Denis Sullivan Sets Sail … for Boston
The sale by Discovery World Museum of Wisconsin’s flagship schooner to an organization in Boston, Massachusetts leaves many local supporters “heartbroken” and leaves questions about the deal unanswered.
Planning for the Denis Sullivan, a replica 19th century three-master schooner and the only one of its kind on the water in the world, began in 1991. Construction got underway in 1998 as part of the state’s sesquicentennial celebration and the ship was finally launched in 2000 after innumerable hours of work by an estimated 1000 volunteers. Since then, the Sullivan has been used by Discovery World for its educational and environmental programs. However, a two-year period of inactivity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic left it without a captain or crew and in need of significant maintenance.
In April, Discovery World officials said the museum would not be able to operate the ship in 2022 and that it was re-evaluating if it could financially support the annual cost of about $250,000 necessary to keep the Sullivan in operating condition going forward.
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Shepherd Express
Museum sub USS Cobia seeks matching funds for drydocking
The National Park Service, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, recently awarded us a $500,000 federal grant to help us fund the dry docking of USS Cobia. The USS Cobia Dry Dock Project was one of only three projects in Wisconsin to be awarded a grant, and one out of only 80 projects nationwide.
This critical restoration project involves towing the submarine to Sturgeon Bay for dry docking at Fincantieri Shipyard for hull inspection and repair. The museum last drydocked USS COBIA in 1996. It is projected that the submarine will only be away from its home berth for four to six weeks in early fall 2025, returning to Manitowoc in October 2025.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has already begun raising the matching funds required for the grant’s fulfillment. The cost for this preservation project is estimated at $1.5 million. You can be a part of keeping USS COBIA afloat for future generations. Click here to make an online donation: https://bit.ly/3T5ppr9
Wisconsin Maritime Museum
