At the end of the war, the ship was returned to Martin, who sailed it once again under the name Sachem. He then sold it on to the Circle Line, a sightseeing company operating out of New York City. It was the start of the ship’s long career ferrying tourists around the sights of one of the most famous cities on Earth.
In fact, the ship served as a tour boat for the next 40 years, first as the Sightseer and then as Circle V. That name, incidentally, can still be spotted on the wreck today. The ship was finally retired in the early 1980s, but even then its long story was not quite done.
In 1986 Robert Miller from Cincinnati bought the ship for $7,500. While he was preparing the boat for the long journey to the Midwest, a limousine rolled up. An individual representing the singer Madonna approached him and revealed that they wanted to use the Circle V. Following this chance encounter, the boat ended up making an appearance in the music video for “Papa Don’t Preach.”
After its brief brush with stardom, Circle V embarked on an epic journey from New York through the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Finally, it came to rest in Northern Kentucky, on Miller’s property. That was back in 1986, and it hasn’t moved since.
Now, the ship has been sitting in its quiet rusty rest for decades. Recent photographs, such as the ones you see here, have renewed interest in the vessel. Many – including one man claiming to be Miller – want to see it restored and used as a museum or a pleasure craft.
