Captain's Log, 10.15.03

What a great surprise! Despite skipping our 2002 season due to the drydock project and even though we were in a new location, CIRCUSundays in June played to overflowing houses from day one. With 5 Sundays in June, Karen Gersch our ringmistress and artistic director ran a fabulous season. With her colorful cut-outs of circus sea creatures welcoming visitors to the Gowanus Bay, Karen assembled fast paced, fun-filled afternoon shows that won rave reviews. The new J P Morgan Chase Gangway was acquired by a grant administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council regrant and measured up to our highest expectations.

During July, the Sunset Music Festival brought folks out to the rooftop at Liberty Heights Tap Room for two great evenings and the Barge hosted two children’s music afternoons for the first time in the history of the museum. The Intense preparation for our summer season was completed with the assistance of Sanders Glen, a high school intern who helped create the handsome waterfront fence and made flower barrels along the shoreline. Shelving and drydock supplies were stored below and the lumber to complete our upper hull restoration was moved ashore.

Photo © 2001 William D. King

I have joined the Board of the North River Historic Ship Society and have been contributing to an effort to rebuild docks in waterfront neighborhoods. Often when parks or waterfront property are developed in New York, water-related uses, such as the facilities for historic and educational vessels to visit, are forgotten The Museum led an organized coalition at the Brooklyn Bridge Park public hearing to consider these issues. This led to a positive subsequent meeting with park planners further exploring the possibility of anchoring maritime activity within the park. The Waterfront Museum will continue to seek a commitment from the planners that the park will be constructed with such facilities and we await the day when we can bring our programs to communities like Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights.

In June, The Municipal Arts Society of NY presented the Waterfront Museum with a Certificate of Merit award for making the waterfront accessible for all New Yorkers. MAS President Kent Barwick said “the Museum reminds us, once again, of the joys of being on the waterfront.” Our organization was in great company with the other two prestigious awardees: the TriBeca Film Festival and SummerStage!

I met with Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion and discussed waterfront access and development issues. Councilwoman Sarah Gonzalez gave her support to the Museum with a council appropriation. The museum presented Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz a model of the Barge for his 2002 Drydock Capital Appropriation support. The drydock slide show was presented to the Society of Industrial Archeologists, the Community Board Six Waterfront Development Committee and to the NY Ship, Lore and Model Club at South Street Seaport. These presentations away from the museum have produced a renewed interest in preserving historic vessels and have translated into financing opportunities.

Media Coverage has included: Brooklyn Parent Magazine, New York Magazine, NY Times, NY Daily News, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn Paper. WNYC chose the Waterfront Museum for their STAR project that highlights cultural groups daily on the radio. NY One News featured the Waterfront Museum on Brooklyn Day.

Donated Goods included Communication Systems by AVAYA, roofing and waterproofing supplies from Palmer Asphalt/Bulldog including a new DUREX waterbased product and mat that looks to be very , very effective, a TV from the ACORN Foundation, a chain hoist from Columbus McKinnon Corporation and a White Rodgers Digital Thermostat. BKKases.com donated glass cases to house the barge models built by Baltimore Fireman Garry Pace for gifts to several of our faithful sponsors.

Maintenance on the Barge continues with walkway replacement along the port side. Work included caulking and marine glue poured atop the plank seams. The entire hull and deckhouse was scraped and painted.