Charley,

I'm not sure anybody is left from my sojourn at SSSM, the place has an appalling turnover rate. I was there between 1982 and 1987 when the district was in transition from a run-down fish market to a "festival marketplace" in which the Rouse tail was most definately wagging the museum dog. (If our paths ever cross, stick a drink in my hand and I will spin you some yarns!)

Peter Neill arrived shortly before I left, and on the whole I think has done a pretty good job. After all, the Lettie G. Howard is sailing agin (in my day, we checked every morning to see if she was still afloat, and on at least two occasions she wasn't), the Museum has proper facilities for education programs, exhibits and collections storage, puts on a pretty full schedule of education programming, etc.

Peking is problematic, because she never sailed to or from the Port of New York. But I will never forget the frigid January I spent preparing a measured drawing of every chip, dent, paint line and rivet hole in the overhead of the Captain's cabin as the first step to reconstructing that space. And I think my exhibit on the ship and the men who sailed her is still in place in the old crew quarters....probably long overdue for replacement by now.

Unfortunately, it will take a miracle to fund SSSM adequately. Ship maintenance and liability insurance are the black holes of Calcutta which suck up every dime raised (and those ships are like cars, they know when you have a little extra money in the till and promptly develop a problem to remedy the situation).

I agree with you about Mystic, it is a lovely place. But there is something about being out in New York harbor on the Pioneer....

Regards,
Kate