New London — Underneath a cloudy sky and slight breeze on Thursday morning, a 76-year-old schooner once sailed by World War II Gen. George S. Patton rested at the city's waterfront.

The ship's name — When and If, written in gold on the ship's black hull — hinted at the vessel's history.

Gen. Patton reportedly had commissioned the ship to sail around the world with his wife, Beatrice, when the war ended and if he survived. But he died in a car accident in 1945, before he could fulfill his dream.

“Seventy-six years later, the ship hasn’t sailed around the world,” Seth Salzmann, the ship’s captain, said in an interview on board the ship.

Salzmann said he plans to finally fulfill the vessel's destiny by sailing it across the globe.

The When and If is one of more than a dozen ships, each with its own history, slated to participate in the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival in New London this week.

The annual celebration of maritime history began Wednesday and continues through Saturday.

This year's festival pays tribute to the Coast Guard's 225th anniversary.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Robert Papp Jr. visited the ISAAC School on Thursday, while the Garde Arts Center held viewings of a documentary on a Coast Guard rescue in the Pacific Ocean and the film "The Perfect Storm" Thursday evening.

On Friday, an official welcoming ceremony for the festival will be held at 2 p.m. on City Pier. Saturday's events include a schooner race, chowder competition and a lighted boat parade.

Salzmann said When and If will participate in the schooner race. As part of the mission to sail the vessel around the world, Salzmann is promoting the ship to the public over the next year-and-a-half through educational exhibits, regattas, trips and charters.

The Patton family had kept the vessel following the general's death. In the 1970s, the vessel became part of an educational program through the Landmark School in Massachusetts and was later retained by private owners.

The ship, now owned by Doug Hazlitt and leased by Salzmann, recently was renovated. The renovations included the repair and replacement of deck beams, the installation of about 46 new planks on the hull, and the addition of new electrical and plumbing systems, Salzmann said.

The ship, with a 63.5-foot-long deck, continues to retain most of its original features, including the compass atop a bronze pedestal, called a binnacle, the hatch once slid open and shut by Patton and the wooden ladder leading to the boat's cabin, he said.

The ship further features a pilot house where Patton had kept a desk, mahogany bunk beds and a work bench, which Salzmann said illustrates Patton's self-sufficiency.

Patton intended the ship, designed by John G. Alden, to be strong enough to travel around the world, Salzmann said. The ship has a sturdy timber shelf clamp, as well as bronze strappings to keep it from creaking.

"It's a testament to how Patton didn't want fatigue of material to be the cause of any problem," Salzmann said.

This weekend's maritime festival features a phenomenal mix of vessels, from the Lettie G. Howard, a National Historic Landmark, to the 338-foot USNS Trenton, and everything in between, said Bruce MacDonald, chief operating officer of the festival.

He noted the Coast Guard Cutter Ida Lewis and the significance of the festival as the concluding event of the Coast Guard Summer.

"It's a big summer event with the Coast Guard at the forefront," he said.

Through the drizzling rain early Thursday evening, the Oliver Hazard Perry, a tall ship from Newport, arrived at City Pier across from the 141-foot Columbia from Panama City, Fla. 

The festival also includes the Tree of Life out of Newport and a variety of vessels from the region, such as the Mary E. of Essex; Roann of Mystic; Mystic Whaler of New London; and Brilliant of Mystic, according to the participating vessels listed on the festival's website.

The Amistad, which has been in New London this summer, also will be docked at the New London waterfront. The ship is slated to leave for Mystic Seaport in about 10 days, said James Peters, the ship's master.

Another ship participating in the festival, the Lettie G. Howard, is based out of South Street Seaport Museum in New York City. Christine McCormick, the ship's second mate, said the vessel is a National Historic Landmark and is involved in educational programs.

The John J. Harvey, the retired New York City fire boat that had assisted in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, arrived in New London Thursday afternoon. Huntley Gill, the boat's captain, said the 1931 boat was the first large modern fire boat built in America.

The restored boat will be open for residents to learn about the vessel and involved in water displays during the festival.

Gill said he was excited to participate in the festival and impressed by the New London waterfront.

"Look at this," he said, gesturing to the waterfront lined with historic ships. "It's like a dream."

More information on the vessels and a full schedule of the festival's events are available at http://ctmaritimefest.com. 

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich