Saturday, December 17, 2011

Ships and Boats – Lake George NY

Ships, boats, trains, planes, automobiles…these are all favorite topics for me.  In this case, we drove into the town of Lake George New York, just cruising and looking around.  Then…Wow!  Look at That!!

The following 5 photos all show tour boats…really great looking little ships in a couple of instances…that provide tourists with various sightseeing and social experiences on Lake George. 
Only one of these ships/boats is really old…and only one of these ships is actually steam powered.  Without reading what I’ve written following each of the photos, can you identify both the oldest tour ship plus the only genuine steam powered ship?  Hint…You’re looking for 2 different ships…

This is the Lac du Sacrement, which was named after the original name of the lake, The Lake of the Blessed Sacrament.  This 190’ ship sails for the Lake George Steamship Line, a company that has operated on the lake every year except 1949, starting back in 1817.  She was launched in nineteen hundred and eighty nine. 

The ship was built in the style of the old Hudson River day vessels, such as the Peter Stuyvesant.  She specializes in Luncheon, Brunch and Dinner cruises that range in length from 2 to 2 ½ hours.

This is the Mohican, another tour boat or ship operated by the Lake George Steamship Line.  She has a steel hull and is 117’ long.  She specializes in the 4.5 hour Discovery Cruise, covering the entire length of the lake.  The Mohican was built in nineteen hundred and seven, which means that she’s been in service on the lake for one hundred and four years.

During World War II, this ship was the only tour boat operating on the lake.  She was converted from coal and steam to diesel in nineteen hundred forty six and the steel superstructure replaced wood and canvas in nineteen hundred sixty seven.  The Mohican is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.

The Adirondack is the largest ship or tour boat operated by Lake George Shoreline Cruises.  She’s 115’ long, can carry a maximum of 400 passengers and she can seat 200 guests at one time for a fine dining experience.  The Adirondack’s cruises range from 2 hours to 2 ½ hours in duration.  She was built in two thousand four and her design was patterned after the late 19th century touring ships.


This is the Minne-ha-ha…to translate, ‘laughing waters’.  She specializes in short 1 hour family focused tours.  This authentic paddlewheel steamboat belongs to the Lake George Steamship Line.  Her engine room is enclosed in glass so that the passengers can view the workings of the Minne-ha-ha’s power plant.  She was built in nineteen hundred sixty nine and has been in service for over forty two years.


Our photo of the Horicon was too blurry to publish, so I went on-line and borrowed a picture from the official Lake George Shoreline Cruises website.  This boat is 85’ long.  The Horicon has a capacity for 150 passengers…or 80 for dinner. The superstructure is unusual in that it was primarily built from mahogany, teak and yellow pine.  The Horicon was launched in nineteen hundred and eighty eight.  She is the 4th vessel on the lake that uses the name “Horicon”.

The Lake George Steamship Company is located at 57 Beach Road in the town of Lake George.  Phone: 518-668-5777.  Website: www.lakegeorgesteamboat.com. 
Lake George Shoreline Cruises is also located in the town of Lake George at 5 Kurosaka Lane.  Phone: 518-668-3882.  Website: www.lakegeorgeshoreline.com.
Just click on any photo to enlarge it…
Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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