The Prairie Lily has been temporarily lifted from the South Saskatchewan river to undergo a mandated inspection of its hull.
Pulling the 70-tonne ship from the water proved to be difficult. The vessel was initially set to be moved on Thursday, but the moved was delayed in favour of further planning. An attempt to movie it on Friday was unsuccessful after the bilge keels, which prevent the boat from tipping, failed to align with the trailer.
This is the first time the Prairie Lily has come out of the water since it came to Saskatoon in 2012.
“There's a little bit of a learning process," said Joan Steckhan, who co-owns and is vice-president of Prairie River Cruises.
The riverboat will remain out of the water for about a week as Transport Canada performs its five-year inspection of the ship’s hull. The company also plans to perform routine maintenance.
With the Prairie Lily now on land, Steckhan said she feels relieved.
“Your entire livelihood rides on the hook of a tow truck pulling her out, so it's admittedly a little disconcerting for a couple of small business owners,” Steckhan said.
