Rufus B II
Boat Name: Rufus B II
Owner: Lou Wendell Marine Sales, 418 1st Ave., St. Albans, WV 25177
Phone: (304)722-7144 E-mail: louwendellmarine@verizon.net
Hull: 1/4 inch steel with scow bow and wooden superstructure
Hull Size: 63 feet x 18 feet: drafts 2 feet
Paddlewheel: 7 1/2 feet wide with 13 buckets of white oak
Engine: 671 Detroit diesel
Drive Train: Twin disc transmission to belts to double 160 chain to paddlewheel
Builder: Built in 1926 at LeClaire, Iowa
Misc: 20 KW Gen-set, 250 gals of fresh water, 1800 gallons of diesel fuel, central air-conditioning
The Rufus B II was built in 1926 at LeClaire, Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi just up from Davenport. The boat's first owner was an attorney by the name of Carl Lamback and the original name was the Freddie Boy. She was built of wood as a pleasure boat complete with hog chains and was gasoline powered. Local legend has it that Attorney Lamback entertained client Al Capone on board during the Freddie Boy's early years.
Bill Molo of the Molo Sand and Gravel Co. (Dubuque, IA) purchased the boat in 1955. In 1960 Mr. Altman of Dubuque acquired the boat and the name was changed to William S. after Bill Molo. (Mr. Altman and Bill were close friends)
In 1963, Dr. Phillip and Ruth Bettler purchased the William S. and took it up river to Wabasha, Minnesota, where her home port was Wabasha Marina (Mile 760). Another name change came about to the Rufus B II. 'Rufus' was Ruth's nickname. The super structure was very deteriorated, but a coat of paint was added. In 1965, the Bettlers decided to renovate the entire boat. During the winter and the following spring and summer, the entire superstructure was gutted, split down the middle and walls pulled out a foot on each side to a width of twelve feet. The new quarter-inch steel hull was eighteen feet wide which left a comfortable three-foot walkway on each side. The pilot house was moved several feet and elevated two and one half feet. A Captain's cabin was added behind the pilothouse with a second head. Original drop sash windows were left and the entire outside was re-covered with redwood siding. The salon was separated from a complete galley by a counter and the starboard passage led aft to a stateroom and head with a shower. The interior was covered by three-quarter inch mahogany on the walls and a redwood ceiling.
After the extensive renovation, the Rufus B II was taken back down stream to Dubuque Boat and Boiler Company. There, the Chrysler gas engine was removed and replaced by a GMC 471 diesel with a Capital reverse gear. The 1955 vintage chain drive was retained. A new 7.5 Onan diesel generator was also installed. The hull was further modified by adding three and one half feet to the rake of the bow and a 10 inch bulwark was added along the deck all around. Twin monkey rudders were installed. A 250 gallon fuel tank was built on the bow and a 150 gallon fuel tank was installed in the engine room. When the Rufus B II returned to her home port in Wabasha, she had a new profile. At the Wabasha Marina, a new set of Kahlenburg air horns was installed and serious cruising of the upper Mississippi began.
Dr. Bettler and Ruth traveled over 30,000 miles during the next 28 years. This included the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri, St. Croix and the Kanawha rivers. Dr. Bettler died in 1988 and the boat was docked at Gunnersville, Alabama until 1991 when it was sold to Lou Wendell Marine Sales. With the help of our friend Nelson Jones, we were able to get the boat moved from Gunnersville to St. Albans, WV in nineteen days. The exterior and the interior remain the same as in 1965. The major change was made in the engine room by installing a 671 Detroit motor, twin disc transmission and a belt drive. The wooden spokes on the paddlewheel were replaced with 3 inch channel.