March 17, 2004

Dear Sir,

Very rarely does an opportunity come along to participate in something larger than ourselves, to make a meaningful contribution to something that will outlive us, and to truly affect history. This is that time.

For almost five years the S.S. Catalina Preservation Association has been diligently working to save the historic S.S. Catalina, the last steel coastal steamer on America's West Coast, currently sitting half-submerged on the sandy bottom of Ensenada's harbor. Though time and tide have damaged portions of the ship, she still remains structurally sound, and she still displays the pride and grace that for over fifty-one years enticed millions of passengers to fall in love with her, affectionately calling her "The Great White Steamer". Along the way she carried more of these passengers than any other ship in history before her, ferried more troops in World War II than any other army transport in the war, and earned distinction as
California State Historic! al Landmark No. 895, City of Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument No. 213, and a listing on the National
Register of Historic Places.

After her retirement from passenger service in 1975, she was sold to a private owner and eventually taken to Ensenada, Mexico, where she
was host to several failed business ventures before finally being abandoned by her owners at the time. Then, slowly, she settled to the bottom of the harbor, the victim of simple neglected maintenance.

Alerted to the tragedy befalling this important and unique part of maritime history, San Diego's renowned Save Our Heritage Organization founded the S.S. Catalina Preservation Association (SSCPA), an alliance of individuals with backgrounds in historic preservation, education, business, media, and maritime science. With limited funds, the group launched a tightly budgeted raising attempt that would have succeeded were it not for the restrictive resources available. In the time since, SSCPA has hired a professional dive survey, and a highly respected salvage team is standing by for the ship's re-floating. Though grants and other such funding sources exist once the Catalina is back in the United States, the ship's current location in Mexico makes these sources unavailable at this time. Even though SSCPA has negotiated and developed an excellent
working relationship with the officials of the Port of Ensenada, this lack of adequate funding has continued to hinder SSCPA's recovery of
the Catalina.

Most recently, a Hollywood production company has expressed an interest in using the Catalina as a major prop in an upcoming film, but new delays in the film's production have pushed the availability of even these funds beyond a date where they could help us with the ship's current and immediate needs.

Now, after a number of delays, a new marina is being constructed on the very site where the Catalina currently rests. Though the port of
Ensenada has continued to grant us extensions to raise the ship, they will very soon be forced to dismantle her if SSCPA is unable to raise
the funds needed to remove her from harm's way. All that is needed at present is 1.5 million dollars; a small price to save one of the
last remaining ships of her kind anywhere and America's most historically important West Coast steamer.

The Catalina is more than an invaluable maritime treasure, and saved she will be more than a museum piece or mere curiosity. Educational
and school programs, special events, conferences and seminars, inspired by the hugely successful programs aboard the beloved ships of the Maritime Museum of San Diego, will make the Catalina viable and vibrant, ensuring her future while enriching her community. And several California coastal communities have already expressed an interest in welcoming the Catalina once SSCPA has succeeded in returning her to United States waters.

As you see, the S.S. Catalina can have many years of useful life ahead of her, inspiring and enlightening generations that will follow
usÂ… but only if you help us now. Please consider how much you can donate to this worthy cause, a gift that could speak for years to
come. After numerous close calls and extended deadlines, time, for the Catalina, is finally up. If she is lost she will take with her
not only the history that she carried but also the history she could carry into the future.

The negotiating has been done, the pieces are in place; all that is needed is the funding. Please step up and take advantage of the
opportunity that history is offering you now. Please help.

Most Sincerely Yours,
Phil Dockery

President, S.S. Catalina Preservation Association

P.S. - You can contact me personally for information on how you can donate by calling (909) 748-6863. Also, you can visit our web site at www.sscatalina.org.

The SS Catalina Needs Your Help.
C'mon Californians -- "Float Your Boat!"

For more info:
http://www.sscatalina.org/
http://escapist.com/sscatalina/


S.S. Catalina Preservation Association
james@survivingworldsteam.com

That's more or less the same amount the New England Steamship Foundation needs to raise, in a similar timeframe, and for similar reasons, in order to save the Nobska. With the potential loss both of these vessels, plus the scrapping of the Canadiana already underway, this is shaping up to be a very bad year indeed for historic passenger steamships.

richard@northeasternmaritime.org