 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Alaska, The Great Land Into the Wild - My great Alaskan Railroad Adventure |
This is the Discovery II - we are on a much bigger vessel the Discovery III. We passed the Discovery I docked on the side of the river along our cruise.
The Binkley family has been building and piloting boats along the Alaskan rivers for 5 generation since 1898 when Charles M Binkley first hiked over the Chilkoot
pass. His son Captain Jim Binkley Sr followed in his fathers footsteps and piloted freight vessels on the Yukon and Tanana rivers in the 1940's. As more freight
was being shipped by plane and train Captain Jim and his wife Mary began the river excursion business in 1950 with a 25 passenger boat they purchased. In 1955
Captain Jim built the companies first sternwheeler, the 150 passenger Discovery I (seen below). In 1971 they added the 300 passenger Discovery II (pictured above)
and in 187 the 900 passenger Discovery III in which we are riding. Our vessel is being piloted by one of Jim's grandsons (not sure who is captaining Discover 2)
Mary waved to us from onshore as we paddled past. She is obscured by the bushes in front of Discovery I in the pic below.
pass. His son Captain Jim Binkley Sr followed in his fathers footsteps and piloted freight vessels on the Yukon and Tanana rivers in the 1940's. As more freight
was being shipped by plane and train Captain Jim and his wife Mary began the river excursion business in 1950 with a 25 passenger boat they purchased. In 1955
Captain Jim built the companies first sternwheeler, the 150 passenger Discovery I (seen below). In 1971 they added the 300 passenger Discovery II (pictured above)
and in 187 the 900 passenger Discovery III in which we are riding. Our vessel is being piloted by one of Jim's grandsons (not sure who is captaining Discover 2)
Mary waved to us from onshore as we paddled past. She is obscured by the bushes in front of Discovery I in the pic below.