Showboat Branson Belle
Encyclopedia
Showboat Branson Belle is a riverboat
—more specifically, a showboat
—on Table Rock Lake
near Branson
, Missouri
. The lake
is landlocked by the Table Rock Dam on one side and the Beaver Lake Dam
on the other side. Being a showboat, she hosts lunch and dinner shows throughout the year.
, because it was a biodegradable material that would not pollute Table Rock Lake like grease would have. The boat is claimed by its owner to be the largest ship on a landlocked lake in the United States.
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
—more specifically, a showboat
Showboat
A showboat, or show boat, was a form of theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers . A showboat was basically a barge that resembled a long, flat-roofed house, and in order to move down the river, it was pushed by a small tugboat...
—on Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in The Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. It is impounded by Table Rock Dam constructed in 1954-1958 on the White River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is one of the tourist draws for the nearby town of Branson,...
near Branson
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. The lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
is landlocked by the Table Rock Dam on one side and the Beaver Lake Dam
Beaver Lake (Arkansas)
Beaver Lake is a man-made reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas and is formed by a dam across the White River. Beaver Lake has some of natural shoreline...
on the other side. Being a showboat, she hosts lunch and dinner shows throughout the year.
Construction and launch
The boat was constructed at its port at White River Landing and was launched on August 12, 1994. The boat was launched into Table Rock Lake on launching rails that were lubricated with two tons of bananas at a speed of 14 knots. The bananas were used for lubricationLubrication
Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each another, by interposing a substance called lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load between the opposing surfaces. The interposed...
, because it was a biodegradable material that would not pollute Table Rock Lake like grease would have. The boat is claimed by its owner to be the largest ship on a landlocked lake in the United States.