THOUGHT TO BE LOST FOREVER. THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE. ONE OF THE VINTAGE BOATHOUSE IS ON LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE. THIS IS BOURNE’S MOORING BOATHOUSE. BEFORE. AND THIS IS THE AFTER. THAT ALWAYS TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY WHEN YOU SEE A HISTORIC BUILDING FALL HERE ON THE LAKE. WHAT? THE COMBINATION OF OLD AGE WIND AND 24 INCHES OF HEAVY, WET SNOW. THE BOATHOUSE COLLAPSED, BRINGING THE 103 YEAR OLD WOODEN CLASSIC BOAT CALLED FAIRHAVEN DOWN WITH IT. A FRIEND OF MINE REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, HEY, MY BOAT WAS IN THERE AND I WENT NOT TO FAIRHAVEN. AND WHEN IT TURNED 100, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT IN THE BOATHOUSE STORE. SO WE’RE VERY EXCITED TO TELL THAT STORY. AND IT’S A BEAUTIFUL OLD THEY’RE JUST THERE’S NOT ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT ON THE LAKE. BORN IN 1921, FAIRHAVEN HAS NEVER BEEN OFF OF LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE. FAIRHAVEN WAS UNDERWATER WITH PRESSURE BEAMS AND PIECES OF THE BOAT HOUSE COVERING IT. BUT TIM MCDONALD FROM MARINE SOLUTIONS DISCOVERED SOMETHING. WE WERE ABLE TO SEND THE ROBOT IN AND KIND OF START SURVEYING AROUND AND YOU KNOW, I’M LOOKING FOR PIECES, SO I’M ON THE BOTTOM AND I’M LOOKING FOR CHUNKS AND THIS AND THAT. AND WHEN I ROTATED THE CAMERA UP, IT WAS INTACT. THE GOLD CHANGED FROM PICK UP THE PIECES TO TRY TO KEEP THE WOODEN BOAT IN ONE PIECE. CHALLENGE WISE, THIS WAS LIKE A NINE OUT OF TEN, ONLY BECAUSE WE HAD TO DO IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE KEPT THE PRESSURE ON EQUALLY AS WE PULLED IT OUT. IN TOTAL, THE PROCESS TOOK TWO DAYS TO COMPLETE A FULL DAY OF PREP AND THEN A FULL DAY OF SQUEEZING IT OUT. BUT AFTER A MIRACLE, FAIRHAVEN HAS LIFE. SHE’LL SAIL AGAIN. SHE’S GOT ANOTHER LIFE. AND SHE’S GOING TO GO BEYOND HER 103 YEARS, WHICH SHE REALLY DESERVES TO SAIL THE WINNIPESAUKEE FOREVER, I THINK. AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE GOAL. THE OWNER OF THE BOAT, ACTUALLY, SHE’S AN EXPERT CRAFTSMAN AND HE WAS WORKING ON THE BOAT TODAY AND ACTUALLY GOT IT TO RUN, WHICH IS, WOW, CREDIBLE. SO THEY’RE HOPING TO HAVE FAIRHAVEN BACK ON THE WATER BY THIS SUMMER. A SILVER LINING. YEAH. AND IF YOU SEE RIGHT BACK THERE, LOOKS LIKE IT’S IN PRETT
103-year-old boat miraculously salvaged after historic boathouse collapses
Updated: 7:43 PM CST Jan 29, 2023
After a turbulent week of winter weather near the end of January, a boathouse collapsed on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, which contained a boat more than 100 years old thought to be lost forever.”It always takes your breath away when you see a historic building fall here on the lake,” said Jaime Laurent, co-chair of the New Hampshire Boat Museum.With the combination of old age, wind and 24 inches of heavy, wet snow, Morin’s Mooring Boat House collapsed, bringing the 103-year-old wooden classic boat “Fairhaven” down with it.”When it turned 100, we had the opportunity to have it in the boathouse tour, so we were really excited to tell that story,” Laurent said.”It’s a beautiful boat,” said Jonathon James, who’s known the boat since 1960. “There’s not another one like it on the lake.”Born in 1921, “Fairhaven” has never been off Lake Winnipesaukee.”Fairhaven” was underwater with pressure, beams and pieces of the boathouse covering it. But, McDonald discovered that the boat was not completely destroyed.”We were able to send the robot in and had to start surveying around,” McDonald said. “I’m looking for pieces, so I’m on the bottom looking for chunks and this and that, and when I rotated the camera up, it was intact.”The goal changed from pick up the pieces to try to keep the wooden boat in one piece.”Challenge-wise, this was a nine out of 10, only because we had to do it in such a way that we kept the pressure on equally as we pulled it out,” McDonald said.In total, the process took two days to complete — a full day of prep, then a full day of squeezing it out. But after a miracle, the “Fairhaven” has life.”She’ll sail again. She’s got another life,” Laurent said. “She’s going beyond her 103 years which she really deserves to sail the Winnipesaukee forever, I think.”The owner of the boat is also a craftsman and is now working on the boat. They’re hoping for “Fairhaven” to be back on the water by the spring.
After a turbulent week of winter weather near the end of January, a boathouse collapsed on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, which contained a boat more than 100 years old thought to be lost forever.
“It always takes your breath away when you see a historic building fall here on the lake,” said Jaime Laurent, co-chair of the New Hampshire Boat Museum.
With the combination of old age, wind and 24 inches of heavy, wet snow, Morin’s Mooring Boat House collapsed, bringing the 103-year-old wooden classic boat “Fairhaven” down with it.
“When it turned 100, we had the opportunity to have it in the boathouse tour, so we were really excited to tell that story,” Laurent said.
“It’s a beautiful boat,” said Jonathon James, who’s known the boat since 1960. “There’s not another one like it on the lake.”
Born in 1921, “Fairhaven” has never been off Lake Winnipesaukee.
“Fairhaven” was underwater with pressure, beams and pieces of the boathouse covering it. But, McDonald discovered that the boat was not completely destroyed.
“We were able to send the robot in and had to start surveying around,” McDonald said. “I’m looking for pieces, so I’m on the bottom looking for chunks and this and that, and when I rotated the camera up, it was intact.”
The goal changed from pick up the pieces to try to keep the wooden boat in one piece.
“Challenge-wise, this was a nine out of 10, only because we had to do it in such a way that we kept the pressure on equally as we pulled it out,” McDonald said.
In total, the process took two days to complete — a full day of prep, then a full day of squeezing it out. But after a miracle, the “Fairhaven” has life.
“She’ll sail again. She’s got another life,” Laurent said. “She’s going beyond her 103 years which she really deserves to sail the Winnipesaukee forever, I think.”
The owner of the boat is also a craftsman and is now working on the boat. They’re hoping for “Fairhaven” to be back on the water by the spring.
