Ship collections

[Alan Smart]

Hello everybody, new member and first time poster. I have a question I would like to ask. A pal of mine who has never been to sea is really keen to be able to see and go aboard a Merchant ship of the type that I sailed on myself back in the 70's, mainly general cargo. We used to have an historical ship collection in London quite a few years ago, but no longer there I believe, but also they were "historical". Does any one know if any of the merchant ships from the 60's, 70's, 80's era have been saved and are on view anywhere for us to visit?
Blue Skies Alan

[Captain Kong]

The type of ships I sailed on in the 50s and 60s that are still around are the SAM or Liberty ship Types. and they are preserved in the States, Britain seems to be ashamed of its nautical history and scraps any reminder of that.
I have been onboard the `JEREMIAH O`BRIEN` several times in San Francisco, and once when she sailed to London in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D day
In Chesapeake Bay there is another SAM,the `JOHN W BROWN` sails around the coast and up to Canada every summer.
These ships ask for Volunteers to work on them. You live on board for the duration but there is no pay.
A lot of men from the Vindicatrix Association go every summer for a week or two sometimes longer and have a great time . It is the only way to relive our past now that everything has gone.
I do not know of any in Britain of that era..

[Tom Devaney]

There is a Hamburg Sud ship preserved in Hamburg, I think it is the Cap San Antonio, that sails so far down the Elbe and back.
Tom

[Alan Smart]

Thanks for the reply's Captain and Tom, yes if I only was a rich man with a good river frontage. I guess youmight be right about our lack of merchant maritime heritage, we must have some somewhere so I shall have a bit of a nose on google in a bit. Well my pal is a yank so maybe thats a good reason for trip later on, sounds good. But Hamburg also is good, easy for a quick weekend trip, a touch scary at my age if it's any thing like it was back in the day. Any way great to be part of this website and if I find any thing interesting I will post it.