Dream your painting and then paint your dream ~ Van Gogh

Over the years, we've shared lots of shots of the work our volunteers do.  If you remember, while in drydock last fall, the hull was painted.  Unfortunately, due to time, money and logistics, everything above the main deck still needs to be painted.   As those who've been on the ship over the years can attest, it's a constant job, a constant effort and a constant war against time and the elements.  The Chesapeake Bay and rust are NOT friends of the JOHN W BROWN.   Thousands of hours are spent prepping the deck and steel to be painted, and then painting sections at a time.  This is usually done over one work day at a time, and the size worked on,  depends on the number of crew that are available on any given day.   This is finally starting to catch up to us, and it has become more than we can handle with our current active volunteers.   (Taking the time also to remind our readers that we are ALWAYS looking for crew members... no experience needed!)  

Captain Hope (the painter on the float, in the white paint suite, taken last summer) and the Fundraising Committee, have gotten quotes and we are tentatively looking to use Ocean Painting, here in Baltimore, to do the massive amount of work.  PPG Marine Coatings was contacted and agreed to supply the paint at an amazing discount.   Now it's time to try to raise the money. 

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The project will be divided into segments...foredeck, midship house and after deck, with an estimate of $100,000.   Ocean Painting would water blast the entire deck house with high pressure water to get down to bare steel.  Then it would be treated, primed and painted.  The gallons of paint needed is estimated to be 550 gallons, which would come to about $180 per gallon, which includes paint, labor and all other needed materials.   If this is something you might be interested in contributing to, check out and print the form.  All donors will receive a chart showing the fundraising progress and where their own contribution fits into the project.  We have used charts like this in past fundraisers; like buying a barrel of oil and showing donors where 'their' barrel of oil would be burned on the voyage.  Informative, interesting and fun, they are very popular and help keep our donors up to date.  With over 4000 Facebook followers, if everyone of you could come to the ship for a day with chipping hammers, brooms, paintbrushes and rollers in hand, we would not need to try to raise funds for this, but unfortunately, not everyone can participate in this way. 

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So... we're open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, if you would like to come help.   Or feel free to donate...any amount helps out.  See you next Wednesday... (don't forget to wear old clothes and be prepared to 'go gray')   ;)

Project Liberty Ship, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization engaged in the preservation and operation of the historic ship JOHN W. BROWN as a living memorial museum. Gifts to Project Liberty Ship are tax deductible.

Giving back with the American Red Cross

On June 14th, the SS JOHN W BROWN worked again with the American Red Cross to hold a function aboard the ship for families of fallen soldiers. We had over 100 family members who came on a very hot Sunday, many of whom wore t-shirts that honored their family members.    Food was catered by Mission Barbecue, who is known to gladly support the armed forces in any way possible.    The people that attended, included about 20 tired crew members (having been on the ship for up to 48 hours, due to having the living history cruise the day before), American Red Cross Volunteers (who worked hard to make this a great day), Mission Barbecue staff, volunteer musicians from different groups , Urban Pirates and all types of family members of fallen soldiers.   This is a day for them to connect, and talk about their lost loved ones and to embrace the present, past and future.  

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Her spirit and pride in her son, Captain Jesse Melton III USMC 11/23/78-9/9/08. is more than evident. Janice Chance, from Randallstown, Md, shows her love and pride.  If you would like to read about her son, Jesse, click here (Arlington Cemetery write-up).

Could not show the front without showing the back.   Just looking at her and the t-shirt is enough to make us proud.  

After lunch and tours of the BROWN, the families were surprised when the ship was captured by PIRATES!!!   The Urban Pirates came aboard the ship and taught some nautical (and some pirate) language/phrases.

A great cause; a great day.   Making sure we give back and support our community in a way that matters. 

Liberty Ships Can Hold How Many What?

Liberty ships were the the "workhorses of the deep". They are 440 feet long and have 5 holds and 5 hatches. The average load of a Liberty ship was 10,500 meas. tons or 7,800 weight tons. These are very general numbers. Once Liberty Ships were on the scene many were modified for special uses. So how can we get a handle on what these numbers mean?

A Liberty ship could carry 2,840 jeeps. If the jeeps were boxed and loaded 9 to a 40' flat car, the train would be 2 1/3 miles long.

A Liberty ship could carry 525 Armored M8 cars or 3/4 Ton Ambulances. If they were boxed and loaded 2 to a flat car, that train would be just over 2 miles long.

A Liberty ship could carry 440 Light Tanks or 260 Medium Tanks. If the Light Tanks were parked next to each other they would cover more than an acre. The Medium Tanks would cover more than an acre.

A Liberty ship could carry 390 Personnel Carriers. If they were lined up bumper to bumper they would form a line 1 1/2 miles long.

A Liberty ship could carry 156,000 boxes of 30 caliber ammunition. This would be 234,000,000 rounds. If those 156,000 boxes were 50 caliber ammunition it would be 41,340,000 rounds. A train of box cars 1 1/4 miles long would be needed to get the boxes to the ship.

A Liberty ship could carry 217,000 crates of 75mm gun shells. This is 651,000 rounds. If they were stacked on pallets they would fill one hundred 20 x 20 warehouse bays. It could carry 150,000 boxes of 105mm Howitzer shells. If they were stacked on pallets they would fill 120 warehouse bays.

A Liberty ship could carry 430,000 cases of 'C' rations. There would be rations for 3,440,000 men for one day. If this were 343,000 cases of 'D' rations it would feed 16,464,000 men for one day. That's a lot of meals.

Of course Liberty ships carried all sorts of things, not just one, with each voyage. And their cargo changed from port to port. They would fill with supplies for the war effort in the US and load up with grain or other cargo for their next port of call. They may have carried prisoners of war back to the US too. Some, like the BROWN, were converted to troop carriers. It still carried cargo but not as much.

This aerial photograph of the JOHN W BROWN outbound from the US carried a large deck cargo even after her conversion to a "Limited Capacity Troopship." This shot is most likely taken in the summer of 1943 during her second voyage. Notice how low in the water she is.

Six Liberty ships, among other ships, were converted by the Air Force into floating aircraft repair depots in April 1944. Ivory Soap is the name of this top secret project. The ships were in the Pacific Theater and provided support to the B-29s bombers and the P-51s that protected them.

550 bunks were stacked several tiers high in some of the ships cargo holds.  A galley, a mess hall and sparse sanitation facilities were also added. I can't imagine what it was like in rough seas.

We would love to share your stories and pictures. Please email john.w.brown@usa.net  to share your own or a family members memories.

Project Liberty Ship, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization engaged in the preservation and operation of the historic ship JOHN W. BROWN as a living memorial museum. Gifts to Project Liberty Ship are tax deductible.