The Riverboat Discovery is a tour company in 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...

 which operates sternwheel riverboats

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

 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.

History

The Riverboat Discovery business was founded in 1950 by Jim Binkley, a former freight riverboat captain on the Yukon River

Yukon 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...

. Binkley was approached in 1950 by Alaska tourism entrepreneur Chuck West

Cruise West

Cruise West was an independent, destination focused small-ship cruise operator based in Seattle, Washington, USA. The line was the largest operator of U.S. flagged cruise vessels with nine currently operating. They were best known for their Alaska cruises but their reach includes destinations...

, who expressed interest in a local river tour in Fairbanks, Alaska, and asked if Binkley could provide such a service. Binkley initially operated a small converted missionary boat, the Godspeed, on tours of the rivers near Fairbanks.

The company's first sternwheeler, 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:...

, was built by Jim Binkley in his backyard in 1955 to accommodate more passengers. Later, more riverboats were added to the Discovery fleet; Discovery II

Discovery II

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.-History:...

 was converted from a freighting steamboat in 1971, and Discovery III

Discovery III

Discovery III, built in 1987, is the third of three Discovery sternwheel riverboats operated by the Riverboat Discovery company. Discovery III is still in use as a tour vessel on the Chena and Tanana rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska.-History:...

 was built in 1987 at the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders shipyard on Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

 near Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

.

Timeline

1898: Charles M. Binkley comes to Alaska during the Gold Rush, builds boats on the Yukon river.

1940: Jim Binkley goes to work as a deckhand on the Idler, a 62-foot sternwheel riverboat.

1942-1945: Jim Binkley is employed by the Army running freighting riverboats on Alaska's rivers.

1950: Jim Binkley starts a tour business on the Chena and Tanana rivers using the Godspeed, a converted missionary boat.

1955: Jim Binkley builds the Discovery I in his Fairbanks backyard; Discovery Igoes into immediate passenger service.

1956-1960:
The Discovery I is renovated during the winter months to accommodate more passengers.

1971: The Discovery II is built on the hull of the freighter Yutana. Discovery II takes over as the Riverboat Discovery's primary tour vessel.

1986-1987: The Discovery III is built in Whidbey Island, Washington. Discovery III goes into passenger service on July 4, 1987, taking over from Discovery II as the company's primary tour vessel.

2000: The Discovery II resumes passenger service after being mothballed for approximately 10 years for renovations.

2004: The Discovery I resumes light-duty operation as a vessel for special tours and charters.

Present-Day Operations

As of July 2007, all three Discovery sternwheelers are still in operation. The Riverboat Discovery operates daily tours and occasional charters with the sternwheelers from mid-May until mid-September. In addition to the sternwheelers, the company also operates a sizeable gift shop at the landing from which the boats depart.

Current Fleet

Ship	Began Service	Tonnage	Length	Passenger Capacity	Passenger Decks
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:...	1955	34 tons	65 feet	150	2
Discovery II Discovery II 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.-History:...	1971	180 tons	116 feet	400	3
Discovery III Discovery III Discovery III, built in 1987, is the third of three Discovery sternwheel riverboats operated by the Riverboat Discovery company. Discovery III is still in use as a tour vessel on the Chena and Tanana rivers near Fairbanks, Alaska.-History:...	1987	280 tons	156 feet	900	4