Cousteaus Calypso lies rotting

[salimbag]

The amount I've heard batted around for a complete refit, in her current state, is $4-million-dollars. -- Mark

Hi Mark. I was wondering where you got this figure - you seem to have some sources of information on this that I don't have and I'd love to be more up to date. Info on this situation is hard to come by.

Two posts up I quoted the Cousteau Society website as saying "... it is only right that, in her retirement, she should tell the story of her magnificent history, inseparable from that of Captain Cousteau. The sister cities of New Rochelle, in the US, and La Rochelle, in France, will share exhibitions based on Calypso's extraordinary adventures. " The phone rang and I copied this quickly without reading it. This is a revision. Until recently the site said the Calypso was being restored and would be on exhibit in New Rochelle in NY. So they seem to be coming around a little to a statement that, albeit ambiguously, reflects reality a little better.

What if they just recover the bridge and deck for an exhibit? Not as romantic, but a mock diving saucer could still hang from the crane, we could still stand in the wheel house and climb the observation ridge, etc.

And I'll add a welcome to the forum to mainewebdad. I just started myself and you'll find this is a really great group, from BC's to politics.

Salimbag

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I was thinking about this today... I wonder what The Cousteau Society would do if a group found the original minesweeper plans and began to build a CALYPSO replica. It would certainly cost less than a refit, and it would change the political landscape. Aye Carumba! -- Mark

The Calypso underwent several major refits since it's construction as JB-26 in 1942. It received major modifications to it's bow, stern and super structure before entering service as a ferry. In the mid 50's it received additional modifications to the superstructure and to it's bows for use by JYC. In 1958 it again received a major refit with additional changes to the bows, the stern and superstructure. In 1968 the stack was relocated, and Calypso received an entirely new deckhouse and major internal and external changes including the relocation of the uptakes and stack. None of this takes into account the minor refits and modifications for helicopter and submarine operations.

So the original plans for JB-26 would not have much in common with the Calypso as it now after evolving over it's three separate careers.

 

[mainewebdad]

...So the original plans for JB-26 would not have much in common with the Calypso as it now after evolving over it's three separate careers.

Hmmm... Ok... this seems to be the situation. The ship is in dire distress. All those who could save her are sitting on their hands. Yet many people applaud everything that the CALYPSO missions stood for - exploration, understanding our oceans, etc.

So... what about putting together an organization to copy what Cousteau did? Incorporate, get some funding, buy a boat, do some cool stuff, sign up members, produce cool video content and publications, go on missions around the world. Think it can be done in this day and age?
-- Mark

 

[mainewebdad]

So... what about putting together an organization to copy what Cousteau did? Incorporate, get some funding, buy a boat, do some cool stuff, sign up members, produce cool video content and publications, go on missions around the world. Think it can be done in this day and age?

Adding fuel to the fire - I found a link to a ship for sale. Check it out:
http://www.ships-for-sale.com/dive_support_ship.htm

Alright - it's probably a lot bigger than an enterprise like this would need, but consider this - it has a submersible with a 5-diver lock-out, as well as lots of spare parts on board.

Anyone have 1.6 mil kicking around, and money for a refit? Could be really cool!

-- Mark

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It is a nice ship but definitely overkill.

I noted a research vessel for sale several months ago that was a better buy and would not cost nearly so much to operate.

As ships go the Calypso was not hoprribly expensive to operate but still spent the majority of it's time in port. I always got the impression that filling the fuel bunkers was a major expenditure for the Cousteau society.

Still the ship in question would make the ultimate live aboard for serious tech divers.

 

[salimbag]

So... what about putting together an organization to copy what Cousteau did? Incorporate, get some funding, buy a boat, do some cool stuff, sign up members, produce cool video content and publications, go on missions around the world. Think it can be done in this day and age?
-- Mark

Here's the plan. Build an organization first by making an ecology and anthropology oriented TV series that is successful, that incidentally defines who we are and what our organization is about. If we find an audience then we'll be able to move ahead more easily. (Cousteau made Silent World before he got his ship.) Then get our boat if we still need it. But we may not. Cousteau was about good writing and stories and cool information and poetry and commaraderie and travel and purpose and vicarious involvement. A boat is cool but we can do all that without it. Or lease a boat for the initial series and paint our logo on it, pretend it's ours. We can build on our success that way - our profitable TV programs will be our publicity machine for building the nascent organization introduced in the shows. If we're serious it will take years of sacrifice, unless you're independently and ungodly wealthy.

Cousteau also lost money on most everything he did - Turner took a big loss supporting Rediscovery - and I think in this day and age we'd have to be profitable. There isn't the loose money floating around that there was, the TV industry and research moneys have gotten much leaner. (You'll also discover that making TV shows like that is really not much fun...)

 

[salimbag]

Really, a handful of dedicated individuals and a few hundred grand could get it started.

 

[mainewebdad]

Here's the plan...

Sounds like a good plan! I think your perspective is right about building the organization before getting the ship. Bob Ballard leased ships for his explorations and had all his gear in freight containers which were dropped onto the after deck.

So where to go from here? I have resources for graphics, web and video. (I'm the webmaster for 2 TV station in Maine.) However I'm not a money person.

Where are you from, and how far away is that from Maine? Who else who is reading this is interested in this concept? Where do we find our initial investor?

-- Mark

 

[salimbag]

I'm not a money guy either. I have raised this kind of money both from foundations and individuals, not often, and it's a drag, but it can be done.

Ok. Here's how I'd do it (not that I've given it any thought). I'd make an expeditionary TV series about conservation issues and indigenous peoples in a place that is both diverse but manageable in size, and where one of us has prior experience (me). That would minimize at-risk capital, make it attractive to investors. Philippines would be good - active volcanoes, "stone age" tribes, ocean-dwelling shark hunting tribes, communist insurgents, muslim terrorists, old headhunters, mummies, tribes fighting for their rights, reefs, UW archaeology, rain forest, ocean ocean ocean. We would lease a jeepney, a SMALL boat (less than 245'), and perhaps an ultralight there and put our logo on them so it looks like we already ARE an organization. To make it more contemporary I'd have a splinter crew go off into more remote areas and do seat of the pants, "lonely planet" style travel, primarily to develop parallel storylines for editing, chasing down guerillas or rare wildlife. There's lots more but I won't gum up the forum with it now.

I'd get researchers and writers to chase down ideas here first - write and plan as much of it ahead of time as possible. (Start today. I've done a lot of research already. I have an outdated investment prospectus for something like this.) Cousteau's documentaries were not just a bunch of guys running around having fun chancing into cool stuff. They worked hard to make things happen a certain way. They staged a lot of stuff and we would too. Plan on a couple years, and plan on it, in the end, not really being all that much fun.

All along do whatever we can to build publicity. Bring along journalism students and have them send out article after article as we proceed. NPR. Uplink to gradeschool classrooms. Midway through pitch to Discovery, NGS, et al, but consider that at least starting out European television may be our bread and butter. NGS Channel and Discovery Channel also have strong Asian organizations. (Like I said, I haven't given it much thought.)

 

[mainewebdad]

...(Like I said, I haven't given it much thought.)

Haven't given it much thought, huh? *lol* - so what's the next step?
-- Mark