How Many Mailboats Served on the Lake

Barney Bear · 07-21-2016, 06:41 PM

The PT boat was trucked up from the coast and was in service for a few years. Lakeport was her home port. On one trip, the Uncle Sam II encountered "pirates" whose den was at Camp Lawrence located on the south end of Bear Island. 🐻 ⚓️ ☠ ⚔

Kamper · 07-22-2016, 05:47 AM

PT boats...

The US Navy primarily used two types of PT Boats but had a few from pre-war experimental batches as well. US yards also made several British MTB/MGB models under Lend/lease for export and several of those were retained for training and coast patrol (TV's PT-73 was one of those.) Towards the end of the war they were being made from aluminum and most of the wooden boats were stripped and burned after VJ Day.

Without the weight of weapons, a PT Boat could make a good bit of speed with one engine removed and removing two would be adequate for a mail-boat. Changing from aviation-gas guzzlers to regular gas or diesel engines would also reduce operating expenses tremendously. I have no knowledge to confirm this type of vessel ever operated on the lake but there would have been several types available that might have been candidates for this service.

07-21-2016, 06:41 PM	#1
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 495 Thanked 273 Times in 174 Posts	Uncle Sam II The PT boat was trucked up from the coast and was in service for a few years. Lakeport was her home port. On one trip, the Uncle Sam II encountered "pirates" whose den was at Camp Lawrence located on the south end of Bear Island. 🐻 ⚓️ ☠ ⚔

07-22-2016, 05:47 AM	#2
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,307 Thanks: 67 Thanked 172 Times in 128 Posts	PT boats... The US Navy primarily used two types of PT Boats but had a few from pre-war experimental batches as well. US yards also made several British MTB/MGB models under Lend/lease for export and several of those were retained for training and coast patrol (TV's PT-73 was one of those.) Towards the end of the war they were being made from aluminum and most of the wooden boats were stripped and burned after VJ Day. Without the weight of weapons, a PT Boat could make a good bit of speed with one engine removed and removing two would be adequate for a mail-boat. Changing from aviation-gas guzzlers to regular gas or diesel engines would also reduce operating expenses tremendously. I have no knowledge to confirm this type of vessel ever operated on the lake but there would have been several types available that might have been candidates for this service.