M/S Mount Washington going to drydock
 

Fans of the Mount? you may or may not know this ...

I was talking with a Winnipesaukee Flagship employee last week. Apparently, someone has tentatively scheduled a charter of the Mount for Saturday, 31-Oct-09. Weather permitting, the Mount is scheduled to go into drydock on November 1st or 2nd. She is having her engines replaced over the winter and they want to get her in drydock ASAP so they can cut a hole in her side to start work. I may go to Center Harbor to watch the dry-docking.

See www.bizer.com/bztmount.htm for some photos of the 1999 drydocking.

Wow. Will it be in the same position as the last pic? That should put the bow pretty close to the road.:eek:
Or is it going into dry dock somewhere else?

There is a dirt road near the bow, but Rt. 25 is still about 200 yds from there.

Yeah sorry I looked at it again and thought that was Heaths hardware in the picture but it is not.....

No problem. I only know because we used to climb all over the cradle when we were kids. Good fishing for perch there. I am guessing they don't allow kids there anymore. Not safe. Rightttttttt. We used to lose a kid every summer. Righttttttttt.:laugh:

i always enjoy watching the mount getting pulled out of the lake. havn't seen it since 2004 i believe was last taken out. like in the link, it takes several hours to properly support the large ship.

i wonder what they are going to do with the old engine? put on display somewhere for the public to observe? they are pretty cool to see. huge cylinders. if they have an issue with them, can shut down one cylinder and have the rest of the engine still run.

Mount at Drydock
 

My contact tells me that they do not know what the schedule is yet, but they should have a good idea by mid-October. I sure hope to be there!

Earlier this summer I was told that the two diesel engines will have to be rendered unusable to get the grant for the new engines. The hope was to put part of them on display somehow.

The Citizen article from July 16th stated:

"Starting in August, the Mount also plans to have tours of the engine room to allow visitors a last look at the 63-year-old engines before their replacement. A film of the engine's history is also in the works for showing to Mount guests."

Did anyone notice if this was happening during FF?

Cool pictures Bizer, thanks for sharing them with us!

Yikes, that's practially a desecration :eek: Probably some federal requirement like "cash for clunkers", where the engine has to be destroyed - or something similar. There's a lot of history there. One would think some "antiquity group" could preserve the engines with the promise to never use them except for demonstration purposes.....but of course I forget - common sense in government (the grant suggests the government is involved) is an oxymoron :coolsm:

It sounds like they just have to be inoperable so some of that magic goop for the clunkers should work fine- then they coule be displayed I would think.

Who knows with the Feds though.

If you all want to pitch in I will start a Save the Engines Campaign. Maybe we can convince Uncle Sam to let us keep one in running condition if we promise that it will be a static display and not for profit?

kids fishing at dry dock
 

Kids definitely still fish off the dry dock frame in the summer. I remember noticing that this summer as I was pulling out of Center Harbor. Looks like a good spot to fish.

I would think Mystic Seaport Museum might be interested, and would qualify as a "Custodian" for one of the engines. They have quite a few large and small marine engines that are kept in running condition and are run One Weekend a year for demonstration. The rest of the year they remain as static displays. NB

NH Antique Boat Museum
 

Lets keep it local!
http://www.nhbm.org/

I agree. Keep it in New Hampshire!

R2B

I guess I missed something along the way.....the engines will be DESTROYED if they stay local. Destroyed means they will No Longer be able to RUN.....is that what you want..?? The NH Antique Boat Museum "Theme" is not geared to BIG marine engines. I am interested in the engines surviving in running condition.......................;) NB

PS: An Alternative: Keep one engine in NH as a static display and send the other one to Mystic where many more people can see it actually RUN. :)

Good points!

R2B

Make an above board discussion with officers of the corporation which owns the Ship...............
I'm sure they are just as concerned with historic education...

Last trip
 

I was on tonight's Sunday sunset cruise. I've been visiting the Mount since I was a kid in the 1970s as well as having lived on the lake for a bit and I think I'm going to miss that very distinct exhaust note that used to wake me up on summer mornings years ago as the Mount made its way out of Weirs Beach. (Don't all teenagers sleep in?) On a calm day, with my window open, I could hear it a mile away. Tonight I noticed that the engines shake the ship pretty good at cruise. I suppose the new engines will be higher RPM machines and will be quite different.

It'll be fun to see the change.

But gosh, cutting the hull open? How can you folks at WFC bear to watch? I don't know how they ever got up the courage to cut her open back in 1982 either.

The idea is to ABIDE by the conditions of the grant.

Why do they need to be in running condition to be on static display?:confused: The engines will be rendered to a non-running state. How many people have never seen an engine run? "Hey mom look at that large metal block making noise with a spinning shaft out the back".

