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110-year-old electric boat re-launched in York County

The "Chief Uncas," an electric boat built in 1912, set sail again. The vessel will undergo a month of testing before becoming a tour boat on the Susquehanna River.

YORK COUNTY, Pa. — An electric boat originally commissioned for Adolphus Busch in 1912 is now cruising the Susquehanna River 400 miles downstream from its original home.

The co-founder of the famous American beer company Anheuser-Busch used the Chief Uncas to enjoy cruises at his summer estate on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY–the headwaters of the Susquehanna River.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA) purchased the boat in 2021.

Acquiring the vessel was the SNHA's first step in preparation for their River Discovery Boat Tours this summer. The Chief Uncas will be the flagship boat of this initiative.

"It talks about the community along the river and just the general history, so when people get done with the tour they kind of get a broad sweep of the history of the area and the history of the Susquehanna," Mark Platts, president of the SNHA, said. "We know from our surveys that's something that people will enjoy."

After undergoing months of safety improvements in a warehouse, the Chief Uncas is now being put through a month of in-water testing and US Coast Guard certification on Lake Clarke before it is cleared for commercial use.

More information on the Chief Uncas itself can be found here. The mahogany planked, 6-ton, 55-foot-long boat is set to begin its tours later this summer.

Tours will be offered Thursday–Sunday through early-mid October and embark from the dock at SNHA’s Zimmerman Center for Heritage. Tickets for one-hour tours will be $20 for adults and $10 for youth (ages 5 to 17). Children ages 4 and under will be free. More information will be posted on SNHA’s website and Facebook page when available.

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