00:01: Good day ladies and gentlemen and welcome aboard the all new, all electric, Maid of the Mist.
00:07: For your safety, lifejackets, and the printed instructions on how to wear them are stored and displayed in various locations throughout the vessel. We encourage you to take a few moments to find the closest location to you and review the instructions.
00:20: Also, for your own safety, please keep your hands and feet inside the boat at all times. Please refrain from standing on the seats or the metal boxes on the deck of the boat. Please keep youngsters off all railings. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask one of our crew members.
00:40: Maid of the Mist boats have been sailing the border between the two friendly nations of the United Stated and Canada since 1846. The first Maid of the Mist vessel was a twin stacked, coal fired, steamboat. In 1885 our boats evolved to single stack steamboats that ventured closer to the Falls than any boat ever had before. In 1955 the first modern Maid of the Mist boat entered the river, made of steel, and powered by twin diesel engines.
01:00: We appreciate and enjoy the beauty of this natural wonder just as much as our thousands of yearly visitors, and we know we have a responsibility to help protect it. That’s why we created two of North America’s first newly built, all electric vessels. These zero emission boats offer an experience that is undisturbed by engine noise, vibration, or exhaust fumes, and are unlike any others that journey to the heart of Niagara Falls.
02:00: If you look to your left, you will see the American Falls. It is 180 feet high or about 55 meters. 12 thousand years ago, the Falls were about 7 miles or about 11 kilometers down river at Lewiston. You see them now at their present location because of erosion. This happens at a rate of approximately 6 feet or 2 meters per year. Most of the rock at the base of the Falls fell during two spectacular rockslides in 1931 and 1954.
02:30: The small Falls to the right of the American Falls is called the Bridal Veil. The walkway at its foot leads to the Cave of the Winds. Separating the American Falls from the Canadian Falls is Goat Island.
03:00: Our all new, all electric vessels utilize a state-of-the-art propulsion system which includes thrusters in each hull, these eliminate the need for rudders, providing excellent maneuverability in all situations, allowing the boats to rotate 360 degrees, horizontally.
03:30: These new boats are the first of their kind in North America and they are named after two important people, without whom these boats would not exist. The Nikola Tesla is named in honor of the inventor and electrical engineer. Tesla made history when he harnessed the energy of Niagara Falls to create power that could travel great distances. It was a massive engineering breakthrough, pioneered right here at Niagara, changing our lives forever.
04:00: The James V. Glynn is named for the chairman and chief executive officer of Maid of the Mist. Glynn joined the company in 1950 as a ticket seller. During his tenure, Maid of the Mist expanded operations, achieving ten-fold growth. In 2020, and his 70th year with the Maid of the Mist, the company announced the naming of the vessel, James V. Glynn, in his honor.
05:30: We are now approaching the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls. It is approximately 170 feet high, or 52 meters. It’s brink 2500 feet long or 760 meters. Here, daredevils have made their bid for fame. The first in 1901 was a schoolteacher named Annie Taylor. Annie was 63 years old when she went over the Falls in a wooden barrel and lived.
06:00: In 1960 an almost unbelievable event occurred. A 7-year-old boy named Roger Woodward was swept over the Falls wearing only a bathing suit and a simple lifejacket. It was a miracle that he survived. Roger was rescued, almost at this exact spot, by a Maid of the Mist boat.
06:30: To the far left of the Horseshoe Falls is Terrapin point, where the borderline between the United States and Canada lies. Beneath us, water plunges to 180 feet, or 55 meters.
06:45: The water that flows over the falls come from four of the five Great Lakes. From here the water flows down the Niagara River, into Lake Ontario, into the St. Lawrence River, and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
07:15: As we approach this iconic wonder, we once again remind you, that for your own safety, please keep hands and feet inside boat, and please do not stand on the seats or metal boxes on the deck. Please keep youngsters off all railings.
07:30: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS NIAGARA FALLS!
14:30: As we make our way downriver, it is a good time to let you know that you just stood before 600,000 gallons or 2.3 million liters of water pouring over the falls per second. That rush is what makes Niagara Falls one of the world’s largest sources of clean, hydroelectric power, providing up to 2.5 million kilowatts of electricity.
14:50: Tesla’s revolutionary spirit continues to inspire us and is one of the many reasons for our new, all electric boats. This leading-edge technology is being employed in this context in the United States for the very first time. No small feat for maritime transportation.
15:05: The lithium-ion batteries are charged between every trip. Our shoreside charging system fully charges each boat in 7 minutes and does so without disruption to our boarding or disembarking process. The batteries also eliminate the need for any diesel or combustion based back up propulsion systems, creating the smoothest, quietest ride for our passengers, all done without any exhaust or emissions.
18:00: It was a pleasuring having you aboard the Maid of the Mist. We hope you enjoyed your journey to the heart of this natural wonder.
18:07: At this time, we are readying ourselves for docking. Please prepare for any sudden movements of the vessel.
18:12: If you do not wish to take your souvenir rain poncho with you, please deposit it into one of recycling bins located on shore. Thank you.
18:20: We hope you continue to enjoy the wonder of Niagara Falls and all its surroundings. Please visit us again here on the Maid of the Mist.
Tickets 