Cruise Talk: New News about the SS ROTTERDAM

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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » New News about the SS ROTTERDAM

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Topic: New News about the SS ROTTERDAM

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 09-29-2006 09:41 AM

This was on Maritime Matters:

quote:

Old ROTTERDAM's Mast Saved by HAL Captain
September 28: VEENDAM called at Los Angeles today and revealed an interesting maritime reunion in the making. Many years ago, Captain Albert J. Schoonderbeek sailed the 1959-built ROTTERDAM to Ketchikan, Alaska. Due to low hanging power lines at Seymour Narrows, the top nine feet of the ROTTERDAM's mast had to be removed. Once in port, the agent took an interest in using the discarded mast as a flag pole. However, it was not to be, and this year, Captain Schoonderbeek retrieved the mast from a scrap yard, had it put aboard VEENDAM, his current charge, for its eventual delivery to the former Holland America Line flagship ROTTERDAM, now undergoing restoration in Germany. When VEENDAM visits European ports in 2007, the mast will be offloaded and returned to the ship from which it came. Click on Shipping News Photos page for photo of VEENDAM departing Los Angeles today.

Martime Matters
And it's terrible, I never knew it was missing.

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Onno
First Class Passenger
Member # 3071

posted 09-29-2006 10:25 AM

That’s odd I knew it was removed sometime during Rotterdam’s career, but if I’m not mistaking during the restoration work on Rotterdam (before she went to Poland) the missing top/spike of the mast was already reinstalled (probably as a scratch build new one)
Wonder what they will do with the original spike?

Onno

Posts: 3583 | From: the Netherlands (Berenbotje ging uit varen...) | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 09-29-2006 10:59 AM

Thats treu Onno. But it's charming to reed that here last HAL captain is so involved with here even today. That's why the Rotterdam is so populair by crew and passengers alike.

On recent pictures showing clearly that the radarmast is restored to here original shape.

and without

Fore more pictures look here.

Greetings Ben.

Posts: 4695 | From: Rotterdam home of the tss. Rotterdam. | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 09-29-2006 12:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Onno:

Wonder what they will do with the original spike?
Onno

It could make an interesting display piece onboard.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Willem
First Class Passenger
Member # 3005

posted 09-29-2006 03:43 PM

The new masttop was installed in Cadiz.
They did not know where the original was, so a new one was made.

BTW, Capt. Schoonderbeek was not a captain yet at the Rotterdam's last voyage.

Willem

Posts: 1469 | From: In the namesake city of Cape Hoorn. | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

Caronia II
First Class Passenger
Member # 5223

posted 09-29-2006 05:11 PM

Fascinating stuff! I recall noting that the mast on the Rotterdam always looked truncated, but I never knew why the mastaff was missing.

Posts: 181 | From: LA-ish | Registered: Nov 2004 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 10-03-2006 09:04 PM

Here's a photo of the missing mast piece:

Larger Version

Thanks to Sympatico) for the picture.

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Onno
First Class Passenger
Member # 3071

posted 10-04-2006 04:12 AM

cool picture, perhaps they could leave it there!

Posts: 3583 | From: the Netherlands (Berenbotje ging uit varen...) | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-04-2006 12:28 PM

The Bosun standing with Captain Schoonderbeek was the person who originally removed the mast from the Rotterdam. What a coincidence that they are both on the same ship (Veendam) now.

Thanks for posting the photo for me, Joe.

[ 10-04-2006: Message edited by: sympatico ]

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 10-05-2006 07:39 AM

Great story.. as a new one has already been made and fitted, I think it would be of more interest to visitors in her forthcoming role, if the mast piece was put on display along with a plaque outling the tale?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 10-05-2006 02:06 PM

Thats great news!

I would love to hear the story how Captain Schoonderbeek managed to track down the mast.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-05-2006 07:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Waynaro:
Thats great news!
I would love to hear the story how Captain Schoonderbeek managed to track down the mast.

I'll ask him next time I am speaking to his wife. I wondered the same thing and also where he found it.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Willem
First Class Passenger
Member # 3005

posted 10-06-2006 02:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
Great story.. as a new one has already been made and fitted, I think it would be of more interest to visitors in her forthcoming role, if the mast piece was put on display along with a plaque outling the tale?
Pam

Pam,

Would you send that suggestion to the Foundation ? ?
They are complaining they never received inquiries as the questions are allways only on the maritime forums.
Their e-mailaddress is:
info@stoomschiprotterdam.nl

Willem van der Leek

Posts: 1469 | From: In the namesake city of Cape Hoorn. | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

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