Wreck-"Weonit"
 

I found this last fall in Lees Mills and dove it recently. Finally I have a wreck with a name on it: WEONIT.

The "O" was missing but a review of the video has me believing it is the correct letter, given what it spells out. The video is interesting to me but I can't say it is compelling enough to post.

I have contacted Jane Rice at the Moultonboro Historical Society for help and she's on it, but she also said the name sounds so familiar. I checked my steamer/boat list and don't see it.

Given the fact I saw what would appear to be an exhaust pipe on the stern to the right of where a prop would be (centerline) I am confident this is not a steamer but a very old gas powered boat. Has a deep hull, high sides. I also found about 10 feet of copper piping about 1/4" in diameter with a ferrule on one end-I would assume it is a gasoline feed line.

Vessel found in 12 feet of water-viz maybe 6 feet on the bottom. But that's Lees Mills so it was no surprise.

Can anyone shed light on who owned the WEONIT?

I was surprised to see a recent post mentioning the "Weonit". My great uncle, Willis M. Carter had one of these but I thought the name was "Weownit". I'll check my family history to see if I can determine the correct spelling. Last story I heard was that when he passed, the boat was left to family. It was stored at Lee's Mill where it deteriorated and was later hauled out to deeper water and sunk.

I would dearly love to know more about this boat. I believe the motor, a one cylinder Ford, was used as a mooring anchor somewhere in front of Camp Inwood. The motor was stored in the old boathouse at the camp and when the boathouse was taken down around 1960, the motor was tossed in the lake. Camp Inwood was built by Will Carter.

Wreck-"Weonit"
 

Attachment 17872

Attached here is a link to a photo of the "Weonit". Seated in the back are my parents. The name of the boat was an altered spelling of the phrase 'we own it'. In my mother's writings she apparently and incorrectly referred to the boat as the 'weownit'. This is indeed the boat. It was powered by a single cylinder gasoline motor. As I mentioned previously, the motor, which was stored in the Camp Inwood boathouse back in the late '50s and was eventually used as a boat mooring anchor when the boathouse was taken down.

Hans, I would enjoy seeing the video if you still have it. Thanks

Do we have any idea why it sunk? Accident? On purpose?

See post #2 above.


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Duh, thank you. I missed that. I wondered if that was the case. I know they did that.

Video of wreck
 

Trying to post the video but I am having issues with Google and/or YouTube-a mess. Why I don't know but I'm working on it.

I can send the 300MB clip to someone using WeTransfer and they can download it and post it on YouTube for me under their account if they want.

WeTransfer is super easy to use-no UN or PWs needed. It's also free.

YouTube link
 

Try this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DuO4338wihM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuO4338wihM

That works. Very interesting. Thank you.

Wreck "Weonit"
 

Thank you for this post! I was able to drag the link to my desktop and I now have a copy of it. It is clear that the letter 'O' was there. The screw heads holding the name plate are also clearly visible. Is it possible that the name plate, either one, could be salvaged? My family would dearly love to have one or both of them. I believe this was a 'laker' boat built in Wolfeboro, possibly by Goodhue/Hawkins, and is the one that my great uncle owned.

Image of "Weonit" back in the day
 

Sorry that the name of the boat is not legible in the picture, I have the original and looked with a magnifier but it's just not readable. However the old album contemporary with the time that the picture was taken does clearly state that this is the "Weonit."

Wreck-"Weonit"
 

Interesting that the 'O' is missing from both name plates.

Perhaps it signified that they no longer "O'nd" it...? :)

Recovering the name on the boat
 

You need a diver to do it. Not something I am able to do for various reasons any time soon. Possible when I am in the area again.

I don't know what would happen to the letters when you try to remove them. I don't know what they are made of but they survived well enough for me to read them.

One approach is to cut out the section of hull and retrieve the entire affair in one shot.

How the State of NH would view this I don't know but to some extent you/your family owns this wreck so that to me is a different situation as opposed to a diver breaking/cutting anything they want off the wreck for no other reason than the fact they wanted it.

Please, Leave The Name Plate On The Wreck
 

I clearly understand your desire to actually "have" the name plate in your hands BUT what would you really do with it? IMHO, take a picture frame from the video, blow it up and hang it where you want but please don't commission anyone to take it off the wreck. It belongs where it is for historical purposes. Thank you,

Sorry, I just went back to this thread and noticed that my post of the "Weonit" picture didn't upload last time. http://Lee's Mills launch weonit.jpg