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by Charles H. Lagerbom (Author)
Hero did things its own way, a proven non-conformist from the start. Its planners, designers, and builders were determined, self-driven men not interested in going along with any crowd, and Hero imbued that attitude into its timbers. It is a story of self-sufficiency, a self-reliant "can-do" and not-so-subtle form of iconoclasm, led by a memorable and quirky cast of colorful captains, bureaucrats, crew, and scientists, all set against the dramatic backdrop of Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, and the Antarctic Peninsula. This legacy continued with later owners and plans for its post-service life, all the way to its decline and eventual loss. Throughout it all, Hero thumbed its nose at conventionality, never fitting seamlessly into the bureaucratic or scientific order of things. It actually had to be that way, on its own, in some of the worst seas on the planet; Hero depended many times only on itself to get the job done. For over fifty years, from an irreverent launching to its sad farewell de-commissioning, from grand plans for its post-service life to its almost unnoticed sinking, from bureaucratic wrangling and financial blame for its end-fate as an environmental time-bomb, to its salvage and eventual redemption as a historic representation of Maine wooden ship-building, Hero did things on its own terms in its own way...The Hero way.
Launched in the daring mid-60s when exciting possibilities were coupled with a profusion of federal funds, its usefulness ended when those same federal agencies washed their hands of the increasingly expensive-to-maintain vessel, leaving Hero to its fate. Yet even then, excitement emanated from its timbers; there was something about its unique potential. Much like a sea breeze, grand plans for Hero seemed to fill its reddish/orange sails. For three decades and beyond, people swirled around the ship, dreaming of its financial possibilities or place in posterity. But just as winds, the people and their plans tended to dissipate, prove elusive, or even turn out to be contrary.
The strength of Hero comes from the band-of-brothers mentality and sense of fellowship that evolved, many associated with the vessel were and continue to be committed to its history. Throughout its life, Hero faced dangers such as Cape Horn weather, ice, storms, submerged rocks, Drake crossings, groundings, Argentine and Chilean militarism, Cold War espionage, volcanic eruptions, and gale-force winds. But it also enjoyed stunning scenery at many out-of-the-way places throughout Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula. It also offered a front-row seat to stunning icebergs, glaciers, and majestic wildlife such as penguins, whales, and seals. Its scientific achievements are many. Hero did this all on its own terms and just like a true hero, became a touchstone for the many lucky enough to have been involved with or part of its life, as well as for the majority of us encountering Hero only through its remnants, photos, and stories. Welcome aboard the Hero way.
