Background Information (excerpt from Gilchrist 2019)

The horse boat was the next type of boat widely used on Lake Winnipesaukee. These boats were used from the 1830s until the 1880s.  A model of one of these vessels is shown in Figure 3. These boats consisted of two horses placed at the stern on treadmills, which were then connected to paddle wheels on the vessel’s side.  While horse boats were found on lakes across the United States, Winnipesaukee horse boats had a unique design specifically intended for the conditions of Lake Winnipesaukee. The best estimates for the Winnipesaukee horse boat dimensions are 60 feet (18.2 meters) in overall length, 40 feet (12.2 meters) in length on the bottom, and an 11-foot maximum beam. This gave the ends of the boats a 10-foot (3-meter) overhang, which made it possible to pull them onto almost any shoreline of the lake. They were steered with large oars.  The sides were three feet high, and the forward part of the vessel was open, while the aft portion contained the machinery and crew quarters.  These boats were fairly effective at hauling raw materials such as firewood and bricks. The last horse boat recorded to be in use was retired in 1890 and was captained by Leander Lavelle (Crisman and Cohn 1998).  The impact of these boats is still visible today, with a horse boat sitting under 40 feet (12.2 meters) of water, which is a very popular diving attraction today.  Although it is unknown why this shipwreck sank (It is located near a popular spot where people used to throw trash in Lake Winnipesaukee and, therefore, was probably scuttled), it serves as the only known example of this form of boating (Bizer 2018).

Figure 3. Horse boat model. (Image courtesy of the New Hampshire Boat Museum.)

Diving Information

GPS: Just south of the mail dock on Bear Island.

Depth: 40 feet (12.2 meters)

Anchoring: Be very careful anchoring here, as this is an incredibly busy channel. Please try to avoid parking directly in front of the mail dock or any private docks. 

Special Considerations: This is a historically significant shipwreck; no modern examples of this type of shipwreck exist. Please be respectful of this site! The shipwreck is also located in a high-traffic area, so diving in the off-season is best! Please check the mail boats schedule if you plan to dive here and avoid the times they will be coming in to dock!