Misc: Heritage site turns 14; Tom Rawson leads shanty sing; Port Washington Light vote

It's time that I caught up on miscellaneous items in the inbox from maritime heritage groups around the country. First up is the Maritime Heritage Project, a massive 14-year-old website that must be one of the oldest maritime heritage sites in the world. The site is focused on the San Francisco Bay Area, though there's information from other parts of the coutnry. I received an email announcing the addition of lists of passengers arriving in San Francisco in the 1800s. The site is operated as non-profit by D.A. Levy, the great-great grandson of Capt. James H. Blethen, a famous sea captain of the time.

Seattle's Northwest Seaport maritime music program announced that Tom Rawson, described as a "a friendly, banjo-playing folkie," will lead the next monthly shanty sing 8 p.m. Friday, May 13 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1215 Thomas Street, in the church basement. I've heard that as many as 75 people have been showing up at these shanty sings. Seattle is now a central hub in the world of maritime music.

Last but not least, supporters of the Port Washington Lighthouse in Port Washington, Wis., are asking the public to vote for the lighthouse in an online poll. WISN-TV in Milwaukee is sponsoring the poll, which identifies the best attractions in the Milwaukee area for 2011. You need to sign up at the WISN Spring Fever Contest website. You can vote as often as once a day. The contest ends May 31.

Do you have news to share about your maritime heritage work? Send it to Fyddeye!

Newly restored 1958 film showcases life aboard tall ship Christian Radich

Hollywood has always loved the epic, romantic quality of the sea, and occasionally film pioneers took to the water to showcase new technology. One example is the 1958 film Windjammer, a travelogue that follows a voyage of the Norwegian sail training ship Christian Radich. But if you're old enough to have seen it in theaters, you probably didn't see it the way it was meant to be seen. That's because it was shot in "CineMiracle."

Cine-what? You've probably seen lots of movies in CinemaScope, a wide-screen process developed in the 1950s to help the movies compete with a new disruptive technology called "television." (Still confused? Think of the "letterbox" editions of 50s and 60s movies on DVD.) There's a good chance they were shot in CinemaScope. CineMiracle was among a set of movie technologies that led to CinemaScope, but CineMiracle itself never took hold.

However, one movie was shot in CineMiracle and released to public screening: Windjammer. However, because the process never caught on, most people saw the movie after it was converted to CinemaScope. This year, L.A.-based film editor David Strohmaier and John Sittig, director of projection and sound at Pacific Theatres, have restored the original film and they've started showing it in theaters and they hope to release it on DVD and Blu-ray.

But enough geeking out on film tech. What's the movie like? I haven't seen it in theaters, but here's the trailer, and for tall ship fans, it's a treat. And for gravy, there's some cool footage of 1950s-era warships and scuba diving. (Fyddeye's fans on Facebook can also go to this page to see the trailer.)

{mp4-flvremote}http://www.davidstrohmaier.com/review/Windj_Trailer.mp4{/mp4-flvremote}

It's not clear when the restored Windjammer might come out on disc or whether it might be available online. So far, showings have been limited to the Los Angeles area, though there's rumors that the picture might go on the road to film festivals. To learn more about the film, visit in70mm.com.

Bad weld suspected in Zodiac dismasting; fundraising campaign starts

{cbavatar}bluepete{/cbavatar}Failure of a weld in the top mast rigging is a prime suspect in the dismasting of the historic schooner Zodiac on Saturday near the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Chris Wallace, the Zodiac's first mate, writes on the vessel's website that the mast shattered at 1:28 p.m. while the 127-foot schooner was under full sail in moderate winds. The mast fell to port and into the water, missing the 22 school children aboard for a day sail. The mast remained attached to Zodiac by way of the cable shrouds, though it was later cut away. Wallace says the sail was torn, but "concievably save-able."

A crew member and a passenger suffered minor injuries. They were transported to a hospital in Bellingham and later released. The crew member returned to duty the same day, Wallace writes. The Zodiac was assisted by the M/V Kwaietek, a1923 ex-British Columbia Forestry vessel en route down from Canada to Bellingham. Three Zodiac crew happened to be aboard Kwaietek when Zodiac called for help.

The caused of the dismasting is under investigation. "A weld in the top mast rigging is currently under scrutiny, but no conclusions have been drawn as of yet," Wallace writes.

Zodiac has received dozens of supportive messages on its Facebook page. The Vessel Zodiac Corporation, which operates the 1924 schooner, has started fundraising for a new mast. It's asking supporters to book trips for its 2011 season, which will help finance the replacement mast. The total cost is unknown, though it's likely to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Announcement: Tall ship sailors! Tom Russell of Portland Schooner Company is accepting new members to the Tall Ship Professionals group at LinkedIn. Join!

Seattle to museum: We want your $$; Museum to city: Go to blazes

{cbavatar}bluepete{/cbavatar}A major regional museum housing some of the most important maritime history collections in the Pacific Northwest may have to close because of a dispute with the City of Seattle. The nationally recognized Museum of History & Industry has to move from its location next to an urban highway that the State of Washington wants to expand. The state has to tear down MOHAI's current building to construct the highway. With the city government's blessing, MOHAI signed a $40 million deal earlier this year with the state that would pay for renovation of a city-owned building at Lake Union Park near downtown that would be MOHAI's new home. But the deal was apparently too sweet for Mayor Mike McGinn, and his staff wants a piece of the $40 million deal to offset a city budget deficit that could run as high as $67 million in 2011.

MOHAI has cried foul, and it has sent emails to all its supporters asking for help. "If we are unable to resolve this issue swiftly, MOHAI will be forced to close, and may not reopen," an email distributed yesterday says. MOHAI says it needs the full $40 million, adding that the state wouldn't allow the city to use even a portion of the money for something other than moving MOHAI to Lake Union Park. The state won't back off its highway expansion plans, which means the museum would lose its building.

MOHAI is one of the largest museums in Washington State, and it stores the vast photograph collection of the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society, which is also counting on a move to Lake Union Park as a new home. The loss of a home for both institutions would be a enormous blow to heritage in the Pacific Northwest and the nation. MOHAI is asking its supporters and patrons to contact Mayor McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who heads the city council's parks committee and tell them to keep their hands off MOHAI's moving money.