The Andrea Doria’s Endless Curious Connections

“Where Did the Lifeboats Land?”

This last week has brought about another curious connection to the Italian Grande Dame. A gentleman wrote to me in search all of the remaining Andrea Doria lifeboats.  Here’s the correspondence:

I am a student at SUNY Maritime College. I am studying the Andrea Doria disaster for my senior thesis.

We are looking for the whereabouts of the remaining lifeboats from the Andrea Doria. I have heard that one may be in a museum in Florida

.

Would have in information or even a rumor about where I might find one of these lifeboats?

Any help appreciated.

Phil

Unfortunately, I couldn’t help Phil but connected him to John Moyer, salvor of the Andrea Doria and collector of hundreds of artifacts.

Thank you so much for responding. As I mentioned I am a student at SUNY Maritime in New York. In a past life I was in the US Coast Guard. I served on the cutter Tamaroa, which was at the Andrea Doria collision. I am also a scuba diver. It is impossible to dive wrecks in this area without hearing about the Doria.

More recently I served with the New York City Fire Department (my father was a firefighter). I was at the WTC attack in 2001 and I have bad lungs from working there. ..One of the benefits afforded survivors is a full scholarship to any city or state school.

So I find myself at SUNY Maritime. It was a good fit, with my background. I should have come here 25 years ago. Anyway this is a pet project of my history professor, and he sets his students loose every year to search for artifacts and write him brilliant papers.

Again, thanks for responding, and good luck with your book and lecturing. 

Phil

Assuming that Phil had come to our rescue in 1956, I suggested an interview.

Just to clarify, I was born in 1969 I was not aboard the Tamaroa during Andrea Doria, but served on her afterwards 1987 thru 1989 We had our own fair share of rescues at that time, although none as famous. The Tam was a fixture on the east coast based at NY she was also at the Pelican disaster, and the Texas Tower collapse in addition to being famous from “The Perfect Storm”

John has already contacted me and is very amiable, although he does not know where the lifeboats ended up. I am following up on some other leads I have. If you hear anything please drop me a note.

Phil

Can anyone help Phil locate the Andrea Doria lifeboats? Contact me either by commenting on my blog post or going to www.PieretteSimpson.com.

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