Moyer Expeditions LLC

17/08/2024

CELEBRATING LIFESAVERS AT SEA

On July 24-26, the US Lightship Museum, a nonprofit organization that owns NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP/LV-112, commemorated the 68th anniversary of the sinking of the ANDREA DORIA with 'Celebrating Lifesavers at Sea'. The event was held at two Boston locations over three days.

Opening night at the Battery Wharf Hotel, Bob Mannino, President of the Lightship Museum welcomed everyone to the event, I gave a presentation about diving on the wreck, and Mark Koch, Diving Manager at Oceaneering International spoke about restoring AD Lifeboat No. 1. Next we all watched the PBS film 'Secrets of the Dead: The Sinking of the Andrea Doria'. After the film the nine AD survivors in attendance spoke about the night of their rescue.

The NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP is docked at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina. On Thursday there was an artifact exhibit, a USCG display, an AD bell ringing ceremony in memory of those who died in the collision, tours of the lightship, rides in the AD Lifeboat, and a USCG Search and Rescue helicopter demonstration. That night we viewed the film 'ANDREA DORIA: Are the Passengers Saved' and listened to more stories from the survivors.

On Friday, in addition to the artifact exhibit, the USCG display, lightship tours, and lifeboat rides, there was a rescue demonstration by the USCG Fast Response Cutter MELVIN BELL.

Each day there were wonderful performances by mezzo soprano Elissa Scarlett.

I was given a tour of the lightship by USCG Electronics Technician [ET-2] Paul Sabo who was stationed on the ship in 1972 & 1973. He told me lots of interesting stories about his time onboard including riding out a hurricane in 60-70 ft. seas.

Bob Mannino did an outstanding job planning and organizing this amazing event. Museum volunteers John Rogers, Tim McCarthy, Ron Janard, and Rob Nickologianis did all the heavy work unloading the truck and setting up the AD bell and exhibit each day. They all put in many long hours to make this event a huge success.

16/05/2024

Andrea Doria Statue News

The life-sized bronze statue of Adm. Andrea Doria, created by Salvatore Fiume and Giovanni Paganin, was located in the ship's 1st Cl Lounge. In July and August 1964, Capt. Dan Turner led several teams of divers aboard his ship TOP CAT to recover the statue. On their first two trips out they located the wreck and positively identified it as the ANDREA DORIA. On the third trip they blasted a hole in the Promenade Deck bulkhead and located the statue. It's base was bolted to the deck and it was too dangerous for the divers to get to the deck below to unbolt it. Capt. Dan decided to cut off the statue at the ankles and leave the base with the feet on the wreck.

In the 1980's Gary Gentile photographed the statue base still bolted in place to the deck. On a dive in 1996, he discovered that it had broken free and was lying under some large pieces of wreckage at about 220 ft. Gary told me what he had found and we made a dive to inspect the base to come up with a plan to recover it. We didn't have the time or equipment to raise it on that trip. The SEEKER was going back out to the wreck a week later, but Gary couldn't make the trip. During the week I had a 20 ft. SS cable made up with eyes on each end. Dan Crowell volunteered to help me on the dive and we used the cable attached to a lift bag to drag the base out from under the wreckage. Then we floated it up the the side of the DORIA'S hull, set it down, and rigged it to send up to the surface.

Over the years Turner had displayed the statue at several different venues. He was planning an exhibit in Italy and came to Vineland to photograph and measure the original feet. He then had a foundry cast reproduction feet and attach them to the statue.

Dan and his wife Joni visited me in NJ whenever they were in the area and I spent time with them in FL. Joni and I kept in touch after Dan passed away in 2014 and about a month ago she called to tell me that she decided to sell the statue. I asked Gary to be partners in it since we were partners in the original base & feet [and the Gambone panels, AD bell, and other artifacts we had recovered together].

We are planning on attaching the original feet to the statue and are looking for a museum to exhibit the statue, Gambones, and all the other artifacts and items we've collected over the years. For the time being I have the statue here in Vineland.

