GRAND ROMANCE

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Half sunken paddle wheeler caught fire

The 'Grand Romance', a dilapidated replica of an 19th century paddlewheel steamer, caught fire on the Vallejo waterfront on Sep. 16, 2023, sening billowing black clouds over the Vallejo waterfront. The Vallejo Fire Department reported that there were four people on board the Grand Romance when the fire started. Two escaped unassisted, and two jumped into the water and got assistance by a good samaritan. The paddlewheeler had its commercial debut in 1993 as the 'Petaluma Queen' on the Petaluma River, and was the first true sternwheeler in the state in 1,5 centuries. She had a successful run as a dinner cruise and party boat for the next 20 years.Theshhip underwent a refit in 2017, but her passengers began reporting problems aboard. In 2018, the Long Beach city council denied the 'Grand Romance' an operating permit; she soon relocated back up the coast to Vallejo, where she has been laid up in the Napa River about one mile north of the Cal Maritime campus. In early August, a passing ferry passenger noticed that the 'Grand Romance' had partially sunk at her moorings. The cause was unknown. On Sep 16 at 4.45 p.m. the half-sunken vessel caught fire,. and the Vallejo's fire department responded along with the U.S. Coast Guard. The fire was under control by about 6 p.m. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were still under investigation. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/half-sunken-riverboat-catches-fire-in-vallejo