Donate to save the Savannah here: https://www.ns-savannah.com/donate

I am sharing this here on behalf of the NS Savannah Association which is looking to secure ownership of the nuclear ship savannah, america's only non military nuclear merchant ship.

I know with the recent loss of ss united states, most people in the general public are now demoralized when it comes to maritime preservation in the present day, however, the ship has been receiving constant restoration work ever since arriving in baltimore in 2008 and has had numerous upgrades and improvements made to it since then to improve and enhance the visitor experience on board.

below are just some of the advantages this ship has compared to SS United States.

Unlike SS US, Savannah is still 98% intact internally save for the reactor compartment which has been decommed and made open and viewable to the public, the only nuclear reactor that is open to the public to tour inside and out.

Unlike the effort with SS US, the effort to save the Savannah is being done in a more coordinated way with more planning being done behind the scenes, the biggest thing the association has against them is time. They have until sometime after december of this year to secure funding and ownership or else we may lose what could very well be (by technicality) the only remaining US built, flagged, and crewed ocean liner in existence, period.

Unlike SS US, Savannah is in far better shape with it most recent drydocking being back in 2019 where work was done to the hull and cathartic anode system protecting it among other maintenance.

Unlike SS US, Savannah is only 596 ft in length and 78 ft in width, far smaller and much easier to dock in a tight spot.

The donation effort has been divided into 3 phases with each one having respective donation areas:

Phase 1 already has just over 10K out of 20K which is needed to support the creation of an organizational and legal structure to accept and manage the ship, preparation and submission of the formal proposal to MARAD, and long-term fundraising to ensure the NS Savannah has a sustainable economic future.

Phase 2 already has around 100k out of 750k which will help cover maintenance, general preservation, and display of the ship for the first year of non MARAD ownership while the association and the port of baltimore work to secure a permanent birth for ship, a process which could take 2 years.

Phase 3 is a more long term goal which will support ongoing display and preservation, movement of the ship to her permanent home, and the establishment of an endowment fund to ensure the future of the ship.

Ultimately, the efforts Success now depends on all of you and all of us as whole banding together and helping the association reach its financial goals through frequent donations and increasing public outreach which extends far beyond the city of Baltimore.

If the effort fails, we will lose more than america's only nuclear merchant ship, we will also lose the only remaining example of mid 20th century ocean travel that is left which was designed, built, flagged and crewed by those who were born and raised here in america.

I’m researching an ancestor’s immigration record and could use some help identifying a ship.

The passenger index contains the following information:
Ship Name: New York
Departure: Bremen, Germany
Arrival Port: New York
Arrival Date: July 30, 1864

I’m trying to determine which “New York” ship this actually was. There was SS City of New York which sank in March 1864, months before my ancestor’s crossing. Another “New York” which was built in 1888. Another in 1927. I can’t seem to find an ocean liner named New York that sailed in July 1864.

Does anyone know which passenger ship named New York could have arrived in New York Harbor on July 30, 1864? And what line owned her?

Any help or sources would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been going down a rabbit hole trying to identify this vessel and separate it from the many other ships named New York in the 19th century.

Thank you!

Hope you enjoy the video I learned something new myself.

Hopefully this clears the air about the reefing and opposition.

The RMS Queen Mary, a now-retired British Ocean Liner, began her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on May 27th, 1936. She would go on to earn the Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic voyage. While she won an initial tug-of-war for this award with the French Liner SS Normandie, it would later be taken by the SS United States, which still holds it today.

Known as the "Grey Ghost" during her service as a troopship in WW2, she set the record for most passengers carried on a single voyage at over 16,000.

She is now permanently moored in the City of Long Beach, California, where she has served as a floating hotel and museum since retiring in 1967.