For full details on the recoveries see Gary's books: 'ANDREA DORIA-Dive to and Era' and 'Deep, Dark and Dangerous'

Special thanks to all those involved in moving the statue:

Doug Huston, Taylor Huston, Chris Moyer
DCI Fleet, Glassboro, NJ
Commercial Trailer Services, Vineland, NJ
Ogden Construction, NJ

07/10/2023

LA FESTA ITALIAMERICA

The 1st Annual La Festa Italiamerica was held this past Sunday at Elm Ridge Park in Rocky Hill, CT. The weather was perfect and there was a huge turnout of over 5000 people. The festival featured exhibits, food, and entertainment that emphasized the history and culture of Italian-Americans. Mark Koch and I met with Morris Borea, Head of the Planning Committee and Cav Josephine Maietta in NYC earlier this year to begin planning our exhibits. Mark is the owner of AD Lifeboat #1 and we have worked together on many events. Josephine hosts a radio show on WRHU-FM and she had organized the AD Survivors float when we were in the NYC Columbus Day Parade in 2019.

Dennis House, anchor at WTNH-TV in New Haven did an excellent job as MC for the day and it was fun hanging with him backstage. The event opened with Vittorio Di Carlo singing the Italian National Anthem and Elissa Scarlett singing the American National Anthem. Mark, his daughter Estella, and I gave presentations on restoring the AD Lifeboat and diving on the wreck. AD survivor Antonia Francescucci Reali joined us on stage to talk about her experiences on the night of the collision. She was only 17 years old and traveling alone to join her family already here in the US. Her photo aboard the Ile de France appeared in the Aug 6, 1956 issue of Life Magazine. It was Antonia's 85th birthday, so Josephine presented her with flowers and a cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to her. Next, Mayor Lisa Marotta presented Antonia, Mark and I with Certificates of Appreciation from the City of Rocky Hill. We then had a very moving AD Bell ringing ceremony with Antonia and Mayor Marotta.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with music and entertainment by Vittorio Di Carlo & Ella Cristina, Andy DiMino, Elissa Scarlett, and R&B artists Avenue Grove.

It was a pleasure meeting everyone and hearing stories from people who had sailed on the AD prior to the sinking and on her sister ship, the Cristoforo Colombo.

The event was a huge success and we are already talking about next years festival.

21/08/2023

ON THE WATERFRONT

Last night the Noble Maritime Collection hosted a screening of the classic film 'On the Waterfront' starring Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint. The story is about longshoremen and parts were filmed on the docks in Hoboken, NJ in 1954. The ANDREA DORIA makes a cameo in the movie as she sailed down the Hudson River in one of the scenes.

Dr. John Rocco, a Professor at SUNY Maritime College introduced the film to a packed audience and led a discussion of the film after the showing. He is in the Humanities Department and his research interests focus on Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway, and maritime literature & film. He has also edited a book on the Grateful Dead. I first met John in 2016 when we held an event at Fort Schuyler to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the AD sinking.

The screening was the last of many programs and events held over the past year in conjunction with the ANDREA DORIA-Rescue at Sea exhibition, including presentations by myself, Bill Miller, Pierette Simpson's film 'ANDREA DORIA: Are the Passengers Saved?', the AD 67th Survivors Reunion and more. The exhibition opened in June 2022 and will close on September 3rd.

Ciro, Megan, Dawn, and Michael all did an amazing job planning, building and presenting the exhibition. I've really enjoyed working with them and appreciate all the effort they put into the exhibition and events. Pierette Simpson's input and guidance also helped make it a huge success.

The Noble Maritime Collection
Pierette Domenica Simpson

26/05/2023

SS UNITED STATES Tour

The retired ocean liner SS UNITED STATES is currently berthed at Pier 82 on Columbus Blvd. in south Philadelphia and is owned by the SS UNITED STATES Conservancy. Last Saturday, I met with Susan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Conservancy [her grandfather, William Francis Gibbs designed the ship] and Glenn Lappin and Paul Stipkovich, co-chairs of the New York chapter of the Conservancy. Then Glen and Paul took me on a tour of the 990 ft. long ship. They have been on the ship many times and know the layout well. We were onboard for about three hours and they took me through the bridge, chart room, forward engine room, public spaces, and many other areas deep inside the ship. The interior is almost completely stripped down and the hull is sound. There is lighting in some of the rooms and passage ways, but we needed headlamps and flashlights when we were in the interior on the lower deck levels.

