The spirit of Italia
by Published on 1st August 2016 06:26 AM
Yes, triumph, maritime triumph!
On Saturday, a large, enthusiastic and very interested crowd gathered at SUNY Maritime Academy at Fort Schuyler, New York to commemorate 60 years since the sinking of the legendary Andrea Doria. There were divers, survivors, relatives of survivors, assorted maritime gurus, school staff and of course a good dose of ocean liner buffs. And there were talks, exhibits of salvaged items, memorabilia from the ship and the Italian Line, a luncheon, a tour of the school's superb model & memorabilia collection and then, like good sailors from Genoa itself, some of us went back to sea, well sort of, for a short ride in recovered Lifeboat #1 from the Doria. The 26-ft long boat has just been fully restored and now is all but spanking new. Yes, a great day was had by all!
PS: The boat itself will soon make its way to Detroit, traveling overland by truck, for the premier of a brand new docudrama on the Doria-Stockholm collision all those 60 years ago.
And an added thought: The other saved and preserved lifeboat from the Doria is oddly #13. It is believed to have gone down with the ship, but then later broke free and then rose to the surface. It then drifted for some time in the waters of the western Atlantic, off New England. How it wasn't found or even sunk by another ship is an added mystery. But after some thirty-five years, Andrea Doria Lifeboat #13 drifted onto the southern shore of Staten Island. It had made it, albeit, but late to New York. It landed on Con Edison property, but that power giant soon passed it to a preservationist group. So like #1, it too lives on!
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 1st August 2016 at 06:28 AM.
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