OK, we admit it—we’re smitten with the newest addition to the Cape Fear Riverboats fleet! This cutie pie, currently known as the Celia Thaxter (Celia for short), is a real looker.

The new boat comes to us from the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it gave narrated history cruises of Portsmouth harbor, the Isles of Shoals, and the New Hampshire coast. We think this 48-passenger boat will be pleased to head south and warm her deck in the Carolina sunshine! Expect to see our new addition at our downtown dock this spring.

Help Us Name Her!

In New Hampshire, the boat was named Celia Thaxter after a historic local poet of some renown. But here in Wilmington, we have our own Celia, and our boat needs a new name. Please help us find the perfect name!

Built in 1979, the Celia Thaxter is 50 feet long and 14 feet wide. It spent some time in Maine and most recently has been used for cruises to Star Island off the N.H. coast. After a paint change and a bit of sprucing up, it will carry up to 48 passengers on hourly cruises and charters on the Cape Fear River, showing off the history and beauty of our river and city.

Tell us your favorite name on Facebook!

We need your help. Do you like a historic name, like the Henrietta? Or maybe a movie star name? What about naming the boat after some of Wilmington’s famous artists or performers? And of course there is so much natural beauty here to share its name with our newest boat.

Check out our Facebook page to play the name game! We can’t wait to hear your suggestions and we look forward to your submissions, be they clever, funny, or sentimental.

Cape Fear Riverboats is Warming Up

It’s finally spring, and we’re just about ready to start our Cape Fear River cruises! Join us at the foot of Dock Street in downtown Wilmington for a spring cruise on the Captain J.N. Maffitt and the John Knox. Enjoy hourly sightseeing cruises as well as private daytime and evening charters. And get a snack or a drink for the ride at the River Grill, our dockside concession.

Captain Carl Marshurn is still searching for a boat to replace the Henrietta III in his cruise and charter boat fleet. But for now, get ready to welcome the Celia Thaxter, a boat that is surely relieved to be headed south to a warmer climate. And don’t forget to visit our Facebook page and let us know your choice for a great name for our terrific new boat!

Book Now! Book your cruise!