In December of 2019, Mark Platts was at an event chatting with Liz and Steve Winand, the owners of Shank's Mare Outfitters, when he mentioned something. "I said, 'We're looking to get a bigger boat,'" recalled Platts, the president of Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA). "Steve said, 'Hey, I know a boat you might be interested in.'"

That boat turned out to be the Chief Uncas, built in 1912 by the Electric Launch Company for Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch company. It was for sale in New York, where it had been in private use and used for public tours on Otsego Lake, adjacent to Cooperstown. Two years later, the boat is in storage in Lancaster County, and plans are in the works to use the Chief Uncas for river tours.

For three seasons, the SNHA has been offering free pontoon boat tours on the Susquehanna River as part of a pilot program funded by grants. "We wanted to see if people wanted to take tours on the river, and obviously they do," Platts said of the tours that sold out quickly each summer. SNHA plans to replace the pontoon boat tours with rides on the Chief Uncas beginning in mid-summer 2022.

Obtaining the Chief Uncas felt like it was meant to be, Platts explained. "First, it's a historic boat, and we're a heritage organization, so it fits our mission," he stated. Second, even though it's 109 years old, it's a green boat, so that fits the organization's conservation focus. And, third, although the boat is moving states, it's not really leaving its home. "It's spent its entire life at the headwaters of the Susquehanna River," he said, noting that the river begins at Otsego Lake.

When Platts went to see the boat in New York, he knew right away it was the perfect choice. "We went up to see the boat in winter storage," he remarked. "We probably saw it in its worst condition, in a boat yard, and even in its worst condition, we were like, 'Wow, this is really cool.'"

Named for a character in James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans," the Chief Uncas is 55 feet long and nine and a half feet wide. It has room for about 25 people and is powered by two electric motors and 16 12-volt batteries that propel the boat at a speed of 8 mph.

The leisurely pace of the boat will be ideal for river tours, Platts said, and the goal is to have the boat in the water in May for testing, to train the crew and to get Coast Guard clearance to operate. "This boat is an elegant way to enjoy the outdoors and go cruising on the water," he noted.

Acquisition of the boat was made possible by donors including Ann B. Barshinger, Doug Hoke and George and Bambi Long, along with additional private gifts and public grants. Income from tours, charters, sponsors and donations will fund annual operating costs and maintenance. For more information or to donate, visit https://susqnha.org/support/donate.