Preserved Memory Project:

S.S. CONSTITUTION, American Export Line
by Alan Zamchick

Alan Zamchick: S.S.CONSTITUTION in Hurricane Faith:

I departed with my family from NY on September 1, 1966 for the scheduled 9 day "Sunny Southern Route" to Naples, Italy aboard American Export Isbrandtsen Line's 15 year old SS Constitution. We were to parallel the East Coast of the US for the better part of 24 hours then steer due east across the Atlantic arriving at our first port of call, Algeciras, six days later. Unbeknownst to the passengers, Hurricane Faith was cranking up the East coast and to this relative novice of the seas, the meeting was not going to prove a comfortable one! By the beginning of the second day and with the ship taking a pounding as she tried to make headway through this powerful storm, the situation quickly deteriorated.

The ship was rolling and pitching very heavily. Very much a "cork in a bathtub" sensation was being suffered by most of the passengers. The figure I most remember was that 90% of the ship was seasick, and I know I was the sickest! From early on that second morning, I could barely move from my bunk, Cabin B474, B Deck, way aft, Tourist Class. "Speed" was a misnomer as headway was virtually non existent. Our porthole had been sealed almost from the time we left NY by the heavy deadlight. My condition was made grave by the location of the public toilets, all the way around the bulkhead from our cabin. I was most tempted to use the "ladies" facility directly across from our cabin, knowing that both my mother and sister were completely unaffected by our situation. Supremely jealous of them I maintained my dignity, if not always my aim, each time I unsteadily made it around to the "men's room".

By the third day, the Constitution was forced to "hove to", preferring not to tempt fate or her own structural integrity by continuing to accept the gross pounding the heavy seas had wrought her. Her master lay her side against the motion of the seas, preferring to distribute the pounding along her flank rather than accept the direct pounding into and over her bows.

By day four, my fledgling sealegs began to take shape. Saltine crackers continued to be my primary nourishment, and most of the heavy ropes that forbade external access to the passengers were now being lifted. We now learned that the storm, while still providing us with incredible ocean vistas as winds buffeted the seas to heights in excess of 20 ft. above the Main Deck Tourist deck space, was going to force us to add two days to the crossing.

That afternoon, my mother engaged in an informal chat in the Tourist Tirreno Room with the leader of the Meyer Davis Orchestra, fixtures on all US flag vessels of the era. The bandleader, the years eroding any memory I had of his name, wove a sorry tale to my mom. At the height of the storm, with the ship rolling severely, he had fallen from a chair and his trumpet skittered along the floor, ending with a crash as it was crushed against the wall by a piano stool. Dented and rendered unusable he was lamenting his poor luck to my mother. "Where could one possibly find a trumpet here in the middle of the Atlantic", he wailed. "Just so happened", replied my ever helpful mom, "that my son happens to have his trumpet with him onboard". Unable to contain himself and his good fortune, the bandleader was able to take his rightful place at the head of the band for the rest of the voyage. Most fortunately for your narrator, the good bandleader was also in charge of numerous children's competitions, including the famous "whistle through your crackers" competition. Naturally, I won them all despite questioning my overall skill level in comparison to the others. I gathered armfuls of "useful" American Export Isbrandtsen souvenirs: the ashtray collection, the plastic zipped bag, the notebook, the red souvenir plate, the floating ship in a pen, and most useful to this 11 year old, the fresh pepper shaker! Each emblazoned with the American Export sailing ship logo. Unfortunately, only the pepper shaker endures to this day. But my greatest moments were saved for the final night, enroute from Cagliari, Sardinia to our final destination - Naples.

"My" bandleader, who had gratefully entertained my entire family at a port call in Palma de Majorca had one more surprise waiting for me. My mother and I were invited to the "Farewell" Party being held in the Boat 'N Bottle Bar in First Class. Uncomfortably dressed in bow tie and jacket, I don't remember being thrilled with the prospect of hanging out with "First Class". I do remember sitting fairly bored, watching the various entertainers take their turn. Now it came to the end of the show. "My" bandleader got up in front of the throng to make a short final announcement. "Ladies & gentlemen", he began, and proceeded to recount his good fortune of finding a fine trumpet in the middle of the Atlantic thereby saving his contribution to this notable crossing. "And, now, I'd like to bring out the young fellow that saved the Constitution's band, he's here tonight as my guest from Tourist Class.....Alan Zamchick"!!! Oh god! The spotlight careened over to the small table my mother and I sat at. My heart was literally in my throat. He came over and gently prodded me to the head of the "stage". My mother had suggested I bring my mouthpiece with me, "in case it was needed", and now I knew why! The bandleader asked the crowd if they'd like to hear "the youngster" strike up a tune on his trumpet? Oh, were they ever unified in their response. I've never heard such applause! Yikes, I thought....I've only been playing for a couple of months, and I tried, quietly, to tell the bandleader this was the case. He didn't want to hear any of it. He was on a roll!! Trembling, I faced my audience. Summoning up every bit of courage I could muster, I decided to belt out the single tune that I knew fully: Taps!! As I blew the mournful notes, it just dawned on me that perhaps Taps! was not the best selection for a ship that had been subjected to such a horribly rough crossing. Thankfully, the crowd loved it!! Relief was soon at hand as I had my trusty trumpet returned to me and I was able to find solace back in my seat by my mother.

I've always wondered, was it this episode that forced me to give up the trumpet after my first year of living in Italy?? - Alan Zamchick, NY

added 2000

Constitution/Independence postcard

Constitution laid up in Portland 1996

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