The turn of the 21^st century brought about both sad and happy news to the MSO community.  The sad news was that the last six “operational” MSO’s were finally scrapped and destroyed.  Despite the intense effort of several individuals, along with the Save An MSO Foundation, none of the last six ships would be given to the public to be saved as a museum ship.  The government claimed that it was governmental policy to not donate wooden ships, due to the cost and magnitude of the maintenance required for upkeep.  All six ships were dismantled at a cost to the government in excess of $3.5 million. 

That intense effort from late 1999 to mid 2005 to save an MSO throughout the world, along with the great advancement in communication brought about by the Internet, delivered the USS Lucid to the Save an MSO Foundation.  The government originally sold the Lucid to a salvage operator to be scrapped in 1976.  After removing the engines and other equipment that outfits a Naval minesweeper, Lucid became a floating cottage for a group of people that had visions of making her into an inn or bed and breakfast establishment.  With that vision, many modifications were made to Lucid to make her more comfortable for civilian service.  These modifications included adding a service bar and dining facilities aboard her, installing ceramic tile in the various heads, adding civilian cabinetry in many areas, and making structural modifications like new doorways and cutting holes in the decks to remove machinery from below.  Quite a bit of work was done on her including hull painting and stabilization.  It is not clear why the B&B project did not come to completion but Lucid changed hands again. 

The next civilian owner, Bill Gardner, towed the Lucid to Bradford Island in the California Delta, where she is presently docked.  Unfortunately, she went through another salvage operation and much of her fittings, hatches, doors, portholes and practically anything else of a metallic nature was removed and sold as scrap metal, along with cutting a large hole into the hull on her port side, for additional storage access.  The ship fell into disrepair and became a warehouse for discarded junk.  Every compartment and space of the ship was filled with every kind of unwanted and unusable junk imaginable. 

Bill died in late 2004, and left his estranged wife Charlotte Gardner, with the difficult task of finding a new home for the Lucid so she could sell the property.  She contacted the Save an MSO Foundation, in June of 2005 about donating the ship to them. Mike Warren purchased the 7 acres of land on Bradford Island in September 2005, and accepted the USS Lucid as a donation in the name of the Save an MSO Foundation. 

A special thank you goes out to Ms. Charlotte Gardner of Sacramento, California for her gracious donation of the Lucid, in fond memory of her late husband Bill Gardner.  Bill inadvertently saved the USS Lucid from the final scrap yard and his name will forever be a part of the history of the old ship. 

On March 1, 2006 the Lucid MSO-458 Foundation was incorporated in California, as a 501 (c)(3) public benefit corporation.  The Save an MSO Foundation donated the USS Lucid MSO-458 to the Lucid Foundation on that date, and the Save an MSO Foundation was dissolved shortly afterwards. 

Now here’s the good news; The restoration of the USS Lucid has begun.  We're looking for those of you that have a love for these old wooden ships and would like to become part of the USS Lucid museum restoration to volunteer in restoring her as our MSO museum.  You don't have to belong to anything to volunteer to help.  It won't cost you anything to donate your time.  If you are unable to get out to help physically in the restoration we can always use any donation you can afford. We need your financial help to make this happen.  If that is out of the question, your emotional support will be more than appreciated.  Tell your friends and neighbors what we are doing.  Getting the word out is primary in any project like this.  Let's restore the USS Lucid and bring dignity back to one of our own. 

Visit our SOS! page for ways that you can help!