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Post by redbirdr33 on Sept 16, 2016 8:59:41 GMT -8
Tuscarora Marine Log No. 8
Lake George – 2016 Update
The Lake George Steamboat Company traces its operating charter back to 1817. 2017 will mark 200 years of service and the company is planning accordingly. The MOHICAN has been operating on the late since 1908. She was taken out of service on Labor Day and sent to the maintenance base at Baldwin, New York. There she will hauled out of the water on the marine railway for painting and refurbishment.
The LAC DU SAINT SACRAMENT is filling in for her during the fall covering the two hour long Islands Cruise.
Shoreline Cruises continues to operate the HORICON , built in 1989 and the ADIRONDAC built in 2004. Both vessels are showing the effect of the winters on Lake George and unfortunately present a rather shabby appearance. They need a new paint job, some fresh varnish and a general swabbing of the decks.
Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by redbirdr33 on Sept 16, 2016 9:19:15 GMT -8
Tuscarora Marine Log No. 9
Lake Champlain Update – 2016
The Lake Champlain Transportation Company continues to operate tens ferryboats on three routes.
The news is that the two deck excursion boat NORTHERN LIGHTS was retired and sold at the end of the 2014 season. She is now listed as being owned by Schooner Imagine LLC based in Albany.
Apparently she could no longer compete with the SPIRIT OF ETHAN ALLEN III which offers lunch and dinner cruises in Shelburne and Burlington Bays.
The single deck yacht CARRILION which formerly operated lake cruises out of Larabee’s Point, VT now runs for the Fort Ticonderoga Foundation. She operates from the fort during the summer months.
Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on Nov 8, 2017 12:34:05 GMT -8
Tuscarora Marine Log No. 14
Lake George Update – 2017
Lake George Steamboat Company
The Lake George Steamboat Company celebrated its 200th year of operation this year. There were many special cruises and events. Operationally the biggest change was to the once a week “Discovery Cruise” which operates over the entire thirty two mile length of the lake. The MOHICAN always operates in this service. The boat now leaves at runs on Tuesdays instead of Thursday and leaves at 10 AM instead of 8:30 AM. This means no more buffet breakfast on board. The snack bar does cook up breakfast and lunch items on request so you won’t go hungry. The boat makes a stop at Bolton Landing in the village of Bolton and close to the Sagamore resort. The trip then continues across the lake and through Paradise Bay (wind conditions permitting). The entire runs takes six hours. It then continues north to Baldwin Landing which is just south of the village of Ticonderoga. This service has become very popular with bikers who ride the boat in one direction and bike the other way. When I rode the boat in July there was one group of intrepid cyclists who were biking all the way from New York City to Montreal. They were taking a break and riding the boat all the way up the lake.
Shore Line Cruises
It is nice to report that Shore Line cruises had taken steps to improve the appearance of their vessels. Both the HORICON and the ADIRONDAC have been given a fresh coat of paint and a general swabbing of the decks. They now offer a 2 ½ hours Sunday Brunch cruise with a full buffet menu.
Sagamore Resort
THE MORGAN continues to operate public cruises two days a week. She operates across the middle of the lake to Paradise Bay. Usually on Tuesday she meets up with the MOHICAN and they sail in company through the narrows. The MORGAN’s cruises are free to guest at the Sagamore Resort. The fare for on-guests in $25.00.
Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by divcoles on Sept 14, 2018 0:53:32 GMT -8
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Post by compdude787 on Sept 15, 2018 13:45:55 GMT -8
That vessel was built in 1913. They've definitely gotten a LOT of life out of it.
EDIT: Looking back thru this thread, I discover that it was actually built in 1930, which is still pretty old, though. The Adirondack is the one that was built in 1913.
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on Sept 21, 2018 9:06:05 GMT -8
Thank you for this information. I did notice that the schedule for the Port Kent - Burlinton crossing for this year was cut to a one boat service with four crossing each way. The in-service boat would be the ADIRONDACK. There is a third boat available which is the VALCOUR (1947). The drawback is that she is a flat decker with a small passenger cabin in the hull. The other two boats by contrast were two deckers with vehicles on the main deck and a passenger cabin on the upper deck. The have outside seating as well and many of the passenger were there for the sightseeing and not basic transportation. The good news is that the Grand Isle-Plattsburgh crossing is very busy with over eighty crossings each way year round. The Charlotte-Essex crossing now runs year round , ice conditions permitting. During the summer there are over twenty crossing each way. In the winter months the boats run hourly from 6 AM to 8 PM. Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by divcoles on Mar 10, 2020 4:56:24 GMT -8
Well, the latest news is that instead of the MV Champlain, the Lake Champlain Ferry Company now is seeking approval to sink the MV Adirondack later this summer. I’ve been conversing with their Senior Captain, who says that the old girl is surplus to their needs. Her loss would be a huge shame for ferry fans, as built in 1913, she is presently the oldest double-ended ferry boat afloat in North America.
In addition, the third vessel on the Burlington-Port Kent route, the 1947-built MV Valcour has been offered for sale on several ship brokerage sites for at least two years. Also originally a double-ended, the flat-top looking vessel was partially repowered and converted to single end operation several years ago.
