What's happening with the "Peking" at the South Seaport Museum?

[MariaW]

One of the remaining flying P-liners is being given away by the museum in NYC. Last I heard, some representatives from Hamburg were going to look at it around Thanksgiving 2012 - this was in the Hamburg newspaper, after the U.S. media said Hamburg doesn't want her because of her sorry condition, but people came forward with money and a German shipyard promised repairs. I can't find any more information on it. Two ideas were being considered since she can't be towed. One, to wait for a very large specialty ship that can transport the Peking to Hamburg since she's not seaworthy. I guess there are only a few of these in the world (since the Peking is very large) and it would cost millions and take a few years to book. Second, make her seaworthy in the U.S. and tow her.

[PaddyWest2012]

Whatever they do they better not loose faith and turn her into paperclips and pen springs. A ship that beautiful and that important to the history of our industry hasn't survived this long to be cast onto the maritime trash-heap like some used up garbage scow. Save the Peking!

[Hooligansailor]

It is very sad indeed. I find it a unfortunate state in which we live, where much of our maritime history is lost, or long forgotten only to whither away along the waterfronts or abandon quays. Some even towed far out to sea to meet a dreary end and meet their fate at the bottom of the sea. It is a pitiful circumstance that all that is needed to keep these ships alive, is money. Money, a object that seems to be on everyone's mind these days. I personally have seen a number of museum ships close, sold and scraped, and abandon in the back waters. If I was a millionaire or a billionaire I would set up a trust in which these fine machines and work of art would be around forever for all to admire, share, and learn from. As for the Peking, I care not if she is in America or in Germany, as long as she is restored, maintained, and respected.

[MariaW]

Yeah, it's pretty sad she couldn't be kept up, but apparently the Seaport museum has been having financial difficulty. It would be nice if every old ship had an endowment. What kind of maintenance would have been required over the years to keep her tow-worthy?

[Hooligansailor]

With maintenance comes money. Again, the source of the problem we face in the preservation of ships with great historical value. To keep a vessel such as the Peking "seaworthy" a Preventative Maintenance System ( PMS) should be part of the preservation program, as I am sure there is with what financial means is available, which is not all that much unfortunately. Routine maintenance on the hull and interior and overall structure of the ship would be a must. As well as a annual haul out to a near by dry dock for a formal inspection of the hull and water tight integrity. Sitting still in the water or in the mud is never good for any ship. This maintenance would also be mandatory for the standing rigging and its components. All of which cost a lot of money and a constant flow of funds either from a trust, endowment, or donations.

[c.captain]

With maintenance comes money. Again, the source of the problem we face in the preservation of ships with great historical value. To keep a vessel such as the Peking "seaworthy" a Preventative Maintenance System ( PMS) should be part of the preservation program, as I am sure there is with what financial means is available, which is not all that much unfortunately. Routine maintenance on the hull and interior and overall structure of the ship would be a must. As well as a annual haul out to a near by dry dock for a formal inspection of the hull and water tight integrity. Sitting still in the water or in the mud is never good for any ship. This maintenance would also be mandatory for the standing rigging and its components. All of which cost a lot of money and a constant flow of funds either from a trust, endowment, or donations.

just about every historic museum vessel is suffering from both lack of maintenance and lack of money. FALLS OF CLYDE and USS OLYMPIA are two that have been the brink of collapse recently. What I don't understand is why these ships are not placed into dry static preservation rather than afloat. Put them in permanent dry display and the costs to preserve them falls amazingly...who then cares about the underwater shell plating!

[c.captain]

What kind of maintenance would have been required over the years to keep her tow-worthy?

Shell plates and watertight integrity. Plus in the case of a sailing vessel, the yard and topmasts would have to come down and be stowed on deck and ballast added to make her safe to tow in exposed waters. To take her to Europe will have to be done on a heavylift vessel imo.

[cmakin]

just about every historic museum vessel is suffering from both lack of maintenance and lack of money. FALLS OF CLYDE and USS OLYMPIA are two that have been the brink of collapse recently. What I don't understand is why these ships are not placed into dry static preservation rather than afloat. Put them in permanent dry display and the costs to preserve them falls amazingly...who then cares about the underwater shell plating!

As is the CUTTY SARK in Greenwich. Safe from everything except fire. . . .


Cutty Sark by cmakin, on Flickr

[Hooligansailor]

just about every historic museum vessel is suffering from both lack of maintenance and lack of money. FALLS OF CLYDE and USS OLYMPIA are two that have been the brink of collapse recently. What I don't understand is why these ships are not placed into dry static preservation rather than afloat. Put them in permanent dry display and the costs to preserve them falls amazingly...who then cares about the underwater shell plating!

