Discovery II
Encyclopedia
Discovery II, built in 1971, is the second of three Discovery sternwheel riverboats operated by the Riverboat Discovery
company. Discovery II is still in use as a tour vessel on the Chena
and Tanana
rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska
.
and Tanana rivers (hence its name, a combination of the names of the two rivers). Captain Jim Binkley purchased the Yutana in 1967 after its effective freighting life was over, and until 1970 it was drydocked on the Chena River near Fairbanks, Alaska.
In 1971, Jim Binkley was in need of a larger sternwheel riverboat with which to conduct his daily river tours (his first sternwheeler, Discovery I, frequently reached its maximum capacity of 150 passengers), and decided to convert the Yutana into a passenger vessel. Together with his friend Iver Johnson, Jim Binkley renovated the Yutana and rechristened her the Discovery II. She went into service immediately upon the completion of the conversion.
For the following fifteen years, Discovery II was the Riverboat Discovery's primary tour vessel; her passenger capacity was nearly 400, a more than twofold increase over Discovery I. In addition to increased capacity, Discovery II also proved mechanically reliable, embarking on over 5,000 trips without a single mechanical delay. By the mid-1980s, however, a growing tourism industry meant that Discovery II, like Discovery I before it, was becoming too small for the Riverboat Discovery's needs.
The increased number of passengers straining Discovery II 's capacity precipitated the design and construction of the third Riverboat Discovery sternwheeler, Discovery III, in 1986-1987. Discovery III, with a passenger capacity of 900, went into service in July 1987. After Discovery III took over as the Riverboat Discovery's primary tour vessel, the Discovery II went into drydock for repairs and renovation.
After approximately 10 years on the drydock, Discovery II was relicensed and brought back into service in 1999 in preparation for the Riverboat Discovery's fiftieth anniversary, as well as to handle an increased number of passengers serviced by the company. Since then, Discovery II has been used on a regular basis to augment the passenger capacity of Discovery III on regular tours, as well as for special tours and charters.
-Similar to the Discovery I
, the passenger compartments of the Discovery II were widened and lengthened several times by Capt. Binkley in order to accommodate more passengers.
Riverboat Discovery
The Riverboat Discovery is a tour company in Fairbanks, Alaska which operates sternwheel riverboats on the Chena and Tanana rivers.-History:The Riverboat Discovery business was founded in 1950 by Jim Binkley, a former freight riverboat captain on the Yukon River...
company. Discovery II is still in use as a tour vessel on the Chena
Chena River
The Chena River is a 100-mile-long river in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows generally west from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river...
and Tanana
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon tene no, tenene, literally "trail river"....
rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
.
History
Discovery II began its life in 1953 as the Yutana, a freight boat hauling goods on the YukonYukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
and Tanana rivers (hence its name, a combination of the names of the two rivers). Captain Jim Binkley purchased the Yutana in 1967 after its effective freighting life was over, and until 1970 it was drydocked on the Chena River near Fairbanks, Alaska.
In 1971, Jim Binkley was in need of a larger sternwheel riverboat with which to conduct his daily river tours (his first sternwheeler, Discovery I, frequently reached its maximum capacity of 150 passengers), and decided to convert the Yutana into a passenger vessel. Together with his friend Iver Johnson, Jim Binkley renovated the Yutana and rechristened her the Discovery II. She went into service immediately upon the completion of the conversion.
For the following fifteen years, Discovery II was the Riverboat Discovery's primary tour vessel; her passenger capacity was nearly 400, a more than twofold increase over Discovery I. In addition to increased capacity, Discovery II also proved mechanically reliable, embarking on over 5,000 trips without a single mechanical delay. By the mid-1980s, however, a growing tourism industry meant that Discovery II, like Discovery I before it, was becoming too small for the Riverboat Discovery's needs.
The increased number of passengers straining Discovery II 's capacity precipitated the design and construction of the third Riverboat Discovery sternwheeler, Discovery III, in 1986-1987. Discovery III, with a passenger capacity of 900, went into service in July 1987. After Discovery III took over as the Riverboat Discovery's primary tour vessel, the Discovery II went into drydock for repairs and renovation.
After approximately 10 years on the drydock, Discovery II was relicensed and brought back into service in 1999 in preparation for the Riverboat Discovery's fiftieth anniversary, as well as to handle an increased number of passengers serviced by the company. Since then, Discovery II has been used on a regular basis to augment the passenger capacity of Discovery III on regular tours, as well as for special tours and charters.
Trivia
-The Yutana, upon whose hull Discovery II was built, was the last sternwheel-powered freighter operating on the Tanana River.-Similar to the Discovery I
Discovery I
The Discovery I is the smallest of three stern-wheel riverboats operated by the Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, Alaska. Built in 1955, the Discovery I is a tour vessel on the Chena and Tanana rivers.-History:...
, the passenger compartments of the Discovery II were widened and lengthened several times by Capt. Binkley in order to accommodate more passengers.