National Maritime Day 2020
View of Honolulu Harbor and downtown buildings from Matson’s Mokihana. 5 January 2011.
May 22 is National Maritime Day in the United States. It was designated as such by the US Congress in 1933 to commemorate the first successful transatlantic voyage by a US steam-powered vessel, the Savannah, in 1819.
Savannah was originally built in New York as a sailing vessel for use as a packet ship, but was fitted out with a steam engine and two paddlewheels (one on each side of the ship) before she was launched in 1818.
National Maritime Day was celebrated in Hawai‘i for the first time in 1934. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported:
Vessels in the harbor dressed ship for the occasion, while from government and public buildings and private homes flew the flag of the United States, all in honor of the old Savannah and her material contribution to the advancement of ocean transportation. (“Voyage Of The Savannah Is Commemorated Today.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 22 May 1934.)
Today, the focus of National Maritime Day is on the country’s maritime industry as a whole.
According to the US Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) website, the theme for this year’s celebrations is Resilient Sealift for a Resilient Nation. It reflects the “maritime industry’s unwavering support of the nation, especially during the current challenge of COVID-19.”
Mahalo nui loa to all of our merchant mariners who are responsible for keeping Hawai‘i supplied with much-needed goods, 24/7/365.