The Conservancy is partnered with RXR Realty which has plans to find a permanent home for the ship and will restore it into a major hotel and hospitality space with a museum that honors the ship's design and history.

For more information on the Conservancy's efforts to save the SS UNITED STATES go to: ssusc.org

22/05/2023

67th Anniversary ANDREA DORIA Survivors Reunion

On May 6th, the Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island, NY hosted the 67th Anniversary ANDREA DORIA Survivors Reunion. Invited guests included AD survivors, their families, and others with close ties to the ship. The museum was closed to the general public for the day, but opened for guests to view the 'ANDREA DORIA: Rescue at Sea Exhibition' before the program started. Dawn Daniels and Ciro Galeno spoke about the museum and introduced the special guests. Pierette did an outstanding job as MC for the day. She introduced her fellow survivors who then spoke about their experiences on that historic night and showed items that were saved when they abandoned ship. Next there was a screening of Pierette's film 'ANDREA DORIA: Are the Passengers Saved'. Sitting together with Pierette while we watched the film is something I will always remember. After the film, Monsignor Hilary Franco offered a blessing and recited the Prayer of a Mariner. He told us that he was scheduled to sail on the AD on her final voyage, however due to a change in plans he sailed on an earlier trip. The room that he had been booked in was directly in the collision impact zone and he would have been killed if he had been on that trip. The program closed with a stunning performance by opera diva Cristina Fontanelli.

After the program Pierette signed copies of her book.

In the evening we had a wonderful catered dinner of hors d'oeuvre, three entrees, and dessert that recreated meals served on the ANDREA DORIA.

Ciro said, 'The feeling of the event was more like a family reunion with the survivors and their children and grandchildren happy to be together again'.

It was an honor for me to spend that special day with the survivors of the ANDREA DORIA sinking. The Noble Maritime Collection has done an excellent job with the AD Exhibition and it's been a pleasure working with them over the past year. The museum recently announced that the exhibition has been extended and will be on display until September 2023.

Members of the reunion committee were: Megan Beck, Renee Coscia, Dawn Daniels, Arnaldo Galassi, Ciro Galeno, myself, and Pierette Simpson

The Noble Maritime Collection Pierette Domenica Simpson

05/02/2023

STOCKHOLM NEWS

Last Tuesday, the shipping news source, TradeWinds, posted a story with the headline 'World's oldest cruise ship, the Astoria, sold for recycling'. Astoria is the current name of the Stockholm. TV and print news in Italy went wild and the Genoa newspaper IL SECOLO XIX printed a full page article about it. Italian media even contacted Andrea Doria survivor Pierette Domenica Simpson to comment on the sale. However, the next day TradeWinds updated the article with a statement from the owners, Roundtable LLC, that 'while a deal to sell the ship is currently being negotiated, the buyer indicated that the ship will be used for further trading'. So it looks like she will still be sailing and won't be scrapped after all.

The Stockholm has had many owners since she began service in 1948 and has had thirteen different names over the years.

In 1995, I was on Grand Cayman Island and saw her at anchor in Georgetown Harbor. At that time she was named Italia Prima.

The Noble Maritime Collection
Andrea Doria: Are The Passengers Saved? The Movie
Pierette Domenica Simpson

28/08/2022

2022 ANDREA DORIA-STOCKHOLM ROV Survey Expedition

This week we conducted a ROV [Remote Operated Vehicle] survey of the ANDREA DORIA and STOCKHOLM bow wrecks. Our goal was to get new footage of both wreck sites. Just like my other projects, this was a team effort with everyone onboard working together.

I contracted Rusty Cassway and Ross Baxter of R/V Explorer, Inc. to supply their Blue Robotics BlueROV2.

Chris Friel, Owner/Operator of the 53' Research Vessel PATRICIA GRACE took us to the sites. Chris is an old friend and was with me on the WAHOO when I placed the Admiralty Arrest papers on the AD in 1993.

Gary Gentile, Bill Campbell and Don Ferrara were along as crew and surface support.

The PATRICIA GRACE left Portsmouth, RI at 3:30AM on Thursday morning and cruised at 28 knots to the sites. The seas were flat calm and we arrived at the STOCKHOLM in a little over 4 hours!

