History and Maritime preservation - interview with Hector Luis Aponte III, Maritime enthusiast,
about UNITED STATES LINES, the ss UNITED STATES, and the AURORA (WAPPEN VON
HAMBURG) preservation project
by Earl of Cruise
by Earl of Cruise
- A preview on the history of UNITED
STATES LINES
collection Hector Louis Aponte III
UNITED STATES LINES did start on August
27th, 1921 on the ruins of the UNITED STATES MAIL STEAMSHIP LINES. One of the
founders of UNITED STATES LINES has been Kermit Roosevelt sr. 2nd son of
President Theodore Roosevelt and is the cousin of the late President Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
Kermit Roosevelt of USL (Left) and E.C. Palmer of the Shipping Board (Right) (1926) - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
UNITED STATES LINES as previously the US
MAIL used seized German vessels as their ships for operating a transatlantic
service. These have been the AMERIKA (AMERICA), GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT
GRANT - ex SERVIAN (REPUBLIC as trooper, then UNITED STATES LINES), VATERLAND
(LEVIATHAN) and PRESIDENT ARTHUR.
ss LEVIATHAN, ex VATERLAND, a masterpiece of reconstruction by William Francis Gibbs - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
With the construction of PRESIDENT
HARDING (later PRESIDENT TAFT) and PRESIDENT
ROOSEVELT came the first new builds, which have been combined freight and
passenger liners. With the 215m MANHATTAN and WASHINGTON, each US $ 21mio, 1932
and 1933, the route to Europe was served with two new state of the art liners.
Besides the LEVIATHAN was still sailing. She was heavily rebuild from the
VATERLAND into the LEVIATHAN where William Francis Gibbs showed his genius
talent. In 1940 the lavish AMERICA joined the fleet, while the biggest, the
LEVIATHAN was laid up in 1934 and gone to the breaker in 1938.
ss MANHATTAN - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
WASHINGTON ferried 1939 for the State
Department US citizens out of Europe to the USA. On one of her voyages, she was
intercepted by a German submarine off the coast of Portugal. She could escape
and sail with 1,787 passengers on board to America.
ss AMERICA passing ss UNITED STATES in Newport - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
AMERICA didn´t sail as proposed to
Europe, because of the raging war, but did Caribbean cruises instead.
The fleet of UNITED STATES LINES was in
WWII used for troop transports when the USA entered the war after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
MANHATTAN and WASHINGTON never came back
into UNITED STATES LINES service as they stayed with US NAVY / ARMY. In the
fifties, they were sold for scrap.
After WWII, the UNITED STATES LINES built
cheaper ships with the prefix "American" and "Pioneer".
ss UNITED STATES pircing the waves. She was the absolute masterpeice of William Francis Gibbs - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
In 1952 emerged the heavy state-funded
the UNITED STATES, the masterpiece of William Francis Gibbs and destroyed the
records of QUEEN MARY. She was built with the purpose to be a trooper within
two days. It was the era of the Cold War, which sometimes had been only narrow
to be a real war. But in 1969, the AMERICA had been sold to CHANDRIS LINES for
their Australia service, the UNITED STATES was withdrawn from service and put
in layup in Newport, and last in Philadelphia.
During her years in lay-up a number of
plans occurred and vanished ... and today we have CRYSTAL CRUISES announcement
and contract for bringing her into life as a contemporary cruise ship and liner
for the Atlantic.
UNITED STATES LINES absorbed a number other lines during her years. Beginning with the other shipping lines of the Roosevelt´s. Others have been MORE MC CORMACK LIMNES and DELTA STEAMSHIP LINES. In 1978 Malcolm McLean stepped in, containerized the shipping line, and a massive expansion begann on borrowed money. And with the declining of the economy in the eighties problems rose and in the end UNITED STATES LINES collapsed and was finally liquidated.
