A number of coastal cities have floating museums, ships that once saw military service but have since been mothballed and are now floating reminders of the past. Tampa is included in that roster of cities with SS American Victory, a World War II merchant marine ship, docked in the Channelside District near the Florida Aquarium. American Victory, however, has managed a different course from many of her museum peers: she remains fully operational.
On Saturday, hundreds walked up the gangplank to board the ship and prepared to sail aboard for the Relive History Cruise. It was to be a three-hour cruise through Tampa Bay, with a stop to pay final respects for an at-sea burial of ashes.
SS American Victory, laden only with passengers and no cargo or munitions, rose far out of the water, exposing the enormous propellers with each revolution. That, however, didn’t stop the old ship from exceeding nine knots as it departed Tampa.
Cruises aboard American Victory typically depart once or twice a year with the remainder of the year spent as a fascinating and well-maintained dockside museum. For information about the ship visit www.americanvictory.org.