DECK LOG
LETTERS
It's marvelous what comes in the mail! Once, years ago when I was working for the South Street Seaport Museum, I opened an envelope from a major philanthropic foundation, and a $100,000 check fell out. It was to support the museum's ship Wavertree. The accompanying note, when I recovered sufficiently to fish it out, explained that the ship didn' t m eet any of the sponsoring foundation's criteria-but the Wavertree had come to mean so much to so many people they felt they had to help in her restoration. In this iss ue, our first letter, facing this column , is from a former chairman of the South Street Seaport Museum, who shepherded the restoration of the Wavertree through to the full re-rigging of the ship up to the skysail pole. Peter Aron, the sender of this letter, worked with his father Jack to restore South Street's other square rigger, Peking, and played a critical role in the long effort to restore the Wavertree in the 30 years since her arrival as a sand barge in New York in 1970. The museum he led had unprecedented additional challenges to meet in this period, to set up a major m aritime center in the heart of downtown New Yorkan enclave of historic shi ps and sloped-roof buildings which looked out on the first sailings of the Black Ball Line. Through all that long struggle-and it was a struggle!- Peter kept up his support and interest in our Society. I think this was because he always had that visio n of " this and other maritime centers," appreciating that no one center, no one museum, no one ship , however worthy, can carry the whole multifarious story of American seafaring and its links to the wider world. That clear vision of a wider scene and a broader stake in the seafaring h eritage characterizes our membership, the people who give us our purposes in NMHS-and our ability to carry out those purposes. The support that leaders in the work for the seafaring heritage bring us is, I believe, a particularly strong validation of our efforrs in the field. It is also a challenge to do more, and do better.
"This and Other Maritime Centers" The ships ofOpSail are go ne, the harbor is quiet, and the cadets and Navy folks are back at sea. The full-rigged ship Wavertree, which yo ur gang helped when help was needed, goes into winter quarters after stretching ca nvas to the breeze for the first time in 90 years. The Port of New York is still here and we still need to get the story out to those who live, work, or visit this and other maritime centers. No one does that better than the crew at Sea History. And the revelry of the pas t few weeks reminds me that there is more to be done and it's once again time for us to help the cause. I trust our co ntribution in support of Sea H istory wi ll be helpful, and once again thank yo u for all that you do to help tell America's greatest story. PETER A. ARON, Presi dent ]. Aron Charitable Foundation New York, New York
A Staunch Ship for the Long Voyage As NMHS Executive Vice President Pat Garvey reports on page 5 in this issue, we are now launching a long-term effort to reshape and rerig our own vessel, the National Maritime Historical Society. Through our members' vision, h ard work, and contributions, we have helped bring about considerable changes in our field in my 31-year term as president, a term scheduled to end next spring. In these tumultuous decades, what we do as a Society and how we do it, have changed. Out of this experience, a new vision is now evolving for the co urse ahead. Our next issue will report on this extensively, and mem"Dirty Work, Long Hours ... " bers will be asked to contribute their thoughts. Meanwhile, one thing of which we are urPeter Stanford with NMHS volunteer crew working on the Wavertree gen tly aware is that we must build a bigger vessel to carry our message, one well shaped and in a Hoboken yard in 1981. ballasted for the changes, the challenges, and above all the opportunities to come-as surely they will come! We need funds on a new scale to carry out our mission , and I ask each NMHS m ember to consider what he or she can do by way of a yearend gift. Forms are provided with this issue of Sea History, and I hope they will come winging in from every single one of us, to give us the lift we need for the next stage of o ur voyage into history. PETER STANFORD
President 2
The National Maritime Historical Society is the only institution of its kind in the co untry. As such, it has introduced thousands to the world of mari time history and, more especially, to a greater understanding of their magnificent maritime heritage. Peter Stanfo rd's request for support on behalf ofNMHS is worthy of anyo ne committed to a deeper appreciation of this nation's maritim e past and the role it plays in the nation al identity. RAFE PARKER, President Sea Education Association, Inc. Woods Hole, Massachusetts Remembering the Pacific Queen What a pleasant surprise to come across the story of the rerigging of the Balclutha, which is now moored in San Francisco (S H90). When I was aboard in 1936 she had just finished a tour in Long Beach, Californi a, where she had been used to make movies. H er starboard side was painted with gunports to portray a warship, and her port side was all black to portray a merchantman . I sailed in her out of San Diego on her last cruise under sail. The crew was made up of Sea Sco uts and other teens commanded by Captain Moyes, master mariner. Frank Kissinger, the owner, and his wife, who were on board with us, organized the cruise to go so uth to Cedros Isl and off
SEA HISTORY 95, WINTER 2000-0 l