AH-WR-0933

Onnalinda

Steamboat · United States · Lost Dismantled for scrap and sunk in 1913. · The Finger Lakes

Canandaigua Lake's largest excursion steamer, the 'Queen of the Steamboat Era,' scrapped and sunk in 1913 and now the focus of a proposed underwater preserve.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Launched in 1888 for the Canandaigua Lake Steamboat Company, Onnalinda was built by Alonzo Springstead and could carry 600 passengers, with room for 400 more aboard a towed boat. Known locally as the "Queen of the Steamboat Era," she served Canandaigua Lake for a quarter-century before being dismantled for scrap and sunk in 1913 opposite the Canandaigua Yacht Club. In 2022 the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association received a grant to establish an underwater preserve at the site, alongside the nearby wreck of the steamer Seneca Chief.

Vessel

Built: 1888
Builder: Alonzo Springstead
Yard: Geneva, New York
Material: Wood
Length: 142 ft
Beam: 40 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam
Owners: Canandaigua Lake Steamboat Company

Loss

Date: Dismantled for scrap and sunk in 1913.
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Opposite the Canandaigua Yacht Club, Canandaigua Lake
Water: Canandaigua Lake
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Subject of a proposed underwater preserve (Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, funded 2022)