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The Mountaineer ran successfully for 13 years until 1836 when she was retired and allowed to slowly rot and sink in Ticonderoga Creek. By the mid 1860’s it was clear that the Minne Ha Ha (I) couldn’t handle the increase in business and traffic from people arriving to Lake George by way of trains (first tracks built into Lake George came in 1882). The decision came that there needed to be another ship in the fleet to accommodate all these people, and thus in 1869 the Ganouskie was completed.The Ganouskie was the smallest ship ever to sail in the Company’s 199 year history. She was only 72 feet long and weighed 67 tons (the Mohican weighs 200 tons). This propeller was initially fired by a wood burner boiler, but then in 1877 new grates were made so she could burn coal instead.The Ganouskie’s job was to carry up to 50 people southward while the Minne Ha Ha (I) carried them northward. In 1870 the Ganouskie started to transport mail and other small packages.
THE ADIRONDAC
The Sagamore was originally 203 feet long, 57.5 feet wide, drew 7 feet of water, and weighed 1,125 tons. She was the first steel-hulled ship to ply the waters of Lake George. But later on that year it was determined that the ship was too top heavy and wide. So after the season she was taken up to Baldwin, hauled out and cut into 2 pieces; 20 feet was added to her midships, bringing her to the grand total length of 223 feet.During her years of service the Sagamore would offer quite a deal. For only $1.50 the Sagamore would take you from Caldwell (Lake George Village) and stop at all the hotels and landings around the lake, for another buck you would be served a fine meal along the journey.But the Sagamore’s life wasn’t always so cheery. On Friday July 1, 1927 the Sagamore became lost in a very dense fog.
Our long-standing family tradition is simple:
The Mohican also had her wooden super structure remodeled in the early 1950’s to have a new “modern” stream-line look. She kept this look until the late 1950’s, until her wooden super structure was once again changed again to accommodate increased passenger numbers. But this was not the last time the Mohican changed her looks, she had another and final renovation to her made in the winter of 1966. The Minne Ha Ha carried people along the southern basin of Lake George faithfully for 26 years before a change was needed to be made. In the later 1990’s it was apparent that the Minne Ha Ha needed to be changed, her hour long trip was really gaining in popularity and the numbers riding her reflected that. Something would have to be done in order to accommodate the growing number of people wanting to ride her trip.
Lake George Cruises & Boat Tours for Sightseeing & Enjoying the Lake
Whether you want to hear about the history of Lake George, make a swimming stop, or you're looking for a full steamboat cruise, you can find it on Lake George. In the 1970’s there appeared on Lake George a demand for a vessel which could service conventions, large groups wishing first-class food service, and moonlight sailing offering entertainment. The Steamboat Company determined to begin construction on a new boat at its Baldwin Shipyard. The first commercially successful steamboat service in America was inaugurated by Robert Fulton. His steam-powered paddle boat, the Clermont, sailed up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany, arriving at the state capitol on August 19, 1807 after 32 hours running time. Established in 1817, the Lake George Steamboat Company has been operating on Lake George for over 200 years.
About the Boat: Horicon
After all of this the Minne was launched on December 21, 1997 and towed down to the Steel Pier in Lake George Village. Here she had her superstructure added as well as other changes completed (i.e. handicapped elevator from her first deck to her second deck). In May of 1998 she was ready for carrying passengers once again, ready to accommodate all of them and their needs. The first steamship, the James Caldwell, started plying the waters under our banner in 1817. She had a wooden hull, primitive steam engines and was able to steam to the other end of the lake in about 8 hours (the present day Mohican can make it in just under 3 hours). As time rolled on, steam technology and ship building practices allowed for the building of larger and faster wooden hulled ships.
About the Boat: Adirondac
Two classic car shows cruise to Lake George area - NEWS10 ABC
Two classic car shows cruise to Lake George area.
Posted: Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Ice bars are popular throughout the region, and there are plenty of restaurants and pubs open for you to warm up in. Fall in Lake George brings excellent conditions for hiking, leaf peeping, hay rides, hot air ballooning, horseback riding and more. This is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit, and as an added bonus, it's quieter too, even though almost everything is open. Explore all the ways there are to enjoy the lake - rent a paddleboard, take a boat tour, and more. On April 15, 1817 a company was incorporated by the New York State Legislature to operate commercial shipping on Lake George. The title given this company was the Lake George Steamboat Company.

In 1996 it was decided that the Minne would be lengthened by 34 feet as well as a couple other changes to her super structure. On September 10, 1997 the Minne Ha Ha was dry docked and then cut exactly in half and had her 2 halves separated by 34 feet. Then the crews started to add deck plates and other various parts in the center to connect the two halves. The crews also reshaped the bow of the Minne to make it more pointed and hydrodynamic.
