Save Our Ship

Very sad the agonizing end to the Montrealais. The vessel is headed for the iron carrion laden shores of Turkey to be scrapped and obliterated into history. No one is stepping up to buy the ship. Money always remains the problem. Saving a vessel, is a credible idea.
... There is one very famous vessel that would attract enough funding to keep it afloat. I'm afraid its one or two years away from scrapping. At the very least, it must be on that cruel short list.
... There must be a committee formed on both sides of the border to make sure that the Arthur M. Anderson is preserved. Why? Well, for many reasons.
... It was the sailing companion of the Fitz. It was the very last contact. For that reason alone, if no other reason existed, it would be a very excellent traveling memorial to the Fitz and all the lost souls on the Great Lakes.
... Its a classical design of the "Canaller". Or specifically, the maritime fashion where ships were built specifically for the Great Lakes.
... If its owner encounters economic difficulties or if the closure of steel mills continues, then for costs savings the Anderson will become expendable. Considering its age, its not likely to attract any commercial buyers.
... We here all recognize the problems of maintaining a museum vessel. And ideally that museum vessel must remain in seaworthy condition. And it must be able to attract the millions required annually to keep it afloat and in Bristol fashion.
... It must be a name ship that everyone around the lakes, and as far away as Vancouver or San Diego recognizes and be willing to part with their hard earned cash to support it. One of the great reasons for failure to buy a museum ships on the Great Lakes is the costs and the prime reason that well meaning groups have difficulty getting sponsorships is that too often the ship they are trying to save has only a local significance. So the financial base is very small and weak. Again, that one ship needs to have a broad financial sponsorship potential.
... We can't save the Montrealais specifically. There is no way feasible because away from the Seaway few would have any attachment even in the slightest. So let's try and at least save one ship. A ship that the good citizens in Quebec City, in Duluth, in Thunder Bay(s), in Marquette, in Chicago, in Detroit, in every city on the Seaway, would be willing to donate enough tens and twenties to make the effort successful.
... In the name recognition, it must be able to be strong enough to get funding from the states, provinces and federal governments. It has to have the fame muscle to convince the Seaway Corp to waive transfer and canal fees. It must have the name recognition to receive in kind support of paint from either Dupont or BASF on an annual basis to keep the paint fresh on the vessel. It has to have the name recognition that the conservation group can put it to drydock at a minimal cost. All that is a lot to consider in creating a Seaway floating memorial museum.
... The ideal fame vessel rests on the bottom of Lake Superior. The next best candidate is its traveling companion. And it must be a ship that the entire seaway knows about, and that candidate can only be the Arthur M Anderson.