These belong in NH and who cares if they still operate. Put one on display in the Weirs or Meredith or Center Harbor or where ever the mount will continue to travel so that future patrons waiting for the ship to arrive can go in and observe a piece of the mounts history. One could build a large glass display case to house the engine, with one side in normal condition and the other in cut away view to see the inner workings of the power plant (something not everyone has had the ability to see). Followed along with a number of writings posted within regarding the history of the engines and the vessel. This could even be displayed outdoors with this case.

Do not get me wrong, Mystic is cool and all, but Conneticut??? with a piece of NH tradition and scenery, get the h**l out of here!:D

Record the Mount!
 

Does anyone have the ability to get a recording of her before it's too late?

:idea: CanisLupusArctos - where are you? Can you get a recording or tell us what we need? Thanks!

RG

So here is food for thought seeing everyone is worried about keeping the engines in running condition....

--- what good does this do us... I for one, am not excited at all to see an engine run for no reason.... besides, to be an impressive run, the engine would have to be loaded.....

--- if one of these engines was kept in working order, how often would it be run..... not often would be my guess....

--- the idea behind things like this is to get less efficient, higher poluting engines out of service.... the only way to truely ensure these engines will not be used again is to sieze them.....

--- In my mind the best idea which has been previously mentioned is that of a static display with part of the engine cut away to show the inner workings.....

In lies the rub
 

Based on New info to me. My post was no longer correct in it's statement. DELETED

Has anyone asked the crew if they knew what was going to happen to the engines? Maybe the Company could shed some light on their demise....

Here Here: TOTALLY AGREE. Last week there was a get together of 200 Model A Fords up at Castle in The Clouds. What if O'Bama had destroyed ALL those cars..............ALL those '57 Chevys...ALL those '40 Fords, and other Restored Classics we go to see every summer?

There is 1940 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Convertable over in Melvin Village For Sale. You know the place. What if O'Bama were to Destroy that car..?? :( NB

Most of the 1963 Chrysler Turbine cars that were handed out to people for test purposes were scrapped after the road tests because Chrysler supposedly didn't want to pay the import duties on the car bodies which had been designed and built in Italy.

Sometimes you just want to scream when the government decides something has to be scrapped.

I like the idea of a cut away engine on display somewhere.

In a time of National Emergency, those engines were "borrowed" out of necessity; someday, they could be needed again—perhaps in an even more vital function, such as food production or transport. :confused:

apples and oranges
 

But, you are comparing an engine that will not be used, just run, with classic automobiles that are fully functioning. I am a big fan of anything mechanical, but to just see an engine run on a frame outside of its intended use is, well, not very exciting. Being able to see how it works is far more interesting to me than watching it run. Thats just one mans opinion, you are very must entitled to have a different one.

The only way those cars will get scraped by the government would be to take them by force, because any person that I know that owns, enjoys and collects classic cars, would have to have them taken out of their cold dead hands.

Crew/Power Plants
 

WeirsBeachBoater is part of the crew. :D He's the fellow in the white shirt.

http://www.bizer.com/lwmountw/dsc_1540a.jpg
Shakedown Cruise photo is courtesy of Bizer.
From left to right: Bizer, CanisLupusArctos, Island Girl, WeirsBeachBoater, Rattlesnake Gal, Rattlesnake Guy, and Webmaster

I believe these engines were made just for our lady.

Excerpt from The Legacy of the M/S Mount Washington:

August 12, 1940, the steamer Mt. Washington II was launched in Lakeport with a large, enthusiastic crowd on hand to wish her well.

By 1941, World War II and the cost of fuel oil, supplies and their limited availability and the inadequate income of the very short first season took its toll. The company went into bankruptcy April of 1942. After the bankruptcy, the steam engines were commandeered for the war, laying up the Mt. Washington II for the duration of the war.

The Mt. Washington II was valued at $64,000 at the time of the bankruptcy. It was then sold to General Ship and Engine Works for $30,000.

In 1946 after World War II ended the new owners of the Mt. Washington II, Carl and Byron Hedblom, who were also the principal owners of General Ship and Engine Works, rebuilt the vessel adding two Enterprise diesel engines with 615 horsepower each. They upgraded her with electrically powered auxiliaries. A new pilothouse was built one deck higher to improve visibility and passenger space. Finally there was a slight name change from S.S. Mt. Washington II to M.V. Mount Washington. The II was dropped and the full spelling of Mount was implemented.

They've changed their mind.
 

The latest news is that the M/S Mount Washington will stay in the water for the winter. She will NOT be put into drydock. Here's an excerpt from an email I received:

Awesome. I was wondering if they would have a cam on the whole ordeal. Kudos to then if they can do it, and announce the dates so we can watch.:D

I hope the replacement of the engines are the only thing on the agenda for the Mount. It seems the Crown Point Bridge linking VT and NY is closed indefinitely and NY has recruited a couple of ferry boats to stem the tide of crossers. Hope they aren't thinking of taking OUR Mount back to help out.:(

Spares?
 

