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Heritage - Maritime History and preservation in the USA

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
- 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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