Boats

A Mississippi-style riverboat tied up in Canton sold Thursday for a bid of $357,200 at an auction that drew attention from up and down the East Coast.

The sale of the 140-foot Liberty Belle, which once offered dinner cruises on the Delaware River near Philadelphia before being dry docked in Baltimore for repairs, drew about 25 people and lasted about 15 minutes, said Scott Frank, of Alex Cooper Auctioneers Inc., which handled the sale.

The paddle-wheeler was built in 1997 for $3.4 million, and can host as many as 400 passengers in its multiple dining rooms.

The winning bidder was Julia Pledger, representing Captain JP Cruise Line from Troy, N.Y., which operates a...