City poised to commit $20K to restore shipNiña needs a new deck, Columbus Fleet:

CORPUS CHRISTI —Caller Times ^ | January 13, 2009 | By Sara Foley

[BellStar]

Will be in Kemah too! Woo Hoo!

[BellStar]

Photos

[BellStar]

As part of the agreement, the ship would be displayed in the Port of Galveston for at least three weeks and then at a sailing race in Kemah.

[BellStar]

Mi casa es su casa, la Niña!
I am so excited about having them in Kemah. I saw them when they first arrived in TX. Wish we had taken better care of them. We will now.

[BellStar]

This is a good story about you South Texas!

[BellStar]

This is such a great story about the Christopher Columbus Fleet of the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. Dr. Savage would love it. The really good replicas of the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria have found Angels. I saw them in the glory days and looks like we all are pitching in to put them back into “Bristol Condition”!

Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria will cost $300,000 a year to maintain! Easy now that company X is in the mix!

[Westlander]

With no naysaying intent, but what would restoring rotted out replicas accomplish for the city/state? I’m sure the city could use the $ by shredding the boats and selling baggies of splinters on Ebay.

[highlander_UW]

With no naysaying intent, but what would restoring rotted out replicas accomplish for the city/state? I’m sure the city could use the $ by shredding the boats and selling baggies of splinters on Ebay.

My reaction is similar to yours, although not as extreme. This might be a fun project, but it's not the business of government to do this. They just need to find more donors to support it. Perhaps develop an association of businesses that might profit from it such as tourist shops and restaurants around the area it'll be berthed, for instance.

[BellStar]

We have several tall ships and old navy ships that the Tourist pay to board and buy signature line souvenirs that far exceeds the maintenance fee for up keep. Tourist dollars my dear! And I for one as do others think these are really cool and realistic replica ships.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

FIREWOOD!!!

[BellStar]

The State of Texas gives back Tax Dollars “Hotel Motel Taxes to help with Community development. That money has to be spent this way. Heads in beads money attracts people to a town who hopefully will stay over night. That is what this project would help with and the little ships are moored near the restaurant row on the water across from the hotels!.

[BellStar]

The government extorts money out of people who stay in hotels in our city Kemah. This is one way to get some of it back for economic development. If we can show this project will put heads in Beads the state in its benevolence (sarc) gives back some Tax Dollars for these and other projects.

[Westlander]

I imagine there is a difference between our 2 states. We are #1 in unemployment, emigration, new business, home devaluation, gas tax(proposed) etc... Might just have something to do with our governor - the next commerce secretary- Jennifer Grandtheft.

[BellStar]

Oh, yes! I have read here on threads about your tough times. Please God give us all another Chance!

[Daveinyork]

Is this something the government should be spending taxpayer money on?

[BellStar]

If we can show this project will put Heads in Beads the state gives back some Tax Dollars for these and other projects. The TAX we get back is the Hotel Tax we paid in. It is part of the States Economic Development plan.

[DH]

Down here in South Texas the ships are called the “Columbus shipwrecks.” The city of Corpus Christi has totally mismanaged these ships to the point of ruin. As far as making them an attraction, they hid them under a bridge and enclosed them with a high screen so that visitors and tourists could not get a FREE look at them.

They should have been visible to the public as they entered the waterfront area so that they could be the centerpiece of the downtown shoreline. Did they do that? Nooooooooo.

Just another example of how political management of Corpus Christi embarrasses us all.

[HollyB]

They are actually pretty nice. It’s a shame to think they are on their last leg.

[publiusF27]

I was aboard Nina last March when the little ship visited Punta Gorda, FL, and she's not "rotted out" at all. If she were, the repair bill would be much higher.

[publiusF27]

My impressions of the Nina