A 98-foot houseboat, offering 3,000 square-feet of living space, is docked just below the Coca-Cola Stage Wednesday at the Riverbend Festival. Owners Merlin Wagner and Janice Wilkey stand on the upper deck.BY THE NUMBERS* 100-300 — number of boats on the river during the second Saturday fireworks finale* 40 percent — increase in boat traffic on the second Saturday compared to the nightly average* 45 — length, in feet, of the 441 Meridian motor yacht used to ferry headliners to the rear of the Coke Stage* $1.25 — daily price, per linear foot, of docking along the riverfront for most of the year* $1.50 — price per linear foot to dock during Riverbend and other special events* 2,100 — linear feet of docking space along the riverfront* 65 — number of boats the pier can fit, at an average vessel length of 35 feet
Sitting on the screened front “porch” of Merlin Wagner and Janice Wilkey’s houseboat as overhead fans churned up the sweltering summer heat Wednesday afternoon, it was easy to see the appeal of enjoying Riverbend by water.
Wilkey and Wagner’s houseboat, a 100-foot-long leviathan called Miss Courtney IV, tied up at the end of the pier next to the Olgiati Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Their fourth visit to Riverbend — always by water — will culminate in a wedding ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday, just hours before the fireworks display that signals the end of the festival.
“We decided that since we’ll be here and our friends and family will be here, this would make a good time for the wedding,” Wilkey said, adding that her future husband loves being on the largest boat tied up at the dock.
Normally stored at Island Cove Marina, the Courtney IV sprawls for 3,000 square feet across two decks, including an air-conditioned lower living area with full kitchen, massive living room, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Up top, there’s a full-service bar with frozen drink dispenser, karaoke machine, TV and a slide straight into the river.