A lifeboat that made international headlines in a high-profile pirate attack will be on exhibit at Nauticus this fall.
The high-seas drama unfolded April 8 when the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship owned by a Norfolk-based shipping company, was attacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa.
Although the 20 crew members quickly regained control over the ship, Capt. Richard Phillips was captured and held hostage in the squat red lifeboat that floated nearby. The standoff ended five days later when Navy SEALs shot dead three of the pirates and freed the captain unharmed.
Rolf Johnson, deputy director of Nauticus, said it was a no-brainer to add the story to “Real Pirates,” an exhibit being planned.
“This was front page news around the world,” he said. He negotiated with Maersk officials to bring the boat to Nauticus, where John Reinhart, president and CEO of Maersk Line, happens to serve on the board of directors.
Originally, the exhibit was going to focus on the Whydah – a pirate ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass., nearly 300 years ago. Now, the two stories will be incorporated to give the exhibit a blend of historic and modern piracy.
It’s not clear how the lifeboat will fit into the exhibit, Johnson said, but the most important thing is that people understand who pirates are and what they do.
“We want people to know that piracy is still occurring today, and it is a criminal offense,” he said. “People’s families are in harm’s way every day, patrolling the waters looking for pirates.”
The lifeboat already has a permanent home at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Florida. Nauticus must return the boat there next year when the exhibit is over.
The boat will arrive in Norfolk complete with the bullet holes and other remnants of the attack, Johnson said. When the exhibit opens Nov. 21, visitors will be able to walk up to the boat and peek inside, but no one will be allowed in.
“This is a marvelous way to engage people in Hampton Roads about real pirates,” Johnson said. “It’s beyond Johnny Depp and Disney – this is not a fairy tale.”
Source: The Virginian-Pilot
Jaedda Armstrong, (757) 222-5846,
© July 21, 2009
