This is a true story about a Bay Area treasure ship. It’s a story good for the soul about the proud vessel White Holly, and how she came full circle, from Bay Area and back again, over the course of her distinguished, service-oriented career.
By Ed & Pam McGrath
Published: March, 2006
This is a true story about a Bay Area treasure ship. It’s a story good for the soul about the proud vessel White Holly, and how she came full circle, from Bay Area and back again, over the course of her distinguished, service-oriented career.
The 133-foot White Holly was built in Napa in 1944. Christened on D-Day, she started life as a Navy yard freighter, serving her country by carrying ammunition from the shore to Navy warships anchored off shore. This grand vessel was converted to a buoy tender for the Coast Guard in 1947, and spent several decades in Alaska where she provided services such as search and rescue, law enforcement and environmental protection. Nov. 11, 1971 was proclaimed White Holly Day in Ketchikan in celebration of her valiant service. With the motto Gotcha Covered she continued serving in Louisiana, until her decommissioning in 1988.
White Holly was then sold to the Seamen’s Training Center in Vallejo - back home to the Bay - and sailed on to earn more credentials by gaining Coast Guard status as an Oceanographic Research Vessel. She continues to add to her legacy under the watch of Captain Vince Backen, current owner/operator, and Joanne Keune, executive director of The Seamen’s Training Center.
Backen and Keune see White Holly as a vibrant community resource whose mission is to serve the community and the marine industry. They believe that every vessel has to have a purpose. They say White Holly’s work is scientific research while her service is training mariners. Blending these two functions has worked well and created a mission for White Holly that does her and her Bay Area community proud. She recently completed an expedition for the Scripps Institute where the who’s who of the oceanographic world was aboard surveying the Line Islands’ coral reefs to determine what they looked like in prehistoric times, and to gain understanding about how man has transformed them.
More research projects are in White Holly’s future as Backen and Keune work their magic to keep the cost of operations down to an amazingly low $3,200 per day. But with limited funding for research, the work and service of White Holly continues only with support and involvement from her community.
Anyone, even you, could be a part of the very exciting work and service of the vessel White Holly. For instance, The Seamen’s Training Center offers internships aboard White Holly with programs that prepare students to work on cruise liners, tug boats, fishing vessels and more. There are opportunities to assist on special voyages cruising on the bay or volunteering with the non-profit Seamen’s Training Center. Or, for more adventurous souls, there’s shark diving at the Farallon Islands.
White Holly’s career is well documented. We hope this heroic lady continues her work and service right here in the place where she came full-circle home. She represents another example of the rich heritage we enjoy around our beautiful Bay. Aren’t we proud?!
Ed has been selling boats in the Bay Area for over 12 years. He and his wife, Pam,opened McGrath Pacific Yacht Sales three years ago. Being at the helm of their 36’ trawler is one of Pam’s favorite activities.
