BY ANDREA PALMER
Marla Hodge and Maria Saavedra are the
owners and captains of Mohawk Maiden Cruise,
a company that provides excursions and tours
out of Schuylervillle of the Champlain Canal and
Upper Hudson River.
They run the tours on the Caldwell Bell, an authentic,
chain-driven sternwheel paddle boat. The
45-passenger vessel operates out of Loch C5 near
Schuylerville and travels the entire Champlain
Canal and Upper Hudson River. The boat is also
available to be the site of special events.
“We were living in Albany and I was feeling like
something was missing in my life–I was in a rut,”
Hodge said about the idea for the company. “I grew
up in Georgia, on the water–so I thought, I need
to get back on the water. ”
“I got on the internet, just looking for boat rides,
and found Champlain Canal Tour Boat. And I
saw the boat was for sale. I didn’t think that much
about it at first because I thought, I can’t afford to
buy a big ol’ boat, let alone drive it. Fast forward
six months, and a friend of Maria’s gave her some
tickets to a party boat down in Troy,” she recalled.
“We went and had a great time, and Maria said
to me, ‘You know, I could do this every day’. I said
to her, ‘Well you know, there’s a boat for sale on
the Champlain Canal.’ Next thing I know, here I
am,” said Hodge.
Both women were working in retail at the
time. Saavedra also owns Eagle Ink LLC, a graphic
design firm.
Hodge and Saavedra put their entire livelihoods
into the boat venture.
“We threw in everything we had. The opportunity
presented itself and we took it”, said Hodge.
“This is our third season and it has been our
best season yet. Each year we grow a little more,
especially as we get more savvy about marketing,” she said.
“Our biggest concern is always weather, specifically
wind. We had a group from California that did
the entire canal and unfortunately, we got some of
the weather from [Hurricane] Joaquin. It was very
wet and windy weather. They were a hardy bunch,
but it was just brutal on the water,” said Hodge.
Hodge and Saavedra are both captains, and their
children are involved as well.
“It’s a totally family-run business. Maria and
I run the boat. Our sons have worked for us as
deckhands for the past three seasons,” said Hodge.
The website is www.mohawkmaidencruises.com. The business is also on Facebook.