Tall Ship Peking at South Street Seaport. photo Wikipedia
For years, the tall ship Peking has graced the dock at South Street Seaport – her 4 wooden [the masts are steel–Thanks to Jim Chambers for the clarification] masts piercing the sky alongside the glass skyscrapers in downtown Manhattan. But now, she is leaving, for good.
Built in Germany in 1911, the Peking is a steel-hulled four-masted barque – one of the “Flying P-Liners” sailing ships of the German shipping company F. Laeisz of Hamburg. In the 1880s, a barque was named Pudel – the owners wife’s nickname. From that point on all F. Laeisz ships were christened with names starting with “P” and they became known as “the P-line”. Their excellent reputation for speed and reliability soon raised their nickname to “the Flying P-Line“.
Footage filmed on board the Peking by amateur filmmaker Irving Johnson, shocked even experienced Cape Horn veterans and landsmen alike at the extreme conditions Peking experienced during the 1929 voyage around Cape Horn. His footage on the barque Peking would become the famous film, Around Cape Horn.
Here is a snippet from Irving Johns’ documentary of the Barque Peking sailing.
The South Street Seaport Museum who has been searching for a new owner for the Peking, reached an agreement with the city of Hamburg to return the ship back to her city or origin, where it was built in 1911.
From the Tribeca Trib: “Happily, the city of Hamburg is eager to bring Peking home and to incorporate her into a maritime museum there,” Zac Roy, the [South Street Seaport Museum] spokesman, said in an email to the Trib. The Peking will be loaded onto a heavy-lift ship for her transatlantic voyage as early as next month.
The Peking is one of several ships that will be leaving the Seaport this summer, as the institution struggles to get on firm financial footing and prepares to hand over its docking space at Pier 15 to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Helen McAllister. photo: Will Van Dorp/tugster
With the loss of Pier 15, the museum will say goodbye to 3 ships, leaving five in their fleet. A barge will also move to a Staten Island shipyard.
The 1907 lightship Ambrose, tall ship Wavertree, Pioneer and Lettie G Howard will stay at the Seaport, while the 112-year old Helen McAllister tug will return to McAllister Towing Company who will find a home for her. Little Marion M., a wooden tug will also be moved, to where is unknown at this time.
A fireboat welcome for the Ambrose Lightship’s return to South Street Seaport. photo: Stephen Nessen/WNYC
As reported in the Tribeca Trib: Peter Stanford, Founding Chair Emeritus of Working Harbor Committee and founder of the South Street Seaport Museum said, “The overall reduction is sad. I regret it, and I don’t think anybody understands what the public is going to feel.”
Stanford expressed hope on Friday that the museum can acquire enough docking space in the Seaport to host visiting tall ships after the Peking is gone, and one day have a second tall ship of its own again. “We have to live with what’s happening, but I think we better have a larger vision for the [Seaport],” Stanford said.
The EDC has issued RFPs for Pier 15, at this time there is no word on what will become of Pier 15′s berths.
by Mai Armstrong for Working Harbor Committee
7 comments
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July 4, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Mary, the Librarian
I thought Hornblower got awarded the berths at Pier 15?
July 8, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Capt John Doswell, ED Working Harbor Committee
Yes you are right, Hornblower.
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Meanwhile the Tribca Trib didn’t quite get it right.
1. The reason Peking is moving to Germany (her home) is because the Museum has only one pier now (Pier 16) and they have committed to Wavertree because she has some history with the port of New York, whereas Peking does not.
2. The South Street Seaport Museum is not struggling to get its finances in order. That was last year’s news. The museum is doing fine under the leadership of the Museum of the City of New York – with ships being rebuilt and programmed, and all galleries filled with exhibits for the first time ever.
I encourage anyone to visit http://www.seany.org for a first hand look.
September 17, 2012 at 2:23 am
Jon Simpson
As of May 2012, it certainly did not look as if any ship restoration was going on or had been going on for some years. No workers, no visitors to the ships, no information, no scafolding, no cranes, no work platforms, no evidence of fundraising, nothing in the gallaries that related to a maritime musuem, in short no activity at all. I came away saddened at the state of the Peking and the Wavertree.
Which ships are being rebuilt where?
October 31, 2012 at 9:02 am
Chris Leyland
The fact that history can so easily be forgotten and flow through our fingers, like the sand in an hourglass, until there is little or nothing left is surely discouraging to all.
I am sure that today’s generations, do not have the time or the inclination to look back and see where we have been, and how we have developed as a society. Every one is so busy, looking after themselves, to worry about History. Then there’s Organisations, with all the best of intentions, where politics and frustration rears it’s ugly head.
My Great Grandfather commissioned the “Wavertree” well over a century ago, along with many, many like her, when huge sailing ships roamed the globe, and perilous voyages were commonplace, to bring cargo from around the world, so that another generation of people can prosper and grow.
These great ships need attention now… not in another year, or ten, They will be gone forever It is difficult to help from across the other side of the world, but I encourage everyone who respects where they come from , our heritage, to give support – in any way they can.
These great ships, just survived one of the greatest storms that New York has ever seen , yet these “world travelers” would see storms like this, over a hundred years ago, and blow them in their wake. Cape Horn, hurricanes, the “roaring forties” gales and bitter cold. These ships have weathered many a storm.
But now, they cant weather many more, without help .
Can you help?
December 24, 2012 at 12:32 pm
mc
I live two blocks from The Peking and see it every day. I just learned that it is leaving by reading an article about a little girl that fell yesterday into the water from the ship. If I live two blocks away and knew nothing of the ship leaving, not to mention I read the news daily, then I am not sure there was a very good effort to save the ship. I personally would have donated some money to the cause. How come there isn’t a sign and collection box at the very least. This is NYC. We can’t rescue a ship and dock space for a seaport museum? Without being fully versed in this topic, it appears that there is NO leadership at all. NYC should not be letting this happen. Bloomberg should not be letting this happen. I think we should be adding ships to the seaport. Removing them is a crime.
December 24, 2012 at 12:35 pm
mc
It cost 4 million dollars to rename the Triboro Bridge. What a stupid waste of money. Now we can’t save this ship. Pathetic. We have lost our way.
April 22, 2013 at 10:47 am
Terry martin
Apart from being a working seagoing ship for some 22years from 1911 to 1933 she was also a training ship (T.S.ARETHUSA) for some 40 years in England from 1933 to 1975.During this time she was home to some 4.000 young men.Undergoing all forms of training from seamanship.signalling sailing Plus all the educational subjects one would normally do at school .I was one of the lads which did his training on board I would like to to be kept informed as to what is happening to this wonderful ship as i intend to visit her again in the near future.