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SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS
SEAmester lives on! SEAmester, the 9-week college sem ester aboard the Spirit of Massachusetts (and other call ships over the years), has been in flux ever since the closing of Southampton College in 200 5. So uthampton C ollege, pan of the Long Island Universiry system, created a nd ran the program continuously from 1976 to 200 5. After the college shut d own, the Universiry of M assachusetts D artmouth took o n the program bur cancelled it after two semes ters. From 1985 until 2008, SEAmesrer was run on either the Sp irit of Massachusetts or the H arvey Gamage, sometimes both. Ocean Class room Foundation, which owns and operates these vessels, has announced SEAmester's revival through a collaboration with rhe U niversiry of Maine. The first sem ester is being planned fo r the spring semester of 2010 .
Sp irit ofM assachusetts
Undergraduates from any unive rsity are encouraged to apply. Students earn 12 credits toward their undergraduate degree as they travel throughout the Caribbean and up the eastern seaboard. C lasses are offered in marine science, maritime history and literature, and navigatio n and seamanship. For more than thirry yea rs, SEAm ester has given young adults the adventure of a lifetime and, fo r m any, has transformed their whol e life view and purpose. D o n't miss o ut! (O CF, 29 M cKown Street, Boothbay H arbor, M E 04 538; Ph. 207 633-275 0 or toll free 800 724-7245; www. oceanclass room.org) ... A groundbreaking ceremony was held in April for Gulf Quest: The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico (GQ) in Mobile, Alabama. The buildin g will be constructed and owned by the City of Mo bile, while the interacti ve m ari time museum inside will be funded and operated by an independem , non-profit organizatio n through a public/private partnerSEA HISTORY 127, SUMMER 2009
ship with the city. 1he groundbreaking took the form of a "keel laying" because the building is designed to resemble a ship. US Senator Richard Sh elby said, "It's
Gulf Quest: The National Maritime M useum ofthe Gulf of Mexico
hard to beli eve that, until now, no museum has been created to celebra te the histori cal, economic, and culmral significance of the G ulf of M exico." The museum is expected to open its doo rs in spring 2011. Exhibits will be ho used inside the stern of a mock-up full -s ized co ntainer ship, displayed as if dockside. (G ulf Quest temporary offices are located at th e International Trade Center, 25 0 N . Water St. , Suite 13 1, Mobile, AL 36602; Ph. 251 43 6-8901 ; www.gulfquest.o rg) ... The United States Coast Guard recently announced its new rule, effective 28 May, regarding identification document requirements for crewmembers of commercial vessels in US navigable waters. This rule affects those m anning foreign comm ercial vessels operating in US waters
and calling o n US pons and crewmembers aboard US commercial vessels returning from a fo reign port. The rule requires crewmembers to carry one of the following IDs: a pass port, a US perman ent res ident card, a US merchan t m ariner docum ent o r credential, a rransportatio n wo rker identification credential (TWIC) , o r a seafarer's id entifi cati on document issued by a country signatory to the Intern ational Labour O rgani za tion Convention 185. Vessel operators will be required to ensure char crewmembers comply with chis regulation. (The rules and related materials are online at http ://www. regula tions.gov, docker number: USCG-200728648) ... Dr. Joshua Smith has been appointed Interim Coordinator of the American Merchant Marine Museum (AMMM) on the campus of the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Dr. Smith is an historian and an Associate Professor of Humani ties at the Academy. The AMMM focuses o n US commercial shipping since the inceptio n of steam-powered vessels and is also the site of the Natio nal Maritime H al l of Fame, whi ch each year induces a notable seafarer and shi p into its venerable ran ks. Smith is also rhe autho r of Voyages, a new anth ology of primary texts and images coverin g top ics in maritime history fro m
The 2009 NMHS Rodney N. Houghton Award Author James L. Nelson has been awarded th e 2009 N MHS Rodney N. H oughton Award for the Best Feature Article in Sea H istory for his article, "Taking the Fight to Sea: M achi as and the First Sea Fight of the Am erican Revolution." Mr. N elson is a critically acclaimed author, historian, and former professional sailor. His article ran in Sea H istory 123 (Summer 2008) and was based on a chapter in his 2008 book, George Washington's Secret Navy (M cGrawHill, ISB N 978 0071493 89 5). Since swallowin g the anchor, Jim N elso n has sought to bring to life, through fiction and non-fiction, America's historical connectio n with the sea. Hi s writing covers a wide range of Ameri ca's m aritim e heritage, from piracy in Colonial Virginia to the naval action of the Civil War. Rodney N . Houghton (193 8-2007) was an active member of the N ational M aritime Historical Society's Board ofTrusrees and a frequent contributor to Sea H isf ames L. Nelson tory. The award was created in 2008 in honor of Rodney's passion for maritime history and his appreciation of chose whose work brings the stories of our maritime heritage to a broader audi ence. (For more informati o n o n James N elson, see www. jameslnelson.com; on NMHS, see www.seal1istory. org) .
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