Educational Tours
School and community groups who participate in educational activities next year on Lake Arthur will have a powerful new ride.
Moraine Preservation Fund has purchased a custom-built new boat to use for sightseeing, historical, bird watching, fall foliage and other tours on the lake in Moraine State Park.
Jack Cohen, president of the county Tourism and Convention Bureau, took the lead in ordering the boat when he was president of the preservation fund.
He said the boat has two 22 horsepower outboard motors and is 53 feet long by 16 feet wide.
But the most impressive feature of the craft is its two levels, Cohen said.
The lower level is closed in and the upper deck is open, which will allow for stargazing tours, open-air dining and fresh-air tours of the lake.
The new boat is now being tested for buoyancy so experts can determine a safe occupancy maximum, which will be certified by the state Fish and Boat Commission.
Cohen said the boat will be stored for the winter within the next few weeks, and the first groups to use it in the spring will likely be school groups on educational tours.
“The idea at Moraine is always education,” Cohen said. “We want to get more kids out there to learn about stewardship of the land.”He said last year, 6,000 youths attended educational tours on the old tour boat, which was purchased in the 1980s and was sold in July.“We can double that number now,” Cohen said.The new boat was purchased through grants, donations and corporate sponsorships from AK Steel, Central Electric, the tourism bureau and others.“The community supported it and donated a lot of money to offset the cost of it to bring it to the park,” Cohen said.He said the boat will allow many more activities to be held aboard its two decks, like dinner cruises and setting up a floating classroom.“No matter how they use it, it can always be in business now,” Cohen said.He is excited to see the new craft used next year.“That park is beautiful and this will be another way to see it,” Cohen said.Brian Moore, ranger supervisor at Moraine State Park, said visitors missed the boat tours this summer, which were discontinued because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The park had been offering on board tours of Lake Arthur for more than 20 years.Moore said they will be thrilled next year when they get to ride on the brand new craft.“It enhances the park because it provides more opportunities for visitors to experience the lake,” he said.Moore said the setup of the boat also allows for better viewing of the lake and the land surrounding it.Because of that, the boat will likely be heavily used for education, he said.“We are happy to have it as a resource and it will benefit the people who come to the park,” Moore said.
