We reported about a month ago that the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, which was stationed in Port Huron and served as a museum ship for many years, was on the auction block. The ship was indeed sold at an auction earlier this week in Mobile, Alabama. The highest bid was $80,000 from an unnamed bidder and the ship was listed for sale in 2018 for $1.65 million.
During its time as a museum in Port Huron, it was used in the movie, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”, where it can be seen unloading a shipment of kryptonite. But unpaid bills seemed to be the Bramble’s kryptonite, as the recent owner who navigated it out of the Great Lakes and south to Alabama, was unable to pay for repairs and services to ready the boat for an intended journey through the Northwest Passage.
The boat was seized by U.S. Marshalls after a court ruling in favor of Inchcape Shipping. The whole Bramble saga is actually part of a bigger bankruptcy, according to Business Alabama Magazine. It reported that “the vessel was in dry dock in Mobile for renovation by Epic Alabama Shipyard when repair bills became part of the uncollected assets of parent Epic Companies, a Houston maritime company that declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September.” The future of the ship is still in question, but her memories remain strong for the many former crew members and for the whole maritime community.
Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.
