The Moraine Preservation Fund's new pontoon boat hit the waters of Lake Arthur for the first time Thursday. The boat will begin public tours of the lake next spring.

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.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.