Port Welcome Ship Restuarant Algonac early 1990s

[William Lafferty]

The Maryland governor’s wife christened the Port Welcome, launched 7 August 1959 by RTC Shipbuilding Corporation, hull number 243, for the Maryland Port Authority. 128.1 x 32.5 x 12.1, 463 gross and 221 net tons, twin screw powered by twin Detroit 6-110 Diesels. The vessel was intended, in the Governor’s words, as “a modern vessel to use for promotional purposes for the great port of Baltimore.” It arrived at Baltimore 24 November 1959, managed by the Wilson-Tolchester Steamship Company, operator of the Bay Belle. In February 1980 the state solicited “small business owners” to bid on the vessel at auction, since the MPA intended to build a replacement, but the replacement bids were too high and that plan scrapped. MPA operated it until retired 2 November 1980. In early 1981 Chesapeake Bay Lines, Inc., Baltimore, leased the vessel to continue its popular cruises. Champion Auto Ferry, Inc., bought Port Welcome in March 1987. It served out the season at Baltimore and left for Albany, New York, although that resale fell through. in July 1988 it finally arrived at Algonac to become the dinner boat “The Boat.” That closed in 1996, I think, and Atlantic Casino Cruises LLC bought it and took it to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, renamed Ocean Club, used for offshore gambling cruises. Atlantic Casino transferred it to Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 2002 where it immediately fell into financial and legal problems, and it was brough back to Fort Lauderdale the next year and laid up on the Intracoastal. My understanding is it eventually became a floating medical center at Hollywood, Florida. Here is Port Welcome at its Baltimore berth, July 1974.

[Guest]

From 1988:

1998

[Guest]

During the early 1990s, if I recall the time period correctly, there was a white ship docked just south of Algonac adjacent to where the Harsens Island ferry operates that was named Port Welcome and used as a restaurant for a short time. I believe the restaurant was named The Boat. and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the story as to how it wound up in Algonac and whatever happened to it.