9smP NOTES, SEAPORT &MUSEUM NEWS As a result of a deferred prosecution deal by CT US Attorney Kevin O'Connor, the US Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association received a $1 million donation from a private corporation this spring. The agreemem berween the donor and the Al umni Association earmarks the funds to begin the process of endowing a Chair in Environmental Studies at the Academy, under the auspices of the newly-created Institute fo r Leadership. (USCG Academ y, 3 1 Mohegan Ave. New London, CT 06320; Ph. 800 883-USCG (8724) ; www. uscga.edu) ... This summer, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is opening the doors of its Hooper Strait Lighthouse to the general public who would like to stay a weekend night, m uch like the keepers of a century ago.
Several evenings throughout the sum mer have been reserved fo r wo uld-be keepers, who will be given a special tour of the 19th-century wooden structure, perform the tasks of a traditional keeper, enjoy a picnic dinner, and sleep inside the historic building overlooking the M iles River. Built in 1879, the lighthouse once lit the way past H ooper Strait, some 39 miles sou th of St. M ichaels, M D. Known as a screwpile, cottage-style lighthouse, H ooper Strait resembles a small home that was built on iro n pilings that were screwed into the Bay's soft bottom . Slated for demoli tion in 1966, the museum purchased the building and moved it to the museum gro unds in St. M ichaels. The lighthouse was restored and opened to the public in 1967 . It is one of only three such lighthouses still in existence on the Chesapeake. D ates currently available for this program are Friday, June 30; Friday, July 14; Saturday, July 15; Saturday, August 5 and Saturday, September 2. Fo r more details go to www.cbmm. org/ lighthouseovernight.html or contact
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Education Coordinator Rachel Rebert via e-mail at rrebert@cbmm.org. (CBMM, Navy Point, PO B 636, St. M ichaels, MD 2 1663; Ph. 4 10 745-29 16; www.cbmm. org) ..• Ben Lexcen (1936-1988), born Robert Miller, New South Wales, Australia, and Stephen A. Van Dyck of Clearwater, FL, have been named as the 2006 inductees to the America's Cup Hall of Fame. The inductees, who exemplify the best in both the design and tactical aspects of racing fo r the C up, will be honored at the Rolex America's C up H all of Fame 14th Annual Induction Ceremony to be held Thursday, 26 O ctober in N YC. Ben Lexcen oversaw the design of the 12-Meter yacht, Australia Il that was the fi rst to lift the C up from America. Steve Van Dyck sailed in rwo America's C up matches and was particularly significant to the close, hard-fought match of 1970 aboard Intrepid. (America's C up H all of Fame, O ne Burnside St. , Bristol, RI 02809; Ph. 401 25 3-5000; www. herreshoff. org) ..• The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) has released an invaluable resource in the form of a CD containing over 300 papers on small craft. The selections were made by the SNAME Small Craft Committee from the Society's Transactions, journals, conferences, symposia, and section meetings as most likely to be helpful to the small craft communi ty in the pursuit of their professional endeavors. The C D is sold through
the SNAME website (www.sname.org) for $ 100 list and $75 fo r SNAME members. . . . Just when things were looking bleak for rwo established college shipboard semester programs, each has risen fro m near sinki ng. Two issues ago, we reported that SEAmester, created and run by Southampton College of Long Island University fo r the last 30 years, was shutting down
SEAmester onboard Spirit of M assachusetts. (below) Students study coastal geology at the Piffars ofH ercules in A ntigua.
when LIU closed the entire Southamp ton campus. We are happy to report that the program has a new home. The University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, has adopted the program and will run its first semester in fall 2006. SEAmester is a 9-week program that has been recently onboard the schoo ners Sp irit of Massachusetts, Harvey Gamage, and Californian and also the brigantine Irving Johnson. Program coordinator and lead professor Chris H amilton will continue to run the program and Ocean Classroom Foundation has retained the contract with U Mass, D artmouth, to provide the ships. Naturally, a full complement of students will ensure the program's survival, so spread the word! (Contact Nancy Vanasse, UMD PCE, Attn: Study Abroad Programs, 285 Old Westport Rd. , N orth D artmouth, MA 02747; Ph. 508 999-8778; e-mail: nvanasse@umassd. edu; www.umassd.edu/ seamesterl). We are also pleased to report that "Semester at Sea," run by the Institute for Shipboard Education, has a new university affiliate. Dumped by the Univ. of Pittsburgh last year, ISE has partnered with the Univ. of Virginia for its academic accreditation. (ISE, 8 11 W illiam Pitt Union, Pi nsburgh, PA 15260; Ph. 800 854-0 195; www.semesteratsea.com) ... SEA HISTORY 115 , SU MMER 2006