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The
Winnipesaukee Spirit was added to the fleet for the 2021 operating season. Originally launched in Fort Pierce, Florida, in 1979, the Spirit last did marine charters in New Jersey before being brought to New Hampshire by the Winnipesaukee Flagship Corporation. The Spirit is equipped with its own
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of 49 feet (15 m). She was driven by a single cylinder steam engine of 450 horsepower (340 kW) that operated at approximately 26 RPM. Power was transferred from the vertical cylinder to the paddle wheel shaft by the walking beam, high above the upper deck, oscillating at the frequency
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On March 30, 2023, Mount
Washington Crises announced the acquisition of the Winnipesaukee Belle. The boat was previously owned by the Wolfeboro Inn. It is 65 feet in length and can accommodate up to 150 passengers. The vessel will undergo refurbishment at the shipyards in Center Harbor, and will
540:, Massachusetts She was christened "Sophie C" after Sophie Hedblom, wife of Carl Hedblom and mother of Byron Hedblom, owners of General Ship and Engine Works as well as the Winnipesaukee Steamship Corporation. The vessel was built to offer service on Lake Winnipesaukee while the M/V
136:" graced Winnipesaukee for a total of 67 years before being destroyed on December 23, 1939, by fire. She was tied up at dock when a fire started at a nearby railway station. The fire spread down the dock and engulfed her at her home port. Efforts to cut the
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is the oldest floating post office (and only inland floating post office) in the continental United States, and is the fifth boat to deliver mail on the lake. It cruises daily except for Sunday, delivering the mail to island residents.
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with the intent of transporting cargo and passengers around the lake. By the late 19th century it was not uncommon for her to transport over 60,000 passengers in a single season. In the 1920s, with the rise of the
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bar and galley area and has indoor/outdoor seating as well as two lounge areas. The Spirit can also carry up to 99 general passengers and can seat up to 88 for dinner.
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yacht club. It was cut into sections and transported to Lake
Winnipesaukee on rail cars. A new twin-screw vessel was designed for the hull being welded back together at
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and declining train usage, the Boston and Maine
Railroad Co. made the decision to sell the steamer to Captain Leander Lavallee. Captain Lavallee operated the
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was dedicated in his name for his 30 years of service and countless contributions to recording the history of the WFC fleet and Lake
Winnipesaukee.
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was cut open, the unserviceable circa 1946 motors were removed (Enterprise DMG18 motors: 8cyl 615 hp), and the ship was repowered with two 'green'
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cruises the waters of
Winnipesaukee from late May through late October. At the height of summer she will embark on up to four cruises a day. The
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section to add larger lounge and food service facilities. The larger size upped the ship's designation to M/S or "motor ship." More popular, the
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383:(WFC) fleet. In his years with WFC he wrote several books on the history of the fleet as well as many others about Lake Winnipesaukee and
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returned to the water but with diesel engines, hence the "M/V" prefix designating "motor vessel." The ship was a success in the post-war
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makes one or two round-trips on the lake per day during the summer season, as well as numerous dinner dance cruises in the evenings.
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47:. The historic ship makes several ports of call around the lake during its scenic cruises in the spring, summer and fall months.
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loose were to no avail as it was a time of extremely low water and the hull was stuck fast in the mud of the lake bottom.
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in the USA was impossible because of pre-war munitions stock-piling. Instead, they purchased an old sidewheel vessel on
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is 68 feet (21 m) in length and has its own snack bar, drinks, and bathroom. The boat stopped operating in 2021.
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Captain Bryan Avery (deceased) worked from 1937 to 1984. He was the only captain to have worked on the side-wheeler
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has three smaller sister ships in the fleet. Doris and Sophie were constructed from spare boat parts from the
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Captain Leo O'Connell (deceased) started in 1992 as a small boat skipper and retired as Fleet
Captain in 2017.
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Captain Kevin
Pettengill was promoted to captain in October 2021. He is the son of Captain John Pettengill.
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at Center Harbor that can be used to pull the ship entirely from the water. The task of pulling the
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was out of commission due to the U.S. government requisitioning her engines for the war effort. The
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Soon after, a local company was formed to build a new ship. Europe was already at war and obtaining
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crew in 1986. He was a deckhand, deck officer, skipper and pilot before becoming a captain in 1996.
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opened in 1946 is 76 feet (23 m) in length and was built by
General Ship and Engine Works in
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Captain
Patricia Quinn became the first woman captain of the M/S Mount Washington in August 2021.
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Captain Denis Finnerty started in 1991 and was promoted to captain in 2017. He retired in 2020.
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450:. At night the boat travels the lake with no stops at ports for a scenic dinner dance cruise.
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666:"M/S Mount Washington Gets Major Engine Upgrade: New Engines Lighter, Cleaner, More Powerful"
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from the lake is a large one and only undertaken when a major maintenance job requires it.
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boom although she became a money-maker in the 1980s under the ownership of Scott Brackett.
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was the largest of all the steamers on the lake at 187 feet (57 m) in length, with a
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Captain James Morash started as a deckhand in 1979 and was promoted to captain in 2000.
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is the flagship vessel of the Winnipesaukee Flagship Corporation. Its home port is on
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keep the water from freezing and protect the vessel from ice damage. There is also a
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from 1921 to 1932 and again from 1935 to 1939. He oversaw the creation of the new SS
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Captain Bruce Campbell started as a deckhand in 1969 and retired as captain in 2017.
