At Salem Maritime National Historic Site, the replica tall
ship
Friendship’s lower yards are tilted, or “cockbilled,” and a black
streamer is flying from her mainmast in a traditional form of shipboard
mourning.
Captain James Fox, the beloved captain of
Friendship, died on
August 17, 2010, following a battle with cancer. He will be missed by all
the National Park Service staff and volunteers who worked with him since
Friendship first arrived in Salem.
“Captain Fox was one of the first and most passionate supporters of getting
Friendship to the national park in Salem," said Salem Maritime
Superintendent Patricia Trap. “He signed on as a volunteer to captain the
ship to Salem in 1998, and from then on devoted thousands of hours to be
sure that the ship safely fulfilled her mission as a floating ambassador
for the National Park Service, the Essex National Heritage Area, and the
City of Salem.”
Captain Fox was instrumental in getting
Friendship through
her U.S. Coast Guard Certification requirements to allow passengers to sail
on the ship. “With Captain Fox’s leadership, we are now ready to embark on
a new chapter in
Friendship’s history—developing a sailing program for the
general public,” stated Trap.
“We will miss him.”
In his memory, a plaque with the names of the captains of the original and
the modern day
Friendship will be placed on board the ship that he helped
to bring to life. "Wherever
Friendship sails from now on, he will always be
with us," said Colleen Bruce, Chief of Marine and Special Programs at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
* * *
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Captain Fox's family, his friends, and the volunteers and staff at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
* * *
The image above, taken by
Leighton O'Connor, shows the
Friendship with its masts tilted in the sunset on Wednesday night.
For more information on the tall ship
Friendship, visit
nps.gov/sama.
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