Riverboat dismantling begins; relics to be sold

Workers on Monday began dismantling the Pride of Newport, a replica riverboat that’s become a well-known landmark at East Coast Highway and Bayside Drive. It’s the end of a 43-year run for the boat, which has housed the Reuben E. Lee restaurant and the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

Some relics will be salvaged, including chandeliers, etched-glass windows, the steering wheel and doors with leaded glass insets. Those will be sold, with the proceeds going to the museum.

The boat had far outlived its intended 20-year lifespan when its lease with the Irvine Co. for parking lot space expired in 2006. Museum Executive Director David Muller offered the boat for sale, but interest flagged because it wasn’t seaworthy.

The museum moved to the Balboa Fun Zone last year.

The riverboat demolition is expected to finish by July 15.

— Alicia Robinson