.SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS Schooner Ernestina (ex-Effie M. Morrissey) to be restored! The Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association, Inc. (SEMA), anno unced in August that two private donors have pledged $2.8 million towards the vessel's restoration. The money comes at a
Schooner Ernestina
critical time, as Ernestina has been languishing at the dock for the last several years, having lost its Coast Guard certificate to sail and conduct educational programming at sea. Not only did her time at the dock translate into her not bringing in any income, but, as anyone who works with wooden vessels knows, not being maintained turns into needing to be restored within a couple of years. The 1894 Essex-built Ernestina is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation; SEMA is a 50 lc(3) not-for-profit corporation that serves as a fundraising arm with the aim of returning the schooner to a seaworthy condition and regaining her USCG certificate to sail. While some in and around New Bedford were grumbling this summer about having lost their hometown historic ship from an earlier era to Mystic Seaport in the 1940s, most agreed that the survival and restoration of the 1841 whaler Charles W Morgan was not likely to have been achieved if the ship had stayed in New Bedford all those years ago. In the meantime, New Bedford, that saltiest of seaports, has a chance to do right by her other historic vessel. In July, when crowds came in droves to see the Morgan on her visit to New Bedford, they also got a chance to tour the Ernestina. Perhaps people had forgotten about the old girl. Perhaps they never even knew she was there, waiting. In any case, her dedicated crew of volunteers never lost faith and now it looks like their efforts might just pay off. The private donations are being matched by the state, plus another $1 mil-
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lion to be raised by SEMA, of which they have already raised about $300,000 as of the end of July. The two private donors are Harold F. (Gerry) Lenfest, owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Bob Hildreth of Boston, who proudly states that he "fell in love" with the ship more than 20 years ago; Hildreth currently serves as vice chairman of SEMA. After having witnessed the extraordinary competence of the shipyard crew at Mystic Seaport, many supporters are hoping the schooner goes there for her restoration, but, as Ernestina is a state-owned vessel, the job will go out to bid. One additional benefit of going to Mystic wo uld be that they could restore the ship over a couple of years but still keep her open to public visitation, as they did with the Morgan restoration. Ernestina's history of use, followed by neglect, and restoration, only to be repeated again is not terribly uncommon with historic ships. She might just hold one of the records for having been resurrected over and over again. The schooner has an important history that, depending on what era of her life you are talking about, is regional, national, and international in scale. Perhaps people are getting ahead of themselves, but there is also talk about changing her name, officially, to reflect her full history, and not just the second half of her long life. Ernestina has had at least four different careers in her lifetime, each is worth of study and honor in its own right. Kudos to Mr. Lenfest and Mr. Hildreth, but the effort hardly ends with them. Small donations can make a big difference in getting this historic schooner on her way back to sailing again. (You can learn more abo ut her history and how your donation, no matter how small, can help at the SEMA website at www.ernestina.org. You can also view her 2012 survey at www.mass.gov and do a search for "ernestina.") ... USS Slater (DE-7 66), the last destroyer escort afloat in America, is back in her home waters in Albany, NY, after a much-needed drydock period. Her paint scheme has been returned to her 1945 dazzle camouflage. Launched in 1944, Slater served in the Battle of the Atlantic and rhe Pacific Theater during WWII; in 1951 she was transferred to Greece and renamed Aetos, serving as a Hellenic navy training ship until deactivation in 1993, when a gro up of former
USS Slater
destroyer escort sailors returned her to the US and made her open to the public. After a triumphant journey back up the Hudson on 30 June, saluted by clusters of admirers along the way, Slater is now open for visitation through November, Wednesday-Sunday; her regular open season April-November will resume in 2015. (Destroyer Escort Historical Museum, Broadway and Quay, Albany, NY 12202; Ph. 518 431-1943; http://www. ussslater.org) ... Brothers Allan and John Noble of Oxford, MD, donated the historic log canoe Flying Cloud to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in July, where it will be part of the largest collection of Chesapeake Bay watercraft in the world. Built in 1932 by John B. Harrison, Flying Cloud caused a stir
for her large size in yachting circles, racing and winning the Governor's cup. For a brief period, from 1952-1955, the canoe was owned by noted marine artist and NMHS friend John Noble. (213 N. Talbot St., PO Box 636, St. Michaels, MD 21663; Ph. 410 74 5-2916; www.cbmm.org) ... The Deltaville Maritime Museum in Virginia has risen from the ashes of a July, 2012, fire that destroyed their museum building and events pavilion. Museum board and volunteers worked tirelessly to continue
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