In 1946, this towboat hit the inland waterways with a splash. She was outfitted with a newly designed engine and clutch, and could "move from full ahead to full astern in less than eight seconds." Once she proved herself, she became the prototype for the modern towboat.

For years the 300-ton Covington pushed barges of liquid cargo, usually petroleum, along a 1,000-mile stretch of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, setting the pace for America's post-war economic boom.

Fifty years later, the visionary partners of River Valley Preservation Company saw the Covington dry-docked in Louisiana and hauled her upstream to St. Paul. They gutted the tow's inner workings, then inch by inch transformed the boat's steely chambers into cozy rooms. In 1995, the boat re-emerged with a new purpose, The Covington Inn. 

The current owner, Liz Miller, worked as a waitress at the No Wake Café here on the boat from 1997-2000 when the No Wake closed. 
The previous owners, Tom and Ann, asked her to take over for them as Innkeeper in 2002. She loved the boat and the lifestyle so much that she bought it from them in 2004.  It’s been a labor of love and she’s enjoyed every minute of it! She and her crew welcome you aboard.