She cruised into Tuscaloosa in February 2001 to much anticipation, but with little fanfare. She had been, in her 30 years, both a “Captain” and a “Queen.” But as she settled in to make Tuscaloosa her new home, she took on a new title: “Belle.” More specifically, the Bama Belle, a 90-foot rear-wheel paddle-wheel boat reminiscent of the grand riverboats of yesteryear that once graced the Black Warrior River. The name “Belle” (which means beautiful) is appropriate, because she was a beautiful sight to many city officials and downtown merchants who considered her presence an early step in the development of the Tuscaloosa Riverfront.

The Bama Belle was built in 1970 by the Dubuque Boat & Boiler Company and spent many of her early years cruising the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee entertaining guests of Opryland. She was called the Captain Ann at the time, but after being sold to an owner in Destin, Florida, her name was changed to the Emerald Queen. Enter Mike and Nikki Medeiros.

Mike Medeiros was a former pilot who had operated Cape Air Airline service in Martha’s Vineyard with his wife Nikki. After being grounded by a heart condition, He and his wife Nikki moved to Pennsylvania for several years to care for her parents. While they were there Mike obtained his Captain’s license to pilot riverboats. However, his desire to be closer to his daughters Jessica and Michele, who were attending school at The University of Alabama, caused him to look this direction for the next step in his life.

Mike’s son-in-law, Tuscaloosa City Councilman Lee Garrison, was very interested in developing Tuscaloosa’s riverfront, and at one point mentioned that he thought it would be a great idea to have a riverboat operating in Tuscaloosa. Apparently operating a riverboat seemed a like good idea to Mike because soon after that he began looking for a boat to purchase, much to his wife’s chagrin. “I think he needed a new challenge,” said Nikki, when asked about her late husband’s decision to become a riverboat captain. “I wanted to come here and get a normal job so we could have a life,” she said with a laugh, “but Mike liked living on the edge, and trying new things, and this was a new challenge – and all of his challenges involved me.”

After getting his Captain’s license, he and Nikki bought the Emerald Queen and set out for Tuscaloosa. However, there was still much to be done. The Medeiros’ worked on the boat for five months, cleaning and painting, in preparation for the first cruise. In July of 2001, the Bama Belle was ready, but now there was no dock on the river to tie to or for passengers to board or disembark. To solve this problem the city of Tuscaloosa made a concrete ramp going down the bank to the river for people to get to the boat and two posts to tie to. Finally, on July 27, 2001, the Bama Belle took its first public cruise on the Black Warrior River.

The Belle, one of Alabama’s few active paddle-wheel boats, proved to be very popular and attracted both passengers and curious landlubbers. And while the docking situation wasn’t exactly what everyone wanted, it did serve the purpose - at least until the night that the Oliver dam was opened wide and the river dropped two or three feet. While that may not seem like much, it was enough to hang the big boat up for the next three days. Fortunately, by October of that year a new dock was constructed and the Bama Belle finally had its home. Mike’s dream of piloting his own riverboat and being close to his daughters had come true. But while he loved piloting the boat and meeting the people, there was more to he wanted to do. Ultimately he wanted the business to grow, and not just for the sake of growing.

“The goal for Mike, and me,” said Nikki, “was to get another captain so he and I could have more time off, or do something besides the boat.” That almost certainly meant more adventures and challenges in the future. But the immediate challenge of growing the business came first, and it was a challenge the Medeiros’ handled very well.

The Bama Belle quickly became one of Tuscaloosa’s most popular attractions. In addition to the regular cruises that were offered, the new queen of the Black Warrior quickly became the place to celebrate special occasions. Special charters included birthday parties, graduation parties, wedding receptions, and more. Nothing was too simple or too extravagant for the Bama Belle.

Everything was going according to plan for Mike and Nikki. Then one night in December 2005, Mike was killed in a tragic accident and many people wondered if the dream was over. Fortunately, that was not to be.

Nikki forged ahead doing her best to keep Mike’s dream alive. She met and hired another riverboat pilot, Captain John Gray, and soon the Bama Belle was cruising again. Through an outpouring of support from the community the dinner cruises and sightseeing cruises began to fill up again, private charters picked up, and in the summer of 2006 she added the very popular BBQ Sunset Cruise.

Another major setback occurred when it was determined that the sprockets and chains that helped propel the Belle were worn out and would need to be replaced. Again, the community stepped forward to show its support, and the Bama Belle Riverboat Club was formed to help defray the costs of those repairs. Members of the club receive a number of Bama Belle benefits, including a season pass for the scenic cruises, as well as a link from the original chain that helped propel the boat over the years.

The repairs have been completed and a new season has begun for the Bama Belle. Recently Nikki took a few moments to reflect on her own dreams and goals, and all that has happened. She acknowledged that the days can be long and hard, and she still misses Mike very much, but she is thankful to have the boat to give her something to do. “I don’t have time to be depressed or to wake up in the morning and wonder what I’m going to do with my life,” she said. She also expressed her gratitude for all of the support she’s been given by the community. Especially meaningful to her was the renaming of the park and Bama Belle landing area by the City of Tuscaloosa to Medeiros Point.

Asked if Mike’s dream is now her dream, Nikki replied, “It really is, or at least it’s becoming that. I want to see how far I, or rather we (referring to “Captain John” and First Mate Conrad James) can take it, and what we can do with it.” Then after a moment’s thought she said, “Actually dream isn’t the right word. I’d say it’s offering me contentment right now, which is what I need. Eventually I’d like to be able to move into the shadows a little more, take a vacation once a year, and do more family things. That would mean a lot, because family is most important. But if I could do all that and still keep the boat going, I’d do it forever.” Most people agree, that would be just fine.

For more information on the Bama Belle, or to join the Bama Belle Riverboat Club, please call (205) 339-1108, or visit their web site at www.bamabelle.com

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