Woman’s Dream Of Maritime Museum Comes True By Kelley Anne McGee
Like most young girls growing up, Deborah Whitcraft had her dreams and ambitions. The lone deviation was hers included opening a nautical museum someday. Her passion for the Jersey Shore and anything nautical relate to it came natural to her, and at barely 16, she began collecting memorabilia .
rare books filled with stories, or true accounts of storms, shipwrecks, pirates, rumrunners, shark attacks and life-saving service reports, silver spoons, dishes and paperweights showcasing New Jersey ’ second lighthouses on them, pieces of scrimshaw, dramatic photograph of significant storms that ravaged coastal communities, lighthouses and their keepers, life-saving stations and their crew, previous dragoon tickets to shore points, logs of respective shipwrecks along the coast, adenine well as artifacts such as life-preservers from the famed shipwreck the Morro Castle, old fishing reels, ship lanterns and steering wheels, aged oyster knife, early navigational equipment including a circumnavigate, tons of old-fashion postcards depicting New Jersey ’ s shore towns, arsenic well as fishing and boat scenes, articles on maritime disasters, along with odds and ends, were equitable some of the treasures she came across .
Her unusual career path seemed to about always connect her to the shore and with seafaring, one way or another. There was the dive business she owned and operated, and diving expeditions with companion divers to wrecks along the Jersey seashore.
then the Beach Haven Fishing Centre, and the partnership of the Black Whale, which calm exists today, a paddlewheel riverboat that takes passengers on scenic cruises of the back bays to Atlantic City, where she once stood on the dock, and happily greeted passengers with her two adorable black lab, who would entertain folks until cruise clock by diving into the bay for a review drop and favorite stick .
For a time, she lectured plus wrote scores of column on maritime subjects for local publications, and served several terms as mayor for the shore town of Beach Haven .
Over the years, as her hobby and interests in this area grew, sol did her collection, and when she ran out of room, friends charitable picked-up the mire and offered her storage distance for her finds .
After years of hard work, selling off businesses to help finance her project, and with the subscribe and encouragement of her husband Jim Vogel, and business partner Bob Yates, she was able to start working on her long prison term ambition .
Two large parking lots, which once served as extra parking space for buses for go groups and overflowing passengers boarding the Black Whale, would be the initiation of the museum and its eventual new family. She went to work on her ideas, and met with architects to discuss the design of the museum .
however, she faced challenges ahead, some anticipated, others not expected, and one of the most difficult, seeing her husband through a unplayful illness. But like the tides, life ebb and flows, and somehow she pressed on .
finally, after 35 years of dream and roll up, and working towards her goal, her dream came true in July of 2007, when she opened the long anticipated Museum of New Jersey Maritime History .
Located on Dock Road and West Avenue in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, the away of the big green build up, inaugural greets visitors with a fantastic ship ’ mho anchor, high flying american iris, and lower flying commandeer sag featuring a Jolly Roger on it .
once inwardly, the museum offers respective floors and rooms filled with a glorious collection of everything nautical you could possibly imagine, associated with the Jersey Shore. In addition to Ms. Whitcraft ’ s personal collection, local divers and fishermen have liberally contributed their bazaar share of finds to the museum besides .
One board is entirely dedicated to the shipwreck of the Morro Castle, which sunk off the coast of Asbury Park in 1934, and killed approximately 134 passengers. The room contains artifacts pertaining to the doomed luxury cruise lining, adenine well as rare photos and newsworthiness articles, and a newsreel shows actual footage regarding the doomed ship and its impact on gang and passengers .
other newsreels located throughout the museum, document intriguing stories and or histories on topics such as shipwrecks, storms, pirates, rumrunners, and shark attacks that affected the Jersey coast.
The museum contains an internet café, gift-shop, a nautical library, one of the largest of its kind, and is a lending library a well .
Throughout the class, the museum will feature different displays and changing composition exhibits, have interesting node speakers and programs, and hold particular events .
The museum will occasionally travel and visit places such as schools and clubs for group presentations and discussions, upon requests .
by the way, the museum is besides the new home for Alliance for a live Ocean, a non-profit group dedicated to the protection of the marine environment, and helps to promote a blank and goodly ocean .
For couples who love the shore and a nautical atmosphere, and are looking for a memorable way or unusual place to marry, they may like to consider holding their marry ceremony at the museum. Ms. Whitcraft can perform official civil wedding ceremonies, and respective couples have already taken the steep there. All of the proceeds are donated back to the non-profit museum .
Although the newfangled nautical museum is a personal accomplishment that has made Ms. Whitcraft highly glad, and her dream ’ s come true, she had early reasons for establishing it .
“ The Jersey Shore has such a rich people inheritance when it comes to its past, it be a shame if that were ever in truth lost or forgotten somehow. I want to help preserve that, and share it with others, vitamin a well as pass it on to younger generations .
Maritime history in general has played such a huge and important function at the land, it ’ s sol cherished, and besides what helps give the prop up its alone flavor, it ’ s a very extra put .
I find the land and all that it encompasses, just intrigue, I hope others will besides. I ’ thousand hoping the museum helps spread interest to others, and long after I ’ thousand gone, I hope the emotional state of the Jersey Shore and its maritime ties will survive and help live on through this museum, ” Ms. Whitcraft explains .
The merely thing missing from this wholly experience for Ms. Whitcraft, is her biggest fan and cheerleader, her dad. He did not live to see his daughter ’ s dream of the nautical museum come true. He passed aside sadly enough last year. But I have the feeling he knows, and would be particularly gallant of his daughter and her accomplishments. few others might ’ ve shown as much patience, determination, or always achieved such a capital feat .
The Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, is one charwoman ’ mho incredible odyssey and collection that began 35 years ago, and fortunately for us, her love affair with the Jersey Shore, and its nautical reminders.
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The museum offers self-guided or group tours, arrangements for group tours should be made in advance. besides, anyone who has anything of interest regarding the Jersey Shore they would like to either plowshare or donate, whether it be a display of some kind or nautical artifacts, are encouraged to contact the museum. Opportunities besides exist for volunteers in all areas and departments .
The museum has on premise public restrooms, is handicapped accessible, and has elevators. barren admission, but donations gladly accepted and identical much appreciated. unblock park on the premises and nearby municipal parking besides available .
The museum is open daily during summer, and in the off-season, Thursdays thru Sundays year-round. Check ahead for hours of operation and schedule of guests/programs/events. For extra information on the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, please contact phone : ( 609 ) 482-0202 or visit www.museumofnjmh.com
