Sculpture honors merchant mariners at Port of Oakland

A new sculpture honoring the lives and sacrifices of merchant mariners now welcomes visitors to the International Maritime Center at the Port of Oakland.

The sculpture, called “Sea Remembrance,” is a large metal figure standing near the center’s steps.

The round structure, supported by a cylindrical base set into concrete, and contoured, curving surface is reminiscent of heavy ropes and cables used aboard merchant ships.

Margaret Reasoner, an official with the Oakland chapter of the International Maritime Center said:

“Seafarers make costly sacrifices being away from home at sea for months at a time.”

In a press release Friday announcing the sculpture’s unveiling, Reasoner said:

“The sculpture honors them for their hard work and perseverance, and serves as a memorial for the mariners who gave their life at sea.”

The artist, James Allen King, is a bosun with the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific, and while he’s aboard ship, helps oversee sailors who maintain the ship’s rigging, anchors, cables and all the other systems and equipment on deck.