From Cameron McPhail.
THE hyperbole talked about the Maritime Museum is breathtakingly audacious and serves but to undermine its case for support.
 
How can anyone of sound mind claim that the Maritime Museum is ‘globally recognised for its exciting approach to maritime history’, ‘manages a fleet (not a flotilla) of boats’ or ‘preserves a maritime heritage that would be lost forever if the doors closed’?

Is the Maritime Museum yet another cuckoo in Jersey’s heritage nest, always squawking for more, but doing little for itself?

As the debate about the museum seems short on facts and figures, and long on sweeping assertions, perhaps management could answer the following:

• Was there even a properly prepared operating model for the museum or was this thought to be infra dig?

• Over the years, how have the museum’s actual financial and other results compared with forecast?

• Under what basis could the museum avoid becoming increasingly dependent on the States for support?

• Under fairly realistic assumptions, was the museum always doomed to failure?

• Why was the maritime initiative not subsumed into the Jersey Museum?

Heritage organisations seem thick on the ground in the Island with the National Trust, Jersey Heritage and the Société Jersiaise all actively involved in heritage matters.

Perhaps if this alphabet soup of quangos were to rationalise their activities then maybe Heritage would get more done at a lower cost.