Meriwether Lewis bought the keelboat along with a black dog he named "Seamen".
keelboat
3 lbs
Specimens & chronicles
The keelboat was the main ship
to death
missouri river
In a 55 foot long keelboat and two smaller pirogues.
In a 55 foot long keelboat and two smaller pirogues.
Lewis and Clark would use what was called a "keelboat" which was an improvement on the flatboat. It is recorded by Lewis to be "1 Keeled boat light strong at least 60 feet in length her burthen equal to 8 tons." Lewis had named it the "Discovery" and pictures of what the keelboat might have looked like can be found at the website provided under "related links".
They had three "Riverboats" built specifically for the expedition, The main boat was called a "Keelboat".
Used as the main method of river transportation on the Missouri and Ohio Rivers in the early 1800s, and by Lewis and Clark on their journey to Fort Mandan. It was propelled against the current by a combination of sailing, rowing, poling, or cordelling. The journals indicate the keelboat was 55 feet in length, about 8 feet wide, with a 3-foot draft and a 32-foot mast. It could carry 12 - 14 tons of men and freight and was controlled by a tiller or rudder and an anchor. The keelboat was likely auctioned off in St. Louis upon Lewis and Clark's return.
The name is Keelboat it was used thru out the jounrey