SHIPNOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS Constellation Endangered The USS Constellation, launched in 1854-the last sailing warship built for the US Navy, has been named to the 1994 li st of "America 's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Now a National Historic Landmark, the Constellation gave the US Navy nearly 100 years of active and colorful service, capturing slave traders ' ships in West Africa in 1859, transporting food to Ireland during the 1880 famine, and serving as flagship for the commander-in-chief of the US Atlantic Fleet during WWII. Today she lies permanently moored in Baltimore's inner harbor and isoneofthecity 's most popular attractions, but is badly in need of funding to repair rotten timbers and halt further ~=~~~ deterioration. (National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785MassachusettsAve.,NW, Wash- The Constellation, shown here at a Baltiington DC 20036; 202 673-4141) more pier in 1914, is in need of restoration .
C. A. Thayer Next Up Not long after the ferryboat Eureka returned to her Hyde Street Pier after a five-month $2.7 million restoration (see SH 69, page 41), another of the historic San Francisco fleet began to draw attention . On March 29, the San Francisco National Maritime Hi s tori c Park launched a $7 million "Save the Thayer" campaign aimed at restoring the 99-yearold three-masted lumber schooner. The C. A. Thayer was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation 's "Eleven Most Endangered List" last year because her hull had become riddled with dry rot. To begin the fundrai sing drive, the National Maritime Museum Association pledged $100,000 and the Alamo Rent-a-Car Preserve and Protect America Project is chipping in a further $5,000 to be paid through the National Trust. The Thayer has for many years been host to an extremel y successful overnight school visitation program. (SFNMHP, Fort Mason, San Francisco CA 94123) Tole Mour Trains Youth at Sea Her name means "gift of life and health ," and that is exactly what her operators at the Marimed Foundation and Vi sionQuest hope the Tole Mour will bring to the troubled young people on board sail ing up America's East Coast and into the Great Lakes this summer. It is the first voyage of a joint venture between the two non-profit organizations call ed OceanQuest-Hawaii. Marimed owns the ship. VisionQuest brings 21 years of experience with troubled youth to the venture, including similar sail-training pro38
grams aboard the Bill of Rights and New Way (ex-Western Union). Tole Mourboarded 28 youth averaging 20 prior fe lony arrests each in Hawaii on 24 April. VisionQuest has recorded considerable success with this population. Reports indicate that 70-85 % of participants stay arrest-free after completing the program , although extensive follow-up is considered crucial. (VisionQuest, PO Box 447, Exton PA 19341 ) Sea Experience for LD Students A new sail training program aimed at learning-disabled students is being established by the New England Historic Seaport, Inc. The Seaport is currently seeking participants for "Liberty Voyage," a program styled after the succesful but discontinued Watermark program aboard the schooner Te Vega, to begin in the fall of 1994. Students will sail the schooner Liberty along the East Coast, attending classes and tutorials aboard and communicating with other LD schools and organizations through Internet. (NEHS, Building #1 , Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston MA 02129; 617 242-1414) Heritage Conferences Announced A number of fall conferences of interest to maritime preservationists have been announced. The first of these will be hosted by The Naval Historical Center Detachment at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, from 12-14 September. The Detachment will draw upon its experience with maintenance and repair of the USS Constitution to hold what promises to be a real nuts and bolts, file-
swapping event entitled "Technical Aspects of Maintaining, Repairing and Preserving Historically Significant Ships." For information contact Patrick Otton , NHCDB, Bldg. #24 , M&R , C harlestown Navy Yard , Boston MA 02129; 617 242-0752. Following on its heels is the 6th Annual National Maritime Heritage Conference, also held at the Charlestown Navy Yard , 14-17 September. Among the subjects to be di scussed are the 1994 National Mari time Heritage Act; the new maritime role of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its cooperative agreement with the National Maritime Alliance; capital fundrai sing for the restoration and maintenance of hi storic vessels; and di saster planning for maritime resources. For a conference brochure contact Patricia Conn, National Maritime Alliance, BathPort, 99 Commercial Street, Bath ME 04530-2564; 207 443-4550. Unfortunately, the two Boston conferences coincide with the International Congress of Maritime Museums Interim Conference at the Vancouver Maritime Museum , 13-16 September, which will focus on Pacific maritime museums and their collections and issues surrounding maritime archaeology and maritime museums. For information contact the Vancouver Maritime Museum, 1905 Ogden A venue, Vancouver BC V6J 1A3; 604 257-8309. A month later, again in Boston , the National Trust for Historic Preservation wi ll hold its 48th National Preservation Conference at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel , 26-30 October. The conference schedu le includes a number of sessions relating to maritime heritage preservation and programs. For information write the National Trust at 1785 Massachusetts A venue NW, Washington DC 20036 or call 1-800-944-NTHP. Getting Around the Ships The Nuclear Ship Savannah, completed in 1959 as the first nuclear-powered merchant vessel in the world , was recently towed to Baltimore from Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in South Carolina for much needed bottomwork. When repairs are completed, she will be mothballed in the James River Reserve Fleet unless her lease is picked up. Savannah had made her home at Patriots Point since 1981. (PPNMM, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mt. Pleasant SC 29464; 803 884-2727) SEA HISTORY 70, SUMMER 1994