The family-owned small cruise company Blount Small Ship Adventures permanently shut down because of the pandemic.
The Rhode Island-based company with 3 ships, halted operations earlier in 2020 but made the decision permanent. Cruise operation was a sister company to Blount Boats shipyard that builds various vessels, including tugboats, ferry boats, and dinner cruise ships.
Blount family is selling its 3 overnight cruise vessels and putting all its emphasis on the family shipbuilding business. The reason was due to the COVID pandemic.
The three boats on the market include the 88-passenger sisterships Grande Caribe and Grande Mariner (1997/1998-built, respectively) and the 84-passenger Niagara Prince (1994-built).
The cruise ships were built and designed by the shipyard's founder, Luther Blount, and included unique features like stern swim platforms, ramps that extend from the bow to land, and a retractable pilothouse that could slide under bridges. The voyages were operated on the Mississippi, Lake Champlain, Hudson River, and Erie Canal.
The logo of the company was “Go Where the Big Ships Cannot.”
Luther Blount established the line back in 1966 as American Canadian Caribbean Line. He died in 2006 at the age of 90 and in 2010 the cruise company changed its name to Blount Small Ship Adventures.
Most recently, Blount shipyard was awarded a contract to construct a 90-foot icebreaker/buoy tender for the Natural Resources' Maryland Department.