Thanks for some of your comments.

Sorry for the blurry pic, but these are the words of President McKinley on a plaque inside Olympia.  I include them here because they seem appropriately addressed to the vessel itself now.  The entire quote is here.  Santiago Playa was the location of the largest naval actions of the Spanish-American War.  (Click here,  scroll down to the “Cuba”  section and then farther to the “naval operations” paragraphs for info on Santiago.

This is the most outrageous thing I have ever said on this blog:  but I’m only repeating someone’s suggestion that, if the decision is made to “reef” Olympia, she might have a “riding crew” made up of those “museum custodians” who put their own interest$ before the seriousness of their charge to preserve this vessel.    Now I’ll add a “Yaarrr … ”  for some color.

Here’s a quote from the ISM site:  “ISM will cease public tours of the Olympia on November 22, 2010.” Scroll all the way down for some then-now fotos.

I know this is NOT news, but in light of the ticking clock, you might want to reread this 2007 post from Peter Mello’s SeaFever.  Here’s a followup from a year and a half ago.  Here’s a recent op-ed piece pleading for “rescue” of the vessel from John F. Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy.

And yes, this post exists only to vent, and encourage venting.  Please feel encouraged.