The Riverboat Discovery is a tour company in Fairbanks, Alaska, which operates sternwheel riverboats on the Chena and Tanana rivers.
| Type | Family business (owned by the Binkley family) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tourism |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States |
| Products | River tours |
| Parent | Alaska Riverways, Inc. |
| Website | http://www.riverboatdiscovery.com/ |
The Riverboat Discovery business was founded in 1950 by Jim and Mary Binkley. [1] The Binkleys were approached in 1950 by Alaska tourism entrepreneur Chuck West, who expressed interest in a local river tour in Fairbanks, Alaska, and asked if they could provide such a service. [2] Mary and Jim initially operated a small converted missionary boat, the Godspeed, on tours of the rivers near Fairbanks.
The company's first sternwheeler, Discovery I, 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 was converted from a freighting steamboat in 1971, and Discovery III was built in 1987 at the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders shipyard on Whidbey Island near Seattle, Washington.
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 and Mary Binkley start 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.
As of 2022, 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 and dining hall at the landing from which the boats depart.
| Ship | Began Service | Tonnage | Length | Passenger Capacity | Passenger Decks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery I | 1955 | 34 tons | 65 feet | 150 | 2 |
| Discovery II | 1971 | 180 tons | 116 feet | 400 | 3 |
| Discovery III | 1987 | 280 tons | 156 feet | 900 | 4 |
The Chena River is a 100-mile (160 km) tributary of the Tanana 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. The Tanana empties into the 2,300-mile (3,700 km) long Yukon River.
Chena was a former city in interior Alaska, located in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States, near the confluence of the Chena and Tanana rivers. It incorporated in 1903 and was disincorporated in 1973. The area is now part of the outskirts of Fairbanks, within the CDP of Chena Ridge. Its heyday was in the first two decades of the 20th century, with a peak population of about 400 in 1907. By 1910 the population had fallen to 138.
John Emerson "Johne" Binkley is a riverboat pilot, businessman and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Alaska. Binkley served for one term apiece in the Alaska House of Representatives and the Alaska Senate during the mid and late 1980s, but is perhaps better known for his candidacy for governor of Alaska in the 2006 primary election. In that election, he finished far behind Sarah Palin, but also far ahead of one-term incumbent governor Frank Murkowski, by then deeply unpopular amongst Alaskans.
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.
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.
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.
SS Nenana is a five-deck, western river, sternwheel paddleship. Two-hundred and thirty-seven feet in overall length, with a 42-foot beam, she was rated at 1,000 gross tons register. Nenana was built at Nenana, Alaska, and launched in May 1933. Marine architect W.C. Nickum of Seattle designed the sternwheeler, which was prefabricated in Seattle and put together at Nenana, Alaska, by Berg Shipbuilding Company. Nenana was built to serve as a packet. She could carry both passengers and freight. Nenana had accommodations for 48 passengers on her saloon deck. Up to 300 tons of freight, including two tons in cold storage, could be carried on her main deck. A Texas, topped by a pilothouse mounted forward in poolboat style, provided staterooms for a portion of the crew of 32. Nenana could push five or six barges on the Yukon River; but, because of sharp bends, only one on the Tanana River.
Kootenai was a sternwheel steamboat that ran on the Arrow Lakes in British Columbia from 1885 to 1895. Kootenai was the second sternwheeler to run on the Arrow Lakes. This vessel should not be confused with the similarly named Kootenay, an 1897 sternwheeler that also ran on the Arrow Lakes.
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J.D. Farrell was a sternwheel steamer that operated on the Kootenay River in western Montana and southeastern British Columbia from 1898 to 1902.
Gwendoline was a sternwheel steamer that operated on the Kootenay River in British Columbia and northwestern Montana from 1893 to 1899. The vessel was also operated briefly on the Columbia River in the Columbia Valley.
Selkirk was a small sternwheel steamer that operated on the Thompson and Columbia rivers in British Columbia from 1895 to 1917. This vessel should not be confused with the much larger Yukon River sternwheeler Selkirk.
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Elbridge Truman Barnette was a Yukon riverboat captain, banker, and swindler, who founded the city of Fairbanks, Alaska and later served as its first mayor.
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Kuskanook was a wooden, stern-wheel driven steamboat that operated on Kootenay Lake, in British Columbia from 1906 to 1931. After being taken out of service, Kuskanook was sold for use as a floating hotel, finally sinking in 1936. The vessel name is also seen spelled Kooskanook.
The Yukon 800 Marathon, also known as the Yukon 800 Mile Marathon or simply the Yukon 800, is an annual speedboat race held in June. The race is run from Fairbanks, Alaska to Galena, Alaska and back, on the Chena, Tanana, and Yukon rivers.