Historic Ships Are in Rough Water

The condition of the historic ships maintained in San Francisco by the National Park Service is deteriorating and a cause of considerable concern.

Walt Riley of the Sacramento Bee wrote recently on the situation: “Worms, rot and neglect are claiming the U.S. government’s premier collection of historic ships. The old vessels . . . make a pretty sight at their moorings on the San Francisco waterfront. But hidden and spreading rapidly beneath the spiffy paint and gleaming brass and varnish are destruction and decay.”

The condition of these ships caught the attention of the National Maritime Historical Society, which publishes a quarterly journal, “Sea History.” The next issue is expected to focus on the plight of these historic vessels.

The problem is familiar to nearly all maritime museums with in-the-water exhibits: Money. National Park Service administrators estimate that $3 million a year would maintain the San Francisco fleet adequately, but last year’s budget was half that and this year’s is down to $1 million.

The question of restoring and maintaining historic vessels in the face of other budgetary governmental demands is controversial. They’ve outlived their time, so let them die a “natural” death, some say. But the same can be said of objects in museums throughout the nation that maintain our cultural past. Yet no historical artifact is as costly to maintain as in-the-water ships. That is the economic dilemma that faces the National Park Service with its collection of ships in the Golden Gate National Recreational Area.

The Newport In-the-Water Boat Shows are returning to Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach. The Newport Used Boat Show will be held April 3-6; the Newport Sailboat Show, April 9-13 and the Newport Power Boat Show, April 16-20. Because of traffic congestion in the area, free parking will be available off Tustin and Avon avenues in Newport Beach, with shuttles to Lido Marina Village leaving every 15 minutes. Show hours are weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Coast Guard is studying the waterways of Southern California to determine the effectiveness of aids to navigation systems. An important part of the study will be input from all types of mariners. The Coast Guard is compiling information on San Pedro and Santa Barbara channels and the outer Santa Barbara Passage and is looking for comments on types, numbers, placements and characteristics of navigational aids. Responses should include type of vessel operated, frequency of operation, if day or night transits are used and if the Coast Guard’s sound signals are being used. Responses should be directed to the Commander, 11th Coast Guard District, Union Bank Bldg., 400 Oceangate, Long Beach, 90822.