Steven Kalil “When I first walked into the shipyard and saw all the big ships out of the water with all the big equipment, I loved it. I love my job.”
photo by burchenal green
photo by allison lucas
In June the Society held its annual meeting on Staten Island, hosted by the John Noble Collection at Sailor’s Snug Harbor. The next day, we awakened to a halcyon Sunday morning and headed to Caddell Dry Dock & Repair Co. for an exclusive tour by its president, Steve Kalil. Some of our members had traveled from out of state just for this experience, and it did not disappoint. Captain Huntley Gill navigated the historic fireboat John J. Harvey across the harbor to give us a water salute; right afterwards a massive containership passed us. Of course, we tried to claim that, too, was by design. We listened in awe as Steve Kalil explained how dry docking works and discussed the kinds of equipment and challenges in shipbuilding and repair that have Steve Kalil is a great friend to the evolved over the past century. maritime industry. (right) During an Kalil first joined Caddell Dry Dock as a young NMHS tour of the shipyard, he excarpenter’s assistant in 1975 and rose through the plained to a captivated audience how ranks, becoming president of the company in 1989. a large ship is hauled out of the water Since then, he has gained the appreciation of the so that its hull can be repaired. community he serves so well. Under his leadership, Caddell has continued the maritime traditions of an exceptional shipyard business that began in 1903. Its maintenance projects include service to the Staten Island ferry fleet, tugs, tankers, lighters, and barges from all the major maritime transport companies along the East Coast. As a full-service shipyard with its own machine shops, pipe shops, and all the trades necessary to repair vessels, Caddell has operated under the same family for three generations, constructing and servicing thousands of vessels, and repairing or restoring some of our most famous and significant historic ships, including the US Coast Guard barque Eagle, barquentine Gazela Primeiro of Philadelphia, the square riggers Wavertree and Peking, lightship Ambrose, and the ex-USN destroyer USS Slater, among others. As Kalil explains, “When somebody throws a Wavertree or an old wooden tugboat at [us], I get more involved because it’s interesting. It’s a challenge to find talent to work on old craft; we bring people from all over to do the work. On the Wavertree, I met a whole new group of people from the West Coast who knew how to do that kind of rigging. I love this job. I have been here 46 years. It’s a good reason to get up every morning.” Kalil has served as board chair of the Noble Maritime Collection and as past president of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ. Under his direction, the shipyard has delivered extraordinary service to the maritime heritage community and the larger shipping industry, managing the oldest, largest, and one of the most technologically advanced shipyards in the New York metropolitan area. Steve Kalil is recognized with the 2022 NMHS Distinguished Service Award for his expertise, commitment, and vision that have helped steer Caddell Dry Dock to great success, as it is respected by the larger shipping community. We are honored to have Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO of South Street Seaport Museum, present the award.
CAPT Sally McElwreath Callo, USN (Ret.) and RADM Joseph Callo, USN (Ret.) The Callos will be the first couple to receive the NMHS David A. O’Neil Sheet Anchor Award. Extraordinary ambassadors for the Society, they have expanded its outreach internationally. Their support has been invaluable, inviting NMHS to represent the United States, along with the American Friends of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, to events in Portsmouth, England. There, the Society was introduced to Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, whom NMHS subsequently honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 2015. Additionally, they have engaged the Society’s support with the annual Pickle Night dinners, an event which honors Lord Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar, and arranged for NMHS representation at countless maritime events, including Navy League Dinners and Fleet Week receptions. CAPT Sally McElwreath Callo, formerly a corporate executive, served in the Navy Reserve for 27 years, and more recently was director of the USS New York (LPD-21) Commissioning Committee. She has been a communications strategist, specializing in crisis, strategic, and marketing communications in the oil, airline, publishing, and energy industries. She retired in 2005 as a senior vice president for Aquila Energy, a Fortune 100 company. In addition to her long-time service as a trustee of the National Maritime Historical Society, CAPT McElwreath Callo serves on the board of the US Naval Service Personnel Supplemental Educational 12
SEA HISTORY 180, AUTUMN 2022