Want a big project?

[John E Hardiman]

From the Seattle Times

Wawona story (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001397316_wawona06m.html)

[Dave Fleming]

John, if misery likes company, to the best of my knowledge The Nationaal Maritime Disgrace in San Francisco has yet to start on their repairs of the Thayer! Must be going on a year and half since that project was announced. Seems like a significant portion of the money has not been appropriated or disbursed or whatever beaurocrats call honoring their pledges these days.
So there the Thayer sits getting worse every day and soon will be too bad to even spend a dime on.
And the Maritime Disgrace hasen't got another barge to put it on like they did to the Wapama.
See my Imagestation Album on THAT mess.

WAPAMA (http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292179349)

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

The cost of conservation is always the argument of course...and usually conservation is low on the list of reasons why politicians get elected,then people wonder where their heritage went. A damn shame to see those old girls rot away.... hopefully someone will step to the mark. A hellish big project tho..

[Jamie Hascall]

The Wawona is the testament to the hubris of man figuring it can beat out gazillions of micro-organisms as to who will win in war of time vs money and effort. I'd love to see it preserved but I'm afraid my bets are on the little guys. It's amazing what you can get done if you organize (more or less). ;)

Good luck folks,
Jamie

[BrianW]

Gents,

Thanks for the link. I was sad to read that The Kalakala has hit hard time too.

I remember when we lived in Kodiak, that is was being used as a fish processor plant. When they freed it from it land-locked moorings, I thought it would be saved.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Just adding to the misery, over here in Britain the CUTTY SARK, which we all thought had been "saved for the nation", years ago, when she was placed in a dry dock at Greenwich, is falling apart rapidly and needs Pds 10M spending on her RIGHT NOW. Government is notably un-interested (but spent seventy times that on the farcical Millenium Dome, next door)

[Art Read]

Jeeze, Andrew... Now THAT's a worry! Have any current links for CUTTY SARK? Hard to believe you Brits would let her go to pieces for want of a few pennies. (Comparitively) Any more than you would VICTORY. But then it's hard to believe we Yanks let ALL our clippers disappear completely, with most ending their days as coal barges. Or burned for their metal... :(

Every once in a while, word starts spreading around the boatyards about some organisation or the other wanting to build a new clipper. Project SEAWITCH comes to mind. How many millions will THAT cost? CUTTY SARK is an EXISTING, authentic, international treasure. Perhaps the funding for her upkeep should be "international" as well? (I'd send a few bucks...)

(For what its worth.... Everytime SWMBO and I discuss our future plans for a trip to Europe, I insist we can spend as much time in Italy as she wants, just as long as we stop in England long enough for me crawl over every inch of CUTTY SARK and VICTORY on our way. Is your Tourism ministry listening?)

[ 08-07-2003, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[seafox61]

Art
would you also want to see HMS Warrior?

What is the milemial dome?
thanks
jeff

[Art Read]

Well... actually, there's quite a LONG list of "must go" places in "Old Blighty" on my mind. But I'm only telling SWMBO about all the rest after I get her safely off the jetway at Heathrow... ;)

(The "Millinium Dome, whatever THAT is, and that silly Ferris Wheel thingy are NOT on it however... The Observatory at Greenwich, "straddling" the Meridian Line and a convivial, local pub ARE!)

[plimsol]

Lets not get all weepy over the Wawona. It is a floating compost heap that has consumed several millions of dollars to no real effect. The Wawona is the classic case of ineffective dreamers taking on a project that has always been way beyond their capabilities. I look forward to her demise.