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Funnen text från Yahoo Liners list.
March 2, 2010 – The SS United States Conservancy has recently learned
that America’s national flagship, the SS United States, is in imminent
danger of being bought by scrappers. This great vessel, which still
holds the trans-Atlantic speed record, may soon be destroyed. Bids for
purchase of the ship by scrappers are being collected by NCL this month.
The current owners of the vessel, Genting Hong Kong (formerly Star
Cruises Limited), through its subsidiary, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL),
listed the vessel for sale in February 2009 but have not announced a
purchaser to date. There has been acute interest in the ship by
scrapping companies. While NCL graciously offered the Conservancy first
right of refusal on a sale of the vessel in 2009, the Conservancy has
not been in a financial position to purchase the ship outright. The
organization has been working diligently to lay the groundwork for a
public-private partnership that can save the ship and sustain her for
generations to come.
The Conservancy understands that Genting and NCL are reluctant to
continue covering the significant costs associated with maintaining the
vessel in its current berth in Philadelphia and appreciates the good
care the vessel has received since being purchased by NCL in 2003 with
the stated intentions of returning the ship to seagoing service. The
Conservancy has maintained a positive working relationship with NCL over
the past seven years and looks forward to an ongoing collaboration
during this critical period.
The Conservancy has begun discussions with NCL with the intent of
covering some of the fees associated with maintaining the ship in
Philadelphia as it finalizes plans for repurposing the ship as a
stationary attraction on a large metropolitan waterfront. The
Conservancy’s new national campaign is titled “Save Our Ship” (SOS) and
offers a “Plank Owner” certificate for tax-deductible donations of at
least $25 via its new donor website:
www.ssusplankowner.org .
“The Save Our Ship campaign shows the groundswell of public support for
the SS United States we’ve seen throughout the nation,” said Conservancy
Board President Susan Gibbs, whose grandfather, William Francis Gibbs,
designed the vessel. “We’re modeling this campaign on the public
subscription which saved the USS Constitution back in the 1920s through
contributions of Americans from all walks of life. There’s a reason why
this ship is still with us. She absolutely must be saved for future
generations.”
The SS United States was a powerful Cold War weapon disguised as a
luxury ocean liner. She sailed from New York to Europe and other
destinations from 1952-1969, transporting four American presidents,
countless foreign heads of state, A-list celebrities, military and
business leaders, artists, and diplomats, not to mention ordinary
citizens and many immigrants to America during her mishap-free 400 voyages.
Conservancy Board Member Mark Perry produced an award-winning American
Public Television documentary on the SS United States in 2008. This
film, SS United States: Lady in Waiting, will be screened at the
National Academy Museum (1083 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street in Manhattan)
on Thursday, March 11th, 7 p.m., followed by a reception and call to
action. Registration is via the Conservancy website.
At the event, Walter Cronkite IV will join the Conservancy’s Advisory
Council, on which his grandfather served as Honorary Chairman. Mr.
Cronkite’s participation and support is emblematic of the Conservancy’s
commitment to engaging a new generation of Americans about the
importance of our national flagship.
All supporters are asked to visit the Conservancy’s site and register to
receive updates about the Conservancy’s efforts to save the SS United
States and to make a tax-deductible contribution to the SOS Campaign.
“This is both a patriotic and a practical effort,” said Conservancy
Executive Director Dan McSweeney, whose father emigrated from Scotland
to America to serve as a crewmember aboard the vessel. “We’re absolutely
committed to saving one of the most important symbols of America in the
20th century, but we’re also talking about creating hundreds, if not
thousands, of jobs when this ship is refurbished and becomes a
stationary attraction in a large U.S. city. We must save this
irreplaceable American icon and continue the process of establishing a
public-private partnership to re-purpose her.”
About the SS United States Conservancy:
The SS United States Conservancy’s founding Board has compiled a long
track record of accomplishments on behalf of the SS United States
reaching back over twenty years. The Conservancy’s leadership has been
interviewed by major media outlets, published books and articles on the
SS United States, organized educational meetings on the ship’s history
that have drawn hundreds of participants from across the country,
produced award-winning websites, produced the award-winning documentary
SS United States: Lady in Waiting, and engaged in ongoing outreach and
advocacy on behalf of the ship’s preservation. The Conservancy emerged
as an independent 501(c)3 organization from the SS United States
Preservation Society, which was instrumental in placing the ship on the
National Register of Historic Places.
T/S United States på väg mot "skrotnicke"