After the collision, about 60 ft. of the STOCKHOLM bow broke off and fell to the sea floor. Local fishermen have fished the site [they called it Paul's Wreck and other nicknames] since it went down. There are large sections of hull plate and one of the anchors can be seen. There are also lengths of anchor chain in the sand near the wreckage. We had LORAN numbers for it in the 1980's and talked about diving on it, but always went to the AD instead. Last July, I worked with Eastern Search & Survey to sonar scan the wreckage and confirm it's exact location.

We've been watching the AD bow deteriorate over the years and I wanted to film it's current condition. We found most of it still intact, but there are areas of decay that we hadn't seen before.

Ross did an amazing job piloting the ROV and we got great footage of both wrecks. The BlueROV2 is state of the art with a hi-def camera, sonar, and gripper. The big advantage using a ROV instead of divers is that it has unlimited time underwater without dealing with decompression or running out of breathing gas. We came home with several hours of footage on this trip.

Our mission was accomplished and we were back at the dock at 9:00PM Thursday night.

25/07/2022

The ANDREA DORIA/STOCKHOLM collision occurred 66 years ago today at 11:10PM and the DORIA sank to the bottom on July 26 at 10:09AM.

Survivor, Pierette Dominca Simpson's award winning docufilm 'ANDREA DORIA: Are the Passsengers Saved' is being shown today and tomorrow on CUNY TV. The film tells Pierette's story of traveling as a young girl from Italy to the US and her experience during her rescue. It also includes a segment on the recovery of the Gambone Panels by art historian Claudio Caserta.

For air times and details on how to watch go to: tv.cuny.edu

24/07/2022

Yesterday, The Noble Maritime Collection held an event to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the ANDREA DORIA sinking. There was a larger than expected crowd and a lot going on, so I wasn't able to take many pics. Unfortunately Pierette Simpson was not able to be there, but we were thinking of her during the day. Her film ANDREA DORIA: Are the Passengers Saved is being shown on CUNY TV today, Monday & Tuesday

Bill Miller, the world's foremost authority on Ocean Liners, was the featured speaker and spoke about the history and evolution of passenger ships. He has written over 115 books on the subject and has more coming out soon. Bill and I did our first event together 26 years ago at the South Street Seaport in NYC for the 40th Anniverary.

Special Guest was AD survivor, Dr. Vincent Montanti. Dr. Montanti was returning home after finishing his second year of medical school in Rome. He was watching a movie in one of the dining rooms when the collision happened and he remembers seeing the STOCKHOLM's lights a second before it hit. He first helped a crew member clear a passage way so people down below could make their way up to the deck. When he got out on deck he saw a woman without a life jacket, so he took his off and gave it to her. Then he helped other passengers get off the AD and into the life boats below. When it was finally his turn to leave, he heard a woman behind him crying out for help. He went back and found her with a broken ankle. He put her on his shoulders and together they slid down a rope and into a life boat. They were among the last to leave the sinking ship. He is a true hero with an amazing story.

Thank you to the Noble staff for hosting this wonderful day.

10/07/2022

Thirty seven years ago today we recovered the bell from the stern steering station of the ANDREA DORIA. It was Bill Nagle's idea to look for it and we used his boat the SEEKER for the job. A week before the trip, I got a severe case of the bends while testing the Broco torch on the wreck of the I.P. GOULANDRIS off the coast of NJ in 185 feet of water. The CG picked me up in a helicopter [in the middle of the night] and took me to the recompression chamber in City Island, NY. I had a full recovery but was not allowed to dive for at least two weeks, so I didn't dive on this trip. We started our search in the bow of the wreck where ship's bells are normally found. After looking for a few days and not finding it, Gary Gentile suggested we look in the stern because some ships have an auxiliary sterring station with a helm and bell. The bell was hanging right where we had hoped it would be. We worked most of the night making a net to put it in and raised it with lift bags the next day, July 10th. We left it in original condition for about 10 years before we cleaned and polished it. There was a small speck of the original red paint still in one of the letters and I had a painter match it as closely as possible.

In 1992, Billy Deans and I made several dives deep into the bow looking for the main bell. Later that year, I went back out to the wreck on the R/V WAHOO with a team of 15 divers & crew to excavate the interior of the bow with an air lift, but we came home empty handed. We returned the next year with 20 divers & crew and an improved air lift. Half the team searched for the bell [no luck] and half worked on raising the Gambone Panels.

