LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Belle of Louisville has scratched from Wednesday's Great Steamboat Race, but its sister vessel will take over in an effort to reclaim the Silver Antlers for the city.

The Kentucky Derby Festival said "a leak in an internal bulkhead seam" on the Belle was found during a final inspection Tuesday. The location of the leak prevents the Belle from being able to carry enough fuel for the race.

The Mary M. Miller, the Belle's sister vessel, will take its place going head-to-head with the Belle of Cincinnati on the Ohio River. The diesel-powered, twin engine riverboat was built in 1985 in Utica, Indiana. The vessel was named after Mary Millicent Miller, the first licensed female steamboat captain in the country, who was born in Louisville.

"The Mary M. Miller may look small, but she's got a lot of horsepower," Krista Snider, CEO of the Belle of Louisville Riverboats, said in a news release. "If this was a horse race, I'd bet on the Mary."

The Mary M. Miller and Belle of Cincinnati will race 14 miles on the Ohio River, starting and finishing at the Clark Memorial/Second Street Bridge for the 12-point Silver Antlers.

The Belle will still be on hand for the race. Organizers said the U.S. Coast Guard cleared the riverboat to host passengers for a "dockside event" instead. Those who already have tickets for the Belle will be able to celebrate dockside at the 4th Street Wharf.

The Great Steamboat Race is set for Wednesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. Organizers said boarding will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for a 5:45 p.m. departure to be in place for the race.

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