Land Tortoise (shipwreck)

Radeau Land Tortoise (Shipwreck) is the Lake George site of a shipwreck from the French and Indian Wars era. The vessel is a radeau. Simple in construction, it was built by Capt. Samuel Cobb of Falmouth, now Portland, Province of Maine for the British and Colonial forces in 1758 to help combat the French in North America. She was built in just over a month, launched, tested ("rowed well with 26 oars") and then two days later intentionally sunk by adding ballast with plans to re-float her in the spring of 1759. This plan was never fulfilled, however, leaving the Land Tortoise at the bottom of Lake George for more than two centuries. It is believed to be the oldest intact warship in North America, and is the only surviving ship of its type. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The site is accessible to the general diving public.