Hey Kendall, My wife went to a school he taught at, Marymac, as in Mary Macks mother wants Mary Mack to Mary me, my mother wants me to marry Mary Mack, Im going to Marry Mary for my Mary to take care of me, etc...
Well... I apreciate what Ned Ackerman was trying to do, but he was also a victem of his inability to take advise from many, such as dont step a top mast for a winter run, and not the least of which was not to aboandon the Levett, as advised by the Coastie who, with tears in his eyes said he did not believe the Levitt to be sinking, and reminded the press, after Ned said, at least I brought my crew home, no, the USCG brought his crew home. Well, no use crying over spilled timber. I like to think of the Levitt, sailing about like the Mary Celest, to be found off Pitcarrin some day by someone with the experience to use her right (rather than the relity of what might have been - her blackened upturned hull - rolling in the troths - waiting to destroy some unwarry small ship)
But hey, it was Neds dream and fair play to him, it was his money and roll of the dice.
Larry