The following link should probably go in the "Flimies" section. But, I also wanted to point the poll on the right side of the webpage. Until myself and members of the "sscatalina" group on Yahoo started to vote, the poll results were 50/50!

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Last Call For SS Catalina Says Port Of Ensenada
james1@pernet.net

I wonder how much the general media knows about this? Perhaps general exposure would help? Anyone here have connections?

ryarger@rypn.org

> I wonder how much the general media knows
> about this? Perhaps general exposure would
> help? Anyone here have connections?

I don't know of anyone who has connections; but one group member has e-mailed Paul Harvey, and is sending a letter to the current owners of Wrigley Field.

Any other efforts would be great.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


Last Call For SS Catalina Says Port Of Ensenada
james1@pernet.net

Folks,

I have spent the last 35 years of my life working with old ships. And i'll tell you that when a hull has been partly under water as long as that one has there is not much hope.

That is whay it is so important to keep them afloat if at all possible! You can not believe what a mess the inside of that once proud steam ship is today!

I am sorry but about all that is left is to look at the old post cards.

Ted Niles

ted_miles@nps.gov

The Catalina sat unattended in the Long Beach Outer harbor for some years. The treasure hunters would take their boats out to her late at night and strip her of anything that would unscrew, unbolt or they could pry off. Sad to say that the interior looks like some of our park steam locomotives, not much left to look at.

If she does suffer from the worst fate then someone should try to salvage the compound engines.

I also make the same arguement for the Catalina that others have made for some sorry looking park engines in the past:

1. Anything can be restored...some just take more money.

2. The Catalina is the last of her kind. (Ted, is that true, at least as far as west coast ships go?)

3. Once she's gone, she's gone. There's been talk of buiding a Titanic replica, but no vessel yet. There will certainly never be another S.S. Catalina.

What also makes this opportunity so attractive is that a movie company wants to use her as a living movie prop. That, plus some other possible connections, gives her an opportunity for funding that will not go to other ships if this one falls through.

I believe what is said on the Catalina group is still true: "Californians, float your boat"!

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> The Catalina sat unattended in the Long
> Beach Outer harbor for some years. The
> treasure hunters would take their boats out
> to her late at night and strip her of
> anything that would unscrew, unbolt or they
> could pry off. Sad to say that the interior
> looks like some of our park steam
> locomotives, not much left to look at.

> If she does suffer from the worst fate then
> someone should try to salvage the compound
> engines.


Surviving World Steam Project
james1@pernet.net

> I also make the same arguement for the
> Catalina that others have made for some
> sorry looking park engines in the past:

> 1. Anything can be restored...some just take
> more money.

There is a difference, in that I, at least, canÂ’t think of any restored park engines that have been submerged in salt water for a number of years. The corrosive power of sea water on unprotected steel, and iron must be seen to be believed.

I did a little volunteer work on the coal fired steam tug Baltimore which was restored to service after being sunk for a brief period (perhaps a year, or two?) in a semi-fresh water tributary of the Chesapeake bay. The amount of damage done was incredible, and not fully reversible short of replacing every piece of ferrous metal in the aboard.

For as long as the Catalina has been sunk in full strength sea water, combined with being looted before that, I’m sorry to say, that it probably would be cheaper to build a replica, that to restore the original. Keep in mind that the U.S.S. San Pablo, in the movie “The Sand Pebbles” was a replica built specifically for the movie, and not bad at that.

> 2. The Catalina is the last of her kind.
> (Ted, is that true, at least as far as west
> coast ships go?)

There is the Virginia V in Washington State, operational, and beautiful.

> 3. Once she's gone, she's gone. There's been
> talk of buiding a Titanic replica, but no
> vessel yet. There will certainly never be
> another S.S. Catalina.

Probably not, but there is a point when we need to let go. The Catalina is heartbreaking in that she is 50% above water, so close, but so far away. If she had sunk in water deep enough to cover her stack, people would have forgotten about her, but when you can stand on the deck of a cruise ship, and look down on her 200 yards away, as I did in 1991, she calls to you. The problem is that what you see is a mirage. Sorry to sound so negative, but terminal pets are put to sleep for a reason.

Photos on the SS Catalina Yahoo discussion group show that she was afloat in November of last year.


SJHussar@aol.com

> Photos on the SS Catalina Yahoo discussion
> group show that she was afloat in November
> of last year.

