MV Rip Van Winkle

M/V Rip Van Winkle is a Hudson River tour boat based in Kingston, New York. She was built for use in the oil industry in 1980, but has served as a passenger vessel in New York State, and as a ferry for the US Navy.

M/V Rip Van Winkle at her home dock
History
United States
Name	M/V Rip Van Winkle
Owner	Hudson River Cruises
Operator	Hudson River Cruises
Builder	Edward T. Gamage, East Boothbay, Maine
Completed	1980
In service	1982
Homeport	Kingston, New York
Identification	MMSI number: 367029890 Callsign: WSE2785
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Tour Boat
Displacement	200 tons
Length	125 ft (38 m);
Beam	28 ft (8.5 m)
Draft	7.5 ft (2.3 m)
Installed power	960 HP
Propulsion	2 Diesel engines (Detroit 12v71) Generators: 1 Westerbeke 20kw, 1 Northern Lights 65kw
Speed	12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Capacity	300-350 people (388 maximum legal capacity)

Tours

The boat leaves Kingston's Rondout Creek, heads south down to Hyde Park, New York, and then turns north and returns to Kingston. The total time is 2 hours and the trip is narrated. Sightseeing tours have also included "three-hour narrated tours to the Vanderbilt estate, in Hyde Park." Rip Van Winkle also offers various specialty cruises throughout the year, such as music cruises and murder mystery dinner party cruises, and can be chartered for parties and weddings.

History

Rip Van Winkle was built to be an oil industry shore well platform service vessel, by Edward T. Gamage in East Boothbay, Maine in 1980. She was purchased by Charles Robertson, owner of the New England Steamboat lines, who converted the boat to passenger service. An upper deck was added as were lavatories, snack bar and liquid bar. She was put into service in 1982 out of Haddam CT to Greenport and Sag Harbor, Long Island as the "Yankee Clipper." During her time with the New England Steamboat lines, the vessel was contracted in service to the Navy as a ferry boat for the sailors in New London. Hudson River Cruises bought the boat in 1985 and brought it to Kingston, New York in September of that year. Rip van Winkle went into service on the Hudson River in 1986.

External links

• "Official Vessel Homepage". Hudson River Cruises.

See also

• Rip Van Winkle (disambiguation)