Northumberland Strait iceboat
A Northumberland Strait iceboat is a rowing boat, typically 5 metres (16 ft 5 in) in length, 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in beam, with runners fastened to the hull for dragging over sea ice.[1]
Construction and use
Constructed of wood, similar to fishing
History
Throughout the 19th century, iceboats became an essential link to mainland North America for Prince Edward Island, transporting both mail and passengers.[3] Passengers would sometimes assist the crew.[4] In addition to pulling ropes attached to the iceboat, hand-holds were molded along the outer gunwales which were used for hauling the iceboat over sea ice until reaching stretches of open water.
Crews and passengers faced stretches of open water, the sea ice, and slush ice that was in the process of freezing, which could make progress difficult. There are several accounts of boats becoming mired in these conditions and oars being broken during attempts to row through the slush. The boats bucked wind and tide among fields of sea ice.[2]
The two primary routes for iceboats was between
Original Northumberland Strait iceboats are preserved at the
See also
References
- ^ "P.E.I.'s Ice Boats". www.islandregister.com. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ a b "Ice: A historic link for Pictou Islanders. The story of the Ice boat during the early 1900s". www.communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ "Ice Boat Service National Historic Event". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ MacLean, Colin. "Remembering the last ice boat from P.E.I. to N.B." The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ Northumberland Fisheries Museum
External links
- PEI's iceboats
- PEI's iceboat service
- Iceboat - Dictionary of Prince Edward Island English
- Ice Boat Service National Historic Event
- A historic link
- The last iceboat