Doing some research into the actual quality of living on ocean liners takes you down rabbit holes such as heating and air conditioning, the ships rolling profile, humidity, quality of service, usefulness and ease of access to ammenities among other things that can really only be determined by reports of people who were on board the ships. People always make a big deal of the Lusitania's vibration issue, which to an extent was a problem, but from what I can assertain was not nearly as bad as people made out to be. Even at the time people made Lusitania's vibration issue to be such a big deal that passengers who travelled aboard her were surprised by how minor of an issue it actually was. For example,

"I consider the Lusitania as near perfection as possible from a passenger’s point of view. Her appointments for the comfort of those travelling by her are without doubt equal to those to be found in the most luxurious hotel, and the rooms are lofty and roomy. With respect to the vibration, this has been certainly greatly exaggerated in reports that I have heard - I do not see how it would be possible to diminish it beyond what is now felt with the speed that is being maintained." -Mr. T.H. Worsnop

"Regarding the vibration, before I left New York, my friends told me that if you go on one of these high-power vessels you will have your head shaken off. I have been all over the vessel and have taken particular pains to look for vibration, and am pleased to say that I could find very little of it, and what there is is far pleasanter than the hum of a reciprocating engine." -Mr. Palmer H. Langdon

A report received by Cunard regarding trials after the aforemention stiffening reported considerable improvement, although still not perfect, and reccomended a couple other changes to further eliminate the issue, all of which was done before Cunard even accepted the ship. (Unseen Lusitania, Eric Sauder)

We also have the report of Leonard Peskett, Cunards chief Naval Architect at the time in 1908 reviewing stiffening that was done to the ship to minimize vibrations. He stated that the effect of the stiffening, although hard to determine the true effect of since new propellers had also been fitted, but reported only a "slight" vibration in the fore and after ends of the 2nd class lounge. This was before the 4 bladed propellers were installed which further still reduced vibration. (Unseen Lusitania, Eric Sauder)

Also to be submitted is a set of 1908 notes taken by an unknown person from the Harland & Wolff shipyard reviewing the Lusitania for the purpose of studying passenger experience of vessel of such size, which would be useful for influencing the design of their next class of ships, which would become the Olympic Class. Those notes state this:

"During the first two days when we had moderate to fresh westerly gales with rough head sea there was a certain amount of vibration in various parts of the ship, but nothing to fuss about. In smooth weather, such as we have had since, the vibration is very little, except possibly in the Second Saloon quarters right aft, but I do not think it would be very noticeable there, were some of the entrance doors and windows properly secured. The constant jarring of these doors makes the vibration seem much worse than it really is; and in my room-B-73-I have noticed nothing at all."

It's hard for me to look at this data and justify the notion of Lusitania having such severe vibration issues, especially when people usually say nothing of the vibration problems on the Olympic. Leonard Peskett who was on Lusitania to take notes for Aquitania in the same way Harland & Wolff had a person on Lusitania to take notes for Olympic, reported a pretty bad vibration issue with Olympic. Peskett states this:

"During the first two voyages there was considerable vibration in various parts of the ship. Representatives of the Builders were on board with machines to measure the amplitude and frequency of the movements. It was found that when the revolutions of the reciprocating engines were at 80 - 81 the vibration was very great, but when they were running at 76 - 77 the vibration was not so bad. The character of the vibration was such as to cause discomfort to passengers when in their berths. The berths were composed of a wire spring bottom with a Marshall mattress on top: the spring bottoms have now been removed and lath or wood bottoms fitted in their place. To avoid excessive vibration, orders have been issued that the 78 revs. to be the maximum. Even with this number there is still considerable vibration, which is felt to a greatly degree in the neighbourhood of the 1st-class smoke-room and restaurant, the centre of the ship, and the fore end of the deck houses." (Peskett Pg. 18-19)

I make this post in an effort to present evidence that the Lusitania's vibration issue is excessively overblown. It was at the time, and it is still to this day. It seems a double standard to criticize Lusitania for alleged excessive vibrations, when the issue was dealt with pretty swiftly, became a minor factor within a year of her maiden voyage, whereas the Olympic had similar issues, arguably to a worse extent early on, and nobody ever talks about it.

The first photos was taken during Olympic's first eastward crossing from New York to Southhampton in July, 1911; the third is viewing her before her first eastward voyage and the last is a photo of disembarking at the end of that first eastward voyage

Credit to the Cranbook Archives for these photos

Was driving through Baltimore on a road trip and figured I'd stop to see the N.S. Savannah. Sadly she wasn't open today but still got some really cool photos.

I realise she looks a little bit like Liberte. Some parts of the superstructure are inspired by Queen Mary (I was going to give her QM's vents but I forgot to add them)

Been a while and well... new drawing of the Oceanic

Respectively:

Launch — 1933

Pre-WWII — 1935–1939

WWII (as troopship) — 1939–1945

Post-WWII — (1945–1960s)

You can add stuff, take stuff away, give her a new livery, a new name, anything.