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Herbert A. Blackstone took command in 1908 and remained in charge until 1921.
181:. Powered by two steam engines taken from another ocean-going yacht, the new
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711:"Winnipesaukee's Mail Boat Is Part Floating Post Office, Part Time Machine"
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opened in 1962 makes daily scenic island cruises and stops in the port of
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Captain Robert Duffey started in 2009 and was promoted to captain in 2014.
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as a tourist attraction, still drawing crowds of over 60,000 a season.
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s engines and boilers were removed for use in a navy vessel during
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was cut open and extended with an additional 20-foot (6.1 m)
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367:(deceased 05/02/2015) was the most senior crew member of the MV
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Augustus Wiggins was the first captain of the original steamer
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Captain Robert Amann was promoted to captain in October 2021.
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Captain Harry Welch, Sr. (deceased) worked from 1982 to 2007.
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Captain John Pettengill (deceased) worked from 1964 to 2005.
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Captain Edward Driscoll (deceased) worked from 1980 to 1993.
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Captain Roland Johnson (deceased) worked from 1979 to 1990.
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Captain Scott Brackett owned the company from 1971 to 1985.
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Captain Robert Murphy (deceased) worked from 1945 to 1988.
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return to service in 2025 for her 40th anniversary.
785:"Steamboats on Lake Winnipesaukee in Weirs Beach, NH"
241:motors, giving more power and economy to the ship.
737:"Anne Nix makes N.H.'s floating postal office run"
587:at dock along with her smaller sister ship the MV
379:since 1964. He was the official historian for the
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283:Leander Lavallee was the captain of the steamer
418:plying the waters on its route toward Wolfeboro
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688:"Cat C32 ACERT Repowers M/S Mount Washington"
308:Captain Robert Cole worked from 1969 to 1991.
277:in 1872. He was followed by Harry Wentworth.
185:made her maiden voyage on August 15, 1940.
173:that was being used as a clubhouse for the
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618:Landlocked lake steamers of North America
387:. In 1994 the purser's office aboard the
791:"The Legacy of the M/S Mount Washington"
462:stays at its winter home at the port in
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169:, a 203-foot (62 m), iron-hulled
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93:dates back to 1872 when the original
55:can get to all of its ports of call.
812:Passenger ships of the United States
641:"Byron Hedblom's extraordinary life"
466:. Bubblers in the water around the
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199:Two years after her launch, the new
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774:Winnipesaukee Flagship Co. history
735:Ramer, Holly (12 September 2011).
381:Winnipesaukee Flagship Cooperation
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779:"The MS/Mt Washington: A History"
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118:Boston and Maine Railroad Company
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807:Transportation in New Hampshire
690:. Marinelink.com. June 18, 2010
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397:is the official cruise mascot.
332:Captain Paul Smith joined the
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709:Carbone, Ray (19 July 2019).
639:Amsden, Roger (27 May 2017).
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827:Center Harbor, New Hampshire
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781:, Lake Winnipesaukee Museum
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245:Notable crew over the years
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715:New Hampshire Public Radio
161:Harlan & Hollingsworth
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668:. WMUR.com. March 3, 2010
430:has five ports of call:
446:, and her home port of
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822:Laconia, New Hampshire
606:at Wolfeboro town dock
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113:of the paddle wheels.
89:The history of the MS
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41:Laconia, New Hampshire
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24:at Wolfeboro town dock
793:, Winnipesaukee Forum
645:The Laconia Daily Sun
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207:. After the war, the
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116:She was built by the
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51:is declared when the
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554:Winnipesaukee Spirit
565:Winnipesaukee Belle
233:In March 2010, the
817:Lake Winnipesaukee
787:, Lost New England
458:In the winter the
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371:. Dr. Heald was a
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262:leaving The Weirs
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100:was launched from
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37:Lake Winnipesaukee
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743:. GateHouse Media
402:Current operation
395:Monty the Mallard
275:Mount Washington,
68:(the "Old Mount")
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432:Meredith Bay
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747:11 November
720:11 November
538:East Boston
448:Weirs Beach
375:aboard the
365:Bruce Heald
267: 1920
239:Caterpillar
171:sidewheeler
159:: the 1888
84: 1920
801:Categories
624:References
494:following
175:Burlington
166:Chateaugay
123:automobile
650:14 August
444:Alton Bay
440:Wolfeboro
258:Original
132:The "Old
102:Alton Bay
76:Original
43:, in the
612:See also
589:Sophie C
546:Sophie C
534:Sophie C
527:Sophie C
515:Meredith
250:Captains
179:Lakeport
769:cruises
694:July 6,
672:July 6,
517:. The
511:Doris E
504:Doris E
492:US Navy
486:The MS
213:tourist
163:-built
59:History
49:Ice-Out
373:purser
201:Mount'
104:. The
519:Doris
476:Mount
468:Mount
460:Mount
428:Mount
424:Mount
389:Mount
377:Mount
334:Mount
235:Mount
228:Mount
220:Mount
192:M.V.
153:steel
138:Mount
134:Mount
127:Mount
106:Mount
749:2019
722:2019
696:2010
674:2010
652:2018
532:The
509:The
422:The
359:Crew
224:hull
110:beam
28:The
765:MS
602:MS
583:MS
525:MV
502:MV
39:in
30:MS
20:MS
803::
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631:^
442:,
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264:c.
81:c.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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