One of a Kind Steamboat, Tule Princess Calls Lake Nasworthy Home

If you are looking for something different to discover in San Angelo before spring break ends, check out the Tule Princess Steamboat out on Lake Nasworthy. The Tule Princess departure dock is located at 7407 Knickerbocker Rd., next to the Nature Center. A ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning officially marked the beginning of Lake Nasworthy steamboat excursions for San Angelo.

The Tule Princess was born in a garage in California as just a steam engine. The hull of the vessel was crafted around the engine making it one-of-a-kind. “She runs on a walking beam steam engine, the walking beam cantors back and forth which is what makes those paddle wheels turn,” Debra Edmund, Operations Manager for the Tule Princess explained. “She is the last one of her kind, there’s not another one in the world of her size that’s still in service, and she’s on our lake. It’s a one of a kind ride in a one of a kind vessel.”

Captain Mack H. Fox has been dreaming of owning the Tule Princess for many years now, having owned steam engines in the past, he has long developed an admiration for these living relics. Two years ago when he discovered the steamboat was for sell in Michigan, he jumped at the chance to purchase the unique vessel.  After spending a week in Michigan learning more about how to run her, Captain Mack along with Edmund’s husband, Chief Engineer Anthony P. Edmund put in a bid on the Captain’s dreamboat, and the rest is history.

“We brought her here and we spent the summer painting and sanding every bit of the bottom layer off we had to assess the vessel and determine if there was any damage or rust, because she is 14 tons of steel,” said Edmund. After eight months of hard work and preparation, the Tule Princess made its first maiden voyage on Lake Nasworthy on Nov. 6.

“We are basically using the technology that they used on the Mississippi, the Hudson and the Ohio River 150 years ago. We are doing exactly what Mark Twain did in his days as a steamboat pilot,” Captain Mack said. That means that the Tule Princess actually runs on steam from burning wood or recycled motor oil.

 Excursions on the Tule Princess will be on Saturdays beginning at 11 a.m. and Sundays beginning at noon and continue every hour throughout the day with the last voyage leaving shore 30 minutes before sundown. The summer excursions will begin on Thursdays, and if you wish, private charters are available. The boat accommodates up to 20 passengers. For more information or to make a reservation call (325) 340-4400 or visit: http://www.tuleprincess.com.