Sail to Savings Aboard the M/S Mount Washington

Weirs Beach, NHTheres a deal in them waters. New Shopping Safari Cruises on the M/S Mount Washington offer passengers the ultimate cruise and shop package.

June 30, 2004 -- For just $25, passengers get a fun and scenic cruise with a souvenir canvas tote bag with local maps and guides, a bottle of water, an energy snack, a variety of cost-saving ideas and activities, and the Mount Washington Passport to Savings. The passport contains hundreds of dollars in coupons to local retailers and restaurants in New Hampshires Lakes Region.

Board the Mount at 10 a.m. and start a Safari. Simply get off at the next port, spend two and a half hours shopping, and then cruise back with the Mount later that day. And, the Mount Washington Fantail Grill offers take off picnic lunches for on-land shopping stops, or sit down and enjoy a meal with the best view in New Hampshire.

The M/S Mount Washingtons official season runs from May 15th through October 24th. Daily cruises depart from Weirs Beach and service the ports of Meredith, Wolfeboro, Center Harbor and Alton Bay. Adult fares are $19, with children 13 to 16 paying $9, and children under 13 sailing free. Each year the 230-foot boat offers daily scenic cruises as well as evening dinner and dance cruises from the ships summer homeport of Weirs Beach.

For 132 seasons, Mount Washington Cruises has plied the waters of New Hampshires largest lake, Winnipesaukee. From its early days as a travel and cargo vessel to the motor ship that today carries more than 100,000 tourists a season, Mount Washington Cruises has a rich and colorful role in the history of the Lakes Region.

The initial vessel, a wooden side-wheeler, was built and launched by the Boston & Maine Railroad company in 1872 for the sole purpose of transporting travelers and cargo from one side of the big lake to the other. The S.S. Mount Washington or the Old Mount, as the vessel is referred to today, quickly dominated the lake transportation business. By the late 1800s, it was not uncommon for her to carry over 60,000 people per season. As the century came to a close, an increasing number of the Mounts passengers were tourists rather than travelers.

By the early 1900s, the Old Mounts homeport of Weirs Beach had been transformed into a thriving tourism destination. The coming of the railroad, and later the automobile, transformed the entire Lakes Region into a popular destination for vacation travelers from Greater Boston and beyond.

But, the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee did not keep Weirs Beach protected from the fires that afflicted tourist communities across the state in the first half of the 20th century. In 1939, a fire broke out in the railroad station and quickly spread down the ramp to the dock where the S.S. Mount Washington was berthed for the winter. The ship was completely destroyed.

The ships captain, 70 year old local, Leander Lavallee, was determined to rebuild the Mount, though a physical reconstruction would be impossible due to the build up of steel munitions before World War II. With support from the community, the Captain located an iron vessel for sale on Vermonts Lake Champlain. Less than a year later, a crew dismantled the vessels 230 foot hull, cut it into twenty sections, and shipped it by flatbed railroad car to New Hampshire. Reassembled and outfitted with a new steel structure and new steam engines, the newly christened S.S. Mount Washington II began carrying passengers the summer of 1940.

Since the Mounts reconstruction in 1940, the vessel has solidified itself as a New Hampshire institution. As the tourism industry and the Lakes Region has grown and developed, the Mount also expanded, adding 25 feet, twin diesel engines, and the title, M.S. (Motor Ship), to its name.

Once just a summer attraction, the Mount now operates May through October, offering daytime scenic, evening dinner & dance, and special themed cruises. With a capacity of 1,250 passengers, the Mount serves as the largest restaurant in the state and a popular gathering point for school proms, college reunions, large corporate celebrations and weddings.

Today, in addition to operating the Mount, the Winnipesaukee Flagship Corporation also owns and operates the 74 U.S. Mail Boat Sophie C., and 68 Doris E. Both vessels offer scenic lake cruises in July and August from Weirs Beach.

The M/S Mount Washingtons official season runs from May 15th through October 24th. Daily cruises depart from Weirs Beach and service the ports of Meredith, Wolfeboro, Center Harbor and Alton Bay. Fares are $19 for adults. Each year the 230-foot boat offers daily scenic cruises as well as evening dinner and dance cruises from the ships summer homeport of Weirs Beach

To learn more about Mount Washington Cruises please call toll-free (888) 843-6686 or visit their Website at www.cruisenh.com

# # #