1:100 Scale Wreck of the General Butler | Lake Champlain Shipwreck

Model of the Schooner General Butler, a vessel which sank just off the Burlington breakwater in Lake Champlain on Dec 9th, 1876. The model is roughly 1:100 scale, however the print pictured is closer to 1:223 due to print size limitations. The model as is is around 11" long. 

This model wouldn't have been possible without the work of Gary Lefebvre and his original model I found on SketchFab. Thank you Gary!

Painting was done by Ernie Haas, courtesy of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Gary's Original Model
https://skfb.ly/pATZT

Gary's YouTube channel, including video of the real wreck
https://www.youtube.com/@garyle802

Direct excerpt from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
https://www.lcmm.org/archaeology/vermont-underwater-historic-preserves/sailing-canal-boat-general-butler/

“The General Butler was built in 1862 in Essex, New York. The schooner-rigged Butler is an example of a Lake Champlain sailing canal boat designed to sail on the lake and, with masts removed and centerboard raised, towed though the Champlain Canal.”

“On her last voyage she was under the command of her third owner, Captain William Montgomery of Isle La Motte. While sailing up the lake on December 9, 1876 a powerful winter gale struck and upon approaching Burlington, Butler’s steering mechanism broke. The captain jury-rigged a tiller bar to the steering post and attempted to maneuver his craft around the breakwater. The attempt was unsuccessful and the schooner crashed headlong into the breakwater. The force of the water was so great that the vessel was repeatedly lifted on top of the ice-covered stones. One by one each of the ship’s company made the perilous jump onto the breakwater. The captain was the last to leave the ship which immediately sank into the 40′ of water where she now rests.”

“Having narrowly escaped death by drowning, Butler’s survivors now risked freezing to death on the breakwater. All surely would have perished had it not been for the heroic intervention of Burlington ship chandler James Wakefield and his son, who rowed out in a 14′ lighthouse boat and took all five to safety. Butler was declared a total loss. Take a virtual shipwreck tour of General Butler and listen to the harrowing rescue tale as told by a former staff member: General Butler Virtual Shipwreck Tour. Artifacts from the General Butler in the collections of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.”

Features of Interest

• Size of wreck: 88′ long, 14′ wide
• The vessel rests on her keel, bow towards the breakwater.
• There are five hatches in the deck.
• Note the dead-eyes, windlass and cleats used for sailing.
• The masts were stepped on deck in three sided “tabernacles” and held in place with iron pins.