DECK LOG
LETTERS
All at once the tall ships emerged from the mist, as things do on the water, the Coast Guard's stately Eagle leading, then the smaller, lithe-hulledDanmark, al ways next in line, since in World War II she served the US as the Eagle does today, training young Americans forthe rigors of sea duty. But many of the young people in this international fleet are not here to train for careers at sea. They are here because a traditional square-rigged sailing ship is a wonderful environment in which to learn the basics of the human condition and what it takes to achieve a goal. Solomon, 3,000 years ago, caught the wonder of the way of a ship in the sea. This fourth Operation Sail showed once more that it is a wonder ever new. This is fortunate, for the world itself is new to each generation. And each generation has to get a fresh grip on the long, strong hawser of human purpose and endeavor. Operation Sail has come along in each decade since 1964; may it go on forever. To the prime movers of OpSail, Frank Braynard, Nils Hansell (who cast off on his voyage into eternity before this OpSail came along) and Bus Mosbacher, we owe unending thanks. Maritime Education Initiative The New York Times asked what we in the Society felt was the significance of OpSail. It was like being asked the meaning oflife, but I said the ships were "ideal for building teamwork and discipline. ... They go to the roots of our civilization, and maybe we need to get a little closer to those roots now and then." Trying to match actions to words, and thanks to the efforts of Howard Slotnick, Dr. Kathy Ab bass and Steve Parti sano of Imagination Celebration, we were able
Whither Regina? I came across the sailing vessel Regina Maris in Greenport, while on a recent trip from Rhode Island to New York by way of the New London ferry. I have read of your Society's efforts to save the ship. Initially I was optimistic. But having seen the deplorable state of the vessel I am forced to modify my opinion. The best course now is perhaps to let the venerable ship expire gracefully, maybe as an offshore fish haven for recreational divers. I served as boatswain aboard the vessel in the fall of 1983. She was on her last legs then, as we pumped her bilges continuously on the voyage to the West Indies. The money needed to rebuild Regina will be better spent on such worthwhile projects as SAIL Inc. ' s Discovery or the South Street Seaport's Lettie G. Howard project. Why not promote the Ernestina, as she attempts to chart a new course in her long career? The Regina Maris has had a long and successful career; but she is too large and too costly to rescue!
to get two students aboard the Eagle with Chairman of the Maritime Education Initiative Walter Cronkite for the sea passage from New York to Boston. Here they are: Captain David Wood of the Eagle, with students Nicole Scott and Jonathan Pappas seated on either side of Chairman Cronkite-all NMHS members. PS 4
DOUGLAS NEMETH
Master, SSV Westward Woods Hole, Massachusetts It looks like the Regina Maris has found some splendid, energetic leadership, as you can tell by the way they are tackling the hard job of restoring the historic barkentine. The secretary of Save the Regina Maris, Ltd (PO Box 645 , Greenport NY 11944) recently wrote to report: "You will find a group of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers working on and about the Regina Maris in a variety of tasks . ... I know you will enjoy being around our volunteers and experiencing the camaraderie that develops among people who share the same hopes and dreams ." I hope NMHS keeps supporting Save the Regina Maris-they arean exciting, wellorganized group! Greenport struck gold with this ship, because of them . JAMES J. MOORE Jamaica, New York
Karl Kortum, Chairman of the NMHS American Ship Trust comments: "The Regina Maris has fallen upon good times-and they will be goodjr¡om now on. She has intelligent (and physically hard-working) support. She has affection. But above all (to be practical) she has location----she is where the tourists are."
Maritime Education Initiative I agree with Walter Cronkite: We need a revival of history. I have been trying to say the same thing here on the West Coast, but it is difficult to get the message across when there are so many other more sensational attention-grabbing alternatives. The simple fact is that our educational system is woefully lacking in teaching our historical roots which represent our foundation. I shudder to think what is going to happen in a few years when we look back to our presentday history for our roots . HARRY L. NELSON, JR. Ventura County Maritime Museum Oxnard, California Word From Down Under I recently returned from a trip to the South Pacific, with stops at Tahiti, Tubuai and Sydney, Australia, to continue my research on the mutiny on the Bounty. I want to thank you for helping me locate the replica of the Bounty built for the 1983 film version of the Bounty story. As you informed me, the ship, a more accurate replica than previous ones, is now owned by an Australian group, headed by businessman Bruce Reid, and is making daily cruises around Sydney Harbor. How could I not go along? David Adams, operations manager, arranged for a fascinating cruise, in which a gracious captain allowed me to take the wheel for most of the afternoon. David Adams, incidentally, is a veteran of the BOC singlehanded, round the world sai lboat race. Any NMHS member stopping over in Sydney should certainly go aboard! RAYMOND J . MALONEY
Milford, Connecticut Annihilation is Not an Option Carla Rahn Phillips 's letter (Sea History 61), perhaps unintentionally, created the impression that, since other nations had expelled Jews , it was acceptable for Spain to do the same. Apparently Professor Phillips felt that the expulsion was significantly mitigated by Ferdinand and Isabella's " humanitarian" wish not to kill unconverted Jews, although they were certainly prepared to do so. Completely absent from the letter is any understanding of the horrific facts. Several hundred thousand people were, almost without warning, forced to leave the country of their birth and ancestry, without secure destinations, and with little or no possessions or resources. The alternative of conversion can hardly be SEA HISTORY 62, SUMMER 1992