandsten Steamship Co. of New York. The Delta King was to be towed to the East Coast through the Panama Canal for use as excursion boats on the Hudson River.
The Delta King served as home to hundreds of men who were employees of the being constructed ALCAN Aluminum plant and the KEMANO Dam power project in the ealry 1950's in Kitimat on the northern coast of British Columbia. The ship was used as a bunkhouse for the single men as the townsite was literally carved from the wilderness.
The Delta King was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1978.
In 1981 she sank for mysterious reasons while laid up in Richmond, California (SF Bay Area). It was later found the damage was minor, and she was raised
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
and towed to her current location.
Current Duty
Today, the Delta King is permanently moored in Sacramento, California, and is home to a 44-room hotel, award-winning restaurant, and Capital Stage, a resident professional theatre company.External links
- http://deltaking.com
- http://capstage.org
- http://maritimematters.com/2010/06/the-delta-king-california%E2%80%99s-monarch-by-shawn-j-dake/
- http://www.steamboats.org/steamboat-pictures/delta-king.html