.
SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS
The late January blizzard that pummeled New England toppled the sloop Providence, which was out of th e water at Newport Shipyard in Newport, Rhode Island. Providence was supporred by jackstands but her rig had been left standing, including her topmast and two
The release of Ron Howard's Hollywood production In the Heart of the Sea has been pushed back from March 20 15 to next December. The film is based on Nathan iel Philbrick's bestseller
Sloop Provid ence
r
yards. Owner Thorpe Leeson reporred that the damage includes a puncture in the hull and a broken mas t and spars, not to mention a tangle of rigging that will have to be removed and reconstructed. Providence was built in 1976 to parricipate in the Bicentennial of the American Revolution celebrations. She is a replica of John Paul Jones's naval ship in which he captured sixteen prizes and inflicted damage along the coast of Nova Scotia during a six-week voyage in 1776. The 20th-century-b uilt Providence is 6 1 feet on deck and 110 feet LOA; her hull is fiberglass. Leeson bought the vessel in 20 10 from the Providence Mari time Heritage Fo undation . He plans ro repair the damage and put her up for sale once she is back in the water, by the end of this summer. The sloop Providence was made the official flagship and tall ship ambassador of Rhode Island in 1993. She has also had roles in two of the Disney "Pi rates of the Caribbean" movies. 50
of the same name and stars C hris Hemsworrh, Benjamin Walker, C illi an M urphy, and Tom Holland. The book and movie tell the story of the whaleship Essex, which was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The crew rook to the whaleboats and headed for shore, more than a thousand miles distant, and the resultant tale includes survival and tragedy, with a little cannibalism thrown in . The delay of the movie's release gives peop le more time ro read the book first, which is usually a wise choice. (www. intheheartoftheseamovie.com) An amendment to repeal key parts of the Jones Act failed to make it into the Keystone XL oil pipeline bill that the Senate passed on 29 January. As debate about the pipeline bill was making its way through committee, Senator John McCain filed the amendment seeking ro repeal the cabotage section of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, a.k.a. the Jones Act, which requires that all goods shipped between US pons be carried by American-built, -owned, -flagged, and -manned vessels. The maritime and shipbuilding comm unities came out in force against the amendment, and more than two dozen maritime-friendly legisla-
tors in the House, including Congressmen Joe Courtney (CT) and Steven Palazzo (MS), urged their Senate colleagues ro vote against the amendment, arguing th at its passage wo uld devastate the domestic shipbuilding industry. McCain stated that the Jones Act is "an antiquated law that has for roo long hindered free trade, made US industry less competitive, and raised prices for American consumers." According to Tony M unoz of Maritime Executive, "There are currently 11 7 shipyards in 26 states, which employ abo ut 110,000 workers. The total of direct and indirect shipyard jobs, however, is closer ro 402,000, and they provide about $23.9 billion in income and add $360 billion ro US GDP." Senator McCain is the new chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has stated that he will continue the fight to repeal the cabotage section of the Jones Act. (Senato r McCain's website is www.mccain.senate.gov.) . . . Rear Adm. Samu el J. Cox, USN (Ret.), is th e new d irector of the Naval History and Heritage C ommand, as of 29 December 2014. As NHHC director and curator of
SOUTHPORT SILVER Handcrafted Silver and Copper Jewelry
Southport Island, Maine www.southportsiIver.com southportsilver@gmail.com
207 .217 .7743 SEA HISTORY 150, SPRING 20 15