A new way to experience the portage canal has come to the Copper Country. Over a two and half boat cruise with dinner, Jason Swain will entertain and educate visitors on the Keweenaw Peninsula. He says the idea of adding a dinner cruise to the community was the big goal all along.
talking to local people, talking to people I know, talking to people I don’t know. Everybody thought something like this would be a great idea. So I worked towards it, had my eye out for just the right boat for the Keweenaw on this waterway and I found it last year. And after a long story and a lot of traveling to the deep south and back, here it is. – Jason Swain, Owner, Portage Dinner Cruise
Swain found the Sweet Afton in Alabama, where it cruised the Tennessee River. He worked with a yacht transporter to fit the boat for travel, and to fit under the height limit of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. Before getting into the water, swain needed to complete dry dock work on the vessel when it was stored at the Julio Boatyard.
and got put the water on July 3rd. Came down here to the Hilton waterfront, worked on it on the water doing engine tests and crew training and stuff like that for a month. The Coast Guard came August 6th to certify us to take up the 34 passengers within the Keweenaw Waterway. And again, here we are, we’re about three weeks into doing tours now. This is the first week I’ve opened it up for four days a week. We have bookings for four days. – Jason Swain, Owner, Portage Dinner Cruise
Swain sees the dinner cruise adding another opportunity to explore the Keweenaw Peninsula. And hopes starting dinner tours as the region enters the fall will set them up for success.
We have tables and seating for 34 inside a heated environment. So the weather doesn’t really play a factor unless it’s severe weather. So I just introduced a couple of days ago on social media our fall color tours that are going to be coming up. So we’re going to be doing the same thing from the same location. It should be about two and a half hours. We’ll transit the canal while the foliage is changing. We’ll supply donuts, apple cider, hot chocolate, that kind of stuff along. along the route. So we’ve had bookings already. I know we’re getting a lot more coming, and people are excited about it. – Jason Swain, Owner, Portage Dinner Cruise
Those interested in learning more about the Portage Dinner Cruise with Keweenaw Boat and Trolley Torus can find more details here.
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