Vessels
The Long Island Maritime Museum is the current home of Priscilla and Modesty, two vessels which are National Historic Landmarks.
The Long Island Maritime Museum acquired Priscilla in 1976. The vessel was significantly altered throughout her extensive career. Until 2002, she served the Long Island Maritime Museum as a floating ambassador to other organizations on Long Island and in New York City. Priscilla like all working vessels was subject to heavy wear and deterioration, and was constantly undergoing maintenance and repair throughout her lifespan.
Because of her deteriorated condition, Priscilla underwent an extensive restoration at the Long Island Maritime Museum during a 19-month period between 2002 and 2003. The vessel has retained her historical physical appearance and the workmanship of Elisha Saxton and the care of her subsequent owners are testimony to her survival today. At the Long Island Maritime Museum, Priscilla is used as a floating exhibit next to the 1908 Rudolph Oyster House and berthed along the same dock as the 1923 scallop dredger Modesty.
Restored 1888 Oyster Sloop Priscilla, Floating Ambassador of the Long Island Maritime Museum, sets sail for a series of summer events. The vessel is scheduled to begin taking passengers out on the Great South Bay the first week of May, 2010.
Priscilla has been featured in a variety of special regattas throughout her history, including the Parade of Tall Ships at the “Salute to the Statue of Liberty” Fourth of July Celebration in 1986.
“By offering interactive public sailings, living history experiences and educational programs, the ship furthers Long Island Maritime Museum’s mission to motivate people to take care of the environment, the history and the culture of Long Island through education, preservation and example.” said the Museum’s Executive Director, Natasha Alexenko. “We are thrilled to share her with the community she serves.
”Owned and operated by the Long Island Maritime Museum, Priscilla acts as an ambassador through its diverse programs scheduled at many ports throughout the season. Passengers will be given an opportunity to help the crew navigate on the Great South Bay, learn about the ship’s history and the local environment or merely sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular view.
The oyster sloop Modesty was built in 1923 by the Wood and Chute Shipyard of Greenport, Long Island. The vessel was originally built to dredge oysters and scallops under sail in the Peconic Bay. Modesty is believed to be the last large sailing shellfish dredger built anywhere along the shores of Long Island. Modesty was modeled after the 1892 catboat Honest, which was built by Jelle Dykstra of Greens Creek, West Sayville. Modesty was built as a gaff-rigged sloop but a two-cylinder Gafka gasoline engine was installed during the construction. The fact that Modesty was even built at the end of the age of sail is due to an old law enacted before WWI which stipulated that only sail power could be used while dredging for shellfish. After working as a scallop dredger in Peconic Bay until 1936, Modesty moved to Connecticut to finish her working career as an oyster dredger. From the 1950s until 1974 she served as a pleasure yacht for various owners.
Read more about this topic: Long Island Maritime Museum
Famous quotes containing the word vessels:
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“So near along life’s stream are the fountains of innocence and youth making fertile its sandy margin; and the voyageur will do well to replenish his vessels often at these uncontaminated sources.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“First, there is the power of the Wind, constantly exerted over the globe.... Here is an almost incalculable power at our disposal, yet how trifling the use we make of it! It only serves to turn a few mills, blow a few vessels across the ocean, and a few trivial ends besides. What a poor compliment do we pay to our indefatigable and energetic servant!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)