POTC 4 inspires museum exhibits and videos with hidden movie trivia

The world of make-believe pirates gets a boost this month when Walt Disney Pictures releases the fourth installment in the POTC series, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The movie premieres on Saturday May 7 in Hollywood; the general release is scheduled for May 20 across the country. The story reportedly pits Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and compatriot Barbarossa (Geoffrey Rush) against Blackbeard (Ian McShane) on a quest for the Fountain of Youth. History purists tend to turn up their nose at the Disney-fied cutthroats of history, even suggesting that the theme-park-ification of thievery and murder desensitizes the public to the truly horrific acts of modern pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Straits of Malacca.

Even so, institutions with missions to preserve history and educate the public about the past know an opportunity when they see one. On the day of POTC 4's general release, the Museum of London Docklands will open an exhibit on Capt. William Kydd, one of the archetypal New World pirates who terrified ships' masters in the late 17th century. His true story is at least as good as the fictional Jack Sparrow's; the exhibit will feature some of Kydd's actual letters.

On the small screen, look for all kinds of video material related to pirates this month, and one program has a bit of hidden movie trivia. On May 15 and 16, the Smithsonian Channel on satellite and cable networks will broadcast "The Real Story: Pirates of the Caribbean," an episode in the channel's "Real Story" series. The hour-long program looks behind the story of POTC to get at the "truth" about pirates. I have a small, but direct connection to the show: It was filmed aboard the tall ship Lady Washington, which is based in Aberdeen, Wash. Some of the actors are crew, friends and supporters of Lady Washington, including Capt. John Aydelotte of Port Townsend, who appears as Blackbeard. (Watch for the tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain, which sails with Lady Washington. Hawaiian Chieftain is attacked by Lady Washington in "The Real Story.")

Here's the cocktail trivia: Lady Washington appeared in the first POTC film, "The Curse of the Black Pearl." Lady Washington played HMS Interceptor, a British warship captured by Jack Sparrow. So Lady Washington has appeared in two pirate flicks, one as a fictional character, and one as a stand-in for a "real" pirate ship in a show meant at explaining the rise and fall of the piracy that inspires today's make-believe pirates. If your cutlass can cut through that Gordian knot, let me know.

Editors note: Joe Follansbee's day job is communications director for Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain.

New Port Hadlock boat shop to open; Republicans balk at new national heritage areas

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Wash., will dedicate its Jeff Hammond Boat Shop on April 30. The school gave a preview of the new structure at a meeting yesterday of the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council at its campus. The $4 million, 6,300-square-foot building, named after the school's senior instructor, was funded entirely with private donations, according to NWSWB chief instructor Tim Lee, who led a tour. The school is still raising funds to outfit the building in time for serving its first students expected in October. (See Fyddeye contributor Pete Leenhouts' report of February 13.)

During its meeting, the Heritage Council also heard an update of a proposal to create a Pacific Northwest National Maritime Heritage Area covering all of Puget Sound's shoreline. The area would also extend along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and south along the Pacific coast almost to the mouth of the Columbia River. The area would be overseen by the National Park Service.

A feasibility study published last year endorsed the idea, but Congress is balking. Curt Warber of Parametrix, which authored the study, said the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives will likely oppose the creation of all new national heritage areas until Congress updates the law governing the program. Until now, each of the country's three-dozen heritage areas were created individually by an act of Congress.

Warber said lawmakers want to set more stringent rules in place before creating any more areas, in part to respond to a small number of critics who believe the areas could threaten property rights. Last year, property owners and local officials in Wakhiakum County in Washington State successfully killed a proposal to create a National Heritage Area around the mouth of the Columbia River. Members of the PNWMHC, primarily maritime museums, historical societies, and tall ship operators, vowed to work with the Republican majority in Congress to address concerns and continue pushing the proposal.

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Proposed tax changes in Washington state threaten funding for maritime heritage

Heritage advocates in the Seattle area are struggling to prevent the loss of key local funding sources for maintaining National Historic Landmarks such as the 1889 tug Arthur Foss and the 1904 lightship Swiftsure (LV-83). State lawmakers want to kill local taxes that generate money for preservation grants and operating support, the kind that pays basic bills such as lights and phone.

Lawmakers also want to cut heritage and arts’ share of funding from another Seattle tax from about half to about a third.

The taxes are paid primarily by tourists and business travelers on car rentals, restaurant meals, and hotel rooms. The car and meal taxes are no longer needed, lawmakers say, and the revenue from the hotel tax should be redirected to other uses.

If these taxes are eliminated and other changes enacted, heritage advocates argue, cultural and educational programs that preserve maritime heritage traditions will die. Alice Winship, a volunteer with Northwest Seaport, a Seattle-based maritime heritage organization, says the operating grants are crucial to keeping the public informed about upcoming maritime music events.

“It’s hard to envision Northwest Seaport’s Maritime Music program continuing without a website and an email address,” she says. “Someone—a part-time staff person—has to keep this website updated.”

The grants are managed by a local agency called “4Culture,” which awards grants to heritage groups and arts groups. Heritage advocates say the agency will have to close if the local taxes are eliminated or reduced. Shannon Fitzgerald, president of the Northwest Seaport board of directors, says 4Culture grants have paid for maintenance of Arthur Foss. The grants have also served as matching money for private and federal grants to restore LV-83. He says 4Culture has done a good job managing the grants.

“We have used 4Culture funds for very important work in sustaining basic operations, preservation work, public outreach and education, and delivering high-quality programs,” Fitzgerald says.

He adds that local historic preservation jobs will be lost if 4Culture closes.

The lawmakers are debating the bill containing the funding cuts in the current legislative session in Olympia, the state capital. More information about the debate is available at http://www.advocate4culture.org/.

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Government shutdown would affect dozens of maritime heritage sites, historic ships

Editors Note: Just one hour before the deadline of midnight April 8, Congress and President Obama agreed on funding cuts that averted a shutdown.

As many as 50 maritime historical sites and attractions would be closed or access severely curtailed if the U.S. government shuts downs on Friday. Budget negotiators are continuing to work on a deal to avoid a shutdown, but if the halt occurs, cultural agencies, especially the National Park Service, would likely close down until a deal is reached. Many attractions, such as lighthouses, are located within National Parks or other properties administered by the park service. Several historic ships and museums are on military bases. And because many travelers and local residents visit heritage attractions on the weekends, they are likely to be the first Americans to see the effects of a shutdown first-hand.

Local businesses, such as restaurants and small retailers, will also feel the impact. MSNBC reports that businesses in the area around Yellowstone National Park are worried that a shutdown would slow the park's preparations for the upcoming season, particularly if the shutdown drags out. The last shutdown in 1996 lasted 21 days.

Here's a partial list of maritime heritage attractions that would be affected by a shutdown:

Ships: USS Constitution, Balclutha, Alma, USS Cairo, USS Nautilus, USS Cassin Young

Lighthouses: Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Parks/Museums: Smithsonian Museums, San Francisco National Maritime Historical Park, Acadia National Park, Point Reyes Lifeboat Station, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, USS Arizona Memorial, Submarine Force Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Naval Undersea Museum.

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