summer 03 / 16:2 - Grand Canyon River Guides

Save Our Ships!For some thirty years, Grand Canyon NationalPark’s collection of historic boats has languished inthe outdoor courtyard of the old Visitors Center.Boats from the 1909 Galloway/Stone expedition, theKolb brothers’ 1911 trip, the 1923 usgs trip, Nevill’s firsttrip in 1938, the original motor trip in 1949, one of thefirst pair of 1962 dories, Dock Marston’s 1963 sportyak, aGeorgie raft, and a few others have been deteriorating inthe sun, wind, rain-splatter, and drifting snow. In spite of1970s-vintage nps directives to protect the boats, ourlegacy as Grand Canyon boatmen has slowly been dying.That’s about to change.On the evening of May 1, the Grand CanyonHistoric Boat Project had its first formal meeting.Working under the umbrella of Grand Canyon NationalPark Foundation (a fund-raising organization under thedirection of Deborah Tuck) the Boat Project is dedicatedto saving the Grand Canyon boats from their tragicneglect. The timing could not be better. SuperintendentJoe Alston (the first superintendent who can run hisown boat through the Canyon) is solidly behind theproject, as are Science Director Jeff Cross and ChiefArchaeologist Jan Balsom, under whose supervision theboats now reside.The Boat Project’s advisory board, consisting ofGaylord Staveley, Tom Moody, Richard Quartaroli, EllenTibbetts, Cameron Staveley, David Edwards, and BradDimock, met with Deb Tuck, Fran Joseph, and JackSchmidt from the Foundation and outlined the initialsteps of the program in two phases.Step 1, urgent and imperative—Save the Boats* Secure an accurate inventory of what boats the npsactually has in their collection.* Replace the decaying cradles that hold the boats withnew, stronger, well-padded ones.* Complete the architectural drawing project of theboats begun under the Colorado River Fund two yearsago, thereby preserving the lines and constructiondetails of the vessels.* Begin moving the boats to a workshop, where professionalconservators will stabilize the boats.* Move the stabilized boats into the new warehouse atthe South Rim where they will remain protected.* Raise the funds to accomplish all this.Step 2, imperative, but not quite so urgent—Public Display* Once the damage has been stopped and the boatsstabilized and protected, we will work toward a newstate-of-the-art display, where the public can see,learn about, understand, and appreciate the riverheritage these boats represent.* In the meantime, the nps has committed to keep atleast one boat from the collection on display at thenew Canyon View Information Plaza at all times,likely exchanging boats from time to time.* We cannot allow the project to end with Step 1, withthe boats stabilized but sentenced to life in warehouseprison. Step 2 will be far more difficult, timeconsuming,and costly.page 6grand canyon river guides