Will the Flagship Niagara Sail Again?

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After suffering an accident while sailing on the lake, the Brig Niagara has since been moored at her spot behind Blasco Library. The future of Erie's defining flagship is uncertain amidst a dispute between governing factions over funding, leadership, and agency.

The trouble began last July, off Gull Point, in sight of the old Hammermill smokestacks. As the U.S. Brig Niagara maneuvered under power to navigate the channel at the mouth of Presque Isle Bay, one of her props came loose and fell to rest on the bottom of the lake. She limped back to port under the command of her expert captain and crew, where she was moored in her familiar slip behind the Blasco Library.

There she remains, moldering, her lines slack and growing green with algae. The once majestic ship, with her 118-foot main mast, which just one year before had been the world-renowned superstar of tall ships festivals, currently looks boarded-up and forlorn. The Flagship Niagara no longer sails the Great Lakes and Atlantic seaboard representing Erie as a beacon of our vibrant can-do spirit. Instead, with her three miles of rigging in storage, and her deck covered with a tarp indefinitely, she seems to be a symbol of better times gone by.

Prior to 1988, there was a previous iteration of Niagara in Erie. She had been built in stages during the preceding decades and ended up sitting in dry dock next to State Street. At that time, a partnership between the Flagship Niagara League (FNL) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) was formed to create a piece of living history unique to the Great Lakes. With inspiration and diligence from both the state agency and the local volunteers, the U.S. Brig Niagara was born. The partnership between those two organizations has been a blessing for Erie for 35 years.

In July, there were reasons to think that Niagara could be ready to sail again for the 2024 season. She had a seasoned captain who could get her to the Cleveland shipyard for a replacement propeller, needed repairs to her bow stem, and an out-of-water survey; all of which were needed in order to keep Niagara's Coast Guard certification in active status. At that time, Niagara also had her greatest asset — an army of committed volunteers in the FNL. These dedicated (some may even say obsessed) local lovers of history and sailing had been funding three-quarters of the ship's budget since 2009 through heroic fundraising efforts. The FNL had also been running all of the day-to-day operations of Niagara during that time: hiring professional crew, filling out the other positions on the ship as volunteers, and taking on responsibility for maintenance. The members of the FNL have always been the heart and soul of the ship. She could not sail without them. Indeed, their absence is what has kept her in port and may keep her in port forever.

In December, the FNL received a bombshell from the PHMC. They were informed in a letter that they were no longer to have anything to do with Niagara. The partnership was dissolved with no explanation. The FNL was to cease and desist all ongoing operations and to vacate the premises. None of the volunteers who had dedicated years to Niagara were allowed on the property. Starting on January 1, the PHMC, who owns Niagara, was going to take over the ship — lock, stock, and barrel.

In theory, having the government agency that is charged by the Pennsylvania Code with sailing Niagara actually being the ones to sail her sounds like a good thing. In fact, for the first 20 years after Niagara was christened, the PHMC ran operations with the FNL as a support group. This arrangement was fine: the ship didn't have to make as much money at festivals because the budget for Pennsylvania's Flagship was covered by the taxpayers. The ship could stay closer to home as a tourist attraction and more local people could participate in educational programs. PHMC is uniquely qualified to oversee historic sites and museums. Niagara is both.

Niagara, however, is unique. Pennsylvania has no other museum that floats or travels internationally. As a nonprofit working on the behalf of the PHMC, our local organization can manage budgets and personnel much more efficiently than the government. It can take months for them to pay bills and even longer to get bids and contracts. The PHMC also has no one currently on staff that could be considered an expert on tall ships. The current site administrator at the Erie Maritime Museum has almost zero sailing experience, which is more than a little problematic. The PHMC states that they are in the process of hiring a captain and shipwright, both necessary for getting her back on the water, but there are no active job postings for either position. In recent years, the budget for the museum and ship has been in excess of a million dollars. The PHMC has allocated $750,000, a substantial increase over their previous $350,000 input into Niagara's programs, but without the FNL's contribution, it is unclear how the state will meet expenses without drastic cuts in programs. It is ambiguous based on communications with the PHMC whether they have called for bids on the first phase of Niagara's repairs.

It has been said that the wheels of government turn slowly, and for whatever reason, the process of restoring the pride of Erie to its honored place as "the belle of the ball" at tall ships festivals has yet to begin. The PHMC has stated that Pennsylvania's flagship will participate in the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026. That is two summers away. Before that time, they have an awful lot of work to do. Until then, none of Niagara's history and sailing programs will continue to foster a love of history, train the next generation of professional sailors or indeed, change lives. In order to get the PHMC to get the process rolling, it is obvious that they will need a fire lit under their feet. Our local politicians must do whatever they can to bring pressure to bear. If enough concerned citizens besides the members of the FNL can make some phone calls and send letters to the right people, perhaps Niagara will sail again soon — otherwise, who knows? She may end up sitting up on blocks next to State Street like her previous incarnation.

Bryan Toy can be reached at bryantoy@hotmail.com