Judge Orders AuSable River Queen to Be Moved or Destroyed

If you grew up anywhere near Iosco County, there’s a good chance you’ve been on the AuSable River Queen at least once or at least watched it from the shore. I mean, for decades, the big red and white paddleboat was a summertime tradition, cruising Foote Dam Pond from Memorial Day through mid-October.

Well, it looks like the boat's glory days are a thing of the past.

The River Queen hasn’t been running for a while. In fact, the last time it took passengers down the AuSable River was back in 2023. Last year, they couldn’t even pull it out of the water for inspection, even after raising thousands of dollars through a GoFundMe campaign.

Then in March, it sank. Part of the boat was frozen into the ice and submerged. Since then, it’s been pulled onto shore, but that just caused more problems.

Judge Orders AuSable River Queen to Be Moved or Destroyed

According to ABC 12, owner Laurie Rice says she’s been hit with blight tickets because the wrecked boat is just sitting there on the shoreline. And now, a judge has stepped in. Rice has been given two weeks to move the River Queen...or it’s getting destroyed.

She posted on the AuSable River Queen’s Facebook page, inviting anyone to come out this Sunday. You can help take the top half of the boat apart or just stop by to say goodbye. She’s calling it a bon voyage for the Queen.

The hope is to move what’s left to River Road Storage and eventually fix it up. But at this point, nothing’s guaranteed.

One thing is for sure, though—Rice says it will not be destroyed.