RESIDENTS heading to the riverside in Chester tomorrow (Friday) are in for a rare treat as ChesterBoat's fleet of passenger boats will be lifted back into the River Dee.
The fleet of boats, including Lady Diana and Mark Twain, will be lifted from Sandy Lane car park using a 300-tonne crane.
The ChesterBoat fleet is lifted out of the River Dee for inspection and a new lick of paint.
The biennial boatlift takes place every other January and gives the team chance to carry out maintenance on parts of the boat which are normally underwater, including replacing the boats’ propeller shafts and anti-fouling the hulls.
The last time the process was done was in January 2020, shortly before the Covid pandemic hit the UK.
The fleet have also been given a fresh coat of paint in their recognisable red, white, and blue colours.
Lady Diana is lifted out of the River Dee for the biennial inspection.
Before going back onto the water, the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) carry out thorough inspections to check that the boats are safe to carry passengers.
The boats successfully passed their ‘out of water’ MCA inspection on Tuesday, and the MCA will return in a fortnight to carry out running trials on the water.
The ChesterBoat flagship, the Lady Diana, last year marked 40 years on the River Dee, so good maintenance and care is essential to keeping the vessel shipshape.
The ChesterBoat fleet is lifted out of the River Dee for inspection and a new lick of paint.
Managing director Brian Clarke said: “After two busy seasons and intermittent lockdowns since we last had the boats out the water, it is great to see the fleet freshly painted and in great condition, ready for the year ahead.
"We have everything crossed that 2022 will be a ‘normal’ year for leisure and hospitality, and that the continued interest in staycations will benefit Chester’s visitor economy.”
For anyone interested in watching the boats being craned into the water, the lifting is expected to start at around 10am on Friday, January 28, and can be watched from next to Sandy Lane car park or from the Meadows opposite.
After completing all the MCA’s inspections, the fleet will be back in daily service from Saturday, February 19, ready for February half term.
ChesterBoat's passenger fleet includes Lady Diana, which joined as a brand new boat in 1981, the year that Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married, and has been upgraded in the past four decades.
Mark Twain joined from the Thames and initially had the appearance of a Mississippi steamboat, having a paddle wheel and funnels.
The Jackie is named in honour of Jackie Leech MBE, the 'swan lady' who protected Chester's swan population.
Molaise is a newcomer to the fleet, having arrived from Loch Inch in Scotland during summer 2021.
And open-top boat Bonkie, the smallest boat in the fleet, can carry up to five passengers and a skipper.
For more information, visit https://www.chesterboat.co.uk/
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