Contact Lake George Waterfront Cruises (Formerly Shoreline Cruises)
Built almost entirely of mahogany, teak, and yellow pine, this beautiful ship is glass enclosed on the first two decks. The second deck ceiling has glass sections allowing for stunning day and night views! The boat can seat up to 80 people for sit down dinners and formal buffets. Casual buffets may be served for up to our maximum guest capacity of 150 people.
The many ways to celebrate New Year's 2024 in Lake George - Lake George Examiner
The many ways to celebrate New Year's 2024 in Lake George.
Posted: Tue, 26 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The 190 foot long Lac du Saint Sacrement is the largest cruise ship on the inland waters of New York State. She offers two-hour sightseeing, luncheon and dinner cruises. On Sundays, a Champagne Brunch cruise is also offered and is a real favorite! Entertainment and narration are both included aboard our Saint Sacrement meal cruises. Lake George is the crown jewel of Adirondack waters, and a ride on a boat cruise is the most cherished way to take in all 32-miles of the lake.
She will seat 200 for fine dining on the first deck with a potential for 200 for dining on the second deck. The atrium opens up to expose the second deck to the sun and stars. On the third deck you will find a bridal room that can also serve as a private dining room. The design of the new vessel needed to be one which would comply with modern safety regulations while still reflecting the traditions of eastern steamboating.
In 1947, a maritime lawyer from New York City, Captain Wilbur Dow acquired the Steamboat Company. He again renovated the Mohican in 1967, built the sternwheeler Minne-Ha-Ha in 1969 and, following an eleven-year construction effort, placed the Lac du Saint Sacrement in service in 1989. Following the Civil War, through a series of transportation consolidations, the Steamboat Company became part of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad System, serving as a link in that company’s New York City to Canada operations. In 1882 a railroad branch was built between Glens Falls and Lake George. Passengers would step off the train at the still-existing railroad station (across the street from the Steel Pier and built in 1911) and onto the steamers for the trip up the lake to Ticonderoga.
In 1910 the company built the 2nd Horicon up at its dry dock in Baldwin (2 miles south of Ticonderoga). She was the longest and fastest passenger-carrying vessel ever to sail on Lake George. Her two twin boilers (lobster return type) with a 10 foot piston stroke powered her walking beam engine with 1280 horsepower, this propelled her and her (max capacity) 1,500 possible passengers to a speed of 21 mph! A truly magnificent vessel, but she gets better.She had an elegant dining room, a saloon, and several small cabins built on her decks. In the 1920’s she was even modified to carry small automobiles between landings in the stern section of her first deck. The Ticonderoga was the first of only 2 Lake George Steamboat Company ships to not be built on Lake George.
This engine and her design helped her to achieve speeds of 12 mph.She operated daily round trips from the Lake House Dock in Lake George Village to Ticonderoga. She would leave every day from Lake George at 8 am and journey up the lake to Ticonderoga. In Ticonderoga, she would remain at the dock for 3.5 hours so her passengers could take a horse and carriage to the old ruins of Fort Ticonderoga where they would get out to walk around and view the ruins. They were then transported back to the boat which would leave Ticonderoga at 3 pm and steam back south to Caldwell.After only 10 years of service, the William Caldwell was already showing signs of deterioration.
She earned her battle ribbons sailing in the Pacific during the final year of WWII. After the war she was sailed to Brooklyn Navy Yard and retired at anchor on July 16th, 1947. The company then purchased her from the Navy in 1949 for $11,000.She was sailed up the Hudson River, through the Champlain Canal, and into Lake Champlain. She sailed to a point near Ticonderoga and at this point she was then cut into 4 sections and moved 5 miles overland to the company’s dry dock in Baldwin on Lake George. When she arrived at Baldwin, she was reassembled for a cost of $250,000 (a cost of $2.4 million in today’s money) as a passenger vessel. The Vessel, renamed the “Ticonderoga”, was launched in Lake George in October of 1950.The Ticonderoga (II) was 168 feet long and 25.5 feet wide and she displaced roughly 360 tons of water (which is equal to the overall weight of the ship).
Vacationers, especially those with children, expressed interest in shorter trips, but the Steamboat Company’s existing boats, the Mohican and Ticonderoga, could not be diverted to hourly runs. Company President Wilbur Dow believed that the new vessel should be an attraction in itself and should employ steam propulsion. Logically, a steamer might follow the side-wheel tradition of the old lake boats.
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