To Ancient Mariner, Seafarer John & other mariners

Anyone interested in touring or sailing on a WWII Liberty ship will have an opportunity this month in Buzzards Bay MA, Portland ME, and Boston MA. The SS John W Brown (a floating museum) normally sails from Baltimore but will be visiting 3 New England ports this month. Info about it here.... http://www.liberty-ship.com/html/topics/portvisits2007.html

There is also a November 10th 2 hour cruise from Baltimore that only costs $20 per person, but it is limited to active military personnel (in uniform) or veterans plus 1 guest.

Hey Kozel that is nice of you to invite us old sea dogs for another voyage.
I will not be available because I looked at my trusty Atlas and found out that
Buzzards Bay and Portland are in Yankee Country. Way up in Yankee Country !!!!
And I am in St Pete, Florida where the rich get rich and the poor have children.

Besides which I would probably get sea sick and ruin my new golfing knickers.
Thank you very much all the same. On my first trip out of San Francisco I was
seasick before we went under the Golden Gate Bridge. But I got over it and
never was sick again even though I rode out the worst typhoon in 20 years off
Okinawa. It took 1/2 the buildings on Okinawa away with it, and we lost a few
ships in the gales !!!!!!!!!

Actually I would love to do that cruise out of Baltimore, but again I am afraid
it is a little too far.

A few months ago we were out sailing in Los Angeles Harbor. As we were heading towards the harbor entrance the SS Lane Victory was coming in from one of it's cruises. It's another restored Liberty Ship. We sailed towards it, then tacked around the stern and paralleled it as it came into the harbor. It was really exciting to see a functional ship of that vintage. I am sure all of you lucky enough to see the John W. Brown will get the same feelings we did as it cruised along.

www.lanevictory.org/

Just for the fun of it I Googled the name of a ship I was stationed on---USS Pastores AF16. And, bingo, the whole history of the ship appeared. Include was a picture of Her coming home from the Pacific in January 1946. Looking close I am seen on the f'ward starboard rail waiting to get off and get into 'Frisco on Liberty !!!!!!! Really knocked me for a loop---I had no idea the picture existed.

My dad was a captain and worked for most of his life for Isthmian and States Marine Lines. Along with my brother (the webmaster) and another son of a captain from Baltimore (the historian), we maintain historical sites for these 2 shipping lines that no longer exist. There is also a forum (like we have here) for the exchange of information. We have an impressive array of ship photos and company history.

www.isthmianlines.com

www.statesmarinelines.com

Two years ago my wife and I went on one of the cruises from Baltimore. It was quite an experience. They try to arrange for flyovers of Vintage WWII aircraft. The day we were on the cruise they had 3 planes meet us and one was a B25.

There are a few floating museums for Liberty and Victory ships. Here is a list of those I know about. Three are Victory ships and two are the older Liberty ships.

SS Red Oak Victory, Richmond, California
SS Lane Victory, San Pedro, California
SS Jeremiah O'Brien, San Francisco, California
SS American Victory, Tampa, Florida
SS John W. Brown, Baltimore, Maryland