Motorists are apparently increasingly using shorter, faster crossings of Lake Champlain, meaning the longer, more scenic route is saddled with excessive capacity. The three vessels currently there are significantly older than any of the other lake ferries the company operates, and I suspect they’d like to introduce a modern vessel to the mid-Lake route as well.
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on Jul 24, 2020 5:23:26 GMT -8
Lake Champlain Update, July 2020
The Lake Champlain Transportation Company is currently operating tow routes. The busy northern crossing between Grand Islle, VT and Plattsburgh, NY is running with a two instead of a three boat schedule.
The southern crossing between Charlotte, VT and Essex, NY has resumed service and is running with two boats.
Restrooms on the boats and dock remain closed. Walk-ons are not allowed and passengers are requested to remain in their vehicles.
The middle crossing between Burlington, VT and Port Kent, NY remains closed.
The Fort Ticonderoga Ferry service is suspended for the season.
Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on May 4, 2022 5:53:00 GMT -8
Oldest Ferries on Lake Champlain Being Dismantled
It has been reported in the Burlington (VT) Free Press that the two oldest ferryboats on Lake Champlain are being dismantled.
The vessels are the ADIRONDACK, built in 1913 and the CHAMPLAIN, built in 1930. The Lake Champlain Transportation Company which owns the boats states that they have reached the end of their useful lives.
Both vessels had run on the Burlington (VT)-Port Kent (NY) crossing of Lake Champlain however that route was not in operation inn 2020 or 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions
The dismantling of the vessel upper works will enable them to pass under the bridges on the Champlain Canal in transit to the scrap yard.
The ADIRONDACK retires as the oldest and longest serving double ended ferryboat in the history of the country
I may be wrong but I believe that distinction knows goes the BOONE NO 7 operating on the Anderson Ferry crossing of the Ohio River in Kentucky. She was built in 1937.
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Post by westernflyer on May 4, 2022 22:31:40 GMT -8
Really disappointed that there has been no apparent effort to preserve the Adirondack. She was really a true classic. Meanwhile up in BC our historic vessels continue to slip through our fingers as well.
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on Dec 7, 2022 8:15:15 GMT -8
Tuscarora Marine Log No. 22
Lake George Update – 2022
Boat service on Lake George is returning to pre-Covid 19 levels.
The Lake George Steamboat Company provides a wide range of options on their three vessels. There are two hour lunch and dinner cruises on the LAC DU SAINT SACRAMENT. One hour shoreline cruises on the steamboat MINNE-HA-HA. The MOHICAN offers two and a half hour cruises to Paradise Bay and The Narrows. Once a week she all the way to the north end of the lake.
Shoreline Cruises operates the HORICON on several one hour cruises throughout the day. She sail up as far as the Canoe Islands. The larger ADIRONDACK usually operates from Thursday to Sunday on one or two hour cruises. I would inject a word of caution here. Shoreline will often cancel cruises if there are not enough passengers. This is especially true of the first and last cruise of the day. Also they don’t always run as advertised. I took the one hour sunset cruise this summer and since we left 15 minutes late the cruise only lasted 45 minutes. It is best to call ahead and make sure that they will be running.
The Sagamore Resort in Bolton, New York operates the two deck yacht THE MORGAN. This vessels usually runs across the middle of the lake to Paradise Bay. Due to her size she can get into places that the larger vessels cannot. Rides on the vessel are free to hotel guests and cost $25 for others. However for the past two seasons one had to be staying at the hotel to ride this vessel. Hopefully that restriction will be lifted this coming (2023) season.
Larry, RedbirdR33
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Post by irtredbirdr33 on Dec 7, 2022 8:49:44 GMT -8
Tuscarora Marine Log No. 23
Lake Champlain Update 2022
Boat service on Lake Champlain is returning to pre-Covid 19 levels.
The Lake Champlain Transportation Company continues to operate two ferry crossings of the lake. The ferry service between Grand Isle, VT and Plattsburgh, NY is one of the busiest in the country. Service runs around the clock and during the day there are four to five crossing each way every hour. The trip takes about twelve minutes.
The southern crossing runs between Charlotte, VT and Essex, NY. Boats will run year round winter weather permitting. Service runs every hour from about 7 AM to 6 PM. During the summer months a second boat is added permitting a half hour schedule and the hours of service extended.. The trip takes about twenty five minutes.
The news for the middle crossing between Burlington, VT and Port Kent, NY is not so good. Service remains suspended . The two vessels that had run on this route, ADIRONDACK and CHAMPLAIN have both been scrapped.
The Fort Ticonderoga Ferry is up and running between Shoreham, VT and Ticonderoga, NY. This is a cable ferry. The ferry barge is the FORT TICONDEROGA II. She is pulled back and forth across the lake by the double ended tugboat ADDIE B.
The Fort Ticonderoga Historic Site operates several daily cruises on the single deck tour boat CARILLON. This vessel formerly operated out of Shoreham, VT.
Ethan Allen Cruises operates the SPIRIT OF ETHAN ALLEN III out of Burlington, VT. There are numerous cruise daily and all offer food service.
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