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A
meeting of the National Friends of Ernestina/Morrissey
was held in Providence, RI on April 10, 1983 to
strengthen and focus the efforts of the group.
Representatives from New York and the New England area
gathered to amend the by-laws and register the National
Friends as a non-profit in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. Voting members were to be the chairs of
the local friends groups including Joe Cardozo
(Bridgeport), Donald Frost (Gloucester), Ed Andrade (New
York), Carl Cruz (New Bedford), Oling Jackson
(Providence), Michael Platzer (Rye), and Alfred Cardoza
(Wareham). Officers appointed were Laura Pires Houston,
president, Fred Littleton, secretary, Austen Colgate,
treasurer, John Santiago, clerk, Joe Cardozo, membership
secretary, Julius Britto, executive director. "The
Ernestina is at a crossroads in her life." said
Laura Pires Houston, national chair of the friends group.
Excerpts from an article in the Gloucester Daily
Times, July 15, 1983:
Schooner Ernestina
may leave next week The schooner
Ernestina, tied up in Gloucester for nearly a year,
may leave next week. Repairs to the historic
Gloucester-built fishing vessel have been delayed by
bureaucratic infighting. But Daniel Moreland,
recently hired as captain, says the 107-foot vessel
will be hauled out at Gloucester Marine Railways at
Rocky Neck, then towed to New Bedford.
Then it will go on a tour of New England ports,
partly to raise the $300,000 Moreland says is needed
to put the vessel in "complete operating
condition."
Moreland said he was hired to act as skipper to
work with the Friends of the Ernestina/Morrissey and
the Massachusetts Schooner Ernestina Commission and
"get the ship moving." "We expect to
get the work done and tow the boat to New Bedford
next week," he said. "Well do some
work on the ship there. Then well go out fund
raising this fall."
During the tour of New England ports, he said,
"well be looking for money from anyone who
wants to contribute, from a nickel to $10,000."
Excerpts from an article in the New Bedford
Standard-Times August 3, 1983:
Ernestina returns to
New Bedford for repairs, by Jack
Stewardson
New Bedford - The historic two-masted schooner
Ernestina arrived back in the city today where
supporters are hoping to enlist volunteers to start
repairs on the 89-year-old ship.
Britto said it is hoped that by fall the ship
will be able to have a new engine installed and sail
to ports in New York, Connecticut and Wareham. The
engine is expected to be installed at the Gloucester
Marine Railway Co.
Capt. Dan Moreland came to Ernestina as
technical advisor after contacting the Connecticut
Friends of Ernestina with an offer of help. He had
recently come off a stint as boatswain on the sail
training ship Danmark for four years and prior to
that mate on the around the world cruising brigantine
Romance with Capt. Arthur Kimberly.
In fall 1983, in an effort to kindle support for the
ships restoration, Schooner Ernestina spent
two months on a goodwill tour of New England including
stops in Wareham Sept 20, New Bedford for the First
Annual Ernestina Festival, Sept 31, Boston, Oct
8-9, Bridgeport, Oct 22-23, New York City, Nov 1 and Rye,
Oct 30-31, 6-7.
Daniel Moreland, skipper of the Ernestina, has
submitted a winter fund request to Gov. Michael S.
Dukakis office. "We can do a lot with a
little," Moreland said, "but we cant
do anything with nothing."
State Sen. William Q. MacLean, Jr.,
D-Fairhaven, recently inserted a $400,000 capital
outlay request in the states fiscal 1984
budget. The request will be before the Senate Ways
and Means Committee next week and MacLean said he is
hopeful of getting at least part of the funds.
Margaret Xifaras, an aide to the governor, said
the Department of Environmental Affairs and the
Office of Administration and Finance currently is
reviewing the Ernestinas winter budget request.
She said she couldn't say what its fate would be.
Ernestina supporters meanwhile can take heart
in this falls cruise, its first major public
exposure since arriving from Cape Verde [it included
a visit from Aristides Pereira, president of the
Republic of Cape Verde]. Moreland estimates that
between 3,500 and 4,000 people, including several
student groups, visited the schooner during its fall
tour.
Dan Moreland brought
the Ernestina sailing in New York Harbor with an assist enroute from
Charlie Mitchell and the Tug Jaguar. The sail in the harbor was in
company with Sloop Clearwater (not in picture) captained by Gregg
Swanzey.
Much work needed to be completed. The entire rig as
well as the accommodations needed to be recreated. The
donated Cummins Diesel needed to be installed.
Chris Scott at the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Management facilitated a $200,000
appropriation and worked with the Massachusetts
Historical Commission to place Ernestina on the
National Register of Historic Places. Chris also worked
on matching funds that could increase the state agency
commitment of $200,000 and negotiated a contract with the
city of New Bedford to free up $40,000 promised in the
early 80s.
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