The ''Minne-Ha-Ha'' is a sternwheel
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
on
Lake George, New York, and is owned and operated by the
Lake George Steamboat Company
The Lake George Steamboat Company was incorporated in 1817 to operate steamboats on Lake George (lake), New York, Lake George, New York (state), New York. It is the oldest company in the Lake George region. The company operates steamboats that run ...
.
Background
During the 1950s and 1960s, the
Lake George Steamboat Company
The Lake George Steamboat Company was incorporated in 1817 to operate steamboats on Lake George (lake), New York, Lake George, New York (state), New York. It is the oldest company in the Lake George region. The company operates steamboats that run ...
owned and operated two ships on Lake George: the ''
Ticonderoga II
''Ticonderoga II'' was a passenger vessel owned by the Lake George Steamboat Company to operate on Lake George. It was refitted for passenger use from a decommissioned U.S. Navy vessel. Formerly USS ''LCI(L)-1085'', she was an built for the Nav ...
'', a retired navy ship from World War II, and the ''
Mohican II
''Mohican II'' is a historic steel riveted hull excursion steamboat located at Lake George in Warren County, New York. She was built in 1907-08 for the Lake George Steamboat Company by the T.S. Marvel Shipuilding Company of Newburgh, New York. She ...
'', a converted steamer (to diesel) that was built by the company between 1907 and 1908. The Ticonderoga made trips up and down the lake, while the Mohican would make two trips into Paradise Bay.
[Gates, William Preston. ""Minne-Ha-Ha (II)"" Lake George Boats and Steamboats. Queensbury, NY: W.P. Gates Pub., 2003. p. 148. ] In 1968, the number of tourists to
Lake George Village, the primary port of the Lake George Steamboats, increased, and requests for shorter cruises became more frequent.
[Lake George Steamboat Company. Mountain Steamers: The History of the Lake George Steamboat Company 1817-2000. Vol. 3. N.p.: n.p., n.d. p. 22. Print.] It became evident that a third boat was needed to satisfy the people who did not have time for the longer cruises provided by the two ships. Wilbur Dow, the company's owner at the time, wanted to make the boat itself an attraction and it was quickly decided that it should be powered by steam.
A sidewheeler was originally considered to keep with the tradition of the older steamboats on the lake, but the ship, at an estimated 100-foot design, would have appeared to be too wide and short.
It was then decided to construct a sternwheeler steamboat which would debut in the summer of 1969.
Construction and design
The ship was designed by H.M. Tiedemann Company of New York City. Construction started on October 2, 1968, at the Steamboat Company's shipyard in Baldwin, located near
Ticonderoga, New York
Ticonderoga (, moh, Tekaniataró:ken) is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Mohawk ''tekontaró:ken'', meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways".
The Tow ...
, at the lake's northern end. The hull of the new ship was launched on December 6, 1968, and was towed by the ''Mohican'' to the Steel Pier in Lake George Village.
The remainder of the boat's superstructure was erected there, and completed over the winter months at the cost of $270,000. The new boat was 103 feet long, had a 30-foot beam, and a draft of 3.5 feet. She had a displacement of 200 tons and a top speed of 7 miles per hour.
Wilbur Dow's wife, Ruth, struck the champagne bottle against the boat on July 30, 1969, and the ship was christened ''Minne-Ha-Ha'', meaning "laughing waters". She is the second boat by the Lake George Steamboat Company to have this name, sharing it with a sidewheeler that served from 1857 to 1878.
1998 renovation
The ship became so popular over the years that Bill Dow, Wilbur's son, decided to modify the ''Minne''.
[Gates, William Preston. "Minne-Ha-Ha (II)" Lake George Boats and Steamboats. Queensbury, NY: W.P. Gates Pub., 2003. p. 149. ] Since she did not fit the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
, meaning she was not handicapped accessible, along with her difficult navigation because of her low speed, the decision was made to lengthen the vessel.
[Lake George Steamboat Company. Mountain Steamers: The History of the Lake George Steamboat Company 1817-2000. Vol. 3. N.p.: n.p., n.d. p. 37. Print.] On September 14, 1998, she sailed up to the drydock at Baldwin and her hull was replaced with a new, well-designed one. Her midsection was cut into two pieces, and 34 feet of the hull was installed between them. On December 9 of that year, she was launched back into the lake and towed back to the Steel Pier by the ''Mohican'', where her superstructure was completed. Her renovation was completed in late May 1999. She was also given a handicap-accessible elevator to provide access to her second deck. A small propeller powered by a
Caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
diesel engine was added in front of her paddlewheel as a backup safety measure to assist the ship in the event that it was to lose steam power, as had happened in the past. A propeller was added to assist the much larger ''Minne'' in docking and preventing the ship from becoming beached on large rocks next to her dock due to the lake's strong winds. The ''Minne-Ha-Ha'' is only powered by her steam paddle wheel during her trip. Her signature twin split stacks were removed and replaced by a 30-foot-tall sleek, single stack, and her three steam whistles were mounted to the new stack. The old stacks are still viewable from their mounting location on the Steel Pier. She retains her steam
calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses" ...
and plays it after every cruise. A 12 x 20 ft. skylight was added to her top deck. After renovation, the ''Minne'' upgraded to a length of 137 feet and a draft of 3 feet 9 inches. She has a top speed of approximately 8 mph.
21st century
In 2001, her paddlewheel was rebuilt. After the 2007 season, her skylight was removed and replaced with an elevated seating area, which provides more seats with an escalated view. In 2008, "Happy Birthday" was played on her calliope to honor the 100th birthday of the ''Mohican''.
In 2013, the Lake George Steamboat Company revived an old tradition of steamers playing their calliopes as they enter Lake George Village returning to por, in addition to playing it after each cruise.
Cruises
Since August 1, 1969, the ''Minne'' makes six-hourly trips each day; daily during the summer months, and on weekends during the spring and fall. Due to the boat's popularity, a seventh-hour cruise was added over the years, as well as a moonlight entertainment cruise on Saturday nights.
Steam whistles
The ''Minne'' has three operating steam whistles mounted on her stack: an 8" Crosby 3-Chime, an 8" x 50" single note "Mockingbird", and a 1912 3-Bell Lunkenheimer steam whistle which was originally on the ''Iroquois'', an Army Corps of Engineers boat on the Ohio River. The "Mockingbird" debuted in 1970 and replaced the boat's original three-chime whistle. The Crosby was added during the 1970s, and the Lunkenheimer was added during the 1998 renovation.
Calliope
The original calliope was built in 1974 by the Frisbie Engine & Machine Co. The Frisbie calliope was replaced by a smaller model in 1993, before being replaced with a new one built and installed by Dave Morecraft in 2013.
References
{{coord missing, New York (state)
1969 establishments in New York (state)
1969 ships
Paddle steamers of the United States
Passenger ships of the United States
Tourist attractions in Essex County, New York
Transportation in Essex County, New York