Ships ahoy: touring famous vessels provides a glimpse into America's rich maritime heritage

Travel America, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Ellen Clark

Put me on a boat on any body of water and I'm a contented woman. At one time I even entertained thoughts of joining the Navy, if for no other reason than I'd be on a ship. So, visiting ships is a natural for me, but even landlubbers can enjoy the many historic vessels that have been renovated, restored, and opened to the public.

A number of World War II-era battleships have been retired to the state for which they were named. Touring these floating museums gives a real feel for what it must have been like to spend weeks, or even months, at sea. I remember being awed by the size of the mixing bowls in the U.S.S. North Carolina's galley and the cramped quarters used by crew members.

Battleships aren't the only vessels on display, however. There are also ocean liners, tugs, square-rigged sailing ships, paddlewheelers, and freighters waiting to wow wide-eyed visitors.

Vintage Vessels

Across the country there are all sorts of ships on display. Most are open to the public for tours only, but on a few you can spend the night, enjoy a meal, and even take a cruise.

ALABAMA

U.S.S. Alabama, U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Parkway, Mobile; (800) GANGWAY; www.ussalabama.com. The Alabama earned nine battle stars during its years as a battleship and played a dominant role in the occupation of the Yokosuka-Tokyo area at the close of World War II. Decommissioned in 1947, it was in Washington State until 1965 when the residents of Alabama raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to have it towed 5,600 miles back to Mobile. Today it is a floating shrine where visitors can check out the battleship's decks, turrets, mess, berth compartments, bridge, wardroom, and captain's cabin.

CALIFORNIA

Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach; (562) 435-3511; www.queen mary.com. In its heyday the Queen Mary transported the rich and famous. Clark Gable and Fred Astaire sailed on her, and Winston Churchill used the ship as his seaborne headquarters. One of the largest passenger ships ever built, she embarked on her maiden voyage in 1936. During World War II the Queen Mary was converted into a troop ship, carrying as many as 16,000 people. Since 1967 she has been permanently berthed in Long Beach Harbor, where she serves as a hotel and conference center. A night spent in one of the cabins, restored to their original Art Deco elegance, is like a step back in time.

Delta King, 1000 Front St., Old Sacramento; (800) 825-5464; www.deltaking. com. Christened in 1927, the Delta King is a 285-foot riverboat that made daily runs between San Francisco and Sacramento. The 10 1/2-hour trip included Prohibition-era drinking, jazz bands, gambling, and fine dining, with staterooms being available for $3.50. In World War II the Delta King was used by the U.S. Navy as a floating barracks and hospital ship. In 1984, after being sunk for 18 months, it was towed to Sacramento, renovated, and turned into a hotel and restaurant at the foot of the city's old town.

U.S.S. Hornet, Pier 3, Alameda Point, Alameda; (510) 521-8448; www.uss-hornet. org. A much decorated aircraft carrier in World War II, this ship not only saw battle in Korea and Vietnam, but was used for the recovery of the Apollo 11 and 12 space capsules. Saved from being scrapped in 1995, it was opened as a museum in 1998. Four acres of ship are open to public exploration, including the glassed-in control room--nerve center for takeoffs and landings--crew quarters, and the area below the hangar deck where the carrier's two 16ton anchors are stored.

CONNECTICUT

Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic; (888) 9 SEAPORT; www.mysticseaport.org. At this 17-acre, 19th century village museum are a number of historic vessels, ranging from an island steamer, the Sabino, to an oyster sloop, the Nellie. Perhaps most famous is the Charles W. Morgan, the last of America's wooden whaling ships. Built in 1841, the 105-footlong ship was home to more than 30 crew members who spent as long as five years on whaling voyages. Other ships include the Joseph Conrad, built in 1882 as a training ship, and the L.A. Dunton, a New England fishing schooner.

FLORIDA

Schooner Western Union, 202 William St., Key West; (305) 292-9830; www.schoonerwesternunion. com. Built and home ported in Key West, the Western Union was launched in 1939 as a working schooner for Western Union Company. The ship spent 35 years and logged over 30,000 miles in the Caribbean and South Atlantic maintaining communication cables in shallow Gulf waters. The vessel, the last of the world's sailing cable ships, is now available for dockside tours, day sails, and special charters.

HAWAII

U.S.S. Missouri, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu; (877) MIGHTYMO; www. ussmissouri.com. This 45,000-ton battleship was launched in 1944 and saw action in conflicts from World War II to the Gulf War. It opened as a museum attraction in 1999. Tours include visits to the wardroom, where officers once dined, and their staterooms as well as the Surrender Deck where Gen. Douglas MacArthur received the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.