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On July 24–26, the U.S. Lightship Museum, owner of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, and Mark Koch, owner of the restored SS Andrea Doria’s Lifeboat No. 1, will host “Celebrating Lifesavers at Sea” on the 68th anniversary of the MS Stockholm’s tragic collision with the SS Andrea Doria and its sinking, which occurred July 25–26, 1956.
JULY 24: This major three-day event will begin at the Battery Wharf Hotel on the Boston waterfront (note new venue) on Wednesday, July 24, 5pm–9pm, featuring a reception (hearty hors d'oeuvres, live music, cash bar), PBS film "The Sinking of the Andrea Doria," presentations by John Moyer, a renowned underwater explorer, and the chance to hear the harrowing stories from nine survivors of the 1956 collision, coming to our event from around the country. Due to the extraordinary lifesaving response from area ships, the disaster became known as "the greatest sea rescue in peacetime" — saving 1,644 passengers in the dead of night. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the restoration and preservation of Nantucket Lightship/LV-112, which provided communications support during the disastrous episode.
JULY 25 & 26: Then on Thursday and Friday, the event will take place at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina in East Boston. Among highlights are a memorial service, a Search and Rescue (SAR) demonstration by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston Harbor, displays of Andrea Doria artifacts and underwater exploration equipment, and the opportunity to board Andrea Doria Lifeboat No. 1 while secured to the dock.
It also features a once-in-a-lifetime experience — a harbor excursion on the lifeboat, with passengers experiencing what it was like at sea, manually propelling one of the Andrea Doria’s actual lifeboats, fortunately with the absence of the horrific conditions its passengers experienced during the 1956 tragedy. Seats are limited, so reserve now. For more details and to make a reservation for "Celebrating Lifesavers at Sea," click here.
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