(Arnolds Park)– Dropping water levels of West Lake Okoboji mean the Queen Two won’t be moved to her winter home.
Typically the excursion boat is moved to Okoboji Boats on the north side of Smith’s Bay to spend the winter. That part of the bay is protected from ice action. But Jim Jensen, who represents the Queen Two on the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Board, reported Friday the level of the lake has dropped atleast a foot since the Queen was parked in front of the Arnolds Park Amusement Park earlier this fall. As a result, Jensen reported the boat is basically “beached”. He says the only way it could be moved would be to bring in some special equipment, which would be very expensive. Jensen reported the Queen Two Committee, on a split vote, has recommended the Queen Two remain where it’s at this winter…in front of the amusement park. He says bubblers will be installed around the boat and dock to keep ice from forming, and that crews will keep a daily watch on things. Jensen says special attention will be needed in the spring when the ice goes out to make sure patches of honey-combed ice don’t move out, then move back in and damage the Queen Two. Jensen says stopgap measures will have to be taken if it looks like there’s any possibility of that happening.
The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum Board Friday approved a Queen Two Committee recommendation to spend four thousand dollars to make emergency repairs to the Queen Two dock…including the installation of heavier chains to help keep the structure in place. The dock was just installed this past summer.
