OsHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS In April, the National Coast Guard Museum Association (NCGMA) announced plans to build a 54,300-sq.-ft. museum on the New London, Connecticut, waterfront, including docks and a pier capable of berthing the 295ft. USCGC Eagle. New Lo ndon is hom e to the US C oast Guard Academy and is homeport to the Academ y's training ship, the barque Eagle. Th e proposed sire is located on ciry-owned properry down town, adjace nt ro the train station and ferry terminal. The ann ouncement was made by James ]. Coleman Jr. , chairman of the N C GMA boa rd , and included supportive remarks by U SCG C ommandant Admiral Robert J . Papp, Jr., C onnecticut Governor D an M all oy, and N ew London Mayor Darryl Justin Fi ni zio. The m useum is expected to cost $80 m illio n and will be paid for by a combination of federal fundin g and private donations. Gov. Malloy p ledged $20 million in stare funds ro build a foo tbridge across the railroad tracks to allow access to the visiting public, and the owners of the adjacent Cross Sound Ferry Terminal pl an to renovate the terminal as part of the overall plan for the downtown area. NCGMA plans to break ground in th e spring of 20 14 . (USCG Fdn ., 394 Taugwo nk Rd., Stonington , CT 06378; Ph. 860 5350786; www. coastguardfo undation .org)
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Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts has put out an appeal for white oak lumber to help repair M ayflower II, the full-scale reproduction of the M ayflower that sailed to Plymouth in 1620. Mayflower II is currently undergoin g extensive repairs in dry dock at the Fairhave n Shipyard in Massachusetts and needs new frames and planks. These repairs are critical to the iconic ship's return to her berth on the Plymouth , MA, waterfront, where she is a pop ular living history exhibit of Plimoth Plantation . The 56-year-old wooden sailing vessel requires very specifi c wood to complete her repairs. "This wood doesn't come from rypical commercial sources," said Peter Arenstam, th e ship's captain and manage r of Plim oth Plantation's M aritim e A rtisans program. "We are looking for ve ry specifi c trees that need to be the right age, size and even have the proper bend." The oak trees being sought are approximately 100 feet tall, more than fo ur feet in d iameter, and clear of any knots. The final lumber for the planks will meas ure 24 in ches by 30 feet and 3. 5 inches thi ck. T11 e frame stock will measure 24 in ches by 10 fee t and 8 inches thick. Reusing whi te oak trees that fe ll as a resul t of this past winter's storms would be ideal fo r this proj ect. The m useum emphas izes that the sourcing of wood materi als for
Mayflower II must be carried out in an enviro nmentally responsible manner and that they plan on implementing a tree planting program to replace any trees that may be taken down to comp lete the ship's repairs. T11e current shipyard wo rk
is part of a seven-year, $2- mi ll io n restoration project for th e historic vessel. Indi viduals who can help with this effort should contact the museum by email at whiteoak@plimoth .org or by calli ng Sarah M acdo nald at 508-746-1622, ext. 8206. Plimorh Plantation is a living history museum dedicated to telli ng the histo ry of the Plymouth Colony from the perspective of both the Pilgri ms and the native Wampanoag. U pdates on the restorati on can b e fo und on lin e at www.pli moth.org/SOS. You can view a video highlighting the restoratio n of the Mayflower II at www.boa tinglocal. com /news/ repairing-th e-m ayflowe r-ii.html. (Plimou th Plantatio n, 137 Warren Ave, POB 1620, Plymo u th, MA 023 62; Ph. 508 746-1622; www.plimoth .o rg) The Chesapeake Bay M aritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels, MD, is offering free general admission to all activeduty military personnel and their families this M emorial Day through Labor D ay. The prom otio n is part of C BMM's affili ation w ith Blu e Star Museums-a partnership with th e National Endowment for th e A rcs (N EA), Blue Star Families, the Department of D efense, and more than 1,800 museums across the United Sta tes. Open daily during the summ er, C BMM co mprises twelve exhibit bui ldings and numerous historic wa tercraft o n more than 18 acres along the Mi les River. Hi ghlights of a visit include climbing the 1879 H ooper Strait Lightho use a nd interacting with shipSEA HISTORY 143 , SUMMER 20 13