o b s e s s i o n s USS Williamsburg sits moored in La Spezia, Italy, in 1994, on the Ligurian Sea. DreamDream BoatBoat 6 0 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine if you weren’t sure about the JFK as a mascot ship for the city of Portland, how about the Williamsburg? Rusting in italy, harry S. truman’s presidential yacht–built at BiW in 1930–is hungry for a new home. by steven w. lindsey uring his presidency, Harry Tru- man’s place of refuge was his pres- idential yacht, the Maine-built USS DWilliamsburg. As he implemented the Mar- shall Plan, founded NATO, dismissed Gen- eral Douglas MacArthur, and managed the Korean War, the former artillery command- er and haberdasher found solace under sail aboard the Williamsburg. But today, Truman’s ship is forgotten, ly- ing forlorn and leaking in a port in Italy, not far from where the cruise ship Costa Concor- dia came to grief. With her tall stack, two masts, and fantail stern, Williamsburg is beautiful, with the look of a classic steamer. Her silhouette is that of a small White Star liner, though she was actually an early diesel-powered yacht, built in 1930 for Maine industrialist Hugh J. Chisholm, co-founder of International Pa- per Company. Sadly, no one’s thought of bringing this storied yacht back home to Maine. Imagine such a prize gracing Portland’s waterfront, with incandescent holiday lights strung om from her masts, fore and aft. American cit- C ies compete for such ships as tourist draws and focal points for their downtown water- htPhoto. C a front districts. y he But for many observers, Maine seems to t take its maritime culture for granted. Per- haps retired sailors and commercial fisher- tinelli / R a m men are not much for celebrating nostalgia. lo R Few others seem inclined to value maritime DreamDream Ca BoatBoat heritage, either. The Portland City Council recently reject- ed an effort to bring home the retired USS m a y 2 0 1 2 6 1 WWII, where Truman lived during the winter. the during lived Truman where WWII, post- West, Key in 369) (AGC yacht presidential David Harrison Wright’s painting depicts the liamsburg the aboard met Churchill Winston Minister President Harry S. Truman and British Prime burg 6 2 From top: The decommissioned USS From top: The decommissioned o b s e s s i o n s o b s e s s i o n s PORTLAND PORTLAND rusts in La Spezia, Italy, in January, 2012; 2012; January, in Italy, Spezia, La in rusts p o r t l a n d for a conference on January 5, 1952; 1952; 5, January on conference a for (3,872 nautical miles) To Bring Her Home monthly magazine Williams Wil - - LA SPEZIA LA SPEZIA what can I tell you?” what can I tell you?” “It’s a fixer-upper, “It’s a fixer-upper, out the remains. the out clam-bucketed crane a and relics, these over moored was barge construction A liabilities. potential as and nuisances attractive as seen were hulks The different themselves. with asserted others values until icons as lasted hulls rotting the but dream, this ended death His draw. tourist early an as mud the in carriers freight the beached Winter W. Frank moter and Islands. Falkland tion sec of a the clipper retrieve did Switzer, David pro Dr. fessor, enterprising an although survives, ships summer. the in races boat lobster colorful host and towns Maine Camden, of out operating fleet schooner heritage. maritime its to indifference ing long-stand Maine’s to up it chalk others but Christi, Corpus or York New isn’t This port city. modest the for ambitious too was John” John F. Kennedy was prohibitive. was vessel large the maintaining of expense The up. broken was England, New in steam-tug The proud proud The schooners the of destruction The clipper Maine famed the of one not But Yes, Maine has the celebrated “dude” Luther Little Luther Seguin in Wiscasset is symbolic. Pro symbolic. is Wiscasset in . Critics said landing “Big of Bath, the last wooden wooden last the Bath, of Snow Snow Squall from the Hesper - - - - fRom toP: navSource.oRg/CaRlo maRtinelli; Staff illuStRation; offiCe of the OceanogRaPheR of the navy/ColleCtion of LT. PeteR StameR CouRteSy of hiS daughteR linda Whealton; david harriSon WRight/Key WeSt maRitime hiStoRiCal SoCiety ©2012 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. owned independently franchise Each Inc. All rights reserved. ©2012 California Closet Company, BEDROOM GARAGE ENTRYWAY WALL BED MEDIA CENTER OFFICE STORAGE CRAFT PANTRY Need. Want. Love. Custom storage solutions for every space in your home. Call today for your Free in-home design consultation. 