Lake Winnipesaukee: Graveyard of Shipwrecks

By Mark Okrant

in the middle of the state is an irregular-shaped water feature that measures 20 miles long and as much as 12 miles

Bug House Blues

wide. You simply can’t miss Lake Winnipesaukee. The state’s biggest lake is situated at 504 feet above sea level — below the foothills of the White Mountains. It is host to some 275 islands. Perhaps you’re one of the many who has traveled beyond the lake’s wooded shoreline and experienced the crystal-clear water of this spring-fed lake. Approaching the shoreline from almost any direction, you will realize why indigenous people chose the name Winnipesaukee, which means “beautiful water in a high place.”

For generations, Lake Winnipesaukee has been a popular summer destination. And why not? Within its wetted perimeter are approximately 72 square miles of surface water, 240 miles of shoreline, and 625 billion gallons of water. At its deepest point, Winnipesaukee is 187 feet deep and has an average depth of 43 feet. Given the fact that the water in Winnipesaukee is exception- ally clear, such a lake simply must be hiding an abundance of secrets.

Perhaps no active diver in New Hampshire is more accomplished or respectful of historic landmarks in the Big Lake than Hans Hug Jr. of Exeter. In 2015, operating a side-scan sonar, he made a particularly important discovery: the paddlewheel of the SS Mount Washington, the predecessor of today’s tour boat. The original Mount plied the waters of Winnipesaukee from 1872 to 1939, until it caught fire and sank somewhere off the coast of Weirs Beach. The fact that Hug’s discovery took more than three-quarters of a century is particularly remarkable, given the fact that the waters of Weirs Beach are some of the busiest in the lake. Yet, numerous boaters have passed over the Mount’s gravesite without realizing it.

For Hug and divers like him, Winnipesaukee holds numerous wrecks waiting to be discovered. As Hug told the

Laconia Daily Sun in an interview several years ago, “Dive under any bridge, and you’ll find something: guns, bikes, radar detectors, safes, chainsaws.” At that time, Hug told the newspaper he has discovered more than 80 wrecks on the lake’s bottom. Of those, 35 were steamboats, 40 motorboats, 10 barges up to 60 feet long, and three early-model Ford vehicles. Hug believes that none of his finds had ever been discovered before. That makes sense, as most people lack the appropriate combination of equipment and expertise to attempt a salvage effort in Winnipesaukee.

Situated in Wolfeboro, Dive Winnipesaukee offers an experienced search, salvage, and recovery dive team. According to the www.divewinnipesaukee.com website, there are numerous dive sites, highlighted by the following:

“The Lady of the Lake” was built in 1848-1849 by the Winnipesaukee Steamship Co. She was a side-wheel paddle steamer, 125 feet long, and went on to dominate commercial lake traffic until 1872, when the steamship “Mount Washington” was launched. In 1893, she was docked in Glendale Cove (now named Smith Cove), stripped of machinery, and used as temporary housing for the workmen building Kimball Castle. In 1895, her keel was filled with rocks and she was going to be sunk in deep water north of Rattlesnake Island. While being towed, she sank unexpectedly in the middle of the cove. She rests upright in 30 feet of water in front of New Hampshire Marine Patrol Headquarters. She is one of the easiest and most popular dive sites in the lake. The water temperature ranges between 65 and 78 degrees in the summer, requiring full wetsuits. The average visibility at the site is 10 - 20 feet. The double-layered oak hull and decking remain intact, allowing for diving through the deck holes and peeking out the portholes.

A steam barge sank in the early 1900s near Weirs Beach. It lies in about 45 feet of water, due east of the black-andwhite buoy off Doe Point. It was a work barge, designed for driving pilings into the mud. The wreck is intact. It sits upright, and the crane and boiler are still attached. It is a cold dive (52 degrees F in the summer), so a hood and gloves are strongly recommended. Also, have a strong light.

The “Empty Pockets” and the Diamond Island Dory are two wrecks located close to one another off the northwest point of Diamond Island. “Empty Pockets” is a twin-engine cabin cruiser about 28 feet long. It rests in about 55 feet of water. Registration suggests that it sank in the late 1970s. The hull is intact, but the helm station has started to cave in. The Diamond Island Dory is located to the southeast of “Empty Pockets,” about 40 yards toward the island.

The 19-foot boat is in about 35 feet of water. There may still be a tow line running from the starboard side bow rail of “Empty Pockets” to the Dory.

There are two wrecks located off the eastern side of Ship Island. The first wreck lies directly east of Ship Island on a rocky slope, at a depth of 30 feet. It appears to be a 25-foot cruiser with a closed bow from the 1950s. The hull is visible, along with a big block motor and shaft and batteries. The second wreck lies north of the first wreck in 85 feet of water. The wreck is about 18 feet long, with a red hull, white decking, and a steering wheel. There is no motor and no visible hardware. Both wrecks are accesible on a single dive.

The Horseboat Barge is a flat-bottomed vessel that was one of the earliest on the lake, and typical of Yankee ingenuity. It was powered by two horses on a treadmill toward the rear of the barge. They turned a paddle wheel, with a large stern sweep for steering. It was used primarily to deliver coal and other goods to the islands in the 1850s and 1860s. That type of barge eventually became obsolete following the invention of the steam engine. There are only two known examples of that type of boat left in the United States. The 60-foot long wreck lies near the western end of Bear Island, just south of the mailboat dock.

The wreck of the “Echo Junior” lies in about 38 feet of water on the south side of the white-and-red-topped buoy in Loon Cove (Alton Bay). The 28-foot hull is intact. It burned to the waterline on its maiden voyage. The engine of the 1940s speedboat is a 12-cylinder Allison Aircraft engine. The wreck is very, very fragile, so divers should not touch it.

A lot of boat hulls, barges, and engines were sunk throughout the mooring fields during the many years of the Goodhue and Hawkins Navy Yard’s operation. To the right of the anchored sailboats, there is a single-engine steamship located in 39 feet of water. Next to the steamship is the hull of a small cruiser.

Located on the shores of West Alton, the Rum Point site has tremendous rock and wall formations as well as a logging truck that sank in 1965 toward Echo Shores. There may be a missing shipment of illegal rum, as that point was one of the popular launching sites during prohibition. A load was lost there.

There remains considerable curiosity about visiting known wrecks at the bottom of Winnipesaukee, and finding new ones. If that describes you, be advised to procure the services of a qualified diving company.

New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail Invites Visitors To Explore History

Created by the New Hampshire Historical Society, the 603 History Hunt is one of several experiential learning opportunities on the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail that invite exploration of history in fun and creative ways.

“Everyone can learn more about the people, places, and events that make New Hampshire special while spending time traveling around the state completing challenges,” said Jenn Walton, assistant director of education and public programs.

Some challenges can be completed from anywhere in the state while others