The Sunken Fleet of 1758

From 1755 to 1763, Britain and France fought in the French and Indian War. During the autumn of 1758, Lake George was a focal point for this struggle.  One of the types of warships used by both sides in this frontier conflict was bateau (spelled bateaux in the plural).

Bateaux had flat bottoms, flaring sides and raked bows and sterns.  They were usually propelled by oars or poles and steered by a stern sweep.  Bateaux were typically 25 to 35 feet long.  Built of pine planks with simple oak frames, bateaux could be rapidly produced and were widely employed in the 18th century for moving troops and supplies . Whenever possible, Colonial armies moved via water to avoid marching through dangerous roadless wilderness.  As many as 900 bateaux were used against French-held Fort Carillon (later renamed Fort Ticonderoga) in the summer of 1758.  Some 260 bateaux were reportedly sunk in Lake George in the autumn of 1758 to seal them under the ice and prevent their capture or destruction by French forces.

    Seven of the eight bateaux are part of The Sunken Fleet of 1758.  The eighth bateau,  the southernmost one, is a replica built by local school children and teachers.  In 1997, the 23-foot replica bateau was sunk near the site to enhance the preserve visit for divers, to test Colonial sinking techniques, and to study the deterioration process of a wooden vessel in a freshwater environment.

    The seven 1758 bateaux, sometimes referred to as the Wiawaka Bateaux Cluster, are 25 to 36 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide.  Archaeological research by Bateaux Below, Inc. has documented design features and construction elements typical of mid-18th century bateaux.  The warships lie roughly perpendicular to shore over a 450-foot-long area, suggesting they were all scuttled at once.  Only the bottom planks, the lower parts of ribs, some cleats, and garboards remain.  Stones, apparently used to help sink them, are seen.

    Additional historical research may reveal why these bateaux were not recovered.  The seven 1758 bateaux were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.  A blue-and-yellow metal historic marker about these shipwrecks was erected on shore.  That historic marker overlooks the southernmost bateaux of the cluster and is visible from the mooring buoy area.

    Location: The site is approximately one mile north of Lake George's Million Dollar Beach on the east side of the lake.

Special Diving Conditions and Guidelines

Depth of water- 25 to 50 feet

Experience Level - INTERMEDIATE