AH-WR-0851

Sunken Fleet of 1758 Bateaux

Bateau · United States · Lost Autumn 1758 · Lake George

Seven surviving 1758 British bateaux, deliberately sunk to hide them from the French, now form one of Lake George's oldest diver preserves.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

As many as 260 flat-bottomed bateaux were deliberately sunk in Lake George in the autumn of 1758 to keep them from capture by French forces during the French and Indian War, sealing them beneath the winter ice until they could be recovered. Seven of these original boats survive together as the Sunken Fleet of 1758, joined in 1997 by a full-size replica built by local schoolchildren. The site became one of Lake George's first Submerged Heritage Preserves in 1993 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Vessel

Built: 1758
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: 30 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Oar and pole, stern sweep
Owners: British colonial forces, French and Indian War

Loss

Date: Autumn 1758
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Lake George, New York
Water: Lake George
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Seven original bateaux survive on the lake bottom, joined by a full-scale replica bateau sunk nearby in 1997 to help interpret the site for divers.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: New York State Submerged Heritage Preserve; listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Position

Coordinates: 43.426° N 73.697° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Lake George, New York
Region: Lake George

This is the NRHP-listed 'Wiawaka Bateaux' preserve site of seven French and Indian War bateaux sunk in 1758, marked by a Bateaux Below historical marker giving coordinates 43°25.567'N, 73°41.817'W near Wiawaka Holiday House on Lake George.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Preserve description, number of bateaux, National Register listing.
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
1993 preserve opening, replica bateau detail.
American Heritage magazine
1758 scuttling context, number of bateaux used in the campaign.
Historical Marker Database - Wiawaka Bateaux Historical Marker
wreck position (historical marker coordinates)
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation - Bateaux Below
identification of the Sunken Fleet of 1758 as a Bateaux Below/DEC-managed preserve site