A new captain takes the helm of Saskatoon’s landmark Prairie Lily river boat

(Chad Hills / CTV News)

Saskatoon’s Prairie Lily has found a new crew to take the helm as its former owners sail off into the sunset.

The city’s scenic riverboat cruiser spent last season docked, as a combination of low water levels and a years-long buildup of silt made the channel impassable for the hulking 119-passenger ship.

The former owners, Captain Mike and his wife Joan Steckhan, knew when they announced their retirement last year that selling the boat would be a tall order.

“We’ll be honest. It’s not easy to sell a riverboat on The Prairies. It takes a certain kind of person to see the potential, to embrace something so unique, to believe in something a little different. We know it’s not the typical venture. It’s a leap,” the couple said in a newsletter Thursday morning.

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“As it turns out, there are still a few people out there who hear ‘riverboat on The Prairies’ and think, ‘Count me in!’”

After 14 years run by the couple, the ship is changing hands but it remains a family affair, according to the Steckhans, who are turning over to long-time Saskatoon resident Stephanie Simonot and her family.

In the newsletter, Simonot says she’s “honoured to take the helm of such a well-loved Saskatoon experience.”

“My family and I are excited to meet all of you and carry forward more unforgettable experiences Joan and Mike have created over the years,” she said.

But will the vessel be able to set sail?

Simonot says she’s building on lobbying efforts of the Steckhans and Saskatoon’s business community that occurred throughout the winter and has a meeting scheduled with the Water Security Agency this week “to discuss a river clean up and rush of water in the coming months.”

“We will keep you posted!”