The Buzz: Appleton gets a tour boat

A new canal boat docking at Appleton’s RiverHeath, in front of Tempest Coffee Collective, will give paying passengers the same up-close view of the Fox River that private boaters have had for years.

The new 34-person, 46-foot boat, formerly called the Peshtigo Princess, will be rechristened River Tyme Too. It’s the little sister to River Tyme, a larger, two-level riverboat operating out of De Pere.

“The boat was sandblasted and repainted. The engines are on and they’re redoing the helm and the electrical system,” said Candice Mortara, majority owner of Fox River Tours, the company that runs both boats.

See foxrivertours.com for booking information for 90-minute public cruises, tours through Appleton’s four locks or private charters.

The season runs mid-May to the end of October.

Mortara is an Appleton resident who originally wanted to establish her business in Appleton, but the round goby invasive species closed the Menasha lock, cutting off launch access for the larger riverboat. She started in De Pere, instead, in 2016.

This second smaller boat doesn’t have that issue.

“It’s trailer-able, so we can launch it at any of the larger boat launches,” she said. Appleton bookings, so far, include a wedding. Both boats have liquor licenses and serve drinks. Private charters may also bring their own food on board.

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