800.225.6901 | CaliforniaClosets.com/new-england MA Boston_8.3x10.8_0112.indd 1 1/20/12 1:54 PM o b s e s s i o n s OWNERS THROUGH avy (4) HISTORY n of the R he P a R eanog Oc e of the DeCember 1930–The private yacht Aras II (Sara spelled backwards) C From top right: USS Williamsburg stateroom, then and now; ffi launches from Bath Iron Works; JAnuary 1931–Aras II is deliv- 1950 Christmas menu for First Family festivities. o ered to International Paper Co. owner Hugh J. Chisholm, founder of rumford Falls. ale.info; S - aboard a transport ship. Hopes were high R before a shipyard bankruptcy sank that ef- oat-fo fort, according to former project manager B Kim Nielsen. The cost of the Atlantic cross- ing was $400,000. Fuel costs could increase this to $500,000. inda Whealton (2); The Navalmare shipyard, a creditor, was l R APril 1941–Acquired by the navy; October 1941–Commis- awarded Williamsburg, and at the urgings of sioned as a gunboat, USS Williamsburg (PG 56) sticks to her guns senators and congressmen, stored rather daughte on the eve of America’s involvement in World War II. than scrapped S her. “They’ve y of hi S te been extremely R ou C sensitive to the R history of the Stame ship,” Niel sen says, R who adds that she’s Pete November 1945-JUne 1953–After World War II, USS Williams- LT burg receives another makeover to become Harry S. Truman’s been rusting away presidential yacht (AGC 369). The Bath Iron Works-built for 16 years in a salt- tion of C steel steamer Nobska was dis- water environment, olle mantled in the Charlestown and something needs C avy / Navy Yard per National Park to be done soon. The n Service orders in Boston. The shipyard will be looking of the R Nobska was broken up to free- to recoup costs that in- he P a up the dry-dock it rested in. clude storage, pumping R Not all Maine’s maritime out, some preservation, eanog August 1962–renamed Anton Bruun (for the famous Danish heritage has been lost. Some ships live on, and prepping Williamsburg Oc oceanographer), the decommissioned navy yacht is sold to Woods but in other states. for her trip home. Hole Oceanographic Institution. After she suffers damage in a dry e of the The Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien, “It still has potential,” Nielsen says, C dock disaster in 1971, restoration is deemed prohibitively costly. ffi 1971–Sold to Pennsville Township, nJ, as a floating eatery. “I ate built in South Portland for WWII service, noting that other similar vintage yachts o at the restaurant in 1975 on my 11th birthday with my grandpar- serves as a museum in San Francisco, have been successfully restored, includ- ents,” says Tammy Donaldson, 48, who works in the area cham- California, and makes occasional forays ing Aristotle Onassis’ Christina O, a con- ale.info (2); S ber of commerce. “I remember going down a long narrow road - into San Francisco Bay. The excursion verted WWII Royal Canadian Navy R and seeing the boat in the distance. She was large. I walked up the steps that brought you into the dining room. I actually re- steamer Sabino, which once plied the frigate, and Delfino, John Alden’s 1939 oat-fo member what I ate that day: fried shrimp.” Damariscotta and Kennebec Rivers as classic ketch. B well as Casco Bay, resides at Mystic Sea- Williamsburg is the last unrestored, large navy; S /u port, Connecticut. The Portland-based American presidential yacht, according to S Coast Guard cutter Duane was sunk as Nielsen. The other two, successful restora- ommon an artificial reef in Florida. tion stories are the USS Sequoia of the District C A few Bath Iron Works historic ships al- of Columbia and the USS Potomac of Califor- imedia K i so survive. The WWII destroyer USS Laffey nia. Of Williamsburg, the grandest, “She’s left W in South Carolina comes to mind. languishing in an Italian ight: R Is a Williamsburg rescue possible? backwater,” says Nielsen. n P 1993–Here, she piggybacks across the Atlantic to Genoa, Italy, in Yes. An earlier preservation effort, after om to a failed venture to convert her into a luxury cruise ship. As scrap- R e f For more, visit portlandmonthly. S ping threatened in La Spezia, the Italian government formed the a highly televised sendoff from Washing- >> i USS Williamsburg Preservation Society to save the vessel and re- com/portmag/2012/04/ ton D.C. during the Clinton Administra- ckw turn her to the U.S. tion, saw her transported to La Spezia, Italy, williamsburg-extras. Clo 6 4 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine ClockwiSe fRom toP Right: WiKimedia CommonS/uSnavy; Boat-foR-Sale.info (2); offiCe of the OceanogRaPheR of the navy /ColleCtion of LT PeteR StameR CouRteSy of hiS daughteR linda Whealton (2); Boat-foR-Sale.info; offiCe of the OceanogRaPheR of the navy (4) N our website to meet more ofourresidents.