NATCHEZ — It will take an act of Congress — literally — to get the Delta Queen cruising again.

Cornel Martin, president of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., which purchased the historical vessel in February, said he and his partners are “hopeful and confident” Congress will pass an exemption to the Safety at Sea Act of 1966, allowing the Delta Queen to cruise the Mississippi and other U.S. rivers while carrying passengers.

“The Safety at Sea Act was passed by Congress in 1966 in an attempt to stop wooden, ocean-going cruise ships from calling on U.S. ports,” Martin said. “A number of incidences occurred in the 1960 where these wooden cruise ships carrying large numbers of people caught fire and people perished.”

The act requires that any vessel carrying 50 or more overnight passengers be made completely of non-combustible materials.

“No one thought of the little Delta Queen when they passed this act. While her hull is made of steel, her super structure is wood, so the act basically made it illegal for her to carry overnight passengers,” Martin said. “Congress immediately passed an exemption for the Delta Queen. The legislation was never intended to cover her. The Delta Queen is never more than 100 yards from shore. It can dock quickly should it need to do that. You can’t do that if you are in the middle of an ocean.”

The Delta Queen’s exemption was renewed nine times in the 40 years that followed the passage of the act.

“The exemption expired in 2008 because the people who owned her made a number of political mistakes,” he said. “They didn’t take the time or make the effort to get the exemption because I think they knew at the time they would be shutting down their company down.”

Martin said getting the exemption to allow the Delta Queen to cruise overnight with passengers is a priority for the boat’s new owners, but it’s not their top priority.

“The main reason we bought the boat is that she has been tied up for quite a while. The Delta Queen is a national treasure and she could not survive long term where she was in the condition she was in. We bought the boat to protect her and preserve her,” he said.

The Delta Queen has been docked in Chattanooga, Tenn., since 2009. It will begin a voyage on Sunday from that city to New Orleans, where it will be docked near Houma, La.

Martin said part of the Delta Queen’s purchase includes a non-disclosure agreement, preventing the sellers and the new owners from disclosing the purchase price.

He said the best way to protect and preserve the Delta Queen is to get the boat back in service cruising passengers.

“One of our priorities is to get the exemption renewed. We are moving quickly to make that happen, Martin said. “Our mission is to get her back on the rivers. That’s the best way to protect her as a national treasure. If we are not able to do that, it’s still our mission to protect and preserve her. In the interim, we need to keep her safe. She was deteriorating quite rapidly.”

He encouraged Natchez area residents to contact their representatives in Congress and urged them to support an exemption to the act for the Delta Queen.

“The Delta Queen has a huge fan base. We have lots of loyal supporters and we’re looking for help to restore her. We welcome donations and any other help,” Martin said.

Those seeking to learn about how they can help with the Delta Queen preservation effort can visit DQsteamboat.com, Martin said.