Gundelow Providence

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Gundelow Providence
• Type: Gundelow (Armed Flatboat)
• Year Built: 1776
• Builder: Continental Navy, likely at Skenesborough (modern Whitehall, New York)
• Dimensions: 50-60 ft (15-18 m); Beam: 15-18 ft (4.5-5.5 m); Depth of hold: Unknown
• Registered Tonnage: 40-50 tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 3 m / 10 ft
• Location: Valcour Island, Lake Champlain
• Coordinates: Approximate coordinates near 44°36'N, 73°24'W
• Original Owners: Continental Navy
• Number of Masts: Unknown

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Armed Gundelow (Flat-bottomed Gunboat)

A gundelow was a type of flat-bottomed barge, commonly used for cargo transport in the inland waterways of the Colonial era. Due to the urgency of defending Lake Champlain, several gundelows — including Providence — were converted into gunboats, armed with cannons and swivels to supplement Arnold’s makeshift navy.

These vessels could navigate shallow waters, allowing them to hug the shore and use the cover of islands while firing on the larger, deeper-draft British warships.

Description

Providence was built and armed in mid-1776, joining the small Continental fleet assembled by Benedict Arnold at Skenesborough. As part of Arnold’s defensive strategy, gundelows like Providence played support roles, acting as mobile gun platforms and logistics vessels, shuttling supplies between the larger vessels.

At the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11, 1776, Providence took station along the inner line of Arnold’s fleet, close to shore where her flat-bottomed hull gave her an advantage in the shallows. She was too small to engage in direct firefights with the Royal Navy frigates, but her role was critical — firing from cover, moving supplies between ships, and helping to evacuate wounded after the first day of battle.

History

After the night escape on October 11-12, Arnold’s battered fleet attempted to reach Crown Point and Ticonderoga. However, the British fleet caught up with them again on October 13. In the confusion and urgency of the retreat, Providence was either:

• Captured by the British, or
• Scuttled and burned by American crews to prevent capture.

Either way, Providence was lost at some point during or immediately after the battle, along with many of Arnold’s smaller vessels.

Significant Incidents

• No confirmed archaeological discovery of Providence exists.
• If any part of her survives, it would likely be charred hull timbers, possibly buried in sediment near the Valcour Island shoreline.
• Cannonballs, gun mounts, or iron fastenings may be scattered in a debris field near the American defensive line.
• Potentially overlapped or mixed with debris from other wrecked vessels at Valcour.

Final Disposition

Not a recreational dive site — Historical Archive Listing Only

Without a known or accessible wreck site, this is strictly a historical listing.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Depth: Likely shallow — 3 to 8 metres (10 to 25 feet)

Bottom Type: Mud, silt, and rock, common to nearshore areas of Valcour Island

Visibility: Poor to moderate (2-5 metres / 6-16 feet)

Condition: Presumed scattered and heavily degraded.

Resources & Links

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The Providence is a symbol of improvisation — a workboat turned warship in the desperate scramble to build a fleet from nothing. Her fate, whether capture or destruction, is part of the larger story of the sacrifice Arnold’s fleet made at Valcour Island to buy time for the revolution.

Her loss also reminds us of the fragility of that early navy, where even converted barges were pressed into service, each vessel becoming part of a heroic delaying action that directly shaped the larger course of the war.