Community College effort

Ten divers from the Diving Technology Program at the Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) will be on a mission December 1st 2007. The mission they have chosen to undertake, to preserve a piece of Key West History. Together with the Schooner Western Union Preservation Society 501(c)3 the college divers will perform a hull inspection and a hull cleaning of Key West’s Flagship, The Schooner Western Union. The work will take place at its slip in the Historic Seaport behind the Waterfront Market. As a joint project with Project Schooner Western Union membership volunteers and the FKCC Diving Technology Class will submerge and inspect the vessel’s hull below the waterline for any defects or deterioration. While the FKCC team is inspecting the hull, the team will also perform a hull cleaning of the vessel without having to have the vessel dry docked.

Theo Glorie Chairman of the Project Schooner Western Union commented “It's always great when a community comes together and gives each other a hand, as this was the case with our Key West Flagship. “ Adding to that Bob Jasen FKCC Director of Marine Propulsion and Marine Environmental Studies said “It is another way to build upon the partnerships between FKCC and the community it serves.”

The last tall ship to be built in Key West in 1939, the 130 foot schooner was the last sailing ship to be tasked with laying communication cable beneath the Caribbean Sea. The Schooner Western Union has been docked at that location for a little over a year and a lot of sea life has been growing below the waterline of the ship.

Bob Jasen will also be one of the instructor divers participating in the work on the wooden hull Schooner December 1st 2007 the other FKCC Divers are:
Conner Dawson, Daniel Desmond, Tim Maleport, William Miller, Jeff Parenteau, April Paterson, James Proctor, David Riser, Tim Seaman, Daniel Tolbert.