IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Duke Energy has filed a federal lawsuit over two abandoned boats on Lake Norman, arguing they pose safety and environmental risks, while the company that owns them disputes the claims.
The boats were parked at Queens Landing for years.
A complaint filed by Duke Energy says the owner of both sold Queens Landing in 2022 and not long after abandoned the boats in the lake.
The increase in temperatures means more boaters on Lake Norman.
Boater John Knee, of Mooresville, says he tries to go out on the water a few days a week.
“It’s nice, calm, quiet, and it’s beautiful. It’s a good place to fish,” Knee said.
Many boaters, including Knee, pass “The Lady of the Lake” and “Catawba Queen.”
The owner of the cruise and dinner ships also owned Queens Landing until late 2022.
The boats were parked there until about three years ago.
Now, the vessels are anchored about one mile southwest of the Lake Norman Yacht Club between two Duke Energy-owned islands.
Duke filed a federal complaint in October 2025 to have the owner remove the ships from Lake Norman.
“I think if something doesn’t happen in the future, there’s probably tanks of fluid, there’s probably gasoline, there’s probably oil, probably cause some major contamination to the lake,” Knee said.
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Duke Energy’s complaint says the boats pose safety, environmental, and health risks.
The complaint says they’ve broken loose from their anchors, and it could happen again.
The boats’ owner, Lake Cruises, filed a response earlier this month, arguing the case belongs in state, not federal court, and says Duke Energy’s complaint doesn’t offer any real evidence.
Lake Norman boater Alec Sipes believes the ships should stay.
“You kind of almost want to picture what it was like when it was actually operating, so I think it’s neat seeing them out on the water,” Sipes said.
Secretary of State records show Lake Cruises is still active.
The latest filing shows it was listed as an entertainment business but notes that it is not currently operating.
Knee wants the company to remove the boats from Lake Norman.
“It’s time. It’s overdue. It’s going to cause a hazard to the lake, and we don’t need that,” Knee said.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality told Channel 9 in 2025 that it hadn’t received any complaints of discharges from the boats.
The boats’ owner said Tuesday she recently had a death in the family and will follow up with Channel 9 later.
Court records also revealed a history of liens filed by the IRS against the company.
Documents show the company owed more than $300,000 in taxes by 2017.
The owner of Lake Cruises says she wasn’t initially notified of the liens due to a mail issue.
Records show those taxes were repaid in 2021.
Channel 9 also found a pending lien against the company for $11,000 from the North Carolina Commerce Department.
Queens Landing is being revamped. Vitale Lakeside is set to open in May. It’s a family-friendly restaurant with a cocktail bar upstairs.
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