More on the Marine Star mystery

A Buffalo News report from June 30th quotes James A. Everatt, one of the Aquarama’s owners, saying that the ship would not be sold for scrap.

The mothballed and rusting Marine Star, the very large eyesore disguised as a ship docked for the past 12 years in Buffalo’s outer harbor, was headed “in the very near future” to Anang, India, a major ship dismantling center.

So said a recent report in Maritime Matters, a Web site devoted to seafaring vessels, which quoted “Indian sources.”

Not true, said James A. Everatt, a shareholder in the ship’s owner, Empire Cruise Lines of Delaware.

“No final decision has been made,” said Everatt in a phone interview from his office in St. Thomas, Ont. “I don’t care what people are saying.”

Everatt did say that if the ship, also known as the Aquarama, is moved from Buffalo, it wouldn’t be sold for scrap.

The big question then is, where is the Aquarama going if it’s not being scrapped? If the ship wasn’t going to be scrapped, then everyone would be happy – both those that love the Marine Star and those that wanted to see it gone from Buffalo. I can’t see a reason to conceal plans for it.

We may be able to follow the Aquarama’s progress on boatnerd.com. An update was posted this afternoon:

Aquarama Tow Update

7/16 – 3:00 p.m. Update – The tow of the Aquarama is due at Lock Four around 3:40 p.m.

Plans are to make a stop at Wharf One to take on groceries and supplies, then travel down Lake Ontario at night.

Rumors persist that the Aquarama may not be going directly to the ship breakers as has been suspected. Her present destination is Montreal.

Reported by Wally Wallace

To be continued, it seems.