southport police dept. nc
Maine’s First Ship Virginia
Southport’s crumpled weather warning tower.
by order of President William McKinley to warn ships of dangerous weather conditions. Signal flags and lights on the tower indicated danger levels from small-craft warnings to alerts for approaching hurricanes. The tower also served as a memorial to Southport’s volunteer tower observer/signalman Jessie Taylor Stephens, said to be the longest-serving individual in that position, serving more than 60 years. The coastal warning network was deactivated in 1989, and only a handful of the towers remain. The tower is considered part of the 54
and installing the shutter planks, which means ice cream, in honor of Winnie Lash of Friendship. The late Winfield “Winnie” Lash—boatbuilder, designer, and co-founder of Lash Brothers Boatyard—always celebrated his shutter plank by sending the newest guy up the hill to get ice cream.” The ship is inspired by the pinnace Virginia, built by members of the Popham Colony, a short-lived settlement located near where Phippsburg, Maine, is today. The original Virginia carried many of the surviving colonists back to England the following year. There are no known design plans for the original vessel; the recreation is based on typical designs of the period, with adaptations for modern use and Coast Guard safety requirements. MFS hopes to launch Virginia in fall of 2020. (122 Front St., Bath, ME; Ph: 207 443-4242; www. mfship.org) … As people are marking the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Pilgrim ship Mayflower from England to North America, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will be tracing
promare
Mayflower Autonomous Ship a similar path, also with a brave new future in mind. The MAS, an unmanned 53-foot trimaran, will cross the ocean using hybrid propulsion—wind, solar, state-ofthe-art batteries, and a diesel generator— and managed by artificial intelligence. The vessel, under construction in Poland and to be fitted out in England, will set sail from Plymouth, England, on 6 September for an expected twelve-day journey to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Key to its mission are the research pod loaded with sensors and an assortment of other hull-mounted instruments to study meteorology, oceanography, climatology, biology, marine pollution and conservation, and autonomous navigation; the data will be relayed to scientists on shore. The vessel has the capacity to carry up to three research pods, a feature that project leaders hope to utilize in future expeditions. The project’s planners hope that developments in maritime AI systems will eventually lead to improved safety features in more traditional craft. The non-profit ProMare, established to promote marine research and exploration, is coordinating the project with partners including IBM, the University of Plymouth, Aluship, and MSubs Ltd. (www.promare. org) … A research team in Poland has discovered a shipwreck in the Vistula River north of Warsaw. The ship, estimated 120 feet long, was likely used to transport grain to Gdańsk. Artur Brzóska, the underwater archaeologist who led the project, said “This is most likely a large transport vessel that was used from the
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adjacent North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport; as of press time the museum was awaiting an engineer’s inspection of the site to determine how to proceed. (NCMM Southport, 2014 E. Moore St., Southport, NC; 910 477-5151; https://ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com) … The non-profit group Maine’s First Ship is making progress on the construction of a replica of the Virginia. Her crew reports: “We are hanging the lodging knees, which will allow us to finish planking the deck
mfs
flagship has been supported since 1922 is included on the tour route. Visitors will be able to see parts of the vessel rarely seen, including the elm keel that has supported Victory since she was laid down 260 years ago in 1759. In addition, a new gallery, “The Nation’s Flagship,” will open in April 2020 and share the fascinating and everevolving tale of Victory’s construction, service, and ongoing conservation. HMS Victory is the Royal Navy’s most famous warship. Best known for her role in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory currently has a dual role as the flagship of the First Sea Lord and as a living museum of the Georgian Navy. (www.historicdockyard. co.uk) … The 119-year old weather warning tower in Southport, North Carolina, was toppled by heavy gusts of wind during a storm on 7 February. Built in 1901 on the lawn of Fort Johnston Garrison, the tower was one of dozens installed
SEA HISTORY 170, SPRING 2020