Fond Memories of SS Borinquen The last iss ue of Sea H istory (1 30, Spring 201 O) answered a questio n that has occasionally popped in to my head over the past 64 yea rs: "What ever happened to SS Borinquen?" I have fond m emories of my return from the ETO afrer WWII o n the Borinquen in January of 1946, even though it was a rough thirteen days in the N o rth Atlantic. M y service was with th e 26th Infantry Division (Yankee Divisio n), 104 th regim ent, where I served as a riflem an and MP during the war and bandsman during the occupation. As my points total accrued , I was assigned to the 756 th Division fo r the return . I often also wo nder what happened to the SS Argentina, which took the Yankee Division to France in August of
See, touch, hear, smell and experience how the great wooden ships were built.
• Visit the only existing U.S. shipyard site where large wooden sailing ships were built •Four original workshops •Wharves, slips, tools, and more •Shipyard owner's home • Explore the latest exhibits • Some Burdensome: Big Ships, Big Cargoes through June 25, 2010 • Heavy Metal: Marine Propulsion Opens July 9, 201 0 • Tour Bath Iron Works and see Navy destroyers being built using cutting-edge technology* • Watch craftsmen build wooden boats by hand • Be awed by the life-size evocation of the Wyoming, largest wooden sailing ship ever built • See the recovered remains of the last Ameri ca n clipper ship Snow Squall • Find a rare book or a perfect nautical gift in our Museum Store *May 25 to Oct. 11 only. Reservations highly recommended. Visit our web site to register.
www.MaineMaritimeMuseum.org
l:t l¢1 open daily 9:30 to 5 243 Washington Street, Bath, Maine 207-443-1316
Bath information at visitbath, com 4
1944. In the photo , I am on the left, aft on the Borinquen's A-D eck, 8 January 1946 . BoB WAssuNG East Lyme, C onnecticut
Sailing-the Best Bargain in Town Yo ur always engaging publication reached a new height in my m em ory with the Spring iss ue. When I first moved to the Boston area [from the Lake C hamplain valley] to see if I could support myself in life, I was fortun ate to find the C ommunity Boat C lub. It was, and still is, the bes t bargain in town . Though I did some instru ction wo rk at C BC, I had never h eard the story of Joe Lee. I now have that inform ation and am forever in debt to his mem ory for providing this co untry bumpkin with a hom e away fr om home. H. BROWN BALDWIN Boxford, Massachusetts Luxury Cruising under Square Rig My wife and I we re the very lucky winners of the cruise on Royal Clipp er at las t year's (2009) N MHS Annual Awa rds Dinner raffie. We just returned from o ur Caribbean
Royal Clipper
cruise in the Leeward Islands aboard the five-mas ted Sailing Passenger Vessel (SPV) Royal Clipper. This was indeed a trip of a lifetime. W atching the sails being raised on five m as ts from the deck of this 439fo ot massive sailing ship is a never-to-beforgotten experience. There was sno rkeling in warm and clean wa ters at anchor and always wonderful food and fri endly companions. The photo (above) is one of the shots we took of the Royal Clipper under full sail-42 in all. On beh alf ofNMHS, we would like to thank the Star C lippers for donating this wonderful trip for last year's raffie in support of the work of the Society and to recommend this trip, or any other Star Clippers voyage, to o ur fellow N MHS m embers. ROBERT KAMM, TRUSTEE, NM H S New York C ity
Buying Haitian Art I was intri gued when I saw the Spring 2010 issue of Sea H istory practically jumping out of my m ailbox. The front cover is certainly a departure from the usual style, but it is worth a lot more than just a pretty picture. Dram ati c, colorful, vibrant, chao tic-all ways to describe Haiti today. W ith so m any worthy causes pulling at o ur heart strings (and our wallets) , a good way to help is to support the H aitians' efforts to help themselves . Yo u can support a wo rthy cause and co me away with a piece of o riginal art as well. A win-win situatio n. Also, I had not realized, or perhaps I hadn't been paying attention, that H aiti's maritime culture is so much mo re th an the flimsy watercraft overstuffed with desperate would-be immigrants we som etimes see on the ni ghtly news. Th anks fo r opening my eyes to a positive view of that troubled country. M ATT RICCARDI Brooklyn , New York SEA HISTORY 131 , SUMME R 2010