DECK LOG The Maritime Heritage Survives the Difficult Times 009 is upon us, and it looks to be a year of great financial challenges. The eco nomic downturn is a great concern for the maritime heritage community; budget cuts are fo rcing major cutbacks in programs and the up keep of our historic ships, sites and artifac ts. In times of economic uncertainty, however, we can and will draw on those elem ents which h ave built this community and keep it strong: passion, dedication, vision, hard work, long hours, cooperation, and creativity-these are the driving forces behind so many projects and programs serving our country's maritime heri tage. Witness the hours of reElf search by boat builder John Brady. At the Workshop on the Water at Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum, Brady painstakingly compared old designs of the 1888 high gaff topsail cutter Elf to restore it accurately. Consider C arolina Salguero , a lovely young woman with an engaging manner, who is restoring the 70-yearold 172-ft. retired tanker Mary A. Whalen in the Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn, New York, and working aboard in the harsh N ew York winter to do it. When I asked her about her greates t chalMary A. 'Whalen lenge, sh e replied: "heat." In previous issues of Sea History, we have reported on the peril of the Falls of Clyde at the Bishop Museum in H awaii. Now, the new Friends of the Falls of Clyde in Hawaii have taken on the enormous responsibility of the 170-year-old historic ship and her restoration, knowing they are faced with the herculean task of raising millions of dollars to save her from being towed out and scuttled in deep water. America is made richer by her not-for-profits, and there are so many ways that you, too, can participate, support, and give back. Are you planning a day trip with the family? Your local-or not-so-local-maritime museums would love to welcome you for an afternoon's journey into the past. Would yo u like to feel more connected to history? Are you fam iliar with tools, or would yo u like to learn new skills? Ship restoration projects thrive on volunteers. Do you want to spread the word to the greater public? M any museums and other programs are always in n eed of docents and guides to better educate their visitors. And in tough times, more than ever, we remember how very valuable are the philanthropists, whose generosity is one more key to most proj ects' success, right there with that passion, dedication, and vision, h ard work and long hours, cooperation and creativity-the attributes we need to encourage and remember. Trust me, every maritime heritage project, NMHS included, would welcom e your generosity in whatever form it takes as we tackle the challenges in this year of austeriry. -Burchenal Green, President
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NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P U BLISH ER'S C IRC LE: Peter Aro n, W illiam H . W hi te OFFICERS & T RUSTEES: Chairman, Ro nald L. O swald; Vice Chairman, Ri chard o R. Lo pes; President, Burchenal G reen; Vice Presidents, D eirdre O 'Rega n, Na ncy Schnaars; Treasurer, H. C. Bowe n Smith; Secretary, Thom as F. D aly; Trustees, C harl es B. Anderson, Walrer R. Brow n, James Ca rter, D avid S. Fowler, Virginia Steele G rubb, Ka ren H elmerson, Steve n W. Jones, Roben Ka mm, Ri chard M . Larrabee, G uy E. C. M aidand, John R. McDonald Jr., Jam es J. M cNa mara, Ri chard Scarano, Philip J. Shapiro, Peter H . Sharp, Howard Slorni ck, Brad ford D . Smith, Cesare So rio , Philip J. Webste r, D aniel W. W halen, W ill ia m H. W hite; Chairmen Emeriti, Walter R. Brown, Alan G. C hoate, G uy E. C. Maidand , C raig A. C. Reynolds, H oward Slomi ck; President Emeritus, Peter Stanfo rd FOUNDER: Ka rl Korrum (1 917-1996) OVERSEERS: Chairman, RADM D avid C. Brown; Walrer Cro nkite, C li ve C ussler, Richard du Mo ulin, Al an D . Hutchi so n, Jakob Isbrandtsen, John Lehma n, Warren Marr, II, Brian A. McAl lister, John Srobart, W illiam G. W interer NM H S ADVISORS: Chairman , Melbourne Smith; D . K. Abbass, Geo rge Bass, Francis E. Bowker, Oswald L. Bren, RADM Joseph F. Callo, Francis J. Duffy, John W Ewald, T imothy Foo re, William G ilkerso n, Thomas G illmer, Walrer J. H andelman, Steven A. H yman, H ajo K.nurtel , G unn ar Lundeberg, Joseph A. Maggio, Co nrad Milster, W illiam G. Mull er, N an cy Hu ghes Ri chardso n
SEA H ISTORY EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Chairman, T imo th y J. Runyan; Norman J . Bro uwe r, Ro b err B row nin g, Wi lliam S. Dudley, D ani el Finamo re, Kevin Foster, John O din Jensen, Joseph F. Mea ny, Lisa No rlin g, Ca rla Rahn Phillips, Walter Rybka, Q uentin Snediker, W illiam H . W hite NM H S STAFF : E x ecutive Director , Burchenal G ree n; Membership Director, Nancy Schnaa rs; Marketing Director, Steve Lovass-Nagy; Communications Director, Juli a C hurch; Accounting, Ji ll Ro meo; Store Sales & Volunteer Coordinator, Jane M auri ce
SEA HISTO RY. Editor, D eirdre O' Rega n ; Advertising Director, We nd y Pagg iorra ; Editor-at-Large, Peter Stanford; Sea H istory is printed by The Lane Press, S. Burlingron, VT
SEA HISTORY 126, SPRING 2009