By 1962, Avalon had fallen into disrepair, and might have seen the end of her days, when Jefferson County Judge Marlow Cook bought her at an auction for $34,000.
The title has been used outside the Royal Navy, such as in Ultramarines and other science fiction, and for the captain of the Belle of Louisville.
The Belle of Louisville, a steamboat of historic significance located in Louisville, Kentucky (the setting for the earthbound portions of the book), occurs as a character in the book, in which it is revealed that the steamer has been imbued with an onboard artificial intelligence.
Louisville, Kentucky | Louisville | Belle Isle | Regina Belle | Accademia di Belle Arti | Louisville Colonels | Memphis Belle | Actors Theatre of Louisville | Memphis Belle (film) | La Belle et la Bête | Downtown Louisville | Canton of Marseille-La Belle-de-Mai | Belle Isle Park | Belle Île | Belle Glade | Belle | Louisville Cardinals men's basketball | Louisville and Nashville Railroad | Government of Louisville, Kentucky | Belle of Louisville | Belle Mead, New Jersey | Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador) | Belle Époque | Strait of Belle Isle | Louisville Metro Council | Louisville Division of Fire | Louisville Cardinals football | La Belle Noiseuse | Belle Vue | Belle Glade, Florida |
Until 2009, the race was traditionally between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, although other steamboats have participated.
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The first Great Steamboat Race was held in 1963 between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen, establishing the traditional rivalry until 2008 when the Queen was retired.