- A preview on the history of AURORA, ex
WAPPEN VON HAMBURG
1955, just three years after the
record-breaking crossing of the UNITED STATES, a small pristine liner came to
sea - the WAPPEN VON HAMBURG. She was not the first to bear that name, as the
Hamburgische Admiralität (Admiralty of Hamburg) ordered the construction of
four warships to protect their trading vessels on their
routes. These vessels have been built in 1669, 1686, 1722 and the last in 1740.
Launching of WAPPEN VON HAMBURG - collection Christopher Wilson
This particular liner was intended to
serve the route Hamburg - Helgoland, which has been given back to Germany by
Great Britain after WWII and their occupation of the sole German high seas
island.
WAPPEN VON HAMBURG anchoring offshore, postcard - collection Gerd WĂĽsthoff
In 1962, she had to give way to her
successor, the second WAPPEN VON HAMBURG and was sold to Greek interests. She
further sailed as DELOS for NOMIKOS LINES as a small luxury cruise vessel in
the Aegean Sea till 1967. During this period, she had a short appearance as the
yacht of Victor Lazlo Blofeld (Spector) in the James Bond film - From Russia
with Love.
DELOS in Nomikos Lines colours - collection Christopher wilson
She was sold to Canadian interests, came
to America and sailed as POLAR STAR for adventure cruises in polar regions.
1970 ended these cruises and WEST CRUISE
LINES bought her. Now her new name was PACIFIC STAR and sailed in the Pacific
and along the coast of Canada and Alaska.
XANADU in San Francisco Bay - collection Christopher Wilson
From 1972, when XANADU CRUISE purchased
her, she was renamed XANADU and sailed similar itineraries as previously. Very
famous have been XANADU´s cruises to Tahiti and her Isles. But in 1982, she
became a worker hotel vessel of a floating crab farm.
Since then the XANADU never had been
reactivated and sold to different interests. In 1991, she was considered to
rebuilt as floating child hospital in the Caribbean which never materialized.
FAITHFUL as Christopher Wilson found her - collection Christopher Wilson
1998 appeared the name FAITHFUL at her
bow. But nothing else happened and she was sold again. Now FAITHFUL should be
named XANADU 2, but FAITHFUL remained at her bow.
AURORA moored in Stockton - collection Christopher Wilson
A rather deteriorated FAITHFUL reached
Sept. 20th, 2005 in tow the Alameda Yard near San Francisco. There her renaming
into AURORA should have taken place, but it did not. In 2008 FAITHFUL reached,
again towed, Rio Vista. It was then suggested to sink her as an artificial
reef. But in September 2009, Christopher Wilson "seized" the vessel,
renamed her AURORA and started the renovation project in Stockton.
-
Interview with Hector Louis Aponte III
Gerd) Was the history of UNITED STATES
LINES and it´s relation to the presidential Roosevelt clan your choice for
purchasing the United States Lines Trademark?
Hector) Yes, I found it very intriguing
that former president Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son, Kermit Roosevelt
founded the United States Lines in 1921. Another reason for me acquiring the
trademarks was that when I was reading about how the United States Lines fell
apart in the late-1980s due to greed and selfishness, you can't help but feel
sad and disappointed. And, lastly, I want to protect our American Maritime
Heritage. So, those are the reasons why I've chosen to buy the trademarks.
Hector Louis Aponte III with the flagg of UNITED STATES LINES on board the UNITED STATES - collection Hector Louis Aponte III
Gerd) What are your plans for the future,
as the international cruise market is booming with all over Me-Too products?
Hector) My first order of business is to
help raise awareness regarding the history of this historic brand through
exhibits, school presentations, and lectures. Hopefully, down the road, this
brand can once again operate new ships. Only time will tell.
Gerd) You are engaged as a supporter of
the preservation project of the AURORA, the first WAPPEN VON HAMBURG after
WWII. What do you think will give her a respectable and self-supporting future?
Hector) Chris Wilson, the owner of Aurora
has a few ideas for the ship. His main idea is to convert the ship into a
passenger research luxury liner, which can help the ocean environment. Another
idea is to put the ship back into traditional passenger service.
