The future of the United States Coast Guard Cutter, Bramble, is still a question mark after its scheduled auction in Alabama has been postponed. The ship has a colorful history including roles as a museum ship in the Blue Water Area for many years. Many school children and families got to see the living conditions of a real Coast Guard crew when touring the boat. Before that, it was involved in atomic bomb testing and traveling barely charted waters. The Bramble was one of the first three ships to successfully circumnavigate the North American continent, and is an important part of global maritime history.
The Bramble was purchased in 2018 by a private individual who planned to recreate the trip through the Northwest Passage that the Bramble took in 1957. A film crew was documenting the steps to refurbish the Bramble which can be seen on the facebook page “Bramble Reborn”. Costs for the refurbishment added up and bills went unpaid, causing the ship to be seized and held in dockage in Mobile, Alabama earlier this fall.
According to The Maritime Executive publication, the plaintiff in the federal case, Inchcape Shipping Services, Inc. says they “hope that a passionate person or institution will be able to save her.” The Bramble was scheduled for auction this week, but the auction has been reported to be postponed.
Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.