The stern bell will be on display at the Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island, NY for the next year until June 2023 as part of their 'ANDREA DORIA, Rescue at Sea' exhibit.

24/06/2022

24/06/2022

The 'ANDREA DORIA, Rescue at Sea' exhibit is now open to the public at The Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island, NY. It will be on view for one year through June 2023. The opening reception last week was attended by a large crowd of museum members, divers, and others interested in the ANDREA DORIA. The exhibit features original Italia Line items, rare photos, archival footage, U/W video & photos, and artifacts recovered from the wreck. Pierette Simpson and I really enjoyed working with everyone at the museum on this project.

'This is as much about the ship's beautiful midcentury design, as it is about the tragic sinking and well coordinated rescue' -Ciro Galeno, Executive Director

www.noblemaritime.org
www.pierettesimpson.com

12/06/2022

Here's a sneak peak of one of the rooms at the Noble Maritime Collections's new exhibit 'ANDREA DORIA, Rescue at Sea' that is opening this Thursday, June 16th [the 71st anniversary of the AD launching]. The exhibit will be on display for one year.

Museum staff Ciro Galeno, Megan Beck, Dawn Daniels, and photographer Michael McWeeny put in months of work and did an amazing job planning & building the exhibit.

Pierette Simpson provided her story and expertise.

Brad Sheard, Bill Campbell, and Billy Deans contributed photos and video.

Ben Roberts contributed his side scan sonar image.

Andrew Nagle, Gary Gentile, Artie Kirshner, Mike Boring, & Tom Packer allowed the AD bell to be displayed.

Thank you to everyone listed above.

For further information go to: www.noblemaritime.org

10/06/2022

Thank you Steve Kalil, President of the Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Co. for the behind the scenes tour last Sunday. Their operations include seven floating drydocks at the facility on the Kill Van Kull on Staten Island. They are a full service ship repair yard with welding, electrical, machine, and carpenter shops. I've driven past it many times, but this is the first time I've seen everything close up. The tour was organized by Ciro Galeno of The Noble Maritime Collection for members of the National Maritime Historical Society.

03/04/2022

Pierette Simpson and I have been collaborating with the Noble Maritime Collection on Staten Island, NY on an ANDREA DORIA Exhibit scheduled to open this summer and run for one year. The museum's main focus is John Noble, who worked in marine salvage and later became a full time artist. The centerpiece of the museum is Noble's restored Houseboat Studio that he lived on in the 1940's. The rest of the museum is filled with works of fine art and a Ship Model Gallery.

Ciro Galeno, Executive Director and his staff have put a lot of time into designing this unique DORIA exhibit and they are all amazing to work with. The display will include the DORIA bell, an original life ring from the ship, artifacts recovered from the wreck and more. Underwater video and side scan sonar images will be provided by Bill Campbell, Ocean Eye ROV and Ben Roberts, Eastern Search & Survey. The museum will be hosting a private ANDREA DORIA Survivors Reunion and other special events throughout the year that wil be open to the public.

Recently Curator Megan Beck and Photographer Michael McWeeny came to Vineland and used the foyer in my house to shoot pictures for the exhibit.

Check this page and www.noblemaritime.org for the official announcement of the exhibit opening.

01/02/2022

I just posted an album of photos from visits with my friends Bill Miller [author of 115 books on Ocean Liners], Tony Laforgia [retired from Maersk Shipping Lines], and Sal Scanella [worked for 20 years for the Italian Line]. We met at Bill's home in November and they all came down to Vineland in January. Bill and I have done many events together including the Andrea Doria 40th Sinking Commemoration at NYC South Street Seaport in 1996. He spends over 200 days a year at sea on Cunard Liners [and others] giving presentations on Ocean Liner history. Bill did me a huge favor last summer when I asked him to speak at the 65th AD Commemoration at the NJ Maritime Museum. His home is a museum filled with original oil paintings, prints, posters, and ship models. Tony also has an awesome collection of prints and ship models. Sal has a unique collection of items he saved from the Italian Line after they closed their doors in 1976. In 1995, I gave a presentation at the Italian Line Employee Reunion that Sal organized.