Gerd) Living on history, and looking at
AURORA, what are your suggestions for that pristine little liners future?
Hector) In my honest opinion,
crowdfunding and a business plan will attract a broader audience to help
support the project. I have helped Chris with a couple of small fundraisers and
they have proved to be quite successful. He has some great business proposals
and I will support his decisions 110%.
Gerd) Is there such thing in the USA as a
national organization to preserve technical landmarks, as we have in Europe.
E.g. in Great Britain the heritage trusts, also nearly all over Europe. In
Germany, for instance, the last living steam locomotive, the 18 201, the
fastest still running steam engine is under such construction. Or we have an
ocean going paddle wheeler under the same conditions - a historical technical
landmark.
What about the funding? It will be hard
for Christopher Wilson get funds for the AURORA. Can you imagine such thing as
a crowdfunding for her?
Hector) Yes, the United States has a
preservation program called the Nation Register of Historic Places, which is
reviewed by the United States Department of the Interior. Many historic
structures such as the Empire State Building, The R.M.S. Queen Mary, Washington
D.C. Monuments, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are all on the register. If
Chris also would like to pursue this option for the Aurora, he can.
Gerd) What about the US flag? There is
the Jones Act in the USA, an anachronistic and protectionist law or regulation
which is hitting on AURORA, as she isn't built in the US ... and then how about
the crewing? As, please pardon me, it is widely said that US citizens have lost
their "love for hospitality" or service?
Hector) The Jones Act, in my honest
opinion, should be updated or replaced with a more modern set of maritime laws.
As for the Aurora, she has been seized and now legally registered in the United
States. As a matter of fact, Chris is in contact with MARAD, which is in charge
of the US reserve fleet. As far as I'm aware, the Aurora is in good standing
and can sail under the US Flag if Chris chooses to do so.
Gerd) Does Christopher Wilson, your
friend have a business plan made, if going for more and productive findings?
Hector) As far as I know, Chris's
business plan is to take Aurora into the environmental side of the maritime
industry. But there is a window to also do traditional maritime business within
the cruising industry.
Gerd) Talking about money. The SS UNITED
STATES CONSERVANCY, with Susan Gibbs at the helm, a granddaughter of the genius
William Francis Gibbs, and you as a supporter there too, what are your thoughts
or suggestions about the deal with CRYSTAL?
William Francis Francis in front of his masterpiece the ss UNITED STATES - collection SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY
Hector)
This is a very difficult project for them. Nothing will ever be easy. I
have contacted Susan Gibbs and gave some friendly advice regarding stipulations
that mysteriously are added to their existing agreements. I just don't want to
see them get screwed over. I've been following the progress of the preservation
efforts longer than I have been an active supporting member. I respect the
ship, UNITED STATES LINES and the Gibbs´ family legacy and It would be
heartbreaking to see all of that be bastardized because a cruising company is
out to just make a quick buck. This is the last American-built luxury liner and
it deserves respect and dignity. Another issue I have is the ship possibly
flying a foreign flag because Crystal Cruises owns a German shipyard. I hope
the Conservancy pushes very hard for the ship to be redeveloped in the United
States. It would be an embarrassment and a national laughingstock not to.
Gerd) CRYSTAL, backed by the money of
their new parent company GENTING, is going "commando" with their aim
to be at the top end of the luxury vacation business. Ocean, river, air ... the
one are missing are trains and hotels, as cars are somehow included ... and the
BIG U as their heritage project - the UNITED STATES for transatlantic again and
cruises. Wouldn't you think a "living vessel" is better than a non
moving monument, as ROTTERDAM or deteriorating QUEEN MARY?
Hector) Yes, it makes sense to put the
ship back into service. However, only time will tell when the reviews of the
S.S. United States' structural testing has concluded in November. I personally
would like to see the ship become a stationary attraction and if Crystal
Cruises is looking for a unique business opportunity. It's right in front of them.
Gerd) Thank you Hector for this interview.
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