SIDP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS The Los Angeles Maritime Institute has listed one of its twin brigantines for sale (or lease). Faced wi[h repaying a millionplus dollar cons[ruc[io n loan, LAMI is seeking m sell either the Irving Johnson or Exy Johnson, buye r's preference. Ideally, [hey would like m kee p [he briganrines sailing
Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson
mge[her wi[h inner-ciry kids, and if any generous do nor-sponsors are inreres[ed in helping pay off [he loan and endow the TopSail Yo uth Program, please conraC[ [hem immed ia[ely. Alrernarively, [hey're looking for a long-[erm lease/chaner or m sell one of [he ships. Bo[h ships were launched in 2002 and began their careers in sail [raining in 2003. Asking price is $4.2 million . (LAMI, Berth 84, Foor of 6rh Sr. , San Ped ro, CA 9073 1; Ph . 3 10 833-605 5; e-m ail, info@lamimpsail.org; www.lamimpsail. org) . . . Elysa Engelman of Mystic Seaport is seeking information on the maritime aspects of the Underground Railroad. Readers, if anyo ne is currend y researching o r knows of primary source ma[erials o n this important mpic, please com ae[ her. (Elysa Engelman, Mys[ic Seapo rc The M useum of America and [he Sea, This portion ofthe map, "Routes ofthe Underground Railroad" by Wilbur Siebert (1 898), shows routes up the eastern seaboard, along rivers, and through the Great Lakes.
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75 Greenmanville Avenue, PO Box 6000, Mys[ic, CT 06355; Ph. 860-572-5302 ext. 407 1; e-mail: elysa.engelman@mys ricseaport.org) ... Paul Hundley, senior curator of the Australian National Maritime Museum USA Gallery, has invited scholars at maritime institutions to apply for the up-to-$30,000 Australian National Maritime Museum USA Gallery Fellowship that fosters relationships with key American institutions, promoting research into the two countries' shared heritage. This is an excellenr oppo rtuniry m do research in Australia. (For more info rma[ion: con [aC[ Paul H undley a[ ph undley@anmm. gov.au) . .. The University of Exeter in the UK, the only university that offers MAs and PhDs in British Naval History, has announced its new MA program delivered wholly on-line. Ini ria[ed by Professor N icholas Rodger, [his course allows studem s who canno[ an end sem inars a[ Exeter m pursue a course of study in their own [ime fro m home. (www.exeter.ac. uk/ postgrad uate/ degrees/h istory/ navaldlma.html. ) ... The US Coast Guard has launched a new Web-based tool to provide information on the validity of merchant mariner credentials. The Merchant Mariner Credential Verifica[ion tool was created fo llowing Operarion Big Tow, a m arine safery program focused o n ensuring uni nspected mwing vessels are being operated by properly licensed individ uals, w hich idemified the need fo r a rapid means of ve rify ing the validi ry of merchant mari ner credenrials. The M erchant Mariner C redenrial Verificatio n tool provides m arine employers the m eans to ensure th ey are hi ri ng mariners with val id credentials, and also allows Port Srate Control officers in foreign ports a real-tim e capabili ry to verify US mariners' credentials. There are three ways to verify the val idi ry of a M M C: credential rype and serial number; mariner reference number; o r las[ nam e, date of birth, and last fo ur digi[s of [he mariner's social securi ry number. (For more informa[io n abour the Na[ional M ari[im e Cenrer's Mariner Licensing and Documen tatio n program visit hnp: //www.uscg. mil/ nm c or [he Homepo rt si[e a[ hnp://homepo rt.uscg. mil and then select M erchant M ariners.) .. . Could there be a return to commercial sailing ships in our future? C OSCO thinks so.
Las t year, C O SCO , China's bigges t shipping line, signed an agreement with Solar Sailor of Australia to retrofa [heir tankers wfrh large solar-powered sails, which are expected to red uce fuel costs by up m 40% . 1he first ship is supposed m be ready in 2010 . The sails are nearly 100-feer long and are covered with photovolaric panels. A comp uter linked wirh rhe ship's navigation system aummarically adjusts rhe angle of rhe sails m maxi mize rh eir exposure m rhe sun's rays and "rrim" rhe sails ar an an gle rhat best harnesses the wind . Sounds a litde like science fiction, but Solar Sailor already has ourfitted a number of vessels for different uses wi[h solar sails. The m anufacturer claims rha[ solar sails on C OSC O ships will
pay fo r themselves in savings on fuel in fo ur years. Solar Sailor also is [rying to ge[ into rhe luxury yacht business . (Solar Sailor is based in Sydney, Australia, www.solarsailor. com) .. . In May, UK-Halsey Sailmakers created a free " Rules Gadget," a Google Gadget designed to help sailors master the racing rules, which can be installed on any web site and links instantly to a bundle of five animated rules quizzes. The q uizzes show developing race co urse sirua[ions and explain [he rul es rh a[ apply. Anyo ne can place rhe Rules Gadget on [heir web sire free of charge. The race scenarios in the qui zzes are changed aum marically so [ha[ users will always be able m ffY it again and again withom repeating the sam e scenarios. The rules analysis for each situatio n was developed by Rob O verton, C hairman of US Sailing's Racing Rules Co mminee. To check out [he Gadge[, get on iG oogle, click on ''Add sruff' (toward [h e righ [ of [he page), then "Sea rch fo r gadgets." Yo u can always check OU[ [he many interac[ive games and q uizzes on UK-H alsey's official web si[e: www. ukhalsey.com . ... The New Bedford Whaling Museum has launched a new exhibit, From Pursuit to Preservation: The History of Human Interaction with Whales, that seeks to d efine and explore the complex and (continued on page 48)
SEA HISTORY 128, AUTUMN 2009