The paddling prowess of Austin’s biggest little boat hit the water again Monday morning.

The Spamtown Belle, a mini stern paddle wheel boat, is back on East Side Lake, its new location for the last several years. For many years, the boat gave tours on Mill Pond and Cedar River. But with Mill Pond’s vegetation, East Side Lake now serves a better location for the six-ton, scaled-down paddler.

“This is ideal,” LeRoy Koch said about the new location for the Belle. He, along with Dick Nordin, Bud Johnson and Walt Baldus are the four captains of the Belle.

The 36-foot long, 26-foot tall vessel can hold 18 passengers. Nordin said they usually get about a thousand riders per year, a third of which are out of town, and they even hold wedding parties.

Boat rides are 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through September. Adult tickets are $2, and children 12 and younger are $1.

Nordin said the Belle always needs more operators, and those who are interested should contact Austin Parks and Rec. However, the boat is an interesting one to handle, he added. “We tell potential pilots, it doesn’t matter what you’ve run before because it handles different,” Nordin said. “You’re kind of at the mercy of the wind.”