Museum to Raise Revolutionary War Gunboat From Lake Champlain Bottom

A Vermont museum wants to raise a Revolutionary War gunboat from the bottom of Lake Champlain, preserve it and then display it in a yet-to-be built museum in New York.

The 54-foot Spitfire sank a day after the 1776 Battle of Valcour Island, which helped lead to the 1777 American victory at the Battle of Saratoga.

The gunboat was found during a 1997 sonar survey of the lake. Its mast is still erect and the bow cannon still in firing position.

The five-phase plan for raising and preserving the Spitfire calls for the construction of a facility where the Spitfire would be preserved before it is brought to the surface between 2024 and 2026.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum estimates the 22-year process will cost about $44 million.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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