ecoclipper.org
De Tukker
the North Sea by this summer. EcoClipper seeks to create a fleet of eco-friendly vessels via the purchase and retrofit of existing sailing ships, as well as the construction of purpose-built ships. The first of those planned vessels will be the EcoClipper500, a steel-hulled replica based on the Dutch clipper Noach, built in 1857 in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands. The EcoClipper500 plans call for a square-rigged vessel 194 feet long, equipped to carry 12 crew, 12 passengers, and up to 36 trainees. (www.ecoclipper. org) … The historic Cunard liner Queen Mary, which has served as a hotel and event venue since its installation in the city of Long Beach, California, has been closed to the public to allow for the commencement of critical repairs. The vessel will still be made available for filming, which produces fees that help fund her upkeep. The City of Long Beach, which now controls the ship after the bankruptcy declaration of the last management firm, Urban Commons Queensway LLC, has authorized the repairs, estimated to carry a $5 million price tag. The liner will receive new permanent bilge pumps, as well as improvements to the bulkhead, emergency generator, and the water intrusion warning system. The city plans to reopen the ship to the public once these initial critical re52
Queen Mary
photo by wolfgang fricke, cc by 3.0, wikipedia commons
pairs are completed later this year. “With the City now overseeing control of the ship, I am confident this year will bring tremendous progress towards protecting this historic feature of our community,” said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. The city has also created the web page www.longbeach.gov/economicdevelopment/real-estate-development/queenmary-updates/, outlining the ship’s role in the city’s economic picture. Launched in 1934 in the Clydebank, Scotland, John Brown & Co. Shipyard, the Queen Mary carried passengers across the Atlantic for the Cunard Line until 1939, when she was converted and used as a troop ship. In 1947 she returned to passenger service until her retirement in 1967. … The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) Shipwright Apprentice Program has been recognized with a $34,535 grant from the Rural Maryland Council. In place for over 20 years, the program has graduated more than 50 apprentices. In 2018 a
formal four-year apprentice certification was instituted, in conformance with US Department of Labor Employment Training Administration Standards and registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program. Over the course of 8,000 hours served, apprentices earning the certification develop skills such as joinery techniques, ship repair, and construction, as well as leadership and management skills. The second individual to complete the certification, Stephen North, graduated this winter. “The public may not see
our apprenticeship program as typical for a museum, yet investing in the shipwright craft is a top priority for CBMM and having a certified workforce training program furthers our growing investment in the Eastern Shore and Maryland for generations to come,” said CBMM President & CEO Kristen Greenaway. Maryland governor Larry Hogan also announced in January that the museum would be receiving $300,000 for the construction of its new Library & Collections building, which is being carried out by the veteran-owned Delmarva Veteran Builders. (Rural Maryland Council; www.rural.maryland.gov/. CBMM, 213 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels, MD; 410 745-2916; www.cbmm. org) … The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) is being towed to a Texas ship-breaker for scrapping. Too large to transit the Panama Canal, the ship USS Kitty Hawk
us navy photo
The Dutch corporation EcoClipper Coöperatie UA announced in late January that it had purchased the Dutch ship De Tukker, the first of a planned fleet of sailing vessels. Built in 1912 by the firm Gebr. G. & H. Bowdewes and christened Entreios, the schooner sailed under the names Albatros, Elita, Iduna, Selma Borries, and Harle Tief before she was restored in 1978–81 in the Netherlands to serve as a sail training vessel under the name De Tukker. The company intends to put De Tukker to work carrying cargo and passengers on
will be taking the long way—around Cape Horn. As of press time, the ship, sold for one penny, was being towed from Bremerton, WA. The organization USS Kitty Hawk Veterans Association had submitted a formal proposal to the US Navy to retain the vessel as a museum ship, but that proposal was rejected in 2017 when the Kitty Hawk was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. According to the website of the Naval Sea Services Command (NAVSEA), “Only vessels that are pending decommissioning and determined to be historically significant or have a high probability of donation are considered for donation. The Secretary of the Navy in coordination with the Chief of Naval Operations determines whether a ship should be designated for donation.” Following this policy, the carrier’s fate was determined at its decommissioning in 2009. The veterans’ association is evaluating the possibility of a land-based museum honoring the vessel and those who served aboard. Kitty Hawk was the Navy’s last active-service oil-powered carrier and SEA HISTORY 178, SPRING 2022