Enterprise diesels were not uncommon during their hey-day. But that was 50 years ago.

I work in a power plant with a 1946 turbine. We pull our hair out trying to get spare parts to keep the old going. (And yes Skip, it's a Westinghouse).

I have heard that one of the problems with keeping the Mount's engines running is a lack of spare parts.

Picture this. How to render them unuseable...

Take them apart. The cam shaft shifting system in those engines are problably the only ones on earth.

There may be a need for parts from these engines (which have been worked hard but loved by the engineers) in other states. Maybe Mexico or some other country. I just think that to scrap them as whole units goes against the Yankee in me.

Misty Blue.

I'm confused. The engines are being changed while the Mount is on the water....that is the hole is being cut completely above the water line and into the superstructure?

How could "they" take it back? It's a privately owned vessel.

I'm saying this with a little tongue in cheek but.. Since it is a privately owned vessel, and ridership on the Mount has declined, less ports visited, it could be a very interesting financial offer that could arise to lure the Mount back. Not a real big possiblity, but something to consider.:look:

Nothing to be confused about. This is completely possible. There was talk of other upgrades as well. My guess is the pros and Cons where all taken into account and leaving the boat in the water was the best decission. They may need to make access cuts to facilitate other aspects of the renivations. Overall pulling the boat out of the water is an undertaking, and is not neccessarily the best thing overall for the boat. The boat is designed to be in the water, an its strengh is engineered that way.

Anybody make it to last Saturday night's Mount Washington halloween costume party cruise? It cost $49/person for a three hour cruise from 6-9pm, and included dinner and two different bands, or something on different levels of the ship. If memory is correct, last Saturday night was something like a rainy stormy night.

I was thinking about going but at $49., it was too rich for me. Anybody here onboard for that adult halloween party?

Ya know the current diesel engines are so smooth and so quiet and the Mount is so calm when moving, it will be impossible for new engines to be better. There's just no room for improvement there.

Instead of replacing the engines, why not install two masts with six square-rigged sails and turn the Mount into a sailboat with a diesel engine for no-wind conditions. They could probably find some old masts and sails off a 175 year old, junkyard US Navy frigate on craigslist down in the Portsmouth area for next to nothing......don't ya know! :D

in another post from years ago i was told by one of the mount crew that they can completely rebuild either engines, in one night, at dock in the weirs. this should be a walk in the park for them! :laugh:

a webcam would be nice though.

Total guess on my part but I would think that cutting a hole in the side would compromise the structure less while it's supported in the water than in dry dock.

Every fall the dam at the end of Paugus Bay is left open for a while until the water level is reduced a couple feet. This will add to the safety factor for the repairs being made to the Mount. If we get an unusual amount of rain the lakelevel could increase though and this could be disastrous if the Mount still has that big hole in her side.



(JOKE !!) ;)

So glad you included the "joke" at the bottom.

At first I thought, what the heck is this person thinking! This is a boat. It displaces water and stays at that level regarding the surface. Then, I scrolled down and saw Joke!

I must admit, I was buying into it as real.

R2B

on the way to Center Harbor today
 

a clip from the Pine Island web cam as we waved to the Mount on their trip to Center Harbor for the winter hibernation. The Captain gave a great wave and "see you next year" holler from the wheelhouse door! :)

p.s. Happy Halloween lights on our flag pole

-PIG

I sometimes have that effect on people. ;) Glad you guys figured it out.

Me too! I had to think for a minute, though. :eek:

It's nice to see the Mount back in Center Harbor. I especially enjoy it when the put the white lights on it!

I called this morning, they said they will probably do the engine work in the water and not use the drydock.

I did a double take the first time I was on Lake George.

http://lakegeorgesteamboat.com/index...es&r=28&pid=31


Better keep checking Center Harbor, the Green Mountain Boys are coming to visit :laugh:

The original Peter Stuyvesant mentioned in the article was purchased by the owners of Anthony's Pier 4 restaurant in Boston and was attached to the restaurant until it sank during the Blizzard of 78. Ships like the Peter Stuyvesant and the Mount sure have an interesting history.

The Mount passing...
 

Nice pic. PIG!

60 degrees, calm winds, clouds over Mt. Shaw and the Mount heading in to Center Harbor for her Winter snooz.

Yup. The smile of the Great Spirit.

See ya soon brother.

Misty Blue.

Mount's Former life
 

About a year ago, I was working in Burlington VT, with another Winnipesaukee prodigy (weekends and vacations). As we sat having breakfast in a local diner, I looked up only to see an old photo of the Chateaugay, the steam ferry whose hull became the M.S. Mount Washington. It was strange enough that my work mate and I had Winni roots, but having the Mount show up....