An inventory of boat events at Crater Lake by Larry Smith
May 22 1979 A 28 foot U.S.G.S. research boat is lowered down a snow chute west of Rim Village. Because of its canvas sunshade, the boat is promptly christened the “Queen”.
October 1980 The Park’s research boat, The African Queen, breaks loose in a storm and is destroyed against rocks at Cleetwood Cove.
Winter 1982 – 83 The research boat, “The Queen ll”, is destroyed as it smashes on rocks and the wreckage is strewn around Cleetwood Cove. Styrofoam from the boat’s floats continue to visually pollute the Cove for several years.
November 1983 The 17 foot Boston Whaler purchased for use in winter water sampling of the Lake and a floating boathouse are damaged and then destroyed in a violent windstorm along with the summer research boat.
July 5 1984 A new Boston Whaler boat and a new aluminum research boat (The Queen III), worth collectively $24,000, are airlifted into the Lake from the Cafeteria parking lot. Several loads of firewood are also delivered to Mt. Scott and the Watchman fire lookouts. The total job took 3 hours at a cost of $1,000 per hour.
August 17 1985 A helicopter flies roof trusses to Wizard Island for a new research boathouse. Because of volunteer help, the cost is held to $35,000. Thirty-five men from the Medford Navy Seabee unit and a team of Student Conservation Association volunteers contribute over 2,000 hours of work worth $33,000. The new boathouse will allow year-round Lake study and will include an emergency Lake shelter. Concern is still expressed about the loss of the Lake’s clarity.
June 3 1995 A Chinook helicopter from the Washington Army Reserve drops a new 12,000-pound, $150,000, 33 foot, research boat onto the Lake from Discovery Point. The new boat is especially designed for work on Crater Lake and is unofficially christened “Neuston” for an organism that dwells on the surface of the Lake. The old research boat in removed. Researchers had used old pontoon-style boats for the past eight years, but the vessels would rock heavily during lake swells. The Neuston will provide better safety for researchers while giving them a few extra advantages such as radar and a crane. The boat will also be used for search and rescue.
January 1997 For the first time in seven years, rangers conduct winter lake research by conducting water quality research from their base station on Wizard Island. The Park had stopped the winter sampling excursions in 1990 because the research boat was no longer safe, but they now have a new boat.
Summer 1997 Additional research boat, the Ouzel, is lowered into Crater Lake. 19 foot, aluminum SAFE boat, rigid foam collar for extra floatation 175 h.p. outboard engine, manual boom arm and winch for water sampling.
2010 Crews on two park research boats, the Neuston and Ouzel, were on the lake surface to help gather debris that rolled the entire 1,100 feet to the lake. Two divers dove into the pool Tuesday to prepare the car and other material to be picked up by the helicopter on Wednesday.
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