Singapore. 8 January, 1986. 1500 hours. A barge, in the process of being moved, hits Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s famous ship Calypso. Her hull perforated, Calypso heeled over and sunk. She was taken to La Rochelle for repairs, but funding was not forthcoming. The ship lay mouldering ever since.
Calypso is my favourite ship. Such adventures I shared as I watched The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau! She’s a beautiful ship. Not very big, but big enough to partake in many research expiditions and voyages of discover. If I were to own a ship, it would be one like her.
And then she sunk.
And then she lay virtually forgotten.
Alcyon is a fine vessel, I’m sure; but I grew up watching Calypso.
And now Carnival Cruises has come to the rescue. Calypso will be restored at a shipyard in Grand Bahama, The Bahamas. Work is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The surprising thing is that the estimated cost is only $1.3 million. That’s a lot of money for you and me; but a fraction of the cost of, say, buying a new business jet. I’m surprised (and a little shocked) that a large company or a wealthy individual has not come sooner to rescue this historic vessel. Ted Turner was a big supporter of the Cousteau Society. I would have expected him to come through with a paltry million or so for the restoration (and to make a ‘Saving Calypso’ documentary for broadcast on his network). Loël Guinness owns Calypso, and certainly his company could afford the cost of restoration.
Of course Carnival Corporation will profit from their generosity. I’m sure it’s not just a desire to preserve a ‘world-famous icon for marine research and environmental preservation’ (cite: Calypso Log, 4th Quarter, 2004). But if they want to generate some positive publicity for themselves, I’m glad that they chose to generate it by restoring Calypso.