Take a cruise without leaving Florida. Here’s how

Florida’s Fourth Estate

When people think about hopping on a cruise ship they think about driving to the coast, boarding a boat, and setting sail, but, now you can enjoy the water while staying inland by hopping aboard the Barbara Lee.

It is a 1986 river ship that takes people through Lake Monroe and into the St. John’s River.

It can fit up to 300 people and if you come out on a Friday night, the new owner said you can enjoy the experience for as little as $25.

Michelle Wyatt recently purchased the St. Johns Rivership Co. with the goal of letting more people know about the hidden gem. She said it has been in operation for 40 years, but only started offering tickets online since she purchased it.

Wyatt told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate owning a piece of Florida history is a point of pride for her.

“Steamboats, riverships have been in Sanford for over 100 years now and the fact that we are the last one really speaks to me,” Wyatt said.

She also enjoys the fact that people visit her to celebrate life’s biggest milestones.

“We have had a number of people married on the boat that come back year after year to celebrate their anniversary,” Wyatt said.

She said birthday celebrations are also popular aboard the Barbara Lee.

“We had three centenarians on the same cruise, celebrating their Birthday, it was 100, 102, and 105,” Wyatt said.

Cruises range from two to four hours and if you are lucky you may even spot some unique wildlife.

“We actually have bull sharks in this river. They suspect that they come in to give birth and then they head back out to the ocean, but yes there are bullsharks in this water especially if they have young,” Wyatt said,

Wyatt said guests also enjoy seeing manatee and osprey. She is renovating the ship but said she is also holding on to the history that attracted her to it in the first place.

“The words we are going for is ‘historical elegance.’ You know that old Florida feel which is encompassed by the paddle wheels and obviously the decoration throughout it, and the lighting.”

You can get your ticket to hop onboard the Barbara Lee here.

You can also learn more about the boat, how you can get behind the wheel and the woman who left a tech career to run this unique operation on Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+.

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