Couldn't agree more. Maybe some of the maritime "floating" museums around the country and the world for that matter re-think the way they have their costly museum pieces on display. Take the Cutty Sark for example, a great display and creative, cost effective way of displaying and most importantly preserving this ship. I believe the historical maritime museums and foundations throughout the United States need to rethink how they are going about promoting their organization and how they market and bring in a steady flow of funds for their perspective ship(s). As I have rallied for a state maritime museum in my own state, my question to the state government body is this; if the state has the resource and available funds to continually build and construct memorials, parks, statues, and dedicated roads and highways, then why not attribute those funds to something more meaningful and more educational such as a museum, than just another bronze statue or highway named after a senator who supported segregation in the first place, why not spend that tax paying dollar on something that is more inspiring then a park bench that cost over 5K?

[PaddyWest2012]

Shell plates and watertight integrity. Plus in the case of a sailing vessel, the yard and topmasts would have to come down and be stowed on deck and ballast added to make her safe to tow in exposed waters. To take her to Europe will have to be done on a heavylift vessel imo.

Absolutely right on the heavy lift vessel. The only safe way to do it. I actually read somewhere that the museum was putting feelers out into the industry to see who might be able to do it at a reasonable price. That fact may have already been mentioned somewhere at the top of this thread.

Also, I couldn't agree more about Falls of Clyde and USS Olympia. Two VERY historically important vessels both in the greatest danger of destruction out of all of the museum ships in the United States. What a disastrous shame...

[c.captain]

As is the CUTTY SARK in Greenwich. Safe from everything except fire. . . .

Ain't that the truth! Is she all repaired now?

[PaddyWest2012]

Ain't that the truth! Is she all repaired now?

This photograph is from the Wikipedia page on Cutty Sark. The caption below it stated that it was taken in February 2012, so almost one year ago now. I know you can't believe everything you see or read on Wikipedia but this seems fairly reasonable. By now she must be pretty close to all finished.

Cutty_Sark_2012_landscaping.JPG

[Hooligansailor]

According to the site the Cutty Sark is open to the public once again. I last saw it back in 2000 and again in 2010 but it was under renovation, never the less took to the National Maritime Museum like a kid in a candy shop. www.rmg.co.uk/
A bit of scuttlebutt, I heard there is a group that is talking of moving the USS Olympus to beaufort, South Carolina. I later read about it in a magazine, just don't remember where. Anyone heard the same?

[Hooligansailor]

image-123207635.jpg

Here is a photo of Peking in dry dock at Green & Silley Weir at Blackwell on the river Thames undergoing preparation for her tow across the Atlantic to South Street Seaport Museum
March 13, 1975

[capnfab]

It is very sad indeed. I find it a unfortunate state in which we live, where much of our maritime history is lost, or long forgotten only to whither away along the waterfronts or abandon quays. Some even towed far out to sea to meet a dreary end and meet their fate at the bottom of the sea. It is a pitiful circumstance that all that is needed to keep these ships alive, is money. Money, a object that seems to be on everyone's mind these days. I personally have seen a number of museum ships close, sold and scraped, and abandon in the back waters. If I was a millionaire or a billionaire I would set up a trust in which these fine machines and work of art would be around forever for all to admire, share, and learn from. As for the Peking, I care not if she is in America or in Germany, as long as she is restored, maintained, and respected.

As you have noted, ship preservation revolves around money, but I have a bigger concern.

As we proceed deeper into the personal electronic or social media age, will the day soon come where there is no interest in these vessels that sailed the seven seas or even the ones that worked around our various harbors?

Here in Baltimore, we have two vessels that are virtually ignored by the public and the local government(s). The 1906 Baltimore built Steam tug "BALTIMORE" rots away just steps away from the hundreds of thousands that visit Baltimore's Inner Harbor yearly.

The Baltimore built Liberty Ship "John W. Brown" sits down on Clinton Street, surrounded by Ready Reserve ships and the salt piles of the Rukert Terminals Company. Hardly a destination for visitors even if they knew the ship was there.

While it is true that you can't save every retired merchant ship or Naval vessel of historical significance, preserving our maritime heritage is important and a noble effort. Well, at least it's important to me.

But, will future generations really give a crap about these expensive to maintain museum pieces?

Sadly, I think I already know the answer.