Paddle wheel boat launches Tuesday morning

The Spamtown Belle, a mini stern paddle wheel boat, will hit the water at East Side Lake Tuesday morning.

Visitors can catch a boat ride 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Charter rides will also be available at other times for groups who call the Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.

Though the boat doesn’t have a budget with the city, Parks and Rec stores the boat during the off-season and helps get it to and from East Side Lake.

“We’re sponsored by Park and Rec,” said Walt Baldus, one of this year’s pilots. “The city of Austin brings the boat down and drops it in the water.”

Baldus said there will either be four or five pilots this summer.

For many years, the boat gave tours on Mill Pond and the Cedar River. But with Mill Pond’s vegetation, East Side Lake now serves a better location for the six-ton, scaled-down paddler.

The 36-foot long, 26-foot tall vessel can hold 18 passengers. Rides are $2 for adults and $1 for children 12 and younger.

 —Matt Peterson contributed to this report.