September 21, 2020 | THE LAKER | Page 3
‘Mini Mount’ Restoration Is Complete By Thomas P. Caldwell Restoration of the M/V Mini Mount, a one-fifth-scale version of the M/S Mount Washington, now owned by the New Hampshire Boat Museum in Wolfeboro, has been completed and the vessel is waiting to move into its new home at the museum’s Bay Street property. The nearly 50-foot vessel that once plied the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, often mistaken for the actual cruise ship when seen at a distance, has been undergoing a restoration since Doug Smith of Laconia purchased it in 2011. Doug and his neighbor, Tim Lacey, have been repainting it and replacing some rot, but said the overall structure has remained in good shape and the engines had been meticulously maintained. “It was mostly just surface rust,” Doug said, particularly along the 200 feet of railing which had been covered with a metal mesh that wore the paint off. Doug purchased the vessel from Mount Washington Cruises, owner of the M/S Mount Washington, which had acquired it after it had been taken out of the water, but had never found a use for it. He said he ran across an ad when it was placed on the market for sale, and, “I made what I thought was a foolish offer — and it was, because they accepted it.” Although he had no place to store the Mini Mount, Doug said he couldn’t
The perspective in this photo makes the M/V Mini Mount appear larger than the M/S Mount Washington. (Courtesy Photo)
stand by and see it destroyed or allowed to rot. Because of its size, there were limited places to launch and dock the vessel. He donated it to the NH Boat Museum in 2015 while continuing its restoration. Popularity Tim Lacey, who has spent most of his life in Laconia and “has had a boat since [he] was five,” was surprised to learn that his neighbor had purchased the Mini Mount — and that he had done so without a place to store it. “Tim adopted it from Day 1,” Doug Smith said.
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Having been friends with Dave Ewing of Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe in Gilford, Tim asked whether they would be able to store the vessel at his shop for two years while they worked on its restoration. Today, nearly nine years later, they have finally finished the restoration, allowing the Mini Mount to move closer to its final destination with the NH Boat Museum. Mike’s Marine Transportation of Gilford came through for them when it was time to transport the Mini Mount from Center Harbor, where it had spent the winter with its “mother ship,” the Mount Washington, to
Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe, where Dave provided space outside for them to work on the boat. They had to erect a shelter to protect it from the elements, and found they had several volunteers who offered to help without compensation because of their love of the Mini Mount. “The best thing about this is the people we’ve met because of their interest in the boat,” Tim said. “People had either seen it on the lake or read about it, and a lot of people feel a connection with it.” • Mini Mount continued on page 4
