BILL MILLER’S SCRIBBLINGS – MARCH 13, 2025
BILL MILLER’S SCRIBBLINGS – MARCH 13, 2025
Nieuw Amsterdam (Aug 1969)
Sun Jan 5th New York City: 60 Wonderful Years! I was at the very first meeting of the World Ship Society’s brand new Port of New York Branch back in December 1965. Exciting & altogether fortunate for me – yes, there were really other people who were interested in ships & often the great passenger ships.
An otherwise chilly winter’s afternoon, but the warm, cozy embrace of the Churchill Tavern-Pub over on East 28th Street was a most welcome setting. 45 were booked and so, with a chair and table moved about, and then a rearranged dining room setting. Printed menus offered a three-course lunch (myself, I did the delicious roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, etc and finished off with rich chocolate cake & ice cream).
Everyone was given a nicely boxed commemorative spoon from the famed Norwegian liner Sagafjord. And why that ship you might ask? At our first gathering, back on that December evening and at Pier 45 down in Greenwich Village, we were invited aboard the all-but-brand new Sagafjord. What a golden opportunity – I had read about the formation meeting in the shipping section of the New York Times.
Once together, in the pier’s passenger waiting room, I met lots of people, many of whom became friends, but many who also knew lots about ships, especially passenger liners. I had hit, well, jackpot bingo. A great outlet, a new family, a world opened. Quickly, we planned to meet – attend meetings together and especially to visit liners when at the New York piers. It was soon dubbed “the Saturday club” – starting on Saturday mornings and going aboard one or two ships, a quick lunch and then one or two ships each afternoon before heading home for dinner. But later, we expanded: We might stay for an evening departure – say the Nieuw Amsterdam or Franconia at 10pm, or the Bremen at midnight.
Each year, there were 10 monthly meetings, two or three field trips (to the likes of the Brooklyn Navy Yard or a boat cruise around the harbor), even group trips to the movies (The Poseidon Adventure comes to mind). Yes, what great fun!
The glorious Sagafjord was the perfect beginning all those 60 years ago …
Saturday outings included visits to the Queen of Bermuda (fall 1966)
Board meetings aboard the idle Caribia, the former Caronia of Cunard (Jan 1971)
In the 1970s, we had a quarterly journal – the PONY Express
And book launchings
Branch members aboard the Britanis in Oct 1981
Group cruises
The annual Ocean Liner Bazaar
More book parties …
Pat & Denise Dacey keep the Branch afloat & on course …
A specially prepared journal for the 25th anniversary
And another journal for the 50th anniversary luncheon
Table gifts included Holland America Line Delft tiles …
And an enamel silver spoon of the Sagafjord …
And yes, there was more: a gold label pin depicting the Branch’s long standing logo – showing the Statue of Liberty, the inbound Rotterdam, the sail training ship Eagle & a Moran tuigboat
