Former Greenwich landmark ship wrecked

Paddle-wheel steamer could be headed to scrap heap

GREENWICH — An old paddle-wheel steamer built for amusement purposes may not be headed overseas after all.

The craft known as the “Mark Twain” when it was docked on the Greenwich waterfront was set to be loaded onto a cargo ship and transported to Korea, where it would serve as an entertainment attraction.

But the boat was damaged as it was being loaded onto a cargo ship anchored off the shore of Greenwich Point, and now the plans to reuse the vessel as a floating bar and restaurant are unclear.

“They weren’t able to haul it out of the water, it didn’t go according to plan,” said the former owner of the vessel, Bill Frenz, a Greenwich musician and businessman.

He’s been in contact with the new owners, he said, “and they’re reassessing the situation.” Frenz said the vessel, redubbed “Showboat” and docked in Port Chester in recent years, was battered as the attempt to load it into the cargo ship did not go smoothly.

“It took a beating,” Frenz said.

Frenz said there were some problems with the way the lift was handled. “The shipping company had the showboat at 85 tons, when in actuality it weighs 119 tons,” he noted.

The effort to load up the old paddle-wheeler was observed by Greenwich Harbormaster Ian Macmillan.

“Unfortunately, it started to crumble,” he said.

Macmillan, who was apprised of the maritime activity by the U.S. Coast Guard, said the boat was subsequently towed to Stamford late last week. It could be that the “Mark Twain” will be broken up at a shipyard in New Haven in the near future, he said.

The boat was built to serve as an attraction at an amusement park in The Bronx, N.Y., called Freedomland. After the demise of that operation, the vessel came to the Greenwich waterfront in 1965, where it was used as dockside lounge to the Showboat Hotel. In Port Chester, where it docked since the early 2000s, it was used for jazz shows and other social events.

Not having its own power, it was towed out to Greenwich waters to be loaded onto the cargo ship, which has since departed.

A storage business said the boat was sold off this summer, with the provision that it had to be relocated from Port Chester. The winning bid was $1,020, according to Storage Treasures.com.

During its Greenwich life, the vessel was owned for many years by Joe Keating, who worked in the restaurant business in town. The restaurant provided a New Orleansthemed decor and was famous for boisterous nightlife.

John Griswold / Contributed photo The paddle-wheel steamer the Showboat is lifted onto a barge in Long Island Sound off the coast of Greenwich earlier this week.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media The party boat “Showboat” is docked and prepared to be moved overseas on a cargo ship from Port Chester, N.Y., on Nov. 26. The 110-foot paddle wheel steam boat, once known as the “Mark Twain,” was well-known for hosting parties and dockside gatherings at the former Showboat Hotel, now the Delamar.