If you’ve wanted to take a sightseeing tour aboard the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler, now’s the time. Portland Spirit announced this week that it will no longer operate the vessel as of Sun., Jan. 1, 2023.
The sternwheeler, which is owned by the Port of Cascades Locks, reportedly needs repowering with a new or remanufactured engine, along with a remodel of its interior — upgrades that are estimated to top out at $3 million.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to come to a timely agreement with the Port that would allow us to complete a repower of the vessel by 2024,” Portland Spirit said in an Instagram post.
Portland Spirit will offer tours on the Columbia River aboard the sternwheeler through Sun., Oct. 30. A repositioning cruise is scheduled for Sat., Nov. 5, and sternwheeler cruises in Portland will run through the end of the year.