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Here is the new Plattsburg bateau during the
Battle of Plattsburg re-enactment on Sept 11, 1999. The
photo taken where the Saranac River empties into Lake
Champlain.
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The plans for this bateau
were provided by John Anson at the New York State
Museum. The original prototype, called the Discovery,
was built at Schoharie, NY, school district, presumably
by students and shop instructors. We made minor
modifications, but stuck close to the plans. We got a
lot of background advice from John and also Dale Henry
at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum at Basin Harbor,
VT.
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The builders of the Rooster (the figure
on the bow) were Chris Booth, a modern sailor and local
building contractor who provided us with a large indoor
heated shop and tools; Travis Tucker, a skilled
woodworker, sailor and an old hand with boats; Keith
Herkalo, artist/craftsman and modern sailor; Don Craig,
Craig Russell and Jack Barrette, all re-enactors,
woodworkers and lovers of old boats.
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The boat is named the Rooster in honor of the
fighting cock that Commodore Macdonough and the crew
had on board the Saratoga during the battle - the
legend is that he stood on the railing near the cannon
and crowed loudly during the fighting.
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The Rooster is 32 feet long with a 7 foot beam
at the gunwale; lapstrake construction. The ribs and
stems are red oak; planks and battens of white pine;
oars and oar blocks of white ash, and the oar lock pins
of locust; seven oar lock positions for versatility.
And that's a hand-carved rooster head atop the bow
stem. The Rooster is fitted with a post in the
bow deck to receive a swivel gun.
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The boat will be housed this winter in a
building on the Old Base (formerly US Army and then Air
Force) - an old stone barracks that eventually will
become our new interpretive center and museum. We're
planning to fit the Rooster with a square-rigged sail
and a swivel gun of our own. The swivel in the
picture was loaned to us by Bill Davidson of
Potsdam.
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