New Nautilus dock to be ready for water taxi season
The Day
By: Kimberly Drelich
December 30, 2024
Groton — A new dock that will allow Thames River Heritage Park water taxis to stop at the Submarine Force Library and Museum and the historic submarine Nautilus is expected to be in operation for the 2025 water taxi season.
The dock has been installed and is nearly complete.
“It’s been envisioned for quite some time to link Fort Trumbull, downtown New London, Groton, and the Submarine Force Museum with the Thames River Heritage Park,” said retired U.S. Navy Capt. Paul Whitescarver, who is on the Thames River Heritage Park board of directors and recently stepped down as president.
Whitescarver recalled receiving 2009 drawings of the proposed dock when he became commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base in 2015, a position he held until 2019.
“It’s great for the Thames River Heritage Park and great for tourism here in southeastern Connecticut, especially here on the Thames,” said Whitescarver, who also serves on the museum's board of directors, chairs the Connecticut Port Authority and is the executive director of the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region and on the board of the Connecticut Wind Collaborative.
The museum and Nautilus already are part of the Thames River Heritage Park, so it seemed natural to add a water taxi stop there, he said.
"We always say, 'one river, a thousand stories' so it's just a great way to connect all the way up to the base and the museum," Whitescarver said.
Thames River Heritage Park Foundation Executive Director Catherine Foley said the intention is for the dock to be a regular water taxi stop. The foundation is looking forward to having the dock fully operational for the summer season.
“We’re very excited. It’s a long time coming,” she said.
Foley said the Thames River Heritage Park includes sites on both the Groton and New London sides of the Thames River, including the Nautilus which is part of the region's heritage. The Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, made a historic trip underneath the North Pole. President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday, had authorized the Nautilus to be used as a museum ship in Groton.
Foley said the foundation wants to interest area residents in the region's historic sites, as well as visitors who can hop a train from Boston or New York and visit all the sites.
“This project has been a great partnership between the Navy, the town and the Thames River Heritage Park Foundation Board,” said Groton Town Manager John Burt. “The construction of this dock allows for expanded locations for the Foundation’s water taxi and better connects New London and Groton tourism.”
Burt said the aluminum floating dock with an aluminum gangway, which is expected to cost $664,397, is funded through a Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program grant through the Connecticut Port Authority. Atlantic Marine Construction of Westerly is the general contractor.
Burt said the dock, which is owned by the Navy, has been installed and is nearly complete.
Bob Ross, one of the founding board members of the Thames River Heritage Park Foundation and executive director of the Connecticut Office of Military Affairs, said the museum is already a top attraction, and now combining it with the ability to go to and from the museum by water taxi is pretty exciting. He said that the fact the water taxis are surplus 40-foot Navy utility boats adds to the experience.
Ross said the Thames River Heritage Park commemorates Native American and modern American history on the shores of the Thames River. Its recently added third boat is named NAMEAUG, which was the name of the river long before Europeans renamed it.
He pointed out that with the new dock, people will be able to visit the free museum and then pay a small fee to take a water taxi to continue exploring sites in the region.
“You could spend a whole day looking at the maritime history of the Thames River,” including Fort Griswold, Fort Trumbull, the Submarine Force Museum and eventually the Coast Guard Museum, he said.
"I think it is tremendous for the region," said City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick.
LCDR Bryan Chapman, officer in charge of the Historic Ship Nautilus, noted the significance of the dock, a collaboration among the state, town, Thames River Heritage Park, submarine base and museum nearly two decades in the making, at the 70th anniversary of the Nautilus commissioning this past fall.
“Guests will now be able to arrive at this museum by land and sea, which seems very appropriate for a naval museum,” he said.
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