Get Steamin’ at the Steamboat Meet!

By Rosalie Triolo

When David Thompson was 15 years old, he acquired his first steamboat. In the summer, he would visit his grandfather on Lake Winnipesaukee and then steam back home to Wolfeboro where his father worked at Goodhue and Hawkins. Thompson has, himself, built 20-plus steamboats. He has also built 30 steamboats for other people and explained that it takes six cords of hard wood to get through the Annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet.

“Generations of steamboat builders from great-grandfathers to grandfathers and fathers have passed along to future generations, not only the skill, but the passion and satisfaction experienced from a sense of accomplishment derived from building the boat, engine and boiler and joining other enthusiasts at the annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet,” said Thompson.

Friday, September 6 will mark the beginning of the 47th Annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet in Moultonborough, on Lake Winnipesaukee. The 10-day Meet sponsored by the town of Moultonborough traditionally begins the first Friday after Labor Day. This year the date is Friday, September 6, lasting through the week and ending on Sunday, September 15. A parade of steamboats is held each Sunday of the event – the first Sunday at 2 pm and the second Sunday at 10 am. A steamboat cruise takes place on Wednesday, September 11 from the Moultonborough Town Docks to 19 Mile Bay in Tuftonboro.

The annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet is not only the largest, but also the oldest in the country. In 1972 David Thompson, a steamboat aficionado, invited other steamboat enthusiasts to Moultonborough to hold the first Steamboat Meet on Lake Winnipesaukee. Only four boats showed up. Disappointed but not discouraged, David persisted and through the years the annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet has successfully attracted more than 50 avid steamboat owners, operators and/or builders. Each year, when they are able, most of the same people return. Since many of the participants are retired, they seem to have more time to take part in the Meet and every now and then a few novice steamboat enthusiasts will show up to join in the camaraderie with those who are more experienced. Out of the 50 steamboat enthusiasts maybe there are two non-retirees and some who are younger than retirement age.

Crediting David Thompson for helping him build his first steam engine, Roger Reed, also a steamboat enthusiast, has built a couple of steam engines himself. Roger has two steamboats, one made of wood and the other of fiberglass. He usually takes the fiberglass steamboat to the Meet. A steamboat enthusiast for the past 10-plus years, Roger said, “The nicest thing about being part of the Steamboat community is working with and talking to other steamboat enthusiasts about the boats, steam engines and boilers. If you would rather purchase an engine, there are companies who sell the engines and boilers, but the real fun is in putting them together.”

How long does it take to learn how to operate a steam engine and boiler? Roger finds that it takes somewhere between about one to two years to fully understand how to operate a steam engine and boiler and become familiar with the distinctive sounds of the engine and boiler, which is similar to an experiment dealing with a period of trial and error. The best part of the Meet is the camaraderie forged between members. It is especially enjoyable when a member of the Meet has a problem and needs help solving it. Not the fact that the member has the problem, but that all the members gather together to talk about it, ask each other how to solve, and come up with a solution to the problem. It’s the fellowship that comes from having the same interests.

Roger also explained, “There are 80 percent repeat steamboats every year and about 20 percent come and go. Usually there are about 50 or more boats at the Meet each year. Some trailer their boats from as far away as Florida and Virginia, as well as those from New York or right here in New Hampshire. All steamboats come in on trailers and are launched at the ramp in Lee’s Mills where there is lots of help. Twenty-five temporary numbered docks are put in place before the Meet.” Roger emphasizes, “If it wasn’t for David Thompson and his sons Brian and Blair, who check the boats before launch, provide the heavy equipment for putting docks into place, and, also provide storage space for the docks after the Meet there would probably be no Meet. David’s daughter, Kelly, runs the snack shack.”

Each owner of a steamboat is responsible for testing their boilers, using water safety rules and having sense. Ideally steam pressure should be about 80 lbs. to 90 lbs. and not go above 125 lbs. of pressure. A “must” requirement is one that ensures each boat has a safety valve release certified for 125 lbs. of pressure. The association provides six to eight cords of hard wood cut into small pieces to operate the boilers. Four or five boats use coal, not the Anthracite used in homes, but a soft coal and two or three boats use propane. The Town of Moultonborough provides free sanitation facilities.

Friends and families gather at Lee’s Mills each year to watch the Meet and gather with old friends and acquaintances. Some observers from Moultonborough and surrounding towns join in the excitement of watching the Meet, and sometimes they may be given the opportunity to take a relaxing ride on one of the steamboats. It is also interesting to watch some of the Steamboat Meets from prior years on You Tube and become acquainted with the variety of steamboats involved in the Meet. Many are drone videos while others are taken from passing boats.

Whether you arrive by car or power boat, the Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet is fascinating to watch, especially, if it is a beautiful sunny day on Lake Winnipesaukee.

For information on the Annual Lee’s Mills Steamboat Meet, call David Thompson at 603-476-2224. Lee’s Mills Road, the site of the steamboat meet, is located off Rt. 25 in Moultonborough, NH. Follow Lee’s Mills Road and the Loon Center signs; the meet is beyond the Loon Center.