And while she sustained some damage topside when a barge was docked next to her, it is my understanding she is still in reasonable shape underwater; according to the last underwater surveys.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project
james1@pernet.net

This is a past article, also from "The Log" (http://www.thelog.com, June 12, 2003) that discusses the diving survey I mentioned ealier. So it took so long to post, but I forgot where it was.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Divers: SS Catalina Structurally Sound
james1@pernet.net

Ted probably can tell me if this idea is as kookie as it seems:

What about coating the hull inside and out with several feet of expandable foam? Picture thousands of cans of Great Stuff. The foam would support shaky structure with its own rigidity, and being lighter than either hull or water, would encourage floatation.

Has anybody every tried this sort of a marine salvage approach?

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

...once again posted to the S.S. Catalina group on Yahoo. It includes a little more details about salvage plans:

***

To All Concerned Parties of The SS Catalina E-Groups:

The Vice President of the S.S. Catalina Preservation Association, Maria Castillo Curry and Myself met with the Director General of the Ensenada Port Authority in Ensenada last Thursday October 23rd.

We discussed the tentative salvage plan during this 1 hour meeting, including dewatering, re floating, stabilizing and relocating the ship to another location within the port of Ensenada to avoid any conflicts with the impending dredging and Marina and Crusieport development operation planned for the end of the month.

Based on the discussion of our primary "Plan A" that consists of working with our selected Salvage Company Professionals, who were the team that Supervised and conducted the salvage of the Exxon Valdez and many other "large" international Salvage operations and obtaining the necessary funding from our "Primary Financial Sponsor" we have tentatively been granted another extension by the Port Commission of Ensenada.

We also discussed a very strong and feasible "Plan B" that would involve the same salvage team although utilizing an alternate source of funding for the project.

Members of the S.S. Catalina Preservation Association will begin posting bimonthly updates of the changing situation affecting this historic project on the www.SSCatalina.org web site within the next week to 10 days.

The Officers, Directors and other Advisor's of the S.S. Catalina Preservation Association greatly appreciate all the members of the E-Groups constructive support, ideas and comments. The one area that all members of this important group can continue to suggest and pursue are sources of funding this 1-1.5million dollar project.

The Association is beginning another round of very targeted and directed Internet Fund Raising campaign based around the Associations web site, that soon will be able to take credit card donations of any kind off the web site. Provided the members of the E-Group would like to be involved in this process which is an very important part of this project, we welcome you to get the word out to anyone you know that has any kind of connection with this ship to visit the web site in the coming weeks and donate whatever they can, which they will be able to do on the updated web site.

There were an estimated 20 million people who were transported on the S.S. Catalina during it's 51 years of active service. Provided only 1 million of them who are still alive and interested in saving the ship visited the web site and gave $1.00 we would raise 1 million and would not need any ""Large" potential Donors or Sponsors.

Keep in mind that this would be a funding source for the Associations "Plan C" or "Plan D". Our primary focus on our existing "Plan A" and "Plan B" that were discussed last Thursday have sources of funding in place that have tentatively committed funding for this project in early 2004.

The Association will never rest in it's Fund raising efforts until the $1 Million plus dollars are deposited in the bank and the salvage team is on the way down to Ensenada Harbor. It always comes down to money, money, money. The e-groups efforts, ideas and energy at this point in time can best be focused on the this next fund raising effort that is getting underway within the next 10 days.

Keep the faith, ideas and energy alive for this Historical piece of California Maritime History to be returned to her home, it will happen if we all believe and work together toward this common goal.

Sincerely,

Tim J. Pyle

Adviser

S.S. Catalina Preservation Association


Surviving World Steam Project
james1@pernet.net

Dave,

I dont know what the depth the ship lies, but one issue that might be encountered is that the foam structure is dependendent on forming bubbles or cells, I believe generating or incorporating a gas. What works at 1 atmosphere ( sea level in air) may not work at 2 ATM ( 33 ft of seawater) as the external pressure is doubled and may inhibit the foam expanding , etc. 66 Feet would be 3 ATM or 3X pressure, etc.

> What about coating the hull inside and out
> with several feet of expandable foam?
> Picture thousands of cans of Great Stuff.
> The foam would support shaky structure with
> its own rigidity, and being lighter than
> either hull or water, would encourage
> floatation.

> Has anybody every tried this sort of a
> marine salvage approach?

> dave


staybolt@bellsouth.net

She is sitting on the bottom, but showing most of what should be above water above water. I would guess that it is less than 25' of water, and maybe as little as 15.

Of course before you can do anything you would need to evict the several hundred sea lions which now call her home.

Randy Hees

http://www.spcrr.org
hees@ix.netcom.com