SS Mt Washington and the Weather channel
 

Was watching the weather channel this morning. As they were showing what would be happening with the cold front approaching NY and NE they said if you were taking a cruise early today on the SS Mt Washington on Lake Winnipesaukee you would be fine til later on this afternoon. It was nice to hear our lake mentioned out of the whole USA map they were showing.

If you were on the SS Mt. Washington this morning than please tell me where the time machine is!!! Just kidding :) The designation SS is for Steam Ship. The current Mount is classified as a Motor Ship, therefore MS Mount Washington. It was a Steamship from 1940-1942, then repowered with the current diesels in '46. But I won't bore anyone with history....

LOL, on that one, I wasn't even on the Mt. Washington or at the lake for that fact. I just repeated about word for word what the meteroligist from the weather channel on the TV was saying. He said SS Mt. Washington. Great to hear him mention Lake Winni and the ship.

ss.mt washington
 

:D

someone has to correct this error, might as well be me!

it is NOT ss mt. washington it is m/s mt. washington (ss.) means steam ship, (m/s) means motor ship

;)

Go for it. Call or write the Weather Channel, you know that cable channel? Maybe they'll mention the lake again. I've never thought of MS or SS I've always called it the Mount. My Aunt was an Avery, hence we knew Captain Bryan Avery and used to be able to ride up in the wheel area. Excuse me but my ship knowledge is very bad. I should read up on the several books I have but I haven't. I've got Bruce Heald's Follow the Mount, The Boats and Ports of Lake Winipesaukee, Postmaster of the Lake, Three Centuries on Winnipesaukee by Paul Blaisdell, Farewell Old Mount Washington by Edward H. Blackstone, Lake Winnipesaukee (The Smile of the Great Spirit) by Ronald Gallop and The New S. S. Mount Washington II collaborated with the Concord Press, Paul Blaisdell, Catherine Blaisdell, Frank Vinning Smith and Harold J. Piper. I've also got an undated souvenir view book of Lake Winni, NH as seen through the camera. The last book looks pretty old as it talks about the original Daniel Webster Highway and the cars look to be late 40's/50s' era. There are no baja's in the photos just woodies and Gunstock ski area harkens back to way back, lol. No snowboarders that's for sure. It lists the US mailboat as Tonimar and the shorefront was definitely a lot less developed.

Yes the Tonimar....I brought up that topic a few weeks back. Now know as The Great Escape. What a beautiful boat, I would love to have that little piece of lake history. It was Capt Beck I believe that brought that boat to the Lake in 1940.

M/S vs. M/V
 

I believe it was called the M/V Mount Washington before it was cut in half a few years ago when they added 25 feet to its length. The additional length put it into another class which required it to be renamed the M/S Mount Washington.

Senter Cove Guy is correct. When they stretched her to 230ft it changed classification from Motor Vessel to Motor Ship.

You should talk about her history! (Those not interested will not read.) The Mount is a big part of our lake and everyone loves and cares about who she was and is.

weather
 

No matter whether it is the M/S, M/V it is a beatiful site to see even on a rainy day. Looks like the weatherman was WRONG, again! As the lake was beautiful all day..no storm clouds in site. Looks like he should have gone for a ride late in the day, after he got fired for being wrong once again this season!
:liplick:

Here's An Informative Link
 

FIRST Name
 

Without cheating, does anyone remember what she was called even before she was the S.S. Mount Washington?

I suppose I shouldn't answer that. I dug up all sorts of information of her previous life on Lake Champlain. :laugh: Very interesing stuff. I look upon her with awe. Our beautiful ship has been floating around for 116 years. Imagine that.

RG, the SS; not the MV.

Before being called the SS Mount Washington, I believe she was know as Trees. :D

Or, do you mean this SS Mount Washington?

