July 02, 2004
The Titanic to Float Again
This 23-foot replica of the RMS Titanic is now in South Haven in front of the Michigan Maritime Museum. The small ocean liner will be in South Haven’s July 4th parade, which steps off at 2 p.m. Sunday. Don't be surprised if you see it floating near the Michigan Maritime Museum next week at the Classic Boat Show July 10.
(Continued...)
A replica of the Titanic, the famous British luxury liner that sank in the Atlantic Ocean before it reached the port of New York, is now in South Haven.
The 23-foot fiberglass ocean liner did not arrive in South Haven by water; it came over land from New York City where it had been part of an exhibition and auction of the Titanic memorabilia. The owners of the boat, Pat and Cecil Gates of Lake Almanor, California, are longtime friends of South Haven resident Herbert (Skip) Crabtree, who towed the small ship on a trailer back from New York City.
At one time, the Gates owned a fleet of miniature ships that they called the Friendship Fleet. The flotilla included four 18-foot battleships, one 20-foot carrier, a 36-foot replica of the USS Arizona, a battleship lost in the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Titanic. At age 17, Cecil Gates was an eye witness to the Pearl Harbor bombing, which accounts for his lifelong interest in naval vessels. He said that he built the Titanic after he had constructed the fleet of naval ships to try his hand at building a different kind of ship.
The Gates are former Los Angeles teachers who in their retirement continued to teach history through their traveling fleet of miniature ships that Cecil Gates built. The Titanic, which was built in 1983 in the scale of 40:1, is one of two ships remaining of their fleet.
Crabtree, who holds a 100 ton captain’s license, was the captain of the mother ship of the Friendship Fleet for six years. He was captain of the ship that pulled the 36-foot battleship Arizona. Pat Gates said they showed the Arizona at 150 different ports in 6 years.
Gates wrote a book. ”You Can’t Go Incognito in a Battleship,” which chronicles their adventures while taking their ships to various ports in the Unitized States. Several chapters are devoted to their experiences while Captain Crabtree was at the helm of the ship that was towing the replica of the USS Arizona.
Pat Gates said that Crabtree made it possible for them to accomplish their dream.
“We could not have done it without him,” she said. “He had the skills and the smarts to handle any situation.”
Crabtree said crowds would always meet them at the ports that they visited.
“We traveled the Eastern Seaboard stopping at ports along the way where we would show the Arizona.”
The miniature Arizona is on display in a government building in Phoenix, Arizona. The Titanic now graces the front of the Michigan Maritime Museum located at 260 Dyckman Avenue in South Haven. The model has a 25 horse power engine and is completely seaworthy. Crabtree is making plans to put it in the water during the upcoming holiday weekend. He said the Titanic’s homeport will be South Haven until it is sold.
Posted by Kristin at July 2, 2004 09:31 PM
Comments
Dear Kristin: EXCELLENT article---so well written and accurate! We always appreciate that. Sure hope Skip can sell it for us. We are so glad the last sentence in your article indicated we are hoping to sell it. Maybe someone will see it in the Classic boat show next weekend........anyhow, your blog is super! And, love seeing a picture of the obviously bright lady with whom we are dealing. You have been wonderful about including us and we surely thank you! I hope Skip gave you one of my books. If not, I'll ask him (again) to do so. Many, many thanks---Pat and Cec
Posted by: Pat and Cecil Gates at July 7, 2004 04:33 PM
Hey, tell me which government building the replica is located, and I can go snap some shots and send it along!
Posted by: Macker at May 9, 2005 01:00 AM