Here it is:

Geachte/ Dear Onno Heesbeen

In de pers is de afgelopen dagen het bericht verschenen dat het s.s. Rotterdam
(Rembrandt) door de stad New York zal worden gekocht om aldaar te dienen als
opvangplaats voor daklozen. Voor zover de Stichting Behoud Stoomschip Rotterdam
heeft kunnen achterhalen is er door de gemeente New York slechts belangstelling
voor het schip (en andere opgelegde schepen) getoond, maar is er nog geen sprake
van een contract met de huidige eigenaar van het schip. De Stichting zou het
uiteraard betreuren als het schip naar New York zou gaan in plaats van naar
Rotterdam.

Yesterday the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation received the message that the s.s.
Rotterdam may be bought by the city of New York for use as a hostel for homeless
people. As far as we have been able to verify this message, the city of New York
has indeed shown interest in the vessel (and other laid-up vessels in
Freeport)but a deal with the present owner has not been made yet.

Now imagine the Rotterdam V as a homeless people ship in New York a ship that is in mint condition with all it’s interior arts intact! Then I would Imagine the Big U is far better for this purpose IMHO!!!

Feel free to comment or to confirm or rather not confirm this ludicrous idea.

Second, I’d like to point out that bringing the Rembrandt to NYC will create a considerable stir. It already has, in fact. There is no way the “beautiful people”, a.k.a. the folks with enough cash to save a ship like the Rembrandt, will ever give a hoot about her as long as she sits rusting away in Freeport. Put her next to the Intrepid, on the other hand, and people will take notice.

I think this idea could be a real winner. Think of the ethereal implications: hope reborn for the homeless family on a ship in New York harbor, just as it was for their ancestors generations ago. Hope reborn for an aging ocean vessel, given another chance to offer refuge to humanity from the cold tempest of nature. And, hope reborn for a wonder of naval design and engineering, given another chance in the spotlight of the most exciting city in the world.

Ðraikar

[ 11-26-2002: Message edited by: Ðraikar ]

I could not have said it better! Here in Vancouver we too have a major problem with homelessness and though they may be "dirty" and poor and on the fringes of society they are far more deserving of our compassion than criminals (whom we DO house and feed and clothe).

I of course would rather see Rembrandt sailing the seven seas for the purpose with which she was designed and built, but if the choice was between being laid up (or heaven forbid, scrapped) and being used to house the homeless, it is a no brainer.

My guess is that for insurance, safety and legal reasons, security would be fairly good on board in such circumstances that exist today and vessels used would not be "trashed" or seriously damaged.

God bless Rembrandt and long may she be!

[ 11-26-2002: Message edited by: kaiser ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Onno:
I’m completely perplexed at the following message I received from the ss Rotterdam foundation!!

Here it is:

Yesterday the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation received the message that the s.s.
Rotterdam may be bought by the city of New York for use as a hostel for homeless
people. As far as we have been able to verify this message, the city of New York
has indeed shown interest in the vessel (and other laid-up vessels in
Freeport)but a deal with the present owner has not been made yet.

Onno

---

We have to read this message very carefully !!!
It says that the city of New York has shown interest in ALL laid up ships in Freeport (including the Rembrandt), but A DEAL HAS NOT BEEN MADE !!!!!

We have to wait what will happen. There have been more rumours.

What I think the city should do if they chose the Rotterdam is keep as much of the ship as possible to allow tours to the general public. Perhaps the bridge, some upper deck public rooms and some open deck would be enough. They could charge a boarding fee that could go toward the homeless shelter and care of the ship. That way everyone would win! The homeless would not only have a place to sleep, there could possibly be a few jobs created. The facility would be generating at least some sort of income from all of us ship nuts who would pay just to walk her decks and peer in the windows!

What do you all think?

Many people oppose this idea and the truth is there seems to be no one who like NYC's Mayor MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG so I don't think this idea will advances any more than an idea.

If so Rembrandt just cost to much and only holds just about 250 to 350 hundred more then the other two big red boats hold, and for the cost Mayor MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG i don't think he wants to spend a large amount on just ONE SHIP since many people hate this idea ( and that NYC is strapped for cash).

Steamship Rotterdam Foundation is just jumping the gun here and so are we, if NY did buy her its still not the end, this Mayor MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG idea is a "unofficially, quick fix" to what the former mayor of NYC had fixed so easily. (That topic not for here) so why not buy her after NYC is done with her, if NYC dose buy her ???

A finale note when I said Rembrandt will never become a homeless shelter I also said Cunard would never build a ship let alone the largest ship ! So who knows...

Captain Rhone

quote:

---

ship might not get cleaned and stay dirty and get rotten from homeless people, you should know how alot of them could be,DIRTY

---

That comment is very offensive the more I re-read it !!! Some times people are just down on there luck (I was at times down on my luck but that's another topic not for here).

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ðraikar:
Steamship Rotterdam Foundation is just jumping the gun here and so are we, if NY did buy her its still not the end, this Mayor MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG idea is a "unofficially, quick fix" to what the former mayor of NYC had fixed so easily. (That topic not for here) so why not buy her after NYC is done with her, if NYC dose buy her ???

Ðraikar

---

Did you notice that it was NOT the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation who wrote the message to this board!

The Foundation keeps an eye on every news-item about the 'Grande Dame', so she informed her supporters about the rumours that are going around.

About the NY idea: I think some NYC officials needed a 'free' vacation to the Bahamas.