Here's a more recent article and picture (scroll about halfway down for the article).

http://bodegabay.blogs.com/bodega_ba...washington.gif

m/s mt. washington (memories)
 

my fondest memories aboard the beautifull m/s mt. washington-- It was july fourth 1971. a most beautifull sunny day. that afternoon while on a spectacular afetrnoon cruise with wife and three siblings,the youngest member (8 mths) old wearing his brand new first pair of shoes descided that he didnt like them, and before anyone could react, he whipped one of them off his little foot and threw it overboard. after getting over the shock of having seen my hard earned money go swimming, (permanatley) we all had quite a laugh. here we are dragging my one shoe Kid all over the lakes region for the rest of the day. I took many pictures that day of the little---- with his one shoe.

we still kid him all the time about that day! :D :D

Be Careful RG, you must remember there was the SS Mount Washington, and the present ship that was originally the Chateaugay....renamed the SS Mount Washington II and then M/V then M/S. But that should answer your question, she was a side wheeler in her earlier days as a ferry from Plattsburg NY to Burlington VT.

So We're All on the Same Page
 

Just so we're all on the same page:

1872 - The Original Sidewheeler S.S. Mount Washington Launched in Alton.

1939 - [Spark, Flame, Glug-Glug] S.S. Mount Washington Sinks at the Weirs after a fire.

1940 - Steamer Chateauguay cut into 20 pieces in Vermont, shipped by train to NH, put back together (with a new look) and becomes S.S. Mount Washington II

1982 - S.S. Mount Washington II cut in half. 25 feet added to the middle. Renamed M.S. Mount Washington.

Can't resist.......1982 M/V Mount Washington cut in half just in front of the stack, and a 24 foot section was added bringing her to a total of 230ft as she is today. I can show you the welds!!!

Photo of the Mount Cut in Half
 

Here's a photo clipping I took the day after they cut her in half.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...php?photo=3426

A Little More of Her History
 

1888 - The Chateaugay is the first iron-hulled steamboat on Lake Champlain. It is 205 feet long, has 1,000 horsepower, and travels 20 mph. Cost: $101,000. Was designed as a passenger excursion boat and considered state of the art. The Chateaugay was replaced by the famous Ticonderoga and was reserved for special excursions.
1917 - Taken out of service during WORLD WAR I
1919 - Returns to service in 1919 (One season while Ticonderoga is repaired.)
1925 - Pulled out of storage and converted into Automobile Ferry
1927 - Pressed into service for flood disaster work. The roads and railways had received a huge amount of damage and could not be used. The lake was the only way to reach people. She was loaded down with food, medical supplies, building materials, clothing and what ever else they could put on her. She navigated the lake without hitting any debris from the flood.
1930's - Used as a club house by The Lake Champlain Yacht Club.
1940 - Becomes The SS Mount Washington II

Talk About Depreciation When You Drive Her Off the Lot!!!
 

Captain Lavallee bought her for $20K only to cut her into pieces, ship her by train, and put her back together for an additional $125K. Adjusting for inflation, this would be the equivolent of $263,000 to buy her and $1.6 million to renovate her!

Random thoughts about the Mount...

Hard to believe when looking at her that she's only 16 years younger than the original Mt. Washington, of course there's probably very little of the original iron left in her.

I was under the impression she was propeller driven from day one. I read that the diesel engines that were installed in 1940 were pulled out and sold the the Navy for use in a war ship. After the war, different engines were put in her.

Rochester Truck repair has a valve on thier sales counter that supposedly came from one of the Mount's engines. It's quite large and heavy.

Some of the pleasure boats on the lake have substantially more HP than the Mount which only has 1300 hp on tap.

Dave R..
 

Actually all of the original hull from 1888 is still there. True, it has been plated over since then but if you were to see her from below decks you would see the original pieces brought to lakeport in 1940. As far as the engines go, she was originally powered by steam engines in 1940, but as you mention they were removed for the war effort. She was repowered in '46 with the present Enterprise Diesels that run her twin screws. So she has always been twin screw since 1940 the only change was the engines from steam to diesel. :)

Great info, thanks. This forum is great. It's fun to see my kids get excited whenever they spot the Mount on the lake. Have to admit I rather enjoy a mount siting myself. She's a neat old ship.