Story & Photos by Marianne Salza
The Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 floating learning center, docked at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina, held a two-day-long series of events on July 25-26 in honor of the 68th anniversary of the collision of the SS Andrea Doria and MS Stockholm in 1956.
“It was a traumatizing event the night of the sinking. The water was very oily, so everyone was covered in oil, and sea sick. It was a very uncomfortable environment,” described professional deep-sea diver, Mark Koch, who has been interested in nautical archeology and shipwrecks from a young age, and now manages international deep-sea dives.
The celebration included a memorial service, United States Coast Guard helicopter sea rescue demonstration, and presentation of the film, “Alive on the Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?” by author Pierrette Domenica Simpson, at the Battery Wharf Hotel. Historians, survivors, and members of the community also enjoyed a display of SS Andrea Doria artifacts, such as a bell, life preserver ring, and China silverware, salvaged by explorer, John Moyer.
Guests had the opportunity to cruise aboard the SS Andrea Doria Lifeboat Number 1, owned by Koch, a collector of rare antiquities, who spent four years restoring the vessel to historical accuracy in order to teach younger generations about the luxury, Italian liner.
“Our family has been dedicated to preserving history, educating youth – and most importantly – having fun doing it,” explained Koch, accompanied by his daughters, Evie and Estella. “We’re glad to be here in Boston, working with the Nantucket Lightship Museum. Both of these vessels were used on July 25, 1956. The Nantucket Lightship was used to coordinate communications to save the passengers on the Andrea Doria. Once again, these vessels are side by side and being used to tell the story.