MS Mount Washington Shakedown
 

Anyone know when the Mount's shakedown cruise is slated for?

that it will be May 2nd (I believe it is always the first Monday in May)...

A sure indication of approaching summer!!! PIG

MS Mt. Washington
 

I also was wondering when the Mount will go to it's summer dock at the Weirs? Anyone have any idea if it passes in front of any lake cams and at what time? I saw it a couple of times on the cam but that was a few years ago. I'm already counting the days until August for my annual Wolfeboro vacation!

I am no expert but I believe it will be at the Weirs for Mother's day.

There were people working on the decks of the Mount Washington when I pulled up to the docks in Center Harbor on Saturday, so it looks like they're planning to take her out soon.

Hubbles

This usually happens the day of the shake-down cruise or the next day.

R2B

she just went by Pine Island...
 

snapped these off the webcam as she went from Center Harbor past Pine Island heading south...

a beautiful day for the Shakedown Cruise, summer has started!!! PIG

Looks like Web Master, Don, is on board.

I'm on board as well as Rattlesnake Gal & Guy, Meredith Lady, Bizer, WeirsBeachBoater, OCD and other forum members. It's a beautiful day and the Mount looks great!

We had so much fun! Gorgeous day for the shakedown cruise!

Thanks to the crew!
 

What a glorious day out on the lake. Thanks to everyone responsible for a smooth, comfortable trip.

the Mount
 

Went on my first shakedown cruise thanks to Executive Councilor Chris Sununu! Great day on the lake (Aren't they all?) and the Mount! Met many forum members that I have read for the last few years. And thanks to the the Webmaster for introducing me to others! RG, OCD et al.

Looking forward to a great season. Hope to see you all down the line.



Must admit, I still miss the old engine souond as it comes around the corner.

Great time!
 

What a great shakedown. Surprisingly enough this was my first time on board the Mount while it was moving! It was incredible to see the lake on such a beautiful day. The weather was perfect.

Great seeing old friends Weirs Beach Boater, Rattlesnake Gal and meeting new ones: JMR, Meredith Lady, Rattlesnake Guy and FINALLY Don!

Was a pleasure to finally make your acquaintence in person!

Thanks again for the invite and for the tour of the bridge. Looking forward to another great year on the lake and hopefully get on board the ship for a dinner cruise as well!

Here's some highlights of yesterday's Shakedown Cruise:

You lucky dogs! Love to do the shakedown some year. I see Fire Marshall Bill Degman was on board.

Here's a video of the complete comments during the Shakedown Cruise:

I was wondering, during the shake down cruse did you open her up wide open throttle? How did the new engines sound? How fast did she go? Any vibrations? Bigger than normal wake? Etc.

The Mount
 

Last year we were treated to what I believe was the open throttle. It was fast and super cool. I didn't notice such a dramatic change in speed this year, but maybe I missed it.

In my opinion, the new engines sound very quiet compared to the old ones. Is that because of the engine change or better sound insulation? Sometimes I really do miss that distinctive rattling sound coming down the lake - The Mount sneaks up on me all the time now! :laugh: I don't mind too much because thanks to the owners and all of the terrific crew members, this amazing vessel that has such a storied past will be plying the waters of Winnipesaukee for decades to come.

I might be wrong about the wake, but since the new engines were installed last year, it seems to me that her wake is a lot smaller than it used to be.

Because of the recent discussion about wakes on the forum, I paid particular attention to the wake behind the Mount on Monday. I have seen an awful lot of wakes before and we are always surprised by how little shore wake we usually get from the Mount with the old or new engines.

As I looked out the back this year, I was surprised to see the wake was curved. The explanation for this is not readily apparent to me. I suspect it is related to the shape of the mount and the way the water moves around the boat and recombines behind her.

The amount of curve in the drawing is not exaggerated. And they dissipated about like what is shown. I was really surprised.

I was on the water
 

all day Monday, unfortunately I didn't see the Mt. Actually, at one point in the afternoon after the wind picked up, there wasn't a single boat in sight. It was a beautiful day! I got a bit of a tan, and am looking forward to many more days like it.:)

So where was the money? As always, that's a good question. Where did the money come from to pay for the new engines on the Mount Washington? As anyone knows by watching the Mount glide past with a boat that almost entirely empty of customers, business has not exactly been booming in recent years. The prices to ride the Mount is up and the number of riders are down.

Back in 2009, the MS Mount Washington was the happy receiver of a one million dollar federal RECOVERY GRANT stimilus money for mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. The ONE MILLION DOLLAR - OBAMA BUCKS was spent upgrading its old engines with two new Caterpillars and transmission assembly that are much lighter and have much cleaner exhaust as well as making upgrades to the Mount's banquet room.

Something to think about the next time you chow down on a forty dollar roast beef dinner in the Mount's banquet room while underway on a Saturday night turf & surf dinner. Something else to think about the next time the Mount chugs past is that it no longer makes a chug sound because the antique engines were replaced with quieter running Caterpillar marine diesels.

With the new replacement of the old engines and old cranky & persnickety transmission, the N H Marine Patrol decided it was a good time to sell off their 41' former Coast Guard utility boat which had been kept at the ready to provide an emergency tow should the Mount with its old achy-breakie transmission ever get stuck in neutral and be needing a fast emergency towboat call.

Enter "MS Mount Washington Recovery Grant engines;" search to read a federal press release that was printed in yesterday's May 4, 2011 Laconia Citizen.

MS Mount Washington Recovery Grant engines Story
 

Didn't work, I cannot find the story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake

According to this article there are 19 degree waves and 53 degree wavelets in the wake. Perhaps small changes in the under water shape, caused by trim changes, caused by weight changes, caused by the engine changes have now emphasized the 53's over the 19's.

Sorry about that.....suggest you google "Mount Washington engines stimulus funding New Hampshire" and the first find should be a federal report which has an article that gets into the details on the Mount Washington upgrades.

I actually did that second, but came up empty. Found it today though - thanks! :D Nothing new in the report.

Fritz's Shakedown Video
 

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0629/3474233_320X240.jpg
Local celebrity Fritz Weatherbee was with us for the cruise and he posted this video on YouTube:

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oOYap8Y0DwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Bizer and our Webmaster can be spotted at 114, Digital Magic at 223 and a couple other shots, Rattlesnake Guy and myself at 355 and a slight shot of Meredith Lady on the left at 405.

Isn't that Weirsbeachboater at 26?And who is that lady in red that the camara keeps finding?