responsibility for the restoration had been assigned to a government department that had little experience managing a construction project of this type. The initial estimate for the job, back in 2009, came in at approximately $ 14.5 million CAD, but total costs to finish the restoration will come it at well over $20 million. The restoration has been paid for by Canadian taxpayers to the tune of $19,572,990 so far. That does n't include the cost of installing a new steering system , estimated at another $35 0,000.
Geoff MacLellan, the minister of Transportation and Inrrastructure Renewal, recently toured the vessel at the dock in Lunenburg and pledged to complete the restoration and get the ship sailing again. The 150-foot schooner was launched in 1963 and is a replica of the 1921 Grand Banks fishing schooner Bluenose, which garnered accolades and fame for her speed and bea utiful lines. The restoration has been plagued by co ntroversy since it began in 2009, with missed deadlines, unauthorized modifications ro the plan,
disputes between the shipyard and the Province, and even a copyright suit brought on by the grandson and great granddaughter of the original Bluenose's designer, William Roue. While the Province of Nova Scotia owns the vessel, Roue's descendents claim ownership ro the original design . The province settled with the claimants in 2014, paying them $3 00,000. (Bluenose II website is www. bluenose. novascotia.ca. You can read the audiror general's report online at www. oag-ns.ca.) ,t
Full Funding for a National Grant Program in 2015 The maritime heritage community rallied last year in support of a bill that would have restored full fund ing to the National Maritime Heritage Act (1994) grant program. That funding had been diverted in 2010 by an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Legislation introduced as part of the STORIS Act in 2014 by Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska contained a provision that would restore full funding to the National Maritime Heritage Act but, unfortunately, it did not become law. We are thankful, nonetheless, to Senator Begich for championing this effort. He served as a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and chaired a subcommittee. Legislative assistant Bob King, a fisheries expert and historian, worked hard to help our cause, for which we are grateful. He arranged our briefing to the Senate Oceans Caucus last summer-but this was an election year, and Sen. Begich lost a close race in Alaska in the November elections. The good news is that we have succeeded in raising a much greater awareness within Congress of this issue and we are poised to move forward in the current session. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Joe Courtney-both from Connecticutand their staffs continue their support. Many other members of Congress and staff were contacted by the maritime heritage community to gain their support in 2014. We also were assisted by the ship recycling firm EMR. This large recycling firm wants the dollars it pays to the Maritime Administration for ships to be distributed in support of a public maritime heritage grant program, as intended by the original National Maritime Heritage Act. Beacon Consulting, as its name suggests, has been a powerful light in a sometimes-foggy world. We came out of the gates early this year. In January, I visited with seventeen staff members from various offices to brief them on our cause and to seek their support. The responses have been positive, but we know from hard experience that more will be required for us to succeed in passing an amendment to restore full funding for the grant program. You can assist in this effort. We will cal l upon the nearly 1,000 maritime heritage organizations in the United States and the many thousands of members that make up the maritime heritage community. As constituents of various American states, territories, and districts, you can reach out to your representatives urging their support. We will provide information to make this work effectively on the NMHS website at www.seahistory.org. The highly successful 1O'h Maritime Heritage Conference hosted by Nauticus in Norfolk, VA, last September served as an opportunity for organizations and individuals to caucus on legislative action. The result was an outpouring ofletters and calls to Congress. Ir made a difference, and made clear the value of a national gathering of the maritime heritage community. Remember that mi ll ions are at stake and that with Congress and the passage of legislation, it is a process, not an event. Stay the -Timothy]. Runyan course. Chairman, National Maritime Alliance Trustee, National Maritime H istorical Society (above right) L ess than a year after USCG Cutter Storis was placed on the National Register of H istoric Places (2012), she was towed to a scrapyard in Mexico. Sen. Begich called his p roposed legislation the STORIS Act (Ships To be R ecycled I n the S tates) to honor the memory ofthe Storis and to emphasize the need to keep the scrapping offederally owned ships in the US.
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