Model PEI Ice Boat - Garden of the Gulf Museum
History of PEI Ice Boats:
This is a model of a wooden PEI Iceboat . In the 1800's ice boats were used during the winter months to transport people from port to port across the island and to the main land of Nova Soctia and New Brunswick.
The earliest known iceboats were recorded in the Island Register in 1826. The Iceboats started from Wood Islands and crossed over the Northumberland straight to Caribou, Nova Scotia. In later years they started leaving from Cape Traverse to Cape Tormentine making the journey quicker as it was five miles less.
Iceboats were mainly used to carry the mail back and forth and also passengers. They would row the boat until they approached ice, then everyone would exit the boat. There were harnesses and ropes that attached to the sides of the boat, so that when they jumped onto the ice the harnesses would be put on, the ropes pulled and then the iceboat was dragged up over the mounds of ice. Once water was reached again, everyone returned into the boat until the next mound of ice, then the procedure would start over again.
To cross the strait in these ice boats it cost men $3.00 to have a seat in the ice boat while women and children were charged $2.00. If you helped with pulling the boat it cost you $1.00. those people who couldn't afford to get a seat on the ice boat were forced to walk the strait, which many people did. Mail and other cargo which couldn't be delivered by normal ships also came over on these ice boats. (Source: http://www.gov.pe.ca/cornerstore/htmlsite/iceboat.htm#)
The earliest known iceboats were recorded in the Island Register in 1826. The Iceboats started from Wood Islands and crossed over the Northumberland straight to Caribou, Nova Scotia. In later years they started leaving from Cape Traverse to Cape Tormentine making the journey quicker as it was five miles less.
Iceboats were mainly used to carry the mail back and forth and also passengers. They would row the boat until they approached ice, then everyone would exit the boat. There were harnesses and ropes that attached to the sides of the boat, so that when they jumped onto the ice the harnesses would be put on, the ropes pulled and then the iceboat was dragged up over the mounds of ice. Once water was reached again, everyone returned into the boat until the next mound of ice, then the procedure would start over again.
To cross the strait in these ice boats it cost men $3.00 to have a seat in the ice boat while women and children were charged $2.00. If you helped with pulling the boat it cost you $1.00. those people who couldn't afford to get a seat on the ice boat were forced to walk the strait, which many people did. Mail and other cargo which couldn't be delivered by normal ships also came over on these ice boats. (Source: http://www.gov.pe.ca/cornerstore/htmlsite/iceboat.htm#)
The Island Experience: History of Ice Boats Video
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpDIkSJ83pM