History (excerpt from Gilchrist 2019)

Lawyers Stephen C. Lyford and Ichabod Bartlett were the two individuals who envisioned steamboats as the future of travel on Lake Winnipesaukee.  In 1833, they launched the 96-foot-long Belknap.  Although innovative for its time, Belknap was not an elegant vessel.  Its hull was scow-shaped with a flat bottom and rounded front.  The boiler was set in brick, and all the moving parts were exposed above the boat’s deck.  It was only able to attain a speed of 5 or 6 miles per hour and was audible for miles away.  Despite these shortcomings, it conducted regular passenger service between Alton Bay Lake Village, Center Harbor, and Meredith (Blaisdell 1975). There is some debate amongst experts as to whether Belknap was the first steamer on the Lake Winnipesaukee or if it was Jenny Lind.  Jenny Lind was also a scow-shaped steamer with an exposed engine above deck.  Some argue that this boat was the first steamboat, but research by Dr. Bruce Heald found no data to indicate that to be true.  Both Belknap and Jenny Lind were employed in the logging industry (Heald 1984). During this time, numerous other scow steamers were constructed on Lake Winnipesaukee, including Cork Leg (later known as Widow Dustin), Long Island, Dolly Dutton, Mayflower, Naugatuck, Seneca, and Winnipesaukee (Blaisdell 1975). Regular passenger service on these early boats did not last long.  One stormy day in October of 1841, the Belknap was caught by a sudden gale while pulling a large raft of logs.  The raft dragged the boat into what is now known as Steamboat Island, where it sank in shallow water.  Its machinery was salvaged, and the rest of the hull was left where it still rests today (Heald 1984).

Diving Information

Depth: 5-10 Feet of water (great wreck for snorkeling!)

GPS Coordinates: N 43 38.234 W 71 22.959

Anchoring Information: Anchor as close to Steamboat Island, which is well protected from the Broads. The shipwreck is fragile, so please avoid